My original idea for the title of this post was "Stop Hitting Yourself," the classic refrain of the bully on the school bus or the playground. This was meant to symbolize the way the provincial government is treating the university. But then I realized that the nature of the relationship is much more insidious and abusive. In essence, a domestic violence situation seems like the best metaphor for the current situation between UofA and the Redford government. Consider the following features, taken from this informative page:
There are many signs of an abusive relationship. The most telling sign is fear of your partner. If you feel like you have to walk on eggshells around your partner–constantly watching what you say and do in order to avoid a blow-up–chance are your relationship is unhealthy and abusive. Other signs that you may be in an abusive relationship include a partner who belittles you or tries to control you, and feelings of self-loathing, helplessness, and desperation.
...Remember, an abuser's goal is to control you, and he or she will frequently use money to do so. Economic or financial abuse includes:
•Rigidly controlling your finances
•Restricting you to an allowance
•Withholding money or credit cards
•Making you account for every penny you spend
•Withholding basic necessities
One of the most important issues in abusive relationships is how the abused partner gets out of it. This is what I have been thinking about lately. The UofA can't very well move away from Alberta. But those of us who do not want to be party to such dysfunction certainly have options, and would be foolish not to explore them.
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