Aug 28, 2011
My thoughts on the memoriam for Jack Layton
I wonder how many Canadians feel as I do?
Politics is not a game. Should not be a game.
Should not be: Spoils of war accrued to the winners
Should not be about :
- Who has the best spin doctors
- Who comes up with the best slogan
- Who lies the most effectively
- Who steals and gets away with it the best
- Who wields power for power and profit sake, rather than aims to accomplish something worthwhile, lasting and beneficial
- Who enters it to further their ego, their greed
Rather, in my opinion it should be about
- Who enters politics for the good of the municipality, city, province or federal riding, for the sake of those citizens they promise to represent
- Who has a vision, a dream for the future
Please, Canadians, wake up.
I miss Jack Layton – for his sincerity
He gave me hope:
- That we could conduct the business of government, for the purpose of benefitting Canada and the lives of Canadians
- That we could be be truly a civil society
I don’t know any other poltician who presently so embodies this. Mostly everywhere I turn, everywhere I look, I see only greedy, lying, self serving egomaniacs, whose only interest is to serve their own interest or that of those they think will reward them.
I think we are governed by
petty, self serving “power gone to my head” “what’s in it for me” “how will I keep my power and pad my pockets” politicians
And I think it’s our own fault.
I think we are a nation of cynics
We docilely accept decisions made by our governments, that do not represent our beliefs, our hopes, our vision. Why?
- Are we are too busy, too apathetic, too uninformed, too complacent?
- Are we too like those politicians we despise - wrapped up in forwarding our own personal agendas?
- Or perhaps with a natural human desire to feel connected somehow – do we unquestioningly pick a side, adopt an ideology, an “us or them” “right or wrong” “ left or right”, view that may or may not reflect our true feelings, but that strokes our ego and bolsters our need to feel important and heard?
- Or do we just deride and mock politics? Do we say “oh, I’m not going to vote, what’s the use...they’re all as bad as each other.”
- Or “Well, I don’t really know enough about that issue, so I’ll let someone else decide”
- Or do assume that our one small voice can’t possibly make a difference?
Do we ever stop and wonder how we became Canada? Wonder who fought & died for the rights we so enjoy and so take for granted as to utterly ignore?
I have many more questions than answers. And I attribute that in no small part to Mr. Jack Layton. He gave me hope that “politics” could be about vision, and principles, and caring more for democracy and the greater good than about winning or power.
I am very grateful. Thank you Mr. Layton for loving Canada, for loving Canadians. You infused a most welcome breath of fresh air and optimism into my life.
