Dear Editor,
Thanks for your timely, sane handling of the House of Commons Brawl (elbow-gate) before the members of parliament vote on the new law on medically assisted suicide.
I don’t believe for a minute that this incident is being shrugged off by the general public! I think we were all embarrassed and stunned to find out we were watching a very bad “hockey-game” gone wrong. We simply expect some sportsmanship to finally rule on the floor of our elected members, House of Commons, in Ottawa.
We, also expect elected people to do their job in a civil respectful manner and not pander to be in a fan club for rich and famous or to think our elected members of government should be “Hollywood stars” or Princes of Royalty.
“Sunny ways” implies civility and respect. To think mindless kissing and hugging of the women of Canada in the House of Commons or in crowds outside is appropriate behaviours is plain silliness and can stop instantly. If any politician wants to treat women and men equally, a simple handshake is universal with Canadians. More importantly, if women want job equality in government, be competent for the job in the Commons, in the Senate, in the workplace, and the home.
The way the general public really are; we are the unusually “silent” majority.
1) Historically, colonized in the British way - stiff upper lip, morally restrained, stickler for the rule of reason, good example in public, and domestically.
2) Historically, the Canadians - colonists are Victorian, puritanical, and view Canada as a classless, equal society. So, we are amazed that the government has “saved the middle-class” as their task in the House of Commerce.
3) Historically, Canada is an immigrant nation. We fled to Canada from Europe and Asia for freedom from church taxation, royal rulers, strong desire for owned land, less corrupt governance, and less industrial indenture.
Business-wise, if anyone could pay a living wage to their workers and do well for themselves too – they were in business. Now we suffer under “mega”ism. While we legislate, (often in silly ways) our profit ideas on a large scale of greed that enslaves, our minimum wage, part-time work, no benefits, workers in hard and dirty jobs, we continue to overpay the government civil service workers who, on the job, still read books and waste time on cell phones. They actually occupy spaces with little to do. We call them gatekeepers, who keep people out so that the access to assistance programs stays in their computers.
4) The good ways, we, the general public, really are, are in adversity. We can really respect the general public of Canada for their reactions to:
1)Fort McMurray fires
2) Slave Lake fires – four or five years ago
3) High River flooding
4)Town of Lamont – no cell phones in work places or in cafes. This gives a warm and welcoming behaviours between the locals and strangers.
5) The general public can really respect dozens of individual heroes, politicians, mayors, and neighbours. For example,
Rosie Barton - CBC Power and Politics
Rona Ambrose – Temporary Conservative Leader
Brian Jean – Wild Rose Leader
RCMP – evacuation 88,000 people with no injuries or deaths reported
Town and District of Lac La Biche
Truckers - of essential goods to Fort McMurray
Elizabeth Mae - in the House of Commons summed up the incident
Jennifer from Global News Edmonton – gave her handshake to Mr. Trudeau on the ending of the Edmonton Morning Interview and the compliments she received from Angus Watt for doing so.
In summary Mr. Editor, I think this May 25 copy of your paper is an award winning one for a small town paper.
^
Sincerely,
Stella Freidel
Ponoka