"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Thursday 11 December 2014

Hopefully it can change again

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The loss is more than material":

Politicians were never on the short list of what you wanted your kids to be when they grew up.
Posted by Anonymous to Our Town and Its Business at 11 December 2014 at 20:14

***************************
It has not  always been true. 

Polticians have always been  easy targets for critics. 

It didn 't mean they had no sense of the dignity of their role. 

I am constantly being reminded how things have changed.

I keep providing glimpses of the past that illustrate the change.

If mistakes  or wrong-doing were uncovered  a Minister took responsibility and resigned

Resignations were accepted. A heavy personal price was paid by an individual.

It was how government assured the public of commitment to integrity.

They didn't sic the dogs on others to distract attention.

Slithering and sliding  and flat denials to escape responsibility were  not the norm.

Nowadays the public  is compelled to witness degrading conduct while politicians brazen their way through, playing for time and  banking on the short attention span of media and the public.

At times it seems there's nothing left. but foolish yammering.

We are all of us degraded. By it.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...



Your recent subject matter is beginning to depress me on a number of posts.

While they may all be valid they do nothing positive for my state of mind.

I believe someone recently suggested that you discontinue naming local pols until the new year, when you were invited to blast away as you so desired.

Possibly the next few weeks are even beginning to lose a part of their long established allure.

This would be a great tragedy.

But the latest IT seems to be leading us down a long tortured slippery slope from which I fear we shall not regain the shining city of the hill.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure if Mr Fantino will be able to endure. Once one becomes to butt of editorial cartoons & internet jokes, it is probably time to start packing it in.

David said...

Evelyn I would love to read more positive stories about inclusive Aurora.An example is how we can help all be successful.

Anonymous said...

Here is a huge generalization.
The Conservatives are doing an awful job nationally & internationally and the Liberals are going the same on a smaller scale in Ontario.

Anonymous said...

9:36
I believe we all helped by voting down the proposed ward system. And that plan for special designation for one sector of the town also threatened to be divisive. We are not doing too badly.

Anonymous said...


Harper's review of solitary confinement will result in no change.

I would like to see him try it for six months.

Anonymous said...


Fantino should try his hand as barman at a legion post.

That would give him the opportunity of hearing directly from veterans.

He might even buy them a drink.

Anonymous said...


And the latest from Harper is legislation that will permit the government to publicize those companies, most likely American, whose selling prices for goods in Canada are higher than the prices for those same items in the United States.

Theoretically this should help Canadian consumers, but in fact there is nothing the government can do to force American companies to match their Canadian prices to those in the U.S.

This is another one of Harper's "feel good" ploys, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Anonymous said...

Not sure if I can understand some of these comments, indicating how some of these subject matters are depressing or not positive. I don’t remember a time when politics was a happy topic. I believe you’re correct Evelyn when you talk about politicians being more accountable in the past. At least we had that. Today unfortunately accountability and integrity are just words in the dictionary being manipulated each and every day. We can hope that we might be able to have people enter politics with those qualities again.

Anonymous said...


It is long overdue that our local Conservative MP Lois Brown stops mouthing her party's incessant rot of policies that go against all humanity and are retrograde steps into a dark and dingy night.

The Canadian government has rejected widespread calls to place limits on solitary confinement in federal prisons. This is a complete dismissal of the recommendations of an inquest into the death of a prisoner, Ashley Smith, by suicide, after spending more than 2,000 days in solitary confinement.

Solitary confinement is on the increase in Canada, even as other countries shy away from it.

This harper government is the absolute worst opposite of responsible, humane democracy in recent memory.

Only Guantanamo rivals it.

Our local MP owes it to her constituents to issue a strongly condemnatory statement of her leader's policies. Will she do it?

You've got to be kidding!

Anonymous said...

15:36
Not that it may mean very much. But she's one of the better ones.

Anonymous said...

20:20
Do you live north of Wellington ?

Anonymous said...

@20:20
Very interesting post as I sit here paying my bills.
While I pay my health tax (not income tax) per McGuinty, higher hydro rates that have driven the mfg sector out of Ontario and the excesses of the numerous agencies created by the current government in Ontario to do who knows what ie fairness commissioner while stealing money out of my pocket.
Yes I will sleep better knowing you have pointed out the "excessive rot of policies" of the Harper Government.
Now back to paying my bills knowing you are on top of things.

Anonymous said...

10:51
But what can we do about it ? I simply do not see anything or anyone on the local scene who could fix the mess. Not like Canadians get out and demand change. The eastern Europeans are not deterred by weather or cowardice.

Anonymous said...

20:06- we get a chance to do something about it at every election.