"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

Sunday 4 October 2015

WHAT DO WE WANT IN AN M.P. ?

Election signs have been out for several weeks. Conservative signs on the day the election was called . No shortage of resources there.

I knew nothing  about the candidate. 

I know a little more now. Not because of anything I've read or heard . ..because of what I've seen.. 

Liberal and NDP signs are now out now. Liberal signs are the same size as Conservative but not as many. NDP signs are smaller. 

Large Conservative signs are frequently spaced on boulevards. 

Two  small  signs flank many of Liberal signs. 

What does it tell me?

The advantage of providing facilities for young ones to participate in organized sports are said to be substantial.  Municipalities invest millions in the enterprise. 

From society's perspective, the best lesson is discipline, and rules of decency and fair play. 

The Conservative candidate obviously cares nothing about either and even less about providing an  example to youth. 

He has the resources to crowd other candidates out and that's what he is doing. 

The intelligence to understand the ugly message conveyed  is absent. 

Michael Ignatieff wrote a book after the last election. I heard an interview he gave on C.B.C. Radio.

 He said he never realized  until the night before, the election was not all about him.

 It was about the people. 

He was a candidate for the highest office . Canadians everywhere needed him to understand what their lives were like .

After months as an M.P. In Ottawa and weeks of traveling across the country. People came out on dreary stormy nights to hear how he might make their lives better. And he didn't get it until the night before. 

He had the opportunity to make a difference and never understood how badly it was needed. 

The Conservative candidate in this riding acknowledges no rules.

He has no comprehension  of fair play.

The election is about him. 

Not about the people. 

13 comments:

Anonymous said...


The article headed "Heated battles fuel federal leaders' final debate" that appeared in yesterday's Globe and Mail was followed by 560 comments. Not sure is this is a record.

Will quote a few:

"Good debate overall. Harper could not escape this time, thanks to the format which forced him to actually debate. Trudeau skilfully returned the niqab grenade to Harper, reminding him that there are more men in his cabinet against abortion than there are women wearing the niqab in Canada. Good lesson in hypocrisy. On Oct. 19th, go vote my friends, and vote wisely."

"Fellow Canadians: Harper is not representing us. He even hired an Australian to teach him how to dislike and divide us more...Embrace changing for 2015."

"Now we know why Harper refused the Consortium debate...too many Canadians would be watching...and realize what a failure he has been."

"Harper isn't used to being taken to task for the incompetence of his actions. He likes to keep himself in that warm assuring cocoon, that is his election campaign, where the audience is all hand-picked acolytes and the press is very limited and controlled. No wonder his debate performance sucked so badly."

"I think Harper is looking smaller with each debate. He taps into the power of being in charge, but it's less effective as time goes by as we realize he could actually be gone and we could be so much stronger and healthier as a country without him and his latest assistant, Lynton Crosby. He never stands on his own...relies on people like Nigel Wright and Mr. Crosby."

"Does Crosby have a work permit?"

"The Liberals want to tax the rich while the NDP is talking about 'sound fiscal footing.' Times have changed. I'll take either. Anyone but Harper."

I would imagine that if Harper has a dog, it no longer likes him and refuses to fetch.

It's really quite interesting to see the broad expression of disgust for Harper right across the country.

It we vote wisely the blue signs will be trash and their proponents likewise.

Anonymous said...

I am south of Yonge and did not know anything about the Conservative candidate.
Now I know a whole lot more including that he seems to want to use fear to generate votes. Given that a great total
of 2 women asked to be veiled during their citizenship ceremony, that is really taking cheap shots. We should not be
afraid of all new immigrants - we are all from elsewhere except for the native canadians and even they might have come from
the US or the far north.
I will not state for whom I and my small family will vote but it will not be for the new boy.

Anonymous said...


we don't want anything blue.

Anonymous said...

16:45 - Comparing the issue of the niqab to the issue of abortion is ludicrous. Just like the picture that's out there of princess Diana on her wedding day with her wedding veil over her face. There are Liberal's comparing that veil wearing to the niqab. Absolute stupidity. I'm not even going to comment about your question of Crosby's work permit! I won't be voting for Menegakis he represents the conservatives poorly, and I personally don't like him. but there is no hope in hell I'm voting Liberal or NDP. Harper has done well in the last decade considering the last decade of global instability. You want change? You should have chosen 2 other leaders. Anyone but Trudeau or Mulcair.

Anonymous said...

Evelyn, your comparison of Michael Ignatieff to the local candidates is not really apples to apples. Michael Ignatieff was the leader of the party, trying to become Prime Minister. While all candidates are local candidates, his focus was national. Local candidates I think have to think the election is about them because that is all that they can hang their hats on. If a local candidate is elected but ends up being in the opposition, then he or she only has their constituents so they must promote themselves.

17:28 > If you are south of Yonge, then I guess you are somewhere in Lake Ontario?

Anonymous said...

There are conservative signs along the streets but the ones on lawns in my area are few and far between. It is interesting
when you know the residents and their track record for picking candidates.

Anonymous said...

But, 21:46, we are stuck with the candidates we have, not some ideal that should ' have been chosen '

Anonymous said...

9:09 - Yes, we are stuck with the candidates we have, that will not stop me from exercising my right to vote. I will be going to the polls and declining my ballot. Unfortunately declining my ballot in a federal election means my vote will count as "spoiled". Unlike the provincial and municipal elections where it counts as a declined vote. I have Conservative ideologies, and I do like how Mr. Harper has led this country. I believe he is the best leader from the 3 that have been handed to us. But I can't in good faith vote for someone in my riding who I don't believe will represent us well. We already have too many of them.

Anonymous said...

Whatever did that conservative candidate do to tick off so many conservatives ? I never heard of him before
and I keep hearing the same " I am a conservative but will not be voting for him ".
It is good for the other candidates, I guess, unless they split the vote

Anonymous said...

10:54
Unfortunately the declining of a ballot is a hollow gesture on your part (whether it is federal, provincial or municipal). When the votes are tabulated, no one looks at the declined or spoiled ballots to determine what the thinking was around the voter. If there was a spot on the ballot that says "Declined...... please explain why." then you would have a platform to vent your frustration. Except for telling your family and friends that you declined the vote, there is no one going to listen (I doubt that your friends or family would either).

I am always torn in Federal or Provincial elections. Do I support the party and vote for the candidate, or do I vote for the candidate that will represent me? If the party that I support appears to be faltering in the big picture, I try and vote for the local candidate that will support me the best.

Declining or spoiling your vote does nothing for anyone other than you. Go ahead and do that if you must, but you give up your right to complain about the government that is elected, because you failed to participate.

Anonymous said...

Says who, I give up my right to complain about government? I will be participating. My participation will not count for a winner or loser in this election, but it will count. I didn't make up these election rules, but I will abide by them, but I'll be damned if I am forced to chose a candidate that I don't like.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

I discovered part of why there might be so much antagonism towards the conservative candidate from a
letter in the Auroran written by a kid. Attitude.