Unexpectedly blue...
I woke up this morning, as all Canadians did, to the news of Jack Laytons death.
And I find myself unexpectedly sad. His death didn't totally surprise me; he looked so very unwell at that last news conference just a few weeks ago. But I was surprised at how sad I find myself at his passing.
I know I've met him in passing some years ago, I've been too politically active on that side of the fence, for too many years, to not have. And I've long held a soft spot for a man who seemed to genuinely care about people who many other political figures wrote off or smiled with only when it was politically expedient. The NDP certainly don't qualify for sainthood as a political party but they do embody a kinder version of politics than we sometimes see, sadly, in Canada.
The 'Orange Surge' is a good thing for Canada at a Federal level, if only because it challenged to status quo. Layton, in his final letter, has basically asked us to do better for ourselves, and that is noble goal. Maybe, just maybe, we will see his legacy be some real change in Canada's political direction in the months and years ahead. One can hope.
T.C.
And I find myself unexpectedly sad. His death didn't totally surprise me; he looked so very unwell at that last news conference just a few weeks ago. But I was surprised at how sad I find myself at his passing.
I know I've met him in passing some years ago, I've been too politically active on that side of the fence, for too many years, to not have. And I've long held a soft spot for a man who seemed to genuinely care about people who many other political figures wrote off or smiled with only when it was politically expedient. The NDP certainly don't qualify for sainthood as a political party but they do embody a kinder version of politics than we sometimes see, sadly, in Canada.
The 'Orange Surge' is a good thing for Canada at a Federal level, if only because it challenged to status quo. Layton, in his final letter, has basically asked us to do better for ourselves, and that is noble goal. Maybe, just maybe, we will see his legacy be some real change in Canada's political direction in the months and years ahead. One can hope.
T.C.