And who will throw the first stone? It seems we now have protestors throwing stones at prime minister Justin Trudeau. It is easy to blame the anti-vaxxers, the libertarian extremists of Maxime Bernier, social extremists of the conservative party and the child minds that enjoy the excitement of the scene.
But what if we lay the blame where it belongs: with ourselves? Have we been fair to the position of prime minister? Have we shown the proper respect for the position? Or have we just reflected the anger and frustration we have all felt through the long, frightening days of confusion and pandemic?
Has Justin Trudeau done any less in the job that he wanted? Has he exceeded the boundaries of Canada’s awkward and out-dated constitution? It seems he has done what he can to mitigate the hardships of the pandemic. He faithfully reported on the efforts of the federal government to shore up the mandated responsibilities of our provincial governments. He could do no more than direct federal funds to the hurts in our economy. He searched out the coming vaccines and solutions, shopped, bought, and distributed them just as soon as they became available to us.
But, in six years, he also made his share of mistakes. They hardly need exaggeration. He is, like all of us, an imperfect person. He is a failed feminist. Ask Jody Wilson-Raybould. His choice of charities is “We,” which is a family favourite. As an environmentalist, he has been a disappointment.
And he stands in the spotlight. We have to acknowledge the good and the bad. And we should weigh the successes with the failures.
And we have to weigh him in a bad lot. Do Mr. O’Toole, Mr. Singh or Ms. Paul hold promise for us? Is one of them the answer? Will you accept the vacillations and compromises and inadequacies of their plans for our country?
There is no space on your ballot for ‘None of the Above.’ Your duty to Canada is to vote. This is not a ‘Pin the tail on the donkey’ exercise. Give it your best shot. This Canadian will watch the debates with open mind. I will publish new odds on the race by Saturday—and then I will vote. I will vote for the candidate who best represents me in my riding.
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Copyright 2021 © Peter Lowry
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