RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

JULY 2ND UPDATE:  IN THIS MORNING'S OTTAWA SUN, MARK BONOKOSKI REPORTS THAT BACK IN 2005 THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPENT $1.5 MILLION IN TRACKING DOWN 5,300 LIVING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IMPLICATED IN "PHYSICALLY, PSYCHOLOGICALLY, OR SEXUALLY ABUSING STUDENTS" AT THESE SCHOOLS. YET SOME 16 YEARS LATER, NOT ONE HAS BEEN CRIMINALLY CHARGED.  THIS IS WRONG AND NOW THE NUMBER OF PRIME MINISTERS IMPLICATED IN THIS WRONG TOTALS THEM ALL- FROM MACDONALD THROUGH TO JUSTIN HIMSELF.  FOR ME, MODERN PMs ARE JUST AS BLAMEWORTHY OR PERHAPS EVEN MORE SO GIVEN THEY HAVE THE BENEFIT OF VIEWING THE PAST FROM THE LOFTY PERCH OF THE PRESENT. IN OTHER WORDS, THERE IS LESS REASON FOR THEM TO NOT HAVE ACTED IN BRINGING THE EVIL DOERS TO JUSTICE. 

 OUR LOVELY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, HEATHER requested that I do a Blog on this most topical of subjects.  Heather has heard so many differing accounts regarding this of late that she asked me for my thoughts.  I thought you might be interested as well.

Anyway, we all know what has brought this back into the daily news; well over 1,000 unmarked graves of Aboriginal Children were discovered recently on the grounds of three former Residential Schools in Western Canada. Native Leadership is rightfully crying out for justice and, of course, many with their usual demand for more money to help survivors and all and sundry cope with the mental stress this has caused them despite the Billions of Dollars paid out to them over the years.

I say this in no way to diminish the sadness of this but I do have some questions:

First and foremost, what was the cause of so many deaths?  Most occurred before the discovery of penicillin and as such it was not unusual for infants and young children to succumb to a vast array of illnesses at that time*. In fact, my own mother lost two of her siblings to illness in the early part of the last century.  If, however they died as result of abuse, then the perpetrators still living should face the full force of our Criminal Law.  Full Stop !!

    *Stats Can reports that in 2019 deaths per 1,000 in children was but one (1).  In the 1930s, it was 80.7 deaths per 1,000.

Second then, for the children who remained on their Reserves and died in childhood, how many were there and what was the primary cause of their deaths?  An arm's length, properly funded Investigation should be able to determine that.  

And Finally Third, it has been declared that the children were buried in unmarked graves at the first site but later reported that initially they were in fact marked but over time the site fell into disuse.  Which is it?  And were others similarly initially marked?  Again an Inquiry would tell us.

What is without any doubt is that our current Liberal Government has known of these graves since the issuance of  the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report in the early Fall of 2015 when it pledged $27 million dollars to help with the discovery of their bodies. Now with it becoming front page news the Government has finally begun to mobilize these resources. The question then for Prime Minister Trudeau is... since you pretend to be the Natives' best friend why has it taken you and your Government so long to act on such an important promise? 

Trudeau also promised upon becoming Prime Minister, in that same year, to spare no time and expense in ensuring that our Native Communities gain access to Potable Water.  Many of those communities are still waiting today... still operating under boil water orders.  If I had been Prime Minister I can assure you that this would have been my very first priority.   Indeed, it is a tragedy that many throughout the Third World suffer from the lack of potable water, it is simply a crime for that to happen here in Canada - we are a prosperous First World Nation.  

But this raises the following question; why haven't Indigenous Leaders taken more responsibility for their own peoples' welfare?  Like the Black Leadership in the United State, some prefer to wallow in their perceived Victimization and in both cases we are talking about a timeframe exceeding well over 150 years.  Sadly, this Victimization Mentality is gleefully supported by the Progressive Left and by much of the Media.

Some Natives have asserted and our Prime Minister has agreed, that they have been the subject of Cultural Genocide.  In reality, their Culture, dating back to the Stone Age, was destroyed hundreds of years ago with the coming of the Europeans. Aboriginals have also been put on a Pedestal - not so much by themselves but by the Progressive Left that with the coming of the "White Man" came war and other nefarious activities such as Slavery.  But if you know your History, you will realize that Aboriginals engaged in such practices as well - long before Christopher Columbus reached the shores of America.  I cannot imagine any Native today wanting to return to life as it was pre 1492.  

The Sad Truth in all of this though is that Victimization can be profitable especially for many of their Chiefs and Elders. 

I mentioned above what I would do if I had been Prime Minister but now will change hats and pretend I am now part of the Aboriginal Leadership.  Hopefully, in that capacity, I would have organized natives from coast to coast to find our own buried children and bring them back to the Reserves or to another Special Place of Remembrance.  And contrary to many Media Reports, it is not true that knowledge of the whereabouts of their graves was unknown.  In fact, since this news first broke a few weeks ago, numerous natives have come forward and have made it abundantly clear that they have known all along where these 'unmarked' grave sites are. 

Before I finish, I want to say something about the vilification of our Country's Greatest Statesman, Sir John A. Macdonald.  Simply stated, there would not be a Canada had it not been for him.  Did he support the Residential School System - most certainly, but since the last School was closed in 1996 - so too did all other Prime Ministers up to and including Jean Chretien.  Justin's own father was not only one of those Prime Ministers, he was also a very vocal Proponent of Assimilation.  But the only criticism from the Son is to blame Churches ... especially the Roman Catholic Church. Anger against this Church is rising and as of today some half-dozen of their places of worship have been destroyed by Fire and it seems that as each day goes by another is burnt to the ground.  Added to the sadness of this is that these are where Natives themselves come to pray.  Remember, whatever it turns out actually happened at the Residential Schools ... the Churches were only doing the bidding of the Politicians and Governments of the day.  If it turns out Evil was done - all our Governments - Federal and Provincial and the relevant Church Officials should all apologize and those still living who who were directly involved in any abuse should all be held to account. 

What was done to these innocent children defies words however there is another side to it. Many in Non-Native Society saw a Culture that was broken and this was their attempt to bring Natives into the modern age.  In other words, I believe they were sincere in that belief and I find it quite disingenuous for Progressives today - including our Prime Minister, to cast aspersions on greater men and women than they, from the comfortable perspective of our time.

I have heard and seen Natives in the Media say good things about their time at these Schools, - they attribute their success in life to the education they received there.  But the basic premise remains - it was simply wrong to wrestle these young children away from their parents and we who are living with this today should speak out against what was done. My wife Anne and I can simply not imagine the heartbreak of having had our Children wrestled from us and place in a Residential School.  But with respect to speculation of abuse and how the children died we should await the facts - that is to say - A Well-Funded Arm's Length Independent Inquiry be established forthwith to root out the truth and in so doing find answers to the Three Questions I posed at the beginning of this Blog.

As I See It...

K.D. Galagher

 

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE

 TWO BLOGS THAT IS...

PART ONE:

Yesterday, saw the verdict come down for Derek Chauvin who was convicted of the murder of George Floyd which took place a year ago in May.

Chauvin received 22.5 years.

Which was far too high.

First off, he was not guilty of murder but rather manslaughter.  And even in the inflated sentences handed down by American Courts he should have received no more than 7 to 8 years.

So why manslaughter and not murder?  Despite how reckless Chauvin acted, it happened when he was engaged in his duties.  Floyd was accused of trying to pass counterfeit money.  And, I cannot believe he intended to kill Floyd but he certainly showed reckless regard for life and hence my full support of the lesser conviction.

So why do I think the Judge imposed such a harsh sentence?  The answer is quite simple - the Judge  gave into society's rage.  In a normal case, the Defence would ask for a Neutral Setting to ensure an impartial venue but, of course, in this particular case no such setting existed throughout the entire United States.

I spoke about America being too tough on crime - here in Canada... it is just the opposite.  Judges here tend to deliver much lighter sentences.  As an example, a friend, I used to work with, brother was murdered here in Ottawa a number of years ago. The brother was celebrating an income tax return at a local bar and came upon two characters who soon took advantage of his generosity.  At 'last call' one of these thugs asked the brother for another drink to which he replied by saying he was tired and wanted to leave.

In their car they all hopped and just a few miles down the road - the  thug in the passenger seat in front reached under the seat and pulled out a gun - turned and shot to death the brother who was seated in the back.  The killer then turned to the thug driver and announced "that will teach the SOB for not buying me another beer".

So what did his sentence consist of?  Life?  25 years? Or even 10 years?  No remember we are speaking about the Canadian Criminal Judiciary;  four (4) years behind bars seemed adequate punishment for out and murder to our Progressive Judge.

Part Two:

This week too saw Jody Wilson-Raybould write to our Prime Minister urging him to focus on the needs of Canada's Native Population rather than preoccupy himself with planning for an Election pundits expect to occur late this Summer.  J W-R request came in light of nearly 1,000 native children bodies being discovered recently in unmarked graves on the grounds of two former Indian Residential Schools located in Western Canada.   The M.P herself is aboriginal and recently held the very prestigious position of  Justice Minister of Canada. As you can tell, I have much respect for this most honourable person. 

Enter Carolyn Bennett, our country's Minister in charge of Crown-Indigenous Relations, who fires off a reply back to J W-R  containing but one word ..."Pension".

For anyone reading this from outside of Canada ...a little background:

    Our Members of Parliament must serve for a minimum of 6 years before they qualify for a life-time pension.  Many current Members - including J W-R, will not qualify for the pension until this coming October.  So what Bennett was suggesting in her one word reply was that Wilson-Raybould was not concerned at all about the plight of our natives but rather her main and only concern was to see an Election delayed until the October Pension Deadline had passed.

Hogwash of course and even though I have little regard to Bennett the reaction by our Left Wing Press, the Progressives and of course the Native Spokes-People has been over the top.  Here is a sample of  what they are saying as a result of Bennett's one word reply:

    "With the one word reply you not only decided to perpetuate a damaging racial stereotype that Indigenous peoples are lazy and only financially motivated ..."

Where did that come from ? - To read that into Bennett's one word reply is certainly stretching it.  Again, that is not to say I support in any way what she wrote and put it down to shear stupidity.  For me, what Bennett was suggesting is that Wilson-Raybould was putting her financial situation ahead of her duty as one of Canada's premier politicians.  In fact, there are more than a few who are in it for just that but not J W-R.  

It was a wrong thing and Bennett did the right thing by correctly apologizing.  But to suggest it was other than a crass comment on her part is another sign of weird times we are living in.

As I See It...

K.D. Galagher

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

 I DO NOT USUALLY BLOG ABOUT CITY COUNCILS BUT AM DOING SO TODAY.

And it concerns my own Ottawa City Council.

Just this week, the Chair of the so-called "powerful" City Planning Board was forced to resign for a Conflict of Interest...she was found to have too close a relationship with one of the City's Developers.

When I say 'found' to be in a conflict of interest position it was the City's Ethics Commissioner - Robert Marleau, who concluded thus in his 101 page Report.  He recommended that the councilor be fired from the Board, be docked pay, and that she repay the city for hiring the developer's daughter.

Several years ago, I was on a multi day / night management course with Robert Marleau (Bob) and found him to be a pretty good guy.  He was then Head Clerk of Parliament.  (Later, he would be a positive factor in my being able to return to Ottawa from PEI...it had to do with his arranging a reservation for me in the famous Parliamentary Restaurant which came under his authority).  

In regard to his Report, the Mayor and his cronies voted against docking her pay and requiring the repayment but Council's Left Wing Progressives voted for it and screeched favouritism from the highest rafters.

The Mayor in casting his vote, noted that nowhere in Marleau's long report was there even 1 example of where the Councilor had favoured the Developer in any of her votes.  So I agree with the position the Mayor took.  But as 'they' correctly say, even the appearance of Conflict of Interest is sufficient reason for one to recuse oneself.  So yes, her decision to resign was the correct and just thing to do.

But it got me to thinking....

Are not the five Progressive Councilors in a Conflict of Interest* too?   

    Note my Title today refers to the plural of Conflict of Interest.

For example, it has been reported that there are some 35 non-profit groups in existence to assist the meagre number of Ottawa's homeless.  All supported by the generosity of our municipal taxpayers.  As an aside, I have often wondered if it would not be of greater benefit to our homeless if we dismantled these 35 organizations and gave their tax-dollars directly to them? 

In the Councilor's case, Marleau found that the Developer had donated money to her election campaigns.  I would not be surprised if many of the above-noted non-profiters likewise donated to the Progressive 5.  And, as mentioned ...the Developer's daughter worked in the Councilor's office.  I wonder how many connected to the 35 are also employed in some capacity by the 5 and are therefore on the City's employment rolls.

I cannot prove any of this but I am highly suspicious.  But the underlying issue remains; If it is wrong for a Developer to have a relationship with a Councilor why would it not also be wrong for Non-Profits to have relationships with the Progressive 5.  In fact, the latter may be even worse, since those relationships would exclusively involve Tax-Payer Money.  

Something to think about.

As I See It...

K.D. Galagher

THE APPLE DOES NOT FALL FAR FROM THE TREE

 THE APPLE BEING JUSTIN TRUDEAU AND THE TREE OF COURSE.. HIS FATHER, THE LATE PIERRE ELLIOT.

This is the Blog even I have been waiting for. 

For me - in my time, the worst Prime Minister Canada has experienced was the Father.  I have a long list of reasons for saying this but suffice to focus on the one that was a reason in my selling my law practice and moving here to Ottawa in early 1982.

Interest rates then exceeded 20% as dear Pierre was traipsing across the West telling farmers "why should I sell your wheat" and all the while I had clients going bankrupt and losing their homes.  All that Trudeau Sr. was really interested in was repatriating the Constitution from Great Britain.  A Trust Fund Baby like the Justin of today, he could not possibly realize what life was like for real folks, in the real economy. 

I too have a long list of other reasons why Trudeau the Younger mimics his Father but you know those as well as I do.  There is though an interesting parallel today to yesterday's Interest Rate / Repatriation Debacle. While Rome Burned with Covid 19, Justin put his entire faith in Communist China and as a result not only did it cause bankruptcies here at home but also resulted in the unnecessary loss of life. And while Justin is quick off the mark to apologize for every supposed Canadian fault under the sun - dating back eons, you and I know that it will be a frosty Friday in July when he apologizes for that.  In other words... 'Never'.

And the sad fact is, that come this Fall's Election, he will most likely win and by way of a healthy majority.  And, this brings to mind one of my favourite expressions...'never over-estimate the intelligence of the average voter'. And I say this having greater respect for the average voter than I do for politicians - i.e. those who you always know are lying as soon as 'their lips move'.

One more thing before I finish.

When Justin Trudeau was first elected he promised Open, Responsive and Inclusive Government but as time has shown this was just another of his long list of his empty promises.  This is most evident recently when he accepted to his Party - with arms wide open - the disgruntled former member of the Green Party. You know the one who left her Party because it was not sufficiently Anti- Jewish enough. So I guess he fulfills his one promise somewhat of being 'inclusive' however in this case it pertains to welcoming a bigot into his Caucus.  And yet, if you are Pro-Life as many Liberal MPs privately are, if any were to publicly voice their support for the unborn, they would be bounced out of the Liberal Party quicker than one could say Jackie Robinson. 

So I have experienced both Trudeaus and as I stated at the beginning I believe the Father was worse than the son.  And that brings to mind another favourite expression I have ...Justin Trudeau inherited the good looks of his mother as well as her brains.  I do qualify that somewhat, he did inherit his Dad's arrogance and deviousness.

As I See It...

K.D. Galagher 

 

IF IT DID NOT EXIST...

JULY 5TH  UPDATE:   ONE DOWN AND NOW THE OTHER THREE HAVE JOINED THEM... ALL 4 OTTAWA SCHOOLD BOARDS NOW NO LONGER PERMIT COMMUNITY POLICE RESOURCE OFFICERS IN THEIR SCHOOLS.  BUT...THIS, UNLIKE THE OTTAWA-CARLETON PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD ...DID NOT COME ABOUT BECAUSE OF A DECISION OF THE OTHER BOARDS THEMSELVES, THIS WAS DECIDED BY THE OTTAWA POLICE SERVICE ON ITS OWN.  IN PARTICULAR, THIS WAS THE DECISION OF OUR POLICE CHIEF PETER SLOLY...WHO HIMSELF IS BLACK AND WHO WAS ON RECORD AS SAYING THE PROGRAM WAS 'THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIP THAT (HIS) SERVICE HAS IN CIVIL SOCIETY'.  SO WE HAVE A CHIEF OF POLICE WHO BELIEVES IN THIS PROGRAM, COMPOUNDING THE DAMAGE BY CANCELLING IT IN ALL OTTAWA SCHOOLS.  

 HOW TO MAKE A BAD SITUATION EVEN WORSE CHIEF SLOLY !!

YOU'D HAVE TO INVENT IT...

BUT THE OTTAWA SCHOOL BOARD DECIDED, IN IT'S GOOD WISDOM, TO DEEP SIX IT.

JUST THIS PAST WEEK, The Ottawa-Carleton Public School Board decided to end their Police School Resource Officer Program effective immediately. And, not only that...

In keeping with the current Progressive Environment, they will also "formally apologize to the students and the communities who have been harmed by the presence of police" in their schools...and "will participate in anti-racist and decolonization training".

Be still my heart.  What utter hog-wash !!

It has been shown time and time again that the best policing takes place closest to the people.  That is why Community Policing - that is to say - police walking the beats of our towns and cities, provides the best results for society. 

And that is why I began today's Blog with the admonition that if the Police Resource Officer Program did not exist in (insert any school board's name here) one would soon be devised.  Why so, because it too works !!

The main reason educators give these days for dropping the in-school program is that the presence of police frightens minority groups such as immigrants - ergo, get the cops out of their sight.

But the main reason minority groups themselves do not trust the police to come into their neighbourhoods is because they do not trust the police either.  

So what better way to keep these self-same neighbourhoods permanently ghettoized than to return to the practice of not letting their new generations come to know the police and by so doing no longer fear them?  

When I was a young kid I remember too fearing the police.  I even remember one occasion when a policeman approached a group of us playing together and we ran off - only to quickly return when he called out asking why we were afraid?  We all felt pretty silly.  In retrospect, I believe we would have all benefited from their presence in our schools.

Later in life as a lawyer I became well acquainted with the police and found them to be all human-beings like the rest of us - just trying to do the best job possible.

But I can hear you ...'what is the big deal ?...you are white like the rest of us'.

So true, but my reply to you is that it is therefore even more important to have minority children brought up from a young age not to fear the police and what better way to do it that than via a School's Police Resource Program?  The fact is there is not. 

Plus having police on hand can come in handy as you Natalie well know.  

Anyway to go back to my initial thesis - if the Police Resource Service did not exist ...it should soon exist because it works and is the right thing to do. But ours is a Progressive Society where all that is lacking is Common Sense.

As I See It...

K.D. Galagher

It Has Been A While....

 It has been over a year since I composed my last Blog ...Covid 19 was just building up steam and I was finding it more and more difficult to write about politics and current events since I found them becoming ever so depressing.

Today, I am starting back*...surprisingly, because I find things Today even bleaker...much bleaker in fact and it has nothing to do with Covid and its various variants.

You will see below that I am once again changing my audience focus, actually I am returning to my original focus. When I first started Blogging, way back when, my target audience was my children and grandchildren.  I then refocused to include anyone who might share my interest in world events.  Today, I am returning to my original target audience but all others are more than welcome to listen in.

As I reminder...even to myself, that I am a both a Social and a Fiscal Conservative. (Those who say they are one and not the other are and claim to be a Conservative are simply not being honest with themselves.)  As a Social Conservative I am proudly and unabashedly values based and confident in the knowledge that the cornerstone of society has always been and will always continue to be The Family.  As a Social Conservative, I also believe in helping my fellow man who finds him / herself in difficult circumstances. As a Fiscal Conservative I naturally believe in small government - in balanced budgets and minimal taxation.  Money left in our pockets beats government taxation all the time.  I also believe in maximum freedom, that is to say, governments' involvement in our daily lives should be kept to a minimum. At heart, I am a Libertarian... that is to say,  adults should be free to do what they want as long as their actions do not injure others.  For instance and although I would not recommend it, if someone wants to jump off a cliff, without a parachute, I'd expect that person to take care not to land on some innocent when he hits the ground. 

Okay we know your political beliefs Dad / Grandpa  'but what exactly has worsened over the course of the last year'?

So Glad You Asked !!

First, the World is now a more dangerous place than it was even 12 short months ago.  Wars, Rebellions, Civil Unrest and Terrorist Attacks plague many parts of the World.  China and Russia are both on an aggressive military footing, while their vassal states of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, North Korea keep the caldron  pot of social unrest well and truly stirred. 

Their Armies continue to grow bigger and stronger; while NATO Countries are not keeping up and our own armed forces here in Canada is simply a running joke.  We cannot even procure bubble gum without great delays, steep cost overruns, with zip to show for it in the end. It all reminds me of the run-up to World War II with Winston Churchill crying out in the Wilderness in a futile bid to warn of Hitler's rise.

So what then preoccupies the West? Well Climate Change of course.  It started with the Ozone Scare, morphed into Climate Cooling, then Heating, and finally Climate Change. To their credit, the Progressives finally got it right but no great accomplishment when one considers Climate is always changing.  As you know, once upon a time we had Rain Forests with Dinosaurs roaming freely in our northerly homeland.  Our Climate must have changed !

China and Russia cannot believe their good fortune:  while they continue to pollute and build their forces, we in the West beggar ourselves chasing meaningless carbon reduction goals all the while hamstringing our respective Economies. Alice in Wonderland unchained. 

This would in and of itself be disastrous but there is more...in fact, much more.  Your Democracy is being frittered away. Representatives no longer represent the people; rather they represent Elites and Special Interest Groups.  Government For and By The People has long since gone the way of the Dodo Bird.  And what is left over is decided by an Unelected Judiciary.  Scott (our son) rightfully recently said that "this has come about due to our lack of understanding of our own history and as a result of a general apathy which together represent two massive risks to our collective futures".  Not surprising, since your School Systems did not teach you basic Civics and the fact that Democracy is fragile and can be lost from under use. And now things have become so bizarre that educators are place more emphasis on young children's' sexual identity.  A suggestion for them - let our children be children for Heaven's sake. 

To add insult to injury we are now all classified as Racists...indeed "Systemic Racism" is stated to be rampant throughout all Western Societies (that is to say, White Societies).  It of course utter nonsense but that is the spin advanced by the ever more numerous Progressives. Several Folks I have spoken to of late have bought into this nonsense so my reply to them has been as follows:  So you are a Racist?...their answer Of Course Not ....my next question ...so your family is Racist?...No Not In The Least...they reply - so I guess it is your friends?  No None of My Friends are Racist either.  Well someone must be racist to have our societies called 'Systemic' - so it must therefore be your neighbours?  No, I cannot think of any of them as being  Racist.  At that point they begin to look quite Sheepish.  The fact is, most people... and that most certainly includes all of you, are too busy earning a living, raising a family and worried about how to make your mortgage / rent payments to even have the time or inclination to be Racist.  Plus the fact that even if you were not preoccupied with such, you would not be racist.  Full Stop.  More on this another time.

And that brings me to the last point...Government Debt.  It is out of control. Government Spending was out of control long before Covid but with its advent - the checks and balances on spending have been thrown out the window.  As we all know, Governments today have mortgaged your future and your mum and I will likely be long gone before governments are forced by Credit Agencies to get their financial houses in order.  In fact, Inflation is even now beginning to raise its ugly head and with it will come higher interest rates.  Indeed, as young parents - your mum and I can vividly recall interests rate reaching a spectacular level of 21 and 22 % and we were delighted to secure a mortgage on our home at that time of the unbelievable low rate of only 15%. It is not Covid that is the driving cause of this - it is the Progressives with their hands out like little David Copperfield's please give me more.  I am proud to say that none of you have fallen into that trap...you have worked hard to get where you are and have not relied upon handouts to do it.  That is not to say that many during this Covid Invasion have needed governments' help and rightfully so - but the trend over these past many years have been toward greater deficits and debt.  

Enough Gloom and Doom... for now. 

I intended my next Blog to be about our Esteemed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau...He who lusts for an Election which polls currently indicate that sadly he will win.  However another issue has cropped up in the meantime involving our public school system and it has nothing to do with Gay Flags. Stay Tuned. 

As I See It....

K.D. Galagher  (aka - your father, father-in-law, and grandchildren)

  

 

THIS YEAR MARKS THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR !!

My life-long friend Johnny suggested I write about this important Anniversary in one of my upcoming blogs:  I  think primarily because he knows that my dad, Robert Ralph Bell fought in that Conflagration.  Moreover, Johnny lives near the cemetery where my dad is buried and he and his wife lay a poppy on his grave every November 11th.  Thanks so much guys!

When Johnny and I were boy-cubs we attended, in uniform, those self-same November 11th ceremonies in our home town of Brighton, Ontario.  Back in the 50s there were soldiers still present from Four Wars - the Boer War; World War I; World War II; and Korea.  Today, for all intents and purposes, they are all gone.

That includes my Grandfather, his Brother and their Father - my Great Grandfather,  all signed up as volunteers to fight in the First War.  In that order their names are Jim, Bob and John.  They consisted of all the males in their household of six located in Foxboro, Ontario now part of the City of Belleville.  I only knew my grandfather Jim - but not very well, since he died when I was only 9 years old.  He was wounded near Arras and my Uncle Bob was killed in the long drawn out battle of the Somme on September 16, 1916.  My dad was wounded twice but never received a Wound Stripe which the Canadian Army, like its British Counterpart, awarded.  The Americans have a much sexier name for theirs ....The Purple Heart but as my dad muttered on several occasions, the Americans had a medal for virtually everything and dispersed them rather freely.

And from Laurence Binyon's Great War Poem:  'We will remember them'.

So who were these valiant soldiers of old?  First off, they were volunteers who signed up for the duration however long that turned out to be.  They were paid not even subsistence wages.  But of course they were not there for the money - adventure most likely, but they understood all too well that they were defending our Democracies from the Dictators of their Day and our Freedoms:  Freedom of Speech; Freedom of Religion; Freedom of Assembly and Freedom of the Press.  Too many lost their lives, their limbs, and and sustained many other serious injuries both - physical and mental.  But rest assured, everything we enjoy today is due to their Service.

And here Dear Reader is where I go rogue - and off the topic of gratitude.  Simply stated, my father and his father and their fellow soldiers both men and women who fought so valiantly without due regard to their own safety for the safety and well-being of others, would not recognize modern western society today.  I fear that they would be appalled at the state of affairs that currently stalks the land and would likely question why they had sacrificed so much in the first place...I truly hope that would not be the case but I am not so sure.  I know if I had fought and was one of the few living veterans left, I would be most discouraged with what I see taking place around me.

And it has nothing to do with Covid 19 though it has prompted many comparisons to the War Years.  It has to do with the Structures of Society...its very fabric is being ripped and torn and I fear too many of us are standing idly by and letting it happen. Indeed, I would go even further.. too many of us are encouraging it to happen.

Socialism and even Communism is being touted by the ever growing numbers of Progressives as being superior to Capitalism.  This despite the fact that the former have never worked and the latter is responsible to raising destitute billions throughout the world from abject poverty,  poor health and malnutrition.

Religion is under attack like never before.  The grey haired set like myself who attend Church are fewer and fewer in number while those younger sit home and party with their ever present cellulars always at hand.  The Environment, as they say, has become the New Religion or whatever other  raison d'etre the Progressives seize upon in passing..it seems to change almost daily - take defunding the police for instance.

Democracies that defend the Basic Freedoms are greatly outnumbered by Petty Dictatorial Tyrants and even our Democracies are less and less inclined to rally to their own defence.  Simply stated, we are  less able to speak freely about what we really believe in without risking censorship from our own politicians and judicial authorities.  A renowned writer of our age wrote in her column this week that re grew up in a Society of Freedom and now in our twilight have entered into a Society of Fear.  I personally like the adage...I may disagree with what you say but will defend to the death your right to say it...Evelyn Beatrice Hall.

Our neighbour to the south - America, once the guiding light for the world is beginning to see its candle burn out.  The most obvious sign of this is with respect to its economy...it is still number 1, but the day is quickly coming when Red China surpasses it.  The US is also split right down the middle between the worker and doers on the right and progressives on the left which expect others to pay their freight.  The progressives have already firmly entrenched themselves everywhere else in the Free World and now appear to be gaining ground there too. 

And speaking of China, and of course Russia and the rest of their militant cronies, to suggest we are headed for another World War is becoming more and more of a common refrain.  I worry that should this happen, we certainly will not possess the loyalty and dedication of our forefathers to duty and  are not likely to have united societies to rely upon to engage what are likely to be stronger better equipped forces. 

I mentioned earlier that the current Virus has been compared to the War Years and in many respects that is true.  But what we do not have today and what or should I say Who the Second World War had was Winston Churchill.  We desperately are in need of a 'Churchill' to rally the folks today like he did in the 1930s in the lead up to that war. Please keep that in mind wherever you live and whenever you vote. 

But back to my main topic - the Anniversary of the End of World War II , In Europe on May 8, 1945 and announced in Japan on August 15, 1945.  We Will Remember Them and for me personally I will remember my Dad's contribution along with my Grandfather's, my Great Grandfather's and my Great Uncle's ultimate sacrifice.

In an upcoming blog, I will recount a Thank You Reunion that my Dad and Mum attended which was sponsored by the City of Appledorn in Holland and where I was fortunate to be in attendance.

As I See It...

K.D. Bell

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