You read that correctly, I had 3 heart stoppages over the course of this past July and August and have been in the hospital close to 6 weeks and owe my life to my son Scott and to our good friend Kristen ...a CPR Instructor and to the health care teams at the Bomanville and Oshawa Hospitals and to the renowned Heart Institute in Ottawa.
Thank you everyone!!
Now back to Trump and the latest... the Impeachment Inquiry.
But first, let me remind everyone that the story surrounding the Donald back in June was the Mueller investigation about purported Russian Influence in the 2016 Presidential Election. Fortunately for Trump, and no surprise to me, it all came to naught.
So the Dems are now coming at Him in a different way ...via the Impeachment Process. Again another bogus, hollow claim that will hurt the Democrats far more than the Republicans.
That said, I am not a Trump fan indeed I believe the guy has been a disaster - his Trade Tantrums, Isolationists Views, and treating US Friends like Dirt while Praising the Bullies and the Dictators.
The only thing I support him on is with respect to The Wall - a country that cannot control the inflow of illegal refugees is not a country within the meaning of the Webster Dictionary.
So I fully agree with those who believe that for the sake of all, the Trumper needs to go !
But the fly in the ointment is the fact that there is no one and I mean no one on the scene who has the needed qualities to replace him. Much like our Election in October, Justin Trudeau got in because there were no viable alternatives.
What complicates the situation in the States is the fact that it is split right down the middle - Conservatives on the Right and Progressives on the Left...50/50. There are too few Moderates in the Middle which likely means that when the Dems stop their infighting, their numbers for next November's Presidential Election will be reduced enough to allow the Donald another four years in office.
Quelle Dommage you might say to which I would respond ...Yes and No.
The fact of the matter is regardless of what a disaster Trump has been in Office, he does not deserve the Treatment he has received from the Progressive and more to the point, from the Left Wing Media.
But permit me to restate that: Democracy does not deserve the treatment it has received...
With the Ballots barely dry from the November 2016 Election, the Left Wing Media and Progressives combined to try to destroy the Presidency with any and all means possible. Simply stated, they could not stomach the outcome and were and continue to be determined to nullify what the Electorate had wrought.
The Progressive Left has done such a great job of this that I truly believe American Politics will never be the same in our lifetime. It used to be that when a Party was unsuccessful at the polls, their numbers would roll up their sleeves and undertake publicly that their Party would do better next time. Not anymore.
Now back specifically to the current Impeachment fiasco.
It purports to be about the President's conversation with the Head of Ukraine and Trump's alleged blackmail of the latter to get the 'goods' on a son of Democratic Contender Joe Biden. Biden's son, it is claimed by some, was involved in shady busy practices that took place in the Ukraine.
To which I respond so what. The Dems have already admitted to having done similar investigations against Trump with Russia and besides, I fervently believe the President, as the highest politico in the world, should be able to count on his conversations with other world leaders being confidential. I heard it said that in a meeting with Putin, Trump is alleged to have said, 'dear Vladimir don't worry if Russian interfered with our 2016 Election since our Country is the world's worse offender by far' and of course he is right. A most recent case in point is our October Election just past where Liberal heavies have stated publicly that without former President Obama's intervention on their candidates behalf they would not have one. Not a word of criticism from the Left Wing Media or America's Progressives.
It is all nonsense with the danger that it will only serves to help Donald Trump win another 4 years in office - which again is not what I personally want to see happen.
But what makes this all so futile is the fact that in order to complete a successful Impeachment it requires a two-thirds vote in the Senate, a body which consists of a majority of Republicans so the chances if such happening range from nil to not likely.
And one last comment. It was not long ago that a President...Bill Clinton... was deservedly Impeached in the House of Representatives but it failed in the Senate. His crime, he had sex, despite his denial of same, in Oval Office with a vulnerable intern. I still can hear his words these many years later, as I suspect you can too - "I did not have sex with that woman". He threw her under the bus all the while Dear President Clinton being a card carrying Democrat.
That was where a charge of Impeachment was warranted: not though in the case at hand.
As I See It,
K.D. Bell
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Friday, June 21, 2019
BLOOD ON THE FLOOR...
So said the Pundits about Premier Ford's Cabinet Shuffle yesterday.
But Ford missed one...Himself and to a lesser extent ...He missed firing his Chief of Staff Doug French.
That said I see French as another dead-man-walking thus his firing will come sooner than later. With respect to Ford himself, that will naturally not come now but will be left to either his Caucus in the medium term or to the Electorate in the longer term.
So why do I say that.
Thursday's blood-bath came about as a result of Ford and Co. first year in office which though Ford himself said it had been a great success and although he was quoted as saying he had the best Cabinet ever, his actions yesterday prove that to be all puff and nonsense.
And Dear Reader, if anyone one person is responsible for the slips, retractions, and poor policies generally, it falls at the feet of the Leader - aka Doug Ford.
So let's look at the main casualties:
First the size of Cabinet ...it went from 21 to 28 and startling increase of some 25%. How do you rationalize this in an apparent time of restraint? Well you can't. And how to do face Toronto Council when your first job as Premier was to drastically reduce their ranks? No can do as well.
Rumour had it that Vic Fedeli was toast and would be dropped entirely from Cabinet. He who held the Party together when Star-Crossed Brown imploded. And He who would have made the best candidate for Premier...indeed it was his for the taking if he only wanted it. Fortunately, although a major demotion, Ford kept him on as Minister for Eco Development.
And then there is Ottawa's Lisa MacLeod - humiliatingly demoted to the next to useless role of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Macleod was one of Ford's biggest cheerleaders and now I would suspect you will not see her stay on for the next election.
And another Lisa...Lisa Thompson who was unceremoniously dumped from the Education Ministry and ended up in Government and Consumer Services whatever that happens to be.
Where the two Lisas went wrong is they followed Ford's instructions to their joint detriment.
And then there is Caroline Mulroney...she who traded on her famous name or to some ...her infamous name similar to the only thing Justin Trudeau had going for him in the last Federal Election. Just for the record, I personally subscribe to the infamous descriptor for both.
Now one thing Ford did not do - and I mean did not do---he left Christine Elliott in place as Health Minister though he hived off certain of her heretofore responsibilities. Elliott should have been Leader instead of Ford. Word has it though that she sustained a serious fall and head injury recently so her time too maybe be limited.
Bottom-line here, I am not enamored with the Ford shuffle. For year two he needs to take more responsibility for his own leadership which primarily entails getting rid of the debt / budget deficit and showing his pride and his team's pride in doing so. In other words, they all need to quit pandering to noisy little self interest groups and work for the hardworking taxpayer.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
The second major person in Cabinet was Christine Elliott
But Ford missed one...Himself and to a lesser extent ...He missed firing his Chief of Staff Doug French.
That said I see French as another dead-man-walking thus his firing will come sooner than later. With respect to Ford himself, that will naturally not come now but will be left to either his Caucus in the medium term or to the Electorate in the longer term.
So why do I say that.
Thursday's blood-bath came about as a result of Ford and Co. first year in office which though Ford himself said it had been a great success and although he was quoted as saying he had the best Cabinet ever, his actions yesterday prove that to be all puff and nonsense.
And Dear Reader, if anyone one person is responsible for the slips, retractions, and poor policies generally, it falls at the feet of the Leader - aka Doug Ford.
So let's look at the main casualties:
First the size of Cabinet ...it went from 21 to 28 and startling increase of some 25%. How do you rationalize this in an apparent time of restraint? Well you can't. And how to do face Toronto Council when your first job as Premier was to drastically reduce their ranks? No can do as well.
Rumour had it that Vic Fedeli was toast and would be dropped entirely from Cabinet. He who held the Party together when Star-Crossed Brown imploded. And He who would have made the best candidate for Premier...indeed it was his for the taking if he only wanted it. Fortunately, although a major demotion, Ford kept him on as Minister for Eco Development.
And then there is Ottawa's Lisa MacLeod - humiliatingly demoted to the next to useless role of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Macleod was one of Ford's biggest cheerleaders and now I would suspect you will not see her stay on for the next election.
And another Lisa...Lisa Thompson who was unceremoniously dumped from the Education Ministry and ended up in Government and Consumer Services whatever that happens to be.
Where the two Lisas went wrong is they followed Ford's instructions to their joint detriment.
And then there is Caroline Mulroney...she who traded on her famous name or to some ...her infamous name similar to the only thing Justin Trudeau had going for him in the last Federal Election. Just for the record, I personally subscribe to the infamous descriptor for both.
Now one thing Ford did not do - and I mean did not do---he left Christine Elliott in place as Health Minister though he hived off certain of her heretofore responsibilities. Elliott should have been Leader instead of Ford. Word has it though that she sustained a serious fall and head injury recently so her time too maybe be limited.
Bottom-line here, I am not enamored with the Ford shuffle. For year two he needs to take more responsibility for his own leadership which primarily entails getting rid of the debt / budget deficit and showing his pride and his team's pride in doing so. In other words, they all need to quit pandering to noisy little self interest groups and work for the hardworking taxpayer.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
The second major person in Cabinet was Christine Elliott
Wednesday, June 19, 2019
HERE IN CANADA WE HAVE OUR OWN PIZZA PARLIAMENT
Italy is often mocked for the number of Parties it has in its Parliament ...six (6) to be exact.
But Dear Reader, so do we ... permit me to list them:
1. Liberals
2. Conservatives
3. NDP
4. Greens
5. Bloc
6. Madd Max's Peoples Party
And if you count the independents, we actually have one more than Italy.
Why do I raise this, you might add?
A person very close to me has great trouble believing that Justin Trudeau will be defeated in the October 21 st Election - despite my assurances to her that JT is a dead-man walking.
The main reason I say this is because his greatest opponent is none other than himself and as such - he goes from blunder to blunder. Many of these have been discussed in my earlier blogs. Those blunders are so numerous, he simply does not have the time to undo the damage they have caused him.
So despite the fact that Two Thirds of the Canadian Electorate is centre left and only One Third is centre right , the latter is being bolstered by Trudeau's blatant ineptness which alone will ensure a Conservative victory.
But there is another important factor at work to doubly ensure his electoral demise --- Our Pizza Parliament of course.
Five of the above-noted Pizza Pieces reside in the Centre Left Spectrum so the usual advantage to the Left (read Liberals) is split 5 ways to Sunday.
That leaves but two Centre Righters and that is split between the Tories and Madd Max. However recent polling shows that split to be 34% to 1%. Ergo the People's Party will not be a factor in the Election. Bye Bye Max you will be missed since you are the only real conservative in the mix.
Bottom-line, the Conservatives will win a majority government this year but will not win a majority of the votes. That majority of votes will go to a very splintered left.
Pizza Anyone ?
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
But Dear Reader, so do we ... permit me to list them:
1. Liberals
2. Conservatives
3. NDP
4. Greens
5. Bloc
6. Madd Max's Peoples Party
And if you count the independents, we actually have one more than Italy.
Why do I raise this, you might add?
A person very close to me has great trouble believing that Justin Trudeau will be defeated in the October 21 st Election - despite my assurances to her that JT is a dead-man walking.
The main reason I say this is because his greatest opponent is none other than himself and as such - he goes from blunder to blunder. Many of these have been discussed in my earlier blogs. Those blunders are so numerous, he simply does not have the time to undo the damage they have caused him.
So despite the fact that Two Thirds of the Canadian Electorate is centre left and only One Third is centre right , the latter is being bolstered by Trudeau's blatant ineptness which alone will ensure a Conservative victory.
But there is another important factor at work to doubly ensure his electoral demise --- Our Pizza Parliament of course.
Five of the above-noted Pizza Pieces reside in the Centre Left Spectrum so the usual advantage to the Left (read Liberals) is split 5 ways to Sunday.
That leaves but two Centre Righters and that is split between the Tories and Madd Max. However recent polling shows that split to be 34% to 1%. Ergo the People's Party will not be a factor in the Election. Bye Bye Max you will be missed since you are the only real conservative in the mix.
Bottom-line, the Conservatives will win a majority government this year but will not win a majority of the votes. That majority of votes will go to a very splintered left.
Pizza Anyone ?
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
Tuesday, June 4, 2019
Canada's Inquiry Report Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
Update: Since writing the Blog below, I have had the opportunity to read Anthony Furey's column on this self same subject. He provides the following very interesting stats:
"An RCMP report from 2014 looked at data going back to 1980 and came to a number of conclusions. One was that while Aboriginal Women make up only 4% of the population they disproportionately accounted for 16% of murder victims." The data though also revealed that the solve rate was 88% almost identical to the national average and the majority of the women were murdered by Aboriginal men and people known to them."
Bottom-line you and I have been conned!!
Of note as well, when the request for this Inquiry came before Prime Minister Harper...he turned it down - like you and me - he knew nothing would come of it other than a monumental waste of money. Smart Man
That said, wouldn't it be nice if the wasted $100 million had been used to provide all our natives with potable water. I can tell you if I was Prime Minister this would be my first priority in addressing the real needs of Aboriginals. KDB
Came out yesterday with some 230 Recommendations !!
Admittedly, I have not read the report and quite frankly do not intend do so. I say that because, in regard to the Report's 230 recommendations, I can tell you what the main ones are and more importantly, which ones are not included.
First what's there:
A call for huge increases in funding* from Canada's Taxpayers and the Rest of Society is to blame** for their dire circumstances.
*if I could be convinced that such expenditure of money would help to significantly reduce the suffering experienced by these unfortunate women, I would fully support seeing this aspect of the Report implemented. I just know from oodles of past experience...it will not.
**the report concludes "that colonial violence, racism, and sexism against Indigenous people has resulted in many Indigenous people becoming normalized to violence".
So even if they are culpable for their own circumstances...they are entitled to a pass. What nonsense.
This then is a good place to consider what the Report ignores...personal responsibility to begin with. It is always someone else's fault and taking this insupportable position means that nothing of substance will be gained until hopefully that the far off day finally arrives.
And the Report cheapens itself by focusing just on aboriginal women...what about the men and children being brought up in the squalor as well. Indeed, the murder rate among aboriginal men far and exceed the rates among the women.
Finally let's look at the Inquiry's bottom-line conclusion...as stated by the Chief Commissioner herself, it is nothing less than a "Canadian Genocide".
"An RCMP report from 2014 looked at data going back to 1980 and came to a number of conclusions. One was that while Aboriginal Women make up only 4% of the population they disproportionately accounted for 16% of murder victims." The data though also revealed that the solve rate was 88% almost identical to the national average and the majority of the women were murdered by Aboriginal men and people known to them."
Bottom-line you and I have been conned!!
Of note as well, when the request for this Inquiry came before Prime Minister Harper...he turned it down - like you and me - he knew nothing would come of it other than a monumental waste of money. Smart Man
That said, wouldn't it be nice if the wasted $100 million had been used to provide all our natives with potable water. I can tell you if I was Prime Minister this would be my first priority in addressing the real needs of Aboriginals. KDB
Came out yesterday with some 230 Recommendations !!
Admittedly, I have not read the report and quite frankly do not intend do so. I say that because, in regard to the Report's 230 recommendations, I can tell you what the main ones are and more importantly, which ones are not included.
First what's there:
A call for huge increases in funding* from Canada's Taxpayers and the Rest of Society is to blame** for their dire circumstances.
*if I could be convinced that such expenditure of money would help to significantly reduce the suffering experienced by these unfortunate women, I would fully support seeing this aspect of the Report implemented. I just know from oodles of past experience...it will not.
**the report concludes "that colonial violence, racism, and sexism against Indigenous people has resulted in many Indigenous people becoming normalized to violence".
So even if they are culpable for their own circumstances...they are entitled to a pass. What nonsense.
This then is a good place to consider what the Report ignores...personal responsibility to begin with. It is always someone else's fault and taking this insupportable position means that nothing of substance will be gained until hopefully that the far off day finally arrives.
And the Report cheapens itself by focusing just on aboriginal women...what about the men and children being brought up in the squalor as well. Indeed, the murder rate among aboriginal men far and exceed the rates among the women.
Finally let's look at the Inquiry's bottom-line conclusion...as stated by the Chief Commissioner herself, it is nothing less than a "Canadian Genocide".
The Indian Culture was destroyed some 300 hundred years ago and actually began with the arrival of Columbus. It was nothing more or less than a clash between a Stone Age / Nomadic Way of Life with then Modern Civilization. It was no contest.
The fact is the Aboriginals have failed to replace what was lost and to call that 'Canadian Genocide' in the year 2019 it is an over-stretch and a great disservice to all Canadians ...Natives as well.
The fact is the Aboriginals have failed to replace what was lost and to call that 'Canadian Genocide' in the year 2019 it is an over-stretch and a great disservice to all Canadians ...Natives as well.
If I had written this report here are the main recommendations I would put forward:
- The need for reform must come from the Aboriginals themselves and from their supposed Leadership.
2. And the Reserve System needs to be busted up.
I now brace myself to have to listen to our Apologetic Prime Minister speak at length about the great value of this Report and how he looks forward to implementing the 230 backward thinking and self serving recommendations.
As I See It:
'K.D. Bell'
Thursday, May 30, 2019
HIS MOTHER'S LOOKS AND HIS MOTHER'S BRAINS
Yup ...Canada's part-time drama teacher and full time Prime Minister...at least for now - the Rt. Honourable (?) Justin Pierre James Trudeau.
Later today, he meets with US V.P. Mike Pence here in our nation's capital, Ottawa.
The meeting is ostensibly about moving forward the passage of the latest rendition of the Free Trade Deal recently negotiated between our two countries and Mexico.
But what does the young lad plan to raise with the V.P. first? Why his opposition to all things pro-life. And who is the most visible supporter of Pro-Life in the nation directly to our south, none other than Mike Pence.
The guy has to be brain-dead and I am not referring to the V.P..
And speaking of the need to ratify the Free Trade Pact, it was our same gadfly Prime Minister who insisted that Canada's negotiators put on the negotiating table essential free trade components, like gender diversity, native entitlements and of course a woman's right to unrestricted abortion right up until the time of birth.
It almost derailed the talks before they even got started.
What a jackass.
And from his plan to raise this again, later today, with Vice President Pence shows the guy is simply incapable of learning.
In the lead-up to October's General Election, I will soon be reviewing the legion of miscues committed by our P.M. but could not resist the opportunity to once again expose the vacuousness of his thinking.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
Later today, he meets with US V.P. Mike Pence here in our nation's capital, Ottawa.
The meeting is ostensibly about moving forward the passage of the latest rendition of the Free Trade Deal recently negotiated between our two countries and Mexico.
But what does the young lad plan to raise with the V.P. first? Why his opposition to all things pro-life. And who is the most visible supporter of Pro-Life in the nation directly to our south, none other than Mike Pence.
The guy has to be brain-dead and I am not referring to the V.P..
And speaking of the need to ratify the Free Trade Pact, it was our same gadfly Prime Minister who insisted that Canada's negotiators put on the negotiating table essential free trade components, like gender diversity, native entitlements and of course a woman's right to unrestricted abortion right up until the time of birth.
It almost derailed the talks before they even got started.
What a jackass.
And from his plan to raise this again, later today, with Vice President Pence shows the guy is simply incapable of learning.
In the lead-up to October's General Election, I will soon be reviewing the legion of miscues committed by our P.M. but could not resist the opportunity to once again expose the vacuousness of his thinking.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
Thursday, May 23, 2019
There are so many topics to Blog on so ....
I won't !!
Rather let's deal with my experience in regard to recent purchases of fruits and vegetables.
And just for the record, Governments' claim that inflation hovers around just 2%...it is to laugh.
The other day, my wife and I were shopping at the local Loblaw's Super Store and one of the items our her list was celery. The cost was pushing $8.00 for the sorriest celery you could ever imagine. I said to Anne, you can not be serious in buying such a miserable imitation of the real thing. She was.
It gets worse. Yesterday I went into the local Farm Boy grocery store ostensibly to purchase a bread stick to go with the Boston Clam Chawda I had prepared earlier in the day. Didn't know I had some hidden talents. I found the bread okay at a cost I viewed as expensive but as I say, it got worse.
I thought I would purchase some fruit while there and came across some nectarines. The puniest things you ever did see but I thought what the heck they were sure not to cost too much.
But when I got to the cash with my 4 'silver dollar' sized takings I was literally floored to find out the price for same was 4 1/2 dollars - over a buck ten for each of these miniatures.
It reminded me of a joke I heard years ago where this chap went into a store where he too bought something extravagant like I did ...he paid the clerk the over-sized price and threw in an extra quarter. The clerk ask him what the extra 25 cents was for and he explained, that upon entering their store, he had inadvertently stepped on a grape.
I really do not know how the average consumer can cope these days with the truly outrageous cost of food. Couple this with the high cost of gasoline and you can see why it must be virtually impossible for the average Jill and Joe to make ends meet.
As I See It...
'K.D. Bell'
Rather let's deal with my experience in regard to recent purchases of fruits and vegetables.
And just for the record, Governments' claim that inflation hovers around just 2%...it is to laugh.
The other day, my wife and I were shopping at the local Loblaw's Super Store and one of the items our her list was celery. The cost was pushing $8.00 for the sorriest celery you could ever imagine. I said to Anne, you can not be serious in buying such a miserable imitation of the real thing. She was.
It gets worse. Yesterday I went into the local Farm Boy grocery store ostensibly to purchase a bread stick to go with the Boston Clam Chawda I had prepared earlier in the day. Didn't know I had some hidden talents. I found the bread okay at a cost I viewed as expensive but as I say, it got worse.
I thought I would purchase some fruit while there and came across some nectarines. The puniest things you ever did see but I thought what the heck they were sure not to cost too much.
But when I got to the cash with my 4 'silver dollar' sized takings I was literally floored to find out the price for same was 4 1/2 dollars - over a buck ten for each of these miniatures.
It reminded me of a joke I heard years ago where this chap went into a store where he too bought something extravagant like I did ...he paid the clerk the over-sized price and threw in an extra quarter. The clerk ask him what the extra 25 cents was for and he explained, that upon entering their store, he had inadvertently stepped on a grape.
I really do not know how the average consumer can cope these days with the truly outrageous cost of food. Couple this with the high cost of gasoline and you can see why it must be virtually impossible for the average Jill and Joe to make ends meet.
As I See It...
'K.D. Bell'
Sunday, May 19, 2019
LORD BLACK OF CROSSHARBOUR.
As a rule, I am not impressed with others who continually name-drop ...I view it as showing their insecurity. I will though make an exception in my Blog today, and the exception pertains to my wife Anne and me.
A week and a half ago, we both had dinner with Lord Black ...a most enjoyable affair but also one of the most expensive dinners we ever had the privilege of attending.
The cost though was immaterial since I have always liked Conrad Black and in my opinion and in the opinion of many, many others, Lord Black has a command of the English language that rivals the great Winston Spencer Churchill himself.
I am writing today about Lord Black, not because of the dinner but because mere days later, President Donald Trump called him to offer a Pardon for the inexcusable way in which Black was railroaded into spend 3 years in an American Prison. America by the way has more prisoners per square inch than any other country on earth. Just ask Martha Stewart who too was locked up for ....lying to the cops. Does it get any more serious than that.
Our criminal system has a well deserved reputation for being to lenient...America for being too ruthless. Here in Canada, the prosecution is bound by law to see justice done even if that means letting a defendant off or giving a slap on the wrist where it is truly warranted. Let me go off topic to give you a good example. A farmer appeared in this weekend's papers for having killed his young son who fell off a piece of equipment the father was driving. He has been charged with the very serious offence of criminal negligence causing death. How I ask you can he be charged with anything given that he accepted from the get go that he is responsible for the death of his son and he will have to live with that each and every day of the remainder of his life. Is that not punishment enough? Of course it is.
The US views the judicial system as a challenge - how many convictions can they get and the prosecutors ride to power on the backs of conviction rates well into the 90 percentile. The more the charges are Trumped up...pardon my pun, the happier they are.
That said, I am not going to get into the merits of what took place leading up to the charges against Black since in his own words, 'if you believe he was falsely charged, you need no further proof and if you believe he got his just desserts, no proof to the contrary will convince you otherwise'.
What all of us should though agree upon is that Lord Black took his unjust punishment...like a Man. When in jail and when others in his position would wail and moan about the injustice of it all, or write books telling what a raw deal he got, Black went to work teaching and helping his fellow inmates to enable them to attain their high-school diplomas. What class.
At the time of his sentencing my wife and I wrote to the little guy then in the White House requesting a pardon for Lord Black. We did not even receive the courtesy of a reply. Conversely on the few occasions I have written to President Trump I have always received his reply...one of which can be found in one of my earlier Blogs.
In closing I am simply delighted that the President saw fit to pardon a class act like Lord Black. He most certainly deserved it.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
A week and a half ago, we both had dinner with Lord Black ...a most enjoyable affair but also one of the most expensive dinners we ever had the privilege of attending.
The cost though was immaterial since I have always liked Conrad Black and in my opinion and in the opinion of many, many others, Lord Black has a command of the English language that rivals the great Winston Spencer Churchill himself.
I am writing today about Lord Black, not because of the dinner but because mere days later, President Donald Trump called him to offer a Pardon for the inexcusable way in which Black was railroaded into spend 3 years in an American Prison. America by the way has more prisoners per square inch than any other country on earth. Just ask Martha Stewart who too was locked up for ....lying to the cops. Does it get any more serious than that.
Our criminal system has a well deserved reputation for being to lenient...America for being too ruthless. Here in Canada, the prosecution is bound by law to see justice done even if that means letting a defendant off or giving a slap on the wrist where it is truly warranted. Let me go off topic to give you a good example. A farmer appeared in this weekend's papers for having killed his young son who fell off a piece of equipment the father was driving. He has been charged with the very serious offence of criminal negligence causing death. How I ask you can he be charged with anything given that he accepted from the get go that he is responsible for the death of his son and he will have to live with that each and every day of the remainder of his life. Is that not punishment enough? Of course it is.
The US views the judicial system as a challenge - how many convictions can they get and the prosecutors ride to power on the backs of conviction rates well into the 90 percentile. The more the charges are Trumped up...pardon my pun, the happier they are.
That said, I am not going to get into the merits of what took place leading up to the charges against Black since in his own words, 'if you believe he was falsely charged, you need no further proof and if you believe he got his just desserts, no proof to the contrary will convince you otherwise'.
What all of us should though agree upon is that Lord Black took his unjust punishment...like a Man. When in jail and when others in his position would wail and moan about the injustice of it all, or write books telling what a raw deal he got, Black went to work teaching and helping his fellow inmates to enable them to attain their high-school diplomas. What class.
At the time of his sentencing my wife and I wrote to the little guy then in the White House requesting a pardon for Lord Black. We did not even receive the courtesy of a reply. Conversely on the few occasions I have written to President Trump I have always received his reply...one of which can be found in one of my earlier Blogs.
In closing I am simply delighted that the President saw fit to pardon a class act like Lord Black. He most certainly deserved it.
As I See It...
K.D. Bell
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