FINDING THE TARGET

As Newtown slowly fades from the 15 minute news cycles you start to get the same feeling as after every large tragedy in the United States. That feeling is? Nothing will change! So instead of trying to jump into the the pile of talking heads I decided after reflection to take the statement made by the NRA and Mr. Wayne Lapierre and offer the NRA some free crisis management advice. More then that though I wanted to offer to the NRA a statement that might allow them to conserve their original grass roots objectives while being proactive and true to the moment. The Italic is the original text as read by Mr. Lapierre at the news conference, the bold and the strike outs are the revised text which might have gone much further to find solutions and address the problem. Therefore I offer that the NRA might perhaps have said this instead; It is long but I think worthwhile to read if not only to see my vision but to understand just how out of touch the NRA actually is (see striked out text) and how difficult it will be to resolve this very deep problem.

 PROPOSED REVISED STATEMENT

'' The National Rifle Association's 4 million mothers, fathers, sons and daughters join the nation in horror, outrage, grief and earnest prayer for the families of Newtown, Connecticut ... who suffered such incomprehensible loss as a result of this unspeakable crime''. They got this part right

''Out of respect for those grieving families, and until the facts are known, the NRA has refrained from comment. While some have tried to exploit tragedy for political gain, we have remained respectfully silent''. We feel there are those who are more apt to speak to these tragic events then we, an association, that does represent a large portion of our citizens who do own firearms and that this tragedy was perpetrated using firearms. Hence our goal here today will to be to speak about the current situation in our country, the challenges we face relative to gun control and potential ideas to move our Nation forward under the shadow of this terrible event.

'' Now, we would like to must speak ... for the safety of our nation's children. Because for all the noise and anger directed at us over the past week, no one — nobody — has addressed the most important, pressing and immediate question we face: How do we start the discussion which leads all us, all Americans, towards a new revised Amendment to our constitution which will not infringe on the basic right to ''bear arms?''  How do we, with the goal of we protecting our children right now, starting today, in find a way that we know can works? The only way to answer that question is to face up to the truth. We as a Nation are obsessed with guns, we are obsessed with violence and we are ultimately paralyzed to act. For a very long time we have stopped asking the right questions about our future. We are simply defending the undefendable. Living under the philosophy that things are not that bad and that whatever ails us will fix itself. We have been living with an Amendment that no longer applies to the 21st century. We have become impotent to do what is right, what is best for our Nation; for each other, each citizen, regardless of race, religion or sex. This thing we all seek is simple, it is basic. It is the right to a better life, a secure life, a future for our children, our most valuable commodity. The time for rational discussion is now. The troubles that plague this great Nation will never be solved if we do not engage now, if we cannot put bipartisanship aside, to put down our guard, our fenced in territories and move towards a better option. Politicians pass laws for Gun-Free School Zones. They issue press releases bragging about them. They post signs advertising them. And in so doing, they tell every insane killer in America that schools are their safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk''.

'' How have our nation's priorities gotten so far out of order? Think about it. We care about our money, so we protect our banks with armed guards. American airports, office buildings, power plants, courthouses — even sports stadiums — are all protected by armed security.''  Every year in this great country of ours more then 30,000 of our citizens die at the hand of firearms (homicides, accidental discharge, suicide; 2011 statistics from the CDC). We care more about the constitutional rights written over 220 years ago then we do about the affect this Amendment is and has had on our ability to grow as a civil society. There is no doubt that if our forefathers, the creators of our constitution where here today, they would be the first to push for changes which properly reflect today's society.

''We care about the President, so we protect him with armed Secret Service agents. Members of Congress work in offices surrounded by armed Capitol Police officers. Yet when it comes to the most beloved, innocent and vulnerable members of the American family — our children — we as a society leave them utterly defenseless, and the monsters and predators of this world know it and exploit it. That must change now''!

'' The truth is that our society is populated by an unknown number of genuine monsters — people so deranged, so evil, so possessed by voices and driven by demons that no sane person can possibly ever comprehend them. They walk among us every day. And does anybody really believe that the next Adam Lanza isn't planning his attack on a school he's already identified at this very moment? How many more copycats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame — from a national media machine that rewards them with the wall-to-wall attention and sense of identity that they crave — while provoking others to try to make their mark''? Given this, we as a society, must recognize the need to improve the identification of such individuals, improve the care and treatment available to them but most of all ensure measures to restrict wherever possible their ability to arm themselves. The NRA understands that regardless of whatever measures or laws are implemented that society will always be at risk from these types of individuals. The idea that we can arm ourselves to the point of eliminating it is far fetched.

A dozen more killers? A hundred? More? How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation's refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill?

We as Americans have not been doing enough. We have become mired in the politics, in the posturing. We value more our positions then we do results. ''And the fact is, that wouldn't even begin to address the much larger and more lethal criminal class: Killers, robbers, rapists and drug gang members who have spread like cancer in every community in this country. Meanwhile, federal gun prosecutions have decreased by 40% — to the lowest levels in a decade''. We have told ourselves that more guns will solve the problems we face. ''WE'', have convinced ourselves that we can fight guns with guns. It is a foolish notion and the numbers prove it. We just don't want to face the facts. We are in a worst case of denial possible.

'' So now, due to a declining willingness to prosecute dangerous criminals, violent crime is increasing again for the first time in 19 years! Add another hurricane, terrorist attack or some other natural or man-made disaster, and you've got a recipe for a national nightmare of violence and victimization''. This has all resulted in us, our politicians and our leaders losing focus on what truly is the issue. It is simple, yet complex. There are simply to many guns in to many of the wrong peoples hands. To try and deny this would be foolish.  And here's another dirty little truth that the media try their best to conceal: There exists in this country a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells, and sows, violence against its own people. Through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse. And here's one: it's called Kindergarten Killers. It's been online for 10 years. How come my research department could find it and all of yours either couldn't or didn't want anyone to know you had found it?Then there's the blood-soaked slasher films like "American Psycho" and "Natural Born Killers" that are aired like propaganda loops on "Splatterdays" and every day, and a thousand music videos that portray life as a joke and murder as a way of life. And then they have the nerve to call it "entertainment." It is clear that the sickness of violence which inflicts us, our society, is made by us. We can not turn elsewhere to find the guilty. It is not forced upon us. We consume it in indigestible amounts and then question why we see such violence reproduce itself in our communities, in our families and in our schools. The truth is we have no where further to look then directly in the mirror. Every one of us, we are all perpetrators of this violence. You do not have to be the creator of it to share in the responsibility. Your consumption of it is all that is required.  We tell ourselves it is not real, that it will not or is not hurting our society, our young people, that it is only make believe. But is that what it really is? Isn't fantasizing about killing people as a way to get your kicks really the filthiest form of pornography?

It has become all to obvious that In a race to the bottom, media conglomerates compete with one another to shock, violate and offend every standard of civilized society by bringing an ever-more-toxic mix of reckless behavior and criminal cruelty into our homes — every minute of every day of every month of every year. A child growing up in America witnesses 16,000 murders and 200,000 acts of violence by the time he or she reaches the ripe old age of 18.

''And throughout it all, too many in our national media ... their corporate owners ... and their stockholders ... act as silent enablers, if not complicit co-conspirators. Rather than face their own moral failings, the media demonize lawful gun owners, amplify their cries for more laws and fill the national debate with misinformation and dishonest thinking that only delay meaningful action and all but guarantee that the next atrocity is only a news cycle away''. The media is no longer the provider or the reader of the news, they are the makers of it. Each 24 hr news feed is brought to you by one side or the other with very low concern for facts but simply a focus on ratings. News has become big, big business. The talking heads invade our living rooms each day and claim to state the truth or provide the facts when in reality they are now simply an extension of what was a story. They feed us their version of it, they pump it up, make it more grandiose, more exciting and all the while they claim to be neutral and fact based but we all know they are not. They are a perverse version of what we have become as a society.

The media call semi-automatic firearms "machine guns" — they claim these civilian semi-automatic firearms are used by the military, and they tell us that the .223 round is one of the most powerful rifle calibers ... when all of these claims are factually untrue. They don't know what they're talking about!
Worse, they perpetuate the dangerous notion that one more gun ban — or one more law imposed on peaceful, lawful people — will protect us where 20,000 others have failed! Understand this though; what i have just said is not important what is important is that there clearly is a gun problem in our society. It is not different then claiming their is not an obesity problem in our great land when all you have to do is look around you to understand that there in fact is a very, very serious problem. The facts cannot lie. The math does not lie. It is not important who has a ''machine gun'' mixed up with a ''semi automatic'' what is important is that there is a gun problem and we must begin a dialogue to address it. No one, not the NRA, nor the media, nor the parents at home can deny that the common denominator in all those guns deaths mentioned earlier is ''guns''. It is not mad men, not crime and not insanity. It is in fact guns.

''As brave, heroic and self-sacrificing as those teachers were in those classrooms, and as prompt, professional and well-trained as those police were when they responded, they were unable — through no fault of their own — to stop it'' . Some will say teachers should be armed. Those individuals who we as parents trust every day to educate our children, share values and the truth. The NRA does not share this vision nor this ideology. There is a place for guns but it is not in the class rooms strapped to an educators waist. As parents, we do everything we can to keep our children safe. It is now time for us to assume responsibility for their safety at school. The only way to stop a monster from killing our kids is to be personally involved and invested in a plan of absolute protection. The idea that the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun is absolute foolishness. The fact is the way to stop bad guys from having guns is to have better systems in place and to effectively control who ultimately gets to own one. Will it be a fool proof solution? Of course it will not. It is one of the prices we pay for living in a free and democratic society. This is not a police state and it is not, for very specific reason. The primary one being we do not try and up the ante with more guns, we try and find solutions based around less guns. This does not mean eliminating guns all together, far from it. Everyone recognizes Would you rather have your 911 call bring a good guy with a gun from a mile away ... or a minute away?

Now, I can imagine the shocking headlines you'll print tomorrow morning: "More guns," you'll claim, "are the NRA's answer to everything!" Your implication will be that guns are evil and have no place in society, much less in our schools. But since when did the word "gun" automatically become a bad word?

A gun in the hands of a Secret Service agent protecting the President isn't a bad word. A gun in the hands of a soldier protecting the United States isn't a bad word. And when you hear the glass breaking in your living room at 3 a.m. and call 911, you won't be able to pray hard enough for a gun in the hands of a good guy to get there fast enough to protect you. So why is the idea of a gun good when it's used to protect our President or our country or our police, but bad when it's used to protect our children in their schools?
They're our kids. They're our responsibility. And it's not just our duty to protect them — it's our right to protect them. It is the sad reality of the world we live in that no matter how valiant any attempt to restrict guns would take years and years to have the desired outcome. Guns will remain an active part of our fabric but it should be a concerted effort to determine how they make up part of it. The goal being to make them a small part, not the main canvas.

You know, five years ago, after the Virginia Tech tragedy, when I said we should put armed security in every school, the media called me crazy. Perhaps I was, at that time, overly zealous. Believing that more force was what was required to keep our children safe. Perhaps the time was not right to advance a new idea, a new direction.  But what if, when Adam Lanza started shooting his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday, he had been confronted by qualified, armed security? Will you at least admit it's possible that 26 innocent lives might have been spared? The simple fact is we will never know, the reality is we shouldn't explore this option because it ultimately is not what will bring long term sustainable safety and security to the American people or our children. The only thing which can help guarantee this is a comprehensive revision of the laws which allow the general possession of firearms. Is that so abhorrent to all of us you that we you would rather continue to risk the alternative?

''Is the press and political class here in Washington so consumed by fear and hatred of the NRA that it is not able to see that we can be part of the solution. There is a way for America's gun owners to be part of the solution and not seen as part of the problem. We all have work to do, compromises to make. We should however be unwavering in our determination to find solutions to the problem of guns. that you're willing to accept a world where real resistance to evil monsters is a lone, unarmed school principal left to surrender her life to shield the children in her care? No one — regardless of personal political prejudice — has the right to impose that sacrifice.

''Ladies and gentlemen, there is no national, one-size-fits-all solution to protecting our children.'' There have been some mistakes along the way. Mistakes on all sides, on the NRA side; on our Presidents side for But do know this President zeroing out school emergency planning grants in last year's budget, and scrapped "Secure Our Schools" policing grants in next year's budget. We can look for scapegoats but this will only waste valuable time.

''With all the foreign aid, with all the money in the federal budget, with all the fiscal challenges our Nation faces it is clear we can't afford to put a police officer in every school. Even if we did that, we could not claim nor state that this would be the solution to prevent these types of tragedies in the future''. politicians have no business — and no authority — denying us the right, the ability, or the moral imperative to protect ourselves and our loved ones from harm.

Now, the National Rifle Association knows that there are millions of qualified active and retired police; active, reserve and retired military; security professionals; certified firefighters and rescue personnel; and an extraordinary corps of patriotic, trained qualified citizens to join with local school officials and police in devising a protection plan for every school. We know these individuals can help to build comprehensive plans to better protect our schools. To develop National Standards & Practices which can improve overall school security. We believe the President and Congress should immediately convene a body to begin the implementation of a Nation wide plan. We can deploy them to protect our kids now. We can immediately  quickly make America's schools safer — relying on the ingenuity of these brave men and women of America.'s police force. The budget of our local police departments are strained and resources are limited, but their dedication and courage are second to none and they can be deployed right now.

I The NRA call's on the President and Congress today, to act immediately, to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every school — and to do it now, to make sure that a blanket of safety is in place when our children return to school in January. Before Congress reconvenes, before we engage in any lengthy debate over legislation, regulation or anything else, as soon as our kids return to school after the holiday break, we need to have every single school in America immediately deploy a protection program proven to work — and by that I mean armed security. Right now, today, every school in the United States should plan meetings with parents, school administrators, teachers and local authorities — and draw upon every resource available — to erect a cordon of protection around our kids right now. To create a National program for improving school security.Every school will have a different solution based on its own unique situation. Every school in America needs to immediately identify, dedicate and deploy the resources necessary to put these measures in place right now. And the National Rifle Association, as America's preeminent trainer of law enforcement and security personnel for the past 50 years, is ready, willing and uniquely qualified to help.

Our training programs are the most advanced in the world. That expertise must be brought to bear to protect our schools and our children now. We did it for the nation's defense industries and military installations during World War II, and we'll do it for our schools today.

The NRA is going to bring all of its knowledge, dedication and resources to develop a model National School Shield Emergency Response Program for every school that wants it. From armed security to building, design and access control to information technology to student and teacher training, this multi-faceted program will be developed by the very best experts in their fields.

Former Congressman Asa Hutchinson will lead this effort as National Director of the National School Shield Program, with a budget provided by the NRA of whatever scope the task requires. His experience as a U.S. Attorney, Director of the Drug Enforcement Agency and Undersecretary of the Department of Homeland Security will give him the knowledge and expertise to hire the most knowledgeable and credentialed experts available anywhere, to get this program up and running from the first day forward. If we truly cherish our kids more than our money or our celebrities, we must give them the greatest level of protection possible and the security that is only available. with a properly trained — armed — good guy.

Under Asa's leadership, our team of security experts will make this the best program in the world for protecting our children at school, and we will make that program available to every school in America free of charge. That's a plan of action that can, and will, make a real, positive and indisputable difference in the safety of our children — starting right now.

The There'll be time for talk and debate later are now. This is the time, this is the day for decisive action. We have come as far as we can under the current legislation and laws. There must be a new beginning in America. There must be an openness to revisit the constitution, to address now what we have all known for so very long; The Second Amendment is out dated, it is old and it no longer represents the values of our society. We must ALL come to terms with this, regardless of where you live in this great Nation, no matter how much you value your guns. The time is upon us to act. We are at the same cross roads as 220 years ago when our founding Fathers sat together to draft the original constitution. They did this amongst great tribulation, great challenges and great risk. They persevered, so now must we. Changing what we believe is not easy, facing significant challenges is even harder. America and Americans have never turned away from such challenges. We have faced them head on together, we have paid a great price, we have lost hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens in conflicts both at home and abroad. When the world has needed us we have always answered the call. We have been criticized and questioned for our actions. We have made as any enemies as friends. It is of no value to revisit the actions of the past only to recognize that we have always pushed forward just the same in an attempt to make the world a better and safer place. Now is the time for us to take all this energy, all of this commitment and all of this focus and put it onto the single greatest challenge we face. The challenge of America on our own land, on our streets, in our homes. It is the implementation of a clear, concise and effective gun control program. It is a revision of the 2nd Amendment.  It is our time. The NRA calls on all its members to open their minds, it calls on our Political leaders, on all citizens to come together to find a solution. One which will never guarantee the end of all violence but will set a tone throughout the world of our commitment to fix this tragic illness which has plagued our great Nation for far to long.
We can't wait for the next unspeakable crime to happen before we act. We can't lose precious time debating legislation that won't work. We mustn't allow politics or personal prejudice to divide us. We must act now. For the sake of the safety of every child in America, I call on every parent, every teacher, every school administrator and every law enforcement officer in this country to join us in the National School Shield Program and protect our children with the only line of positive defense that's tested and proven to work.

For the record for those who might not have understood. I actually believe everyone should have the right to own a gun. I believe it should take a minimum of 6 months to get approved for ownership which must include a visit with a psychiatrist. You must also take a minimum of 2 months firearms orientation. You must also every 2 years re-apply for your permit including a new back ground check. If you are found to be in possession of a firearm illegally the minimum sentence should be 5 years in prison. If you use a firearm in the commission of a crime the minimum sentence should be 20 years. You see i think there are many people who should have the right to own guns, they should not be punished as a result of the actions of others who do not earn the right. Unfortunately there will always be guns. Until such time that we move beyond our current values and understanding. We are no where close to this. It is the unfortunate truth!

Rob

GONE

I was hoping to sit down and write something that mattered, something that could make sense of all of this. Contribute something of value. I couldn't. I could and can only recall my own children and those they went to school with and played with. I can remember like it was yesterday, going into their elementary school so many times, watching the disorganized ballet of children arriving first thing in the morning. Watching them run and yell and dance, throwing off boots, coats, mits and scarfs. Seeing and hearing all the noise, all the energy. Standing like a giant amongst them and being priviledged to the show. Seeing those little faces so full of innocence, not knowing what was going to happen from one day to the next. Living each day with an abandon and a freedom we all know eventually disappears. I attended to many parties, pagents, and plays to count. I sat among other parents inhaling the power that is youth, being to proud to speak when one of my children performed on cue at the christmas show. I played Santa Clause for many years for the pre-schoolers and Kindergarden children. I remember getting dressed up, thinking that the pillow i was hiding under my red coat would never fool these children. Maybe it did, maybe it didn't but they seemed not to care, it was about the moment for them. Nothing more, nothing less. I sang christmas songs with them and their parents. Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer was always the favorite. I remember them singing it at the top of their little lungs, no pride, no ego, just singing, cause thats what little children can do. They can go beyond the detail and make the moment count. I saw their eyes come alive when they heard Santa call their name. Through the years of my Parenthood i have been blessed  and priviledged with the chance to see my own and many others children grow. Today in a small town named, Newtown there are those who will never see any of this, never experience it. Never be able to breath it all in; Because the ones that would have shown them all this, allowed them to live all of this; are GONE!

Hug your children today no matter how old they are.

I have nothing else to say.

Rob

HOPE LIVES AT LRHS

A few days ago i wrote an article about, "Earning It", making reference to a famous line in the movie, Saving Private Ryan. That blog dealt with the idea that to date, mankind has failed quite miserably at, "Earning" the sacrifice so many men and women made for us serving during the worlds major wars. After posting the blog i received a question from an old friend who asked, "what ideas I had for fixing the issues i raised in the blog"? I responded back that if i knew the answers i would be a politician. Well, yesterday afternoon I had the privilege of attending the LRHS (Laurentian Regional High School) Remembrance day ceremonies in Lachute, Quebec. After these ceremonies which are entirely created, developed, produced and presented by the students it came to me that perhaps the answer to my old friends question was, I might not have any answers but I think the young adults of LRHS just might. In fact maybe the hope of, "Earning It" lives at LRHS.


The one hour plus presentation in its scope and magnitude was awe inspiring. The students through the help of some very dedicated, insightful and wise teachers covered a broad spectrum of issues dealing with the effects of war, its impact and ultimately its tie-in to current day issues such as forgiveness and bullying. The presentations included readings, videos and songs which demonstrated to me that perhaps these young adults have a much better understanding of the repercussions of war and violence then the adults attending the ceremony. Their comprehension of the issue was so deep that i was left stunned. In the front rows of the packed auditorium were some of the fewer and fewer Veterans from those conflicts. There was one younger soldier, himself a Veteran, who has assisted the students in their development of their presentation. Apparently he has been helping them over the last 5 years. You could tell by the silence in the auditorium during the the presentation that not only those students involved in creating it but those who were in attendance understood the importance of it all. There was no horsing around, no nonsense, just a type of silence that is not cumbersome but almost peaceful. It was a demonstration of respect that moved me.

At the begining of the presentation a slide show blazed across the screen showing images of conflicts, wars, violence, terrorism and hate; with a message being asked, "who was going to stop it"? The answer was. "We are". The slides then transformed from all this violence to show the greatest possibilities of humanity; our ability to love, not hate, to help, to fix, to build and to care about our fellow man and women. It was indeed an indication that demonstrated that these students understood that they might posses the key to a different path, a different future. There was a beautiful song sung by Marissa LeGallee that turned the auditorium into a hall of somber reflection. An incredible set of readings including one from the cousin of a vibrant, young and talented 30 year old environmental engineer who had gone to Haiti just days before the earthquake to practice her profession for the betterment of the Haitian people. This young women never came back, her life ended by the earthquake that so devastated that region. There was a reading of depth from a young student about her Grandmother, a women who had witnessed the brutality of war. This young girl now telling her grandmother that she understood the reasons why her Grandmother was the way she was and thanking her for the wisdom she had shared. There was a reading about the connection between war and bullying which so clearly captured the worst of mankind and how regardless of age or context there is an undeniable relationship. A fantastic video was prepared where a couple of students went to local elementary schools to interview young children and get their interpretation of the meaning of words related to war (soldiers, peace , loss, etc). The most resounding thing that came from this video was the wisdom of very young children and our adult tendency to believe they know very little when infact they often know more then we do. From these interviews the LRHS students wrote a song and made a video called "Thank you". It was extremely well done and they if they have not already post it on, "You Tube" they should.

The end of the ceremony had a bugle player rise and begin playing, the, "Last Post". In the front row an older Veteran slowly rose to his feet, almost alone, for what seemed like a long time but was mere seconds. It was fitting, it seemed like the way it should be; a soldier alone, facing the demonds that haunt men, standing alone to face the unsupportable reality of it all. As I began to stand I was amazed as the young audience also slowly rose to its feet without being promted. The sound of hundreds of chairs folding back up against themselves as the these young adults came to their feet was a magnificant demonstration of respect, the bugle played but the silence was deafening, it was overwhelming in its meaning. During this the pictures, names, ranks and incident of Canadian soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom in the most recent conflicts. Their faces looking out at the adults and students in the darkened auditorium on a 14 foot by 10 ft screen. You could see in the eyes of these soldiers the lost opportunity, the lost lives not lived. You could feel the enormity of the sacrifice. These pictures taken at a better time when war had yet to touch them or their families lives. Young men and women making the ultimate sacrifice in the name of freedom. Giving so that those in the audience could have the opportunity that they themselves shall never realize. The silence of this moment had a weight which 50 elephants sitting on your chest could not duplicate. I am sure that if you had turned on the auditorium lights at that moment you would have seen on the faces of those attending that the impact was not lost on them. The ending of the ceremony had my son introducing the director of the regional school board to say a few words. In his address he chose to read a recently published newspaper article from a kindergarten teacher who described the challenge she faced in explaining war to her very, very young audience. In the end she chose not to push the subject because she felt that giving them another day of innocence was perhaps more important and more valuable then exposing them to the grotesqueness of war. It was a fitting ending.


So my friends, a few days ago i didn't have many ideas about the solutions to help mankind ultimately, "Earn It". I was not sure what actions to take, to make those men and women of the military's sacrifice count, To truly mean something. Well in fact the actions and the ways to make it count was demonstrated and found in what one might consider the last place you might look. I found it in a quiet, dark auditorium surrounded by young people who made me believe that perhaps, just perhaps, the HOPE of humanity, "Earning It" could be found at LRHS in Lachute, Quebec. You young adults were truly awesome!

Rob Hellstrom

HAVE WE EARNED IT?

Near the ending of the film, Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks character (John Miller) is heard whispering to Matt Damon's character, "Earn this, Earn it". At the very end we see an aged Private James Ryan with his family by his side visiting the grave of Miller. He is at that moment trying to understand if he indeed had, ''earned it'', had lived a life which honored the sacrifice of Miller and his unit that sought him out during the war. As i watched this film (always do around this time of year) a question came to me which seems more appropriate. Have WE earned it? Have we earned the sacrifice all those men and women made for us? Have we, the people of the world earned their honor. In my case i can say no. In my mind the unfortunate answer for the rest of us is also NO!

We are quickly working our way to the 70th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and if you look around you might find yourself hard pressed to find indicators that we have, ''earned'' the ultimate sacrifice all of those men and women made for us in not only that conflict but all those before and after. The resounding question is what does it mean to, "Earn It"? Does it mean an estimated 51 million people killed in wars from 1945 to 2000? (that does not include Afghanistan or Iraq). Does ''Earn it'' mean, letting 6 million children die every year of hunger? Does it mean excesses beyond imagination? Dictatorships and tyranny abound? Waste? Environmental destruction? Overall abuse of the planet we live on? Imagine for just one moment if it was possible to sit infront of a handful of soldiers who gave their lives for the idea of freedom and ask them if we, "Earned it". My feeling is we would not like the answer. Our problem is we have convinced ourselves through our "good intentions" that we are some how worthy of the sacrifices made. We give a little to charity, we vote, we cringe at the violence in the world. We tell ourselves we are doing our little part. It is a falicy! It is not only erroneous but blatantly ignorant. We have turned our heads time and time again to the opportunities which have presented themselves for us to, "'Earn it". Instead we have closed our eyes and told ourselves, "we are doing all we can, the best we can". It is the sad reality.

Those soldiers might tell us that what they gave us in the form of their sacrifice is not earned because we faced down a tyrant or two. It is not earned because we invented TV, computers and mobile phones. It is not because those blessed with riches live a life of gluttony and over consumption, while vast areas of our world starve and die regularly from treatable diseases. They might tell us that not very much about what we have done has truly, "Earned it". The idea that we still argue about race, religion and orientation says only that we have taken their sacrifice and made a mockery of it. We are all too comfortable with our ' Lifestyle' to even begin to understand what we could possibly have done to earn what those men and women gave us. Is it not fair to say, that we have, ''underachieved, failed miserably, let them and most importantly ourselves down''? Of course its not fair. Right? Those people who actually believe that we have, ''earned it'' will tell you that the sacrifice of those soldiers was exactly so the world could become what it is today. That we have a choice that the freedom they guaranteed us justifies where we are as a society. That my friends is nonsense. Go stand with your children at the Tomb of the unknown soldier in Ottawa, try to take a breath as you stand looking over the vastness of the cemetary in Arlington Virgina. Touch the monument at Dieppe and tell yourself you've, ''earned it''. It might not be so easy.

In the not so distant future i fear mankind will be brought to its knees with the realization of just how miniscule we truly are in the whole scheme of the universe. At that we might, just might, come to the understanding about what sacrifice truly means. We might come to understand what humanity was supposed to be about or at the very least what we were supposed to be working towards. The idea that we cannot solve the simplest of problems will only demonstrate how we have failed on the grandest scale. The notion that the days of men were marked by wars, and violence and periods of peace which did not ultimately further the betterment of all men will be our legacy. Our unrelenting goal of self comfort and self betterment will guarantee that man will never have truly, 'Earn it'. Look around you as we approach November 11th, how many poppy's do you see? How much knowledge and most importantly respect do we have for what was given to us by those men and women? How have we historically passed this down from one generation to the next to ensure a lasting legacy of respect and admiration? For to many of us we are unable to see past yesterdays breakfast to look back on those sacrifices and appreciate the magnitude of them. To appreciate that we are truly failing as a species when it comes to making the world we live in better for EVERYONE.

Don't worry though, go back to what you were doing. Fret not. Those heroes of our past have long since been forgotten by the vast majority of us. You never have to worry about that meeting between the soldiers of the past and the people of the present. It will never happen. Unfortunately that seems to mean that we will never truly be able to ''Earn it'', as long as we cannot even appreciate what, ''IT'' was.

Rob

73 SHEETS

I have five children, I watched her video, it brought tears to my eyes and lump in my throat. The last two sheets read, “I have nobody, I need someone”. “My name is Amanda Todd”. 73 sheets in all. A story told. A life lost. 15 years old and gone. That video could be anyone’s daughter. It could have been mine. It could just as well be anyone’s son it could have been anyone of my 4 sons. Where have we gone wrong? How have we let our children become so lost, so hurt, so alone, so confused? How have we let our children become so desperate? Does anyone really believe that we are not collectively responsible for this girl, for what we have allowed to become of our youth? Of course were not responsible. We never are. It’s someone else’s problem, right? Not yours or mine. Amanda is not your child, just another sad story, another statistic. If you believe that, your wrong, were all wrong. She is our child, she is your child, she could be anyone of our children. The idea that we can dismiss her or more importantly the problems she faced is a pure copout.


73 sheets of paper is the sum of a Childs life. Of Amada Todd’s life. Everyday we get further and further from our children and their reality. We run around justifying how we raise or don’t raise our children. We have no idea who they are anymore because we are to worried about who, we are. In many parents mind raising children is a burden not a gift. It is a job not a privilege. We should all be ashamed of ourselves. I am ashamed of myself. I have often failed as a perfect parenting model. In essence no one is perfect, no parent is perfect, it is hard, most of the time we struggle and fail in the most basic areas of child raising. Most of us, most parents, legitimately try. There are however far too many parents who just don’t care or won’t care. Those parents lives are filled with challenges, “They” have to face, no time to focus on the children. No time to understand the society they are living in, the reality they live with everyday. No time to deal with their needs, we are to busy looking after our own wants, needs and desires to bother with them. We need two cars, a couple of vacations every year down south, big houses, careers. We need things. Who has time for the children? They’ll do just fine! Check your e-mail, there not doing ok! Do you need someone to send you a text message to get that!

The technology that surrounds us and consumes us also privileges our children to an environment most of us could never have imagined or dreamed of. We love our PC’s and our tablets and our smart phones. We can’t put them down, or step away from them to see what is actually going on. We can’t survive without Facebook, Twitter, instant messaging, texting. We have hypnotized ourselves into believing that they are all good for us. More importantly they are all good for our children. We are impotent to help our children live through the reality of the technology and the impact it can have and is having on their lives. We don’t know how to help them face the ugly side of it because we can’t even see it ourselves. 73 sheets because Amanda flashed someone during some fun with friends on a Web cam. It turned into her legacy, her life and ultimately her death. As a parent can you get your head wrapped around that reality. Probably not! Because back In 1980, or 85 or 90 when you were Amanda’s age if you flashed some friends it was probably in a kid’s basement sitting around in a circle with an empty coke bottle. No cameras, no smart phone, no instant upload to Facebook or Twitter. No texting in real time the events to everyone you knew. No it was just the few friends who saw it and went on to deal with it. Oh yes there was the talk in school about the girl who during “spin the bottle” flashed her boobs, but it stopped there, it didn’t become the Childs legacy. It didn’t become a tool for poorly brought up children or even adults to torment her with it, to drive her to 73 sheets. It was what it was, children growing, experimenting and learning. Not 73 sheets.

73 sheets later, the authorities will investigate, the talking heads in government and the media will speak up about the travesty of it all, about the need to improve the system, to fix it. The even more impotent school administrators will tell us how the system is working and how they are doing such a great job. Everyone will take notice for 15 minutes and then go back to doing what we all do best, NOTHING! You see my friends, one girl is not going to change our self centered quest for continued improvement of our own lives. No sir. We’ll continue to drop off the kids at day care, let them consume indigestible amounts of violence in movies and on TV, will park them in front of the video games where they can blow each other to pieces just so we can take care of that, Oh so, “important issue”, whatever it might be. Because you see our kids are not what is important anymore, they are simply an extension of us, they are a reflection of us. We as adults are no more empowered then our own parents were to understand the challenges of growing up. In a modern society where we boast of our advancements and successes we have forgot to ask the children how to help them fix the challenges they face. We have become dilusional about our ability to fix everything. We fix very little, we simply pass over it. Einstein once said, '' one day I fear our technology will surpass our humanity''. Well guess what; we are getting mighty close. Understand this though, its not the technology that is the problem its our blindness to manage it in the daily lives of our children.

Our children have become what we are. Pieces of paper, with very little written on them. Amanda Todd’s 73 sheets say more about us as Parents then we could ever write on our own 73 sheets. That my parent friends is sad, very sad. Amanda I am sorry we failed you.

Rob

2+2=5 Quebec math

So! While a large portion of the Quebec population was focused on the fast cars and pretty women and the other part of the population was laughing along at the antics of the NUT JOB Khadir, his daughter and their modified Delacroix Portrait; something happened while everyone had their heads turned in the other direction. What happened you ask? Well on Monday in Quebec there were two bi-elections for the Provincial seats in LaFontaine and Argenteuil ridings. Guess what? If you didn't really hear about it there is a reason. In the top French news paper the results and story appeared on page 10. Yup, page ten. In the other news papers not much more importance was given to it. Why? Well because the results didn't in anyway come close to matching the recent media hype about the, ''Need for change'' but more importantly it didn't come anywhere close to what the media has been claiming is the, ''DESIRE'' of the people for change. No in fact none of it came close to anything other then proving that in Quebec 2+2 really does equal 5.


What do i mean? Well lets go back a little bit, shall we? In the middle of the now 4 month old, ''Student movement'' the protesters, all 1% of the eight million population, started to state that there was a need for an election. That the population of Quebec wanted change. The blow hard, grey bearded, white hair dreaming of the 60's and 70' media types jumped all over that bandwagon and away we went. For the last 2 plus months we have heard nothing but how everyone from the students to the pots and pans clanging chef Ramsey wannabe's are protesting for change. Change change change they say!! Joining the change mongrels in their chants was the leader of the opposition and her drag Quebec out of the federation screaming if necessary, it does matter Parti Quebecois. They were joined by the new emerging CAQ party and everyone else remotely tied to politics. We have watched the 24 hour news networks bring out every talking head telling anyone that would listen that the Liberal party was doomed. The print and internet media screamed at the top of their pens and laptops about the end of the Liberal era in Quebec. They bragged about how the people (that is you and me by the way) had, had enough and that given the next opportunity (the two bi-elections) the population would show those fascist, liberty suppressing, freedom of rights destroyers, who was really boss. Something funny happened though. In the last week leading up to the bi-elections the story started to get buried. On the Monday of the bi-election the story only made page 16 of the same paper mentioned above. In the other papers the same thing was happening. On the 24 hour news networks not much at all other then the 5th or 6th story of the day. Interesting no? Certainly is when you consider that we live in a Province where they break into your regularly scheduled programing to tell you about the politican who's doggy went do-do on the wrong lawn. Politics is always front page news around here. But not the last few days.

So Monday night was the moment of truth. Two bi-elections. A chance for all those media and political talking heads to prove to everyone (you and me) just how smart and savvy and know it all they were. So it happened. The people of the two ridings went to the polls, they went to send a clear message to those tyrant Liberals, they went to kick their political asses. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen it was going to be an evening of reckoning. It was going to be devastating to the Liberal party, a preview of what was to come in the next Provincial Election. It was going to be Fight Club kinda ugly. Well maybe not so much! Maybe not at all. You see something happened between the rhetoric, the experts, the political talking heads and the actual outcome. First lets explore the math! In Argenteuil the participation rate for the bi-election was a whopping 42.36% of  the 41,006 eligible voters showing up to vote. In LaFontaine the number was a monstrous 25.56% of the 39,794 eligible voters turning out to vote. WOW! STOP THE PRESSES! Its unprecedented. The people surely want change, massive change. But wait! The results were even more impressive. In LaFontaine the Liberal candidate won. He what? He won? RECOUNT, RECOUNT, I SAY! What? The Liberal member got 53.32% of the vote compared to the number two guy at 17%. Ok maybe forget the recount. In Argenteuil the Liberal candidate lost by less then 500 votes. She lost by 500 votes with almost 20,000 people showing up to vote. Hang on a second. Wasn't there supposed to be some clear, unequivocal message going to be sent to the Governing Liberals. Wasn't Madame Marois of the official opposition party going to take to the stage to point out to everyone just how resoundingly the Quebec population wants a general election to bring about the oh so desired change. Where was everyone? 42% and 25% of eligible voters turned out! Something is wrong with this picture. No wait! Something is wrong with the Math!

Here in lies the problem. You see in Quebec there is no longer any logic. There is no real truth anymore. There is only talking heads. Talking head politicians, artists, boycotting students and most of all media. You see no one in the media has stood up and asked the questions. If supposedly everyone wants change, if everyone wants the current Government gone, where was everyone.? Where were the landslide wins for the opposition parties? Where were the sickeningly low numbers for the Liberal candidates? No that question never came and probably never will. Everyone will just move on to a new blackboard with new math. In the early morning of Tuesday Madame Marois was heard to be rejoicing their parties win in Argenteuil by 400 votes. Rejoicing?  I see. Funny though no one sees to be calling to loudly right now for a general election. You see my friends in Quebec 2+2=5 or 6 or 9 or whatever. It does not really matter it just will never add up around here! Ask the snowman!

PEA SOUP PLEASE

I figure while everyone is bringing their pots and pans out into the streets I should atleast try and get a free meal. I am pretty sure if they started posting a menu each evening more people would show up. I am convinced they have the ability to cook anything you want as i saw three guys dragging a propane BBQ along the street banging happily away. Hell they could even set up a drive through. Imagine that, a mobile drive through.May i take your order? ''Oui, I would like a double-double, a ham and swiss on regular white and a chocolate doughnut'. We don't serve that here that's food for Capitalists! What do you mean that’s capitalistic food? ''How about a Big mac, fries and a diet coke?'' That’s Capitalistic also? CRAP! Ok then how about you cook me up a bowl of Pea soup? That doesn't seem Capitalistic and even kind of Quebecois. Oh could it have some chunks of ham and bacon in it? Some things never cease to fascinate me. In this whole debacle there are three (3) things in particular. 1. How outlandish people can be. 2. How a minority can seem to speak for the majority. 3. How hypocritical these kids are.

Lets start by number 1. The outlandish part. When you take the expression everything but the Kitchen sink ( I think i might even have seen one of those) into the streets to ''make a point'' you might want to look up ''outlandish'' in the dictionary. When you bring your 5 and 7 year olds to roam the streets at night to clang on metal pots and pans you might want to look up ''good parenting'' in the dictionary. When you start believing that you are actually out in the street making a point about repression and you live in one of the freest Countries in the world you might want to look up ''delusional'' in the dictionary. Quebec is NOT a police State, it is not governed by a repressive dictatorship bent on Right wing policies. It is a government elected by the people for the people. Besides that, you couldn't get much more to the left in this Province if you attended a NASCAR race (you know, driving on an oval making left turns only). While the aspiring street cooks were parading in the street 92 people were massacred in Syria by the Government in power. Hey chef Ramsey wanna-be's. You want to see what repression, dictatorships and lack of freedoms look like? Get on a plane to the one of the 30 plus places on earth where you can disappear simply for saying what's on your mind. In those Countries they don't hit you with pepper spray, tear gas and plastic bullets. They don't warn you 10 or 15 times in an evening NOT to do something. NO SIR! In those Countries they come get you in the middle of the night, day, morning, it doesn't matter. Then they lock you in a room (after they torture, rape and mutilate you) and they don't just throw away the key, they throw away the room. So when you claim you and your children are out in the street protecting your fundamental rights take a look at what incredible rights you benefit from before crapping on the ones you enjoy.

Number 2. The minority speaking for the majority. There are approximately 8 million people in the Province of Quebec. So here is a message that the main stream press seems to have lost in translation. When two Thousand, or five thousand or twenty thousand or one hundred Thousand people or even Two Hundred and fifty thousand people show up to ‘Protest’’ those people account for the smallest portion of the population. They are not the majority, they are not ‘’incredible’’ numbers which demonstrate a massive dissatisfaction with the Government or its bill C78 (although i can understand peoples frustration with this government). Those numbers represent less then 1% of the population on an ongoing basis and not even 4 % of the population in the biggest demonstrations (250,000). We know what sells news papers. We know what sells advertising time on the local and 24 hrs news networks. We know what sells hit advertising on the internet. We know sensationalism goes a long and in many cases, the only way, to SELL! So while a large number of your journalists actively work to mold the future of this story; the majority understands that your simply like pimps trying to push your product and make it as attractive as possible to lure the most clients you can. Now it would be wrong for me to paint all journalists with the same brush. There are those who have not forgotten what it is to report, ‘’THE FACTS’’. Unfortunately they seem to be in the minority also. In this particular situation the silent majority is just as responsible for the current situation because sometimes your unwillingness to participate in the dialog will end up making you unwilling accomplices to the end result.

3. The hypocrite kids. Over 1000 injunctions against them in the courts. NOT ONE of those injunctions respected by them. Bill 78 comes into law and what do those same kids do? They go to court to get an injunction. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? There is this immature part of me that hopes that if for some ridiculous reason the courts were to side with the kids on C78 that the Government would just ignore whatever the court ruled just like the kids have done since day one of their ‘’Boycott’’. What the kids action has shown everyone in this province including the night parading kitchen brigade is that democracy in this province is a pick and chose menu. You do not like something, you don’t respect it. It does not matter if its the law. If it works against you, you fight it with the same tools used against you and then you can bet they will demand that their legal rights be respected.. So in essence every time you take to the streets your saying that democracy and the law only matters to you if its on your side. You are in essence as much a hypocrite as those kids. Democracy and the law are not easy. They can be ugly and can often leave a bad taste in your mouth. In this Country and in this Province the only thing that seperates us from Syria and those 30 other places; is that no matter how much we might not like something we respect it and obide by it. We don't flaunt the law, we don't spit on it. We don't vandalise and demonstrate or intimidate. Why don't we? Because WE have the knowledge that WE have the strongest tool of all to change what WE don't like. ITS CALLED A VOTE!

Summer is on our doorstep. It hasn’t even really started to get hot and everyone is already burnt out. The merchants losing tens of thousands of dollars are tired. The police doing the best they can in nearly impossible conditions are burnt out, the Politicians (the ones with an ounce of logic) are burnt out. A lot of smart young adults (not boycotting) who want just to get their education are burnt out. I bet even some of those yahoo protestors are tired to. The silent majority are tired to (although I don’t know why. They haven’t done anything). Yes friends everyone is burnt out and summer hasn’t even started. Maybe its time to change the menu. ‘’Could I have a Pina Colada and cancel my order for the pea soup….it kind of makes you bloated this time of the year.

THE END OF LOGIC

You don't have to like the Government in power. You don't have to like its policies. You don't even have to really care for politics in general. But there is something you have to care about and that is the existence of some form of logic Today marked the day that logic ended in the Province of Quebec. This afternoon the Minister responsible for Education Line Beauchamp, resigned not only from her position but from politics all together. She was quoted as saying, '' I am no longer part of the solution,'' end quote, to the ongoing student dispute, boycott, strike or whatever you wish to call it. Line Beauchamp was not only the Minister of Education but was also the Deputy-Premier, which simply meant that should the Premier himself become unable to fill his duties Madame Beauchamp would take over running the Province. This Minister was not some fly by night politician. She was an example of what politicians should aspire to. She entered politics in 1998, in 2003 she was named Minister of Culture and Communications. During this time she sat on a variety of Parliamentary Committees working to make the Province a better place. In 2007 she became the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks. In 2010 she became the Minister of Education. During all of this time she served the members of the Quebec community without controversy. She did her job and contributed to the improvement of the Province with a dedication to its people and their quality of life and now she has resigned.

For what? For a dollar a day increase in tuition fee increases proposed by the Government? Because she agree to negotiate with student association representatives who could not even back their own signatures on paper? Because she gave into numerous demands which were not even part of the original boycott (strike). Because she sat across the table from naive, individualistic, self centred kids (yes I said kids) who had only the capacity to negotiate a, ''principal of agreement'' and then not even back it? Because she worked with the attitude that she could offer the base line to a better future in the education system only to see an agreement voted down by associations who in many cases were made up of 15 and 30 who represent 30,000 but never took the offer to those 30,000 and allowed them to vote on it? Because she sat across the table from individuals who have allowed violence to fester and manifest itself in a variety of destructive demonstrations? Because she sat across from kids who claimed to everyone that would listen that they had, ''given enough concessions to the Government''? When in fact they had given NONE! Well yes, for all of these reasons she resigned but I think for one more important one. She recognized that logic had seen its day in this Province!

Today all logic ended in this Province and we should all be ashamed of ourselves. All of us for allowing what has become a mockery of democracy to go on this long. The silent majority who are in fact silent (shamefully so). The leaders of the opposition parties who posture and position with little interest in what is good for the people of this Province but what is good for their prospective in getting elected. The grey haired, still smoking weed journalists, dreaming of the 1960 and 70's revolutions pumping out the same old crap they were back in the day. Crack pots like Amir Khadir who create a septic environment by trying to increase the volatility by making innuendos that the police are infiltrating the violent protesters and actually causing the violence. The Union leaders who insert themselves into the fray like termites into wood and chew away at the fabric of democracy hidden from detection, weaving a path of destruction with only self serving objectives. The professors who claim to be on the side of the students but only of course those boycotting, not the ones with court injunctions in hand allowing them the education they pay for; to be taught by those professors who from day one of the conflict have continued to draw their full salary while doing nothing but adding fuel to the fire. The students who rallied at the court house on Monday to support the 4 metro smoke bomb tossing idiots. The ones now charged with promoting terrorism. ( I wonder if some older person in not so good health had died of a heart attack due to the panic of finding themselves underground surrounded by smoke. I wonder if there had been panic and someone had gotten knocked down a few flights of stairs and broken their skull and died, if those same students lending support to those 4 dip shits would still be outside the courthouse? Logic? None to be found!


Yes today all logic ended and we are all to blame. The simple fact is the tuition issues is only the tip of the iceberg of what must be dealt with in the years to come concerning fiscal management in this Province. This Province that tilts towards independence and claims to have the ingredients necessary to make out in the big, big World. If this is how we apply logic in this Province then we have to believe that in fact not only did logic end. It is possibly dead forever and if so we just may be too.

BAMBOOZLED

They have been BAMBOOZLED!!! Quick call the police. NO WAIT! On second thought that might not be such a good idea. Police + Students = Well you know. For the love of GOD (sorry to all my religious friends out there) are we seriously going to go down this road? Are they actually expecting us, after nearly 14 weeks of this absolute nonsense to believe that what they agreed to isn't what they signed, which in fact isn't what they signed to agree too! Confused? You bet! Need a CEGEP or University degree to understand it? You bet! Understand this though just when you thought there was some clearing air of all that tear gas smoke you were WRONG! The deal that was a deal that isn't a deal that should have been a deal that could have been a deal....is well no deal at all!

Yes ladies and gentlemen of our tax paying society the poor students were BAMBOOZLED by the big bad Charest and his willing accomplices. The dirty, smelly, old government machine just took advantage of those poor desolate students and ran rough shot all over them. YES THEY DID, i tell you! Not important is it that three major labour union representatives from the FTQ, CSN and CSQ were present at the negotiation to hold their hands through the process. Not important that the details were provided in every major newspaper, TV news program and Internet site available to man (and woman). NOOOO...Its not important that everyone (and yes i mean everyone) appears to be saying that the agreement the students signed was precisely what they agreed to verbally. No sir, none of that is important. You know why? Because we the people paying 83% of a post secondary students education truly believe that those poor, peaceful, food stamp requiring, can't afford a new I phone students have been BAMBOOZLED. Its a travesty, call the international court of appeal. The repression is suffocating, i don't know how much longer those poor kids can hang on.....someone call 911 its terrible.


Here is where they should see the value of a good education. Before you decide to go up against the big dogs its maybe prudent to get prepared. By prepared i don't mean, blocking roads, marching down the street half naked, throwing rocks or blockading buildings. By prepared I did mean getting an education, increasing your knowledge base, getting real world experience (and no your trip to Cancun does not qualify as real world experience). There should be nothing more obvious to the 179,000 striking students then the fact that they are not at all prepared to play in the big league. No that is reserved for the piranha's that swim in our political and union pools. Being prepared for something beyond rock throwing, glass breaking and parades requires much more time and energy. A good deal of which comes from the 4 to 7 years it takes to get a a university degree. So now is your chance to high tail it back to class, to gain some political points, to build on your 14 weeks of dedication to, ''the cause''. Are you going to take advantage of this opportunity? It appears not.

So based on this i have something i would like to share with you. Call it wisdom. Yes I know you'll say I'm old and out of touch with ''YOUR'' world. That i am tainted by to many years of being repressed by the big bad government man. I am not though, i assure you; Even if i don't know who Justin Beiber is or the fact i don't care. Or the fact that i still use a cell phone that actually has real life buttons you have to push on a pad. Or that the last time i tweeted was while looking at the birds outside in the bird feeder. EVEN given all these lacks i still have something valuable to share. It is this. There comes a time when you have to be able to see further then the nose on your face. When you actually have to take the points you can get even if it means the score board shows you have less points then your adversary. You also have to learn the concept of compromise; you'll learn this when you get divorced..ah..i mean married. Compromise doesn't mean defeat, less points on the board does not necessarily spell defeat, especially if its a best out of 7 series. One game at a time my young friends (that is a sports analogy i know you might not know what sports are any more...look it up on Wikipedia). You have to understand that life experiences are like a filing cabinet. You fill it up as you go along and from time to time you go back to it to take out parts that you have kept there to help you face a variety of lifes challenges.  This gives you strength in winning future battles.

Now that i have shared that with you are you ready for the most important thing i have to share? Here it is and it comes from a guy called the ''BOSS'' (you won't know him either his music is much to progressive (or old) for you). He once said, ''blind faith in your leaders or in anything, will get you killed!'' The people you think are leading you, your association leaders, the union leaders, the grey haired 1960's activist journalist and the self serving opposition politicians. They aren't helping you. OH NO! They have their own agenda's and they have absolutely nothing to do with yours! What they are doing is leading down a path. It isn't a pretty one. Its one full of dead ends, wrong turns and disaster. They are mortgaging your future and your energy on their personal aspirations. This you need to understand more then anything. You need to open your eyes and see that the being bamboozled by someone is never any fun, but what is even less fun is when your, BAMBOOZLING YOURSELF!

STUDENTS IN WONDERLAND

Well just when you thought things couldn't get more ridiculous they do. Last Friday the Government made a new proposal to the students to try and bring to an end the 12 week long dispute. The response from the student union leaders and spokes persons. ''Its an insult!'' Hang on. What? Your calling it an insult? You bunch of cry baby, want everything for nothing, latte drinking , smart phone carrying, have everything spoon fed to you ASSES! This whole conflict has become nothing more then a joke. AN ABSOLUTE JOKE! You can't possibly be serious in believing that this Province, its people or its leaders are in any way willing to give you anymore freezes. Hey IDIOTS if you indexed to inflation your paying the same rate to go to school as those did in 1968. Did you get that 1968!!!!! So now that we fully understand that your not in any way willing or able to be reasonable lets move on to taking some concrete measures against you.

AVERAGE PERSON TO THE STREETS

First and foremost there are currently over 20 court injunctions against you forcing college and Universities to resume teaching. You see, while you like to call it a strike it is in fact a boycott. The CEGEP'S and Universities are service providers. You don't work for the them. In fact every tax paying member of the community forking over 83% of the cost to send you to school actually works for them. They should be the ones on strike. Fascinating wouldn't it be if every regular tax payer took to the streets and refused to hand over anymore of their taxes for YOUR education. I wonder what you would do then. Would you go march with them? Would you scream at the top of your lungs if you couldn't get into class because the every day citizen was blocking your access, intimidating you, perhaps even becoming violent and destructive. I bet your tune would change then. So now, given the fact we have established that you don't want access to the services CEGEPS and Universities provide you can just NOT PURCHASE THEM. Problem solved! Plus the bonus is you will save more then just the proposed increase, you'll save years of full tuition. WooooHooooo....more money for pizza and beer!

CALCULATORS PLEASE

Can we have a serious discussion about real numbers please? There are approximately 179,000 students boycotting classes. Can someone please provide a calculator to those in the Media and student associations who obviously just love to exaggerate a story. When there is a demonstration at night (as there was every night last week) and 3000 people show up, that means there are 1.67% of those boycotting parading around the streets. Hey....PSSSST.... if you invited 200 people to your party, you know, the one your parents don't know about and 1.67% of the potential participants showed up.....your party was a failure!!!! It seems however that those who make a living selling on air advertising, newspapers and Internet spots can't add because 3000 out of 179,000 isn't a big protest or as they like to call it here a, (Manifestation). It has become obvious that the few seem to be speaking for the many. Although listening to your student leaders its quite clear that they only speak for themselves and their future political or union aspirations. The majority voice has been silent. It also occurred to me that the 98.33% have better things to do....like play xbox, or go out partying. I mean seriously did you actually think that given the choice between a 9pm walk downtown and a party that the walk would win? Well that is of course if you think that a portion of the 1.67% are actually walking in the protest only to get to their favourite bar. Perhaps the student organizers could have open bars at 15 or 20 establishments and protestors could just walk along until they get to their favourite bar and then cut out of the march. It would increase your overall numbers but remember to save the best bar for the last one on your route as this will guarantee you more coverage on LCN TV.

GET BACK TO WORK

All the Grey haired, past reminiscing, hippie wannabe bee professors who support you should be ordered to report for class. If they fail to show up they should be FIRED! If you don't show up for classes YOU FAIL! Don't pass go, don't collect a diploma, just head straight to the nearest fast food restaurant and ask for a job application. Besides all of that the CEGEPS and UNIVERSITIES should go to court and have a, ''distance'' and ''maximum participant'' injunction imposed on you. What does that mean, you say? It means they get an injunction prohibiting you from blocking access to its facility and it establishes a maximum number of people you can have outside those institutions. I kind of like 10 people as a number. If you fail to obey the injunction you get your school skipping asses thrown in jail. You see the government had no problem legislating the crown prosecutors and nurses back to work, hell even the Federal Government blocked an Air Canada strike not once but twice. I think its about time to start treating you exactly like they treat everyone else even if you aren't actually strikers. Ah isn't it pretty imagining what life will be like in the years to come. Maybe you already know and your getting all your protesting in while you can because once you hit the REAL WORLD things aren't so rosy.

POLITICAL PIRANHA'S

You don't have to like the Government in place, In fact they have given almost everyone a reason not to. You cannot however dismiss or ignore the fact that WE the people put them in power. What is grotesque is that during the last 12 weeks we have gotten to see the aspirations and the true value of ALL political leaders. They are like Piranha's. Nothing has helped bring this under the microscope more then the current boycott. It is fascinating to see politicians promenading around town with their little red square pinned to their over priced clothes. Going on every News show that will given them 5 minutes to proclaim the TRAVESTY! It is fascinating to watch as protestors vandalise and intimidate and violate our social laws and these so called ''leaders'' use this protest to their political advantage. There comes a time when social values and law must take the higher road. It must rise above politics and move in a way that brings society forwards not backwards. Madame Marois, Mr. Legault and that nut case from Quebec Solidaire all had an opportunity to rise above it all. Instead they did what every REAL politician does. They looked for blood. It has been a disgusting demonstration almost as sickening as the student leaders demonstration of self serving, aspiration driven actions. These very same people stand infront of the TV at Budget time and demand fiscal responsibility from the Government in power. They along with the talking heads of the media demand ''leadership on all issues'' demand accountability, and good Management. Except when they get a demonstration of these things they scream at the top of their voices INJUSTICE, MIS MANAGEMENT, CORRUPTION. Under these conditions no Government has a hope in hell of improving the situation of the average person. I wonder if the yo-yo's mentioned above think or care about the real people of the community. If they realize that most people have gone beyond the ability to pay, the ability to continue to support the ''everything for nothing'' mentality. I don't think they do. They simply see opportunity and try and capitalize on it. I just hope the majority of people see right through it, exactly how they see through student leaders.

50 CENTS PER DAY

I was watching a news story late last week profiling a gentleman who has worked for 30 years helping those in need at a Montreal food bank. He was explaining that over 2000 families turn to the bank each week to help make ends meet. I wonder if any of you boycotters have given any though at all to what goes on in the rest of the world? Well in fact i am convinced that you have not the slightest idea. Have you given any thought to the fact that every day average people picking up your garbage, washing your clothes, serving your over priced latte, selling you your expensive smart phone, cleaning the streets after your protests, policing your stupidity are the ones who actually suffer the real effects of the economic times we live in. That these very same people work each and every day often for shark like organizations and that they often have little or no recourse to take action against them (ask the people who work for AVEOS Aviation). The rest of the people could take to the streets but they would lose the job they hang onto just to pay their share of 83% of your education. So here you are boycotting and protesting what amounts to a request by the Government to pay 50 cents more per day for a post secondary education that will translate into 1 million dollars more earned in a lifetime then someone with only a High School diploma. Hey Bone heads! Its time for you to pull your head out of your asses! 50 cents a day, ''An insult'', you claim?. SERIOUSLY! You are living in wonderland.