12.17.2012 08:14 AM

The Christmas of tears

A few weeks ago, I opined – and I’m a former speechwriter to no less than Jean Chretien, remember – that political speeches don’t matter anymore.

I was wrong about that.  And the speech below is why.  It is Obama’s greatest oratory ever; it is his Gettysburg Address.  I confess that I cried when I read it for the first time, at the end of a long Sunday of helping one son to study, and helping another to get to and from hockey games and practices.

One of my editors at the Sun said this to me last night:  “I take back what I wrote about this being the time of year with nothing to write about.  I wish that were true.”

Me, too.  What a terrible time this is. This is the Christmas of tears.

23 Comments

  1. Pipes says:

    Ya man. I cant think about it too long without losing it. He IS a great man.

  2. Ted H says:

    As Johnny Depp says, the US is like a big stupid puppy, but with sharp dangerous teeth. It’s about time the adults started speaking up and taking over from all the big ignorant kids who like to play with guns and have controlled the culture for far too long.

  3. Michael Bussiere says:

    This is the most informative comment contained in a news article this morning:

    “It’s absolutely booming right now – anything about guns. People are scared out of their wildest dreams that the FBI is going to come and knock down their doors,” said Sean Eldridge, owner of Parker Gunsmithing in nearby Bethel, who specializes in repairing and restoring guns.”

    Is this fundamental perception of the fear of government to usurp the rights of the individual so much a part of the American psyche that the kind of change required is virtually impossible? I’m very sad to believe that Obama could have simply stated that this kind of violence is now a normal and natural result of the American belief system vis-a-vis law and order/government.

    The BNA Act states a very different foundation for a constitutional document: Peace, order, and good government. This was a normal perception of a governed society by those who founded Canada. It could not be more different from “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” regarding the relationship between the individual and the state. I deeply regret to believe that the American psyche and myth has a predisposition to this kind of act, and the day will come when the President will not bother to show up anymore. I sincerely hope I am wrong.

  4. John Morse says:

    King Steve the ridiculous, first president of Canada inc. was so moved by this tragedy that he had someone issue a tweet. A display of his character in 140 caricatures or less.

  5. Riaz Khan says:

    Letter to the Children of the World from an Ashamed Father

    This is from a father to all of you kids in the world. Let me just say that we, as an adult, have not done well. Each and every day around the world, we adults, do terrible things to each other and many of them in front of all of you kids. That cannot be good. We adults have divided this world into many categories based on religion, color, ideology and every other nonsense you can think of. We adults are not proud of our behavior. Instead of protecting you from some imaginary evil, we are killing each other and many of you are victim of our egoistic attitude and behavior. On behalf of all the adults, I am offering my sincere apologies that we have not lived up to your expectations. I apologize that we have filled your world with guns, hate, anger and despair instead of love, care and hope. I apologize for always blaming evil for all the wrong things but never taking a responsibility for our actions. I know that a heart of a child is deeper than an ocean so if somewhere you can find a compassion for all the adults in this world, please forgive us for what we have done to this world which you will have to live. We are not leaving behind a lasting legacy. I know that we adults are not in a position to offer you any advice but if there is one thing I can share it with you is this: Don’t be like us.

    An Ashamed father

  6. Peter says:

    You know, you look across the border south, you see a President stand before a devastated town, a shocked nation. And you think? What can this man possibly say that would make a difference. As and you watch and listen? You realize you’re listening to greatness, with heart, with conviction and daring. To comfort and to acknowledge the anguish of a community. How could this man not be President. This man is a born leader. This is a man. And yet he knows he could of leaned on stricter controls on guns. I think he knows that and now he will…there is no going back…I think he will carry this with him and make a difference.

    Meanwhile…how did our PM respond — the Right Honourable Stephen Joseph Harper?
    Not even the dignity of an official release from the PMO…no…he cut and run with a fucking Tweet…that won’t even go down for the official record.

    Lord forbid that Harper should offend his base by brushing up about against cries for stricter gun controls on both sides of the border. Harper didn’t wish to in any way come off as being the hypocrite that he is…having vindictively destroying all the long gun registry data…having held back and buried an RCMP report that deemed the Long Gun Registry a vital tool…he had that weasel Van Loan sit on the report for six months…and when the vote came down…Van Loan appears in the foyer of the house, waving it around…moments after the vote took place…this is the sort of cowardly thugs we have running our country…destroying LGR date is against our own Federal constitution. That any information gathered on the taxpayer’s dollar is to be archived. It may not be used. But no government has the right to destroy public documents. The information belongs to the people of Canada…

    …not the “Stephen Harper Government” — a label that in itself doesn’t below in the same sentence with “Canada”.

    • Ted H says:

      Well said, we have a government to be ashamed of.

    • Michael Bussiere says:

      Peter, thank you for framing Harper’s response and government culture in the context of this event. Bang on. I am finding it absolutely impossible to identify one redeeming quality of this PM and his government. Not one f*ing one!!

    • Ted B says:

      No you are wrong Peter. They did react. I saw it on the news.

      Vic Toews re-iterated what a great job Steve Harper has done to reduce gun crime in Canada, how gun crime is down because of Steve Harper, and just how well he is controlling guns and making it harder for criminals.

      Vic Toews said it so it must be true.

      And if you don’t believe that you are for the terrorists AND the pedophiles.

      • Steven says:

        As a reminder of what the Harper Conservatives stand for in this issue, I suggest that there should be a constant replay of Conservative MP John Williamson’s gleefull celebration (April 5, 2012) in the House of Common of the Government’s repeal of the Gun Registry, including his ignorant and vulgar adoption of Martin Luther King’s “Free at Last” speech.

        • Peter says:

          I actually saw Williamson, and couldn’t believe this piece of shit…was it willful ignorance…it the man so out of touch with history…how does somebody like this idiot get elected? These people are evil.

  7. Pipes says:

    Setting the context for a mood altering line-I use a gym, it is a charity and committed to people with special needs, especially kids. Next month they are doing a fundraiser and it is a World Wrestling Entertainment style function and all proceeds go to the charity…..

    I, speaking with a young man who has Down Syndrome. “Hey are you coming to the big Wrestling Match here?” He replies, “Are you kidding, they will break you in half, they are serious”. “Na” says I, ” we can boo them and send them back to parts unknown”. He replies with an ignited imagination that bloats his face red, “Pipes, I like musicals not wrestling”, dismisses me with a smile and walks away.

    It was then I remembered there is more good in this world, than evil and we ned to keep each other safe.

    I was aloof for about 20 minutes.

  8. Neil says:

    Yesterday a very nice lady said to me that it was not about guns, it is about the people with the guns and very calmly looked back at her and said that in China a couple days ago some lunatic went crazy at a school and injured 20 people, no one died. The one difference, he used a knife. SO yeah it is about guns, it is only about guns, we can’t get rid of lunatics, we can get rid of guns.

  9. John Morse says:

    LOL I hope you puke. At least these attacks have merit. I guess we should have falsely accused him of child porn. We all know the right wing thinks that’s OK, even during an election.

  10. Mauserman says:

    Don’t bother fighting them, they are doing a great job fighting each other.

  11. Michael Bussiere says:

    Actually, I used the facts that he’s a conniving, unprincipled, divisive, mis-managing, cold-hearted bully who stole the Liberal economic/fiscal record to attack him. I could go on to remind everybody that he opposed the landmines treaty, banking regulations, Senate appointments, the Progressive Conservative Party, and just about everything else to attack him, but his record as PM is sufficient.

    Hope you’re feeling better soon, Les.

  12. mauser98 says:

    “Predator Drone Strikes: 50 Civilians Are Killed For Every 1 Terrorist, and the CIA Only Wants to Up Drone Warfare”
    http://www.policymic.com/articles/16949/predator-drone-strikes-50-civilians-are-killed-for-every-1-terrorist-and-the-cia-only-wants-to-up-drone-warfare

    “A ‘Kill List’ on Steroids: Obama Administration Expands Drone Assassinations to Wage ‘Permanent War’
    http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/kill-list-steroids-obama-administration-expands-drone-assassinations-wage

    “168 children killed in drone strikes in Pakistan since start of campaign ”
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/8695679/168-children-killed-in-drone-strikes-in-Pakistan-since-start-of-campaign.html

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