Categories for Feature

From the archives: Omar Khadr and Christopher Speer

— 02.11.2020 01:23 AM

[Khadr is back in the news because he was speaking at a university this week. It attracted attention. So, here is what I’ve written about him – and his victim – a couple years ago.]

Six days before he received the wound that killed him, Sgt. 1st Class Christopher J. Speer walked into a minefield to rescue two wounded Afghan children, according to fellow soldiers. He applied a tourniquet to one child and bandaged the other, they said. Then he stopped a passing military truck to take the wounded children to a U.S. Army field hospital. Speer saved those children, his colleagues said.

Speer won a medal for that.

I have a view that is different from many of my Liberal and liberal friends: while I don’t dispute that Omar Khadr was a child soldier, or that he was manipulated by al-Qaida, or that he was treated badly by the U.S. military after his capture – I also don’t dispute that he killed Christopher Speer with a hand grenade, or that Speer didn’t deserve that, or that Speer was mainly preoccupied with saving lives until the day he encountered Omar Khadr.

Speer had kids; Khadr was a kid.  Speer knew he was on a dangerous mission in which he could die; Khadr said he knew that, too.  What happened to Speer was a tragedy, and a lot of what happened to Khadr was, too.

All that said, I don’t think it is right that Omar Khadr should receive in excess of $10 million from Canada.  I don’t think he should get an apology, either.

He’s alive and free and happy, and the young guy who saved lives isn’t.  I think that should have ended the matter, but apparently others felt otherwise.

When he apologized to Christopher Speer’s widow, Omar Khadr said he had learned “the beauty of life.”

So, I’ll leave the final word to her, because her words should count, too.

Tabitha Speer, sitting in the front row, gripped the armrests of her chair during his comments, shaking her head as he spoke. When he stepped down and the jury left the room, she cried.

Earlier Thursday, Speer’s widow had testified that her husband was a “most generous, loving” husband before he was murdered by Khadr.

“He thought of me before he thought of himself,” she said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better father for my children.”

At times sobbing, she described her heartbreak at having to tell their children, then a three-year-old daughter and 10-month-old son, that their father had died.

“That moment a part of my daughter died with my husband,” she said, adding that eight years later, the children still feel the pain of his absence.

“I heard over and over how he’s the victim,” she said, glaring at Khadr. “I don’t see that. The victims … they are my children. Not you.”

Khadr’s defence lawyers did not cross-examine her.


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My latest: ten reasons why Peter MacKay has a shot

— 02.10.2020 02:34 PM

Peter MacKay has hit a rough patch.

Weird social media. Policy incoherence. Crummy French. Interviews going awry.

Sure, he’s coughed up the big entrance fee, and proffered the requisite number of signatures. Came up with a nice logo. Attracted the support of smart backroomers, and figured out how to avoid angering both of the Conservative Party’s warring tribes on the Left and Right – no small thing (ask Jean Charest and Pierre Poilievre).

But…it’s looked amateurish. It’s looked chaotic. It’s looked positively Stockwell Dayian, even.

Could a wounded, desperate political party rally around MacKay? Or is all hope lost?

Well, no. Ten reasons.

1. MacKay is likeable. Half the job in politics is being a HOAG – a Hell Of A Guy (or Gal). MacKay has that Earthy, aw-shucks, regular schmo thing down pat. He’s a HOAG.

2. MacKay looks the part. The other half of the job, when one is a political leader, is to appear Prime Ministerial. Not too regal (like Michael Ignatieff did), and not too stern (like Joe Clark or Tom Mulcair did). A Prime Minister needs to be capable of being suitably serious (say, when sending troops into battle) – but a PM also needs to know how to do cheery retail (say, when pressing the flesh on the hustings). It isn’t hard to imagine Peter MacKay doing either.

3. MacKay’s timing is good. Politics is like comedy – success depends more on timing than content. MacKay has come along at precisely the moment that his party is desperately in search of middle ground – and a leader who knows how to bank Left or Right, as circumstances warrant. One, too, who has been away from politics long enough to seem new – but who was also there long enough, in senior roles, to look experienced.

4. MacKay isn’t Justin Trudeau. Governments defeat themselves, and the Trudeau Liberal government has shown itself quite capable of doing so – taking a for-sure majority second term and reducing it to a timid, tentative minority. For voters scanning the horizon for an alternative to Justin Trudeau – and in October 2019, most Canadian votes were – Peter MacKay seems a sensible alternative.

5. MacKay isn’t a crypto-Nazi. Let’s face it: the Trudeau folks sought to portray Andrew Scheer as a knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing, red-necked troglodyte, one who hated gays, women and refugees. And they were wildly successful – but only because Scheer became the embodiment of Hidden Agenda (dual citizenship, tongue-tied on social issues, not-an-insurance-broker). Scheer allowed the Grits to define him before he could define himself…

6. …but MacKay is defined. He’s a known quantity. He’s been a cabinet minister and an MP. He did stuff, and nobody ran him out town on a rail. He may be remarkably unremarkable – like that old pair of slippers you resist throwing out – but you generally know what you are getting with the tall, grinning, Nova Scotia guy.

7. MacKay is a conservative, but not too conservative. As shocking as it may sound to the prototypical angry Conservative – Langstaff 7832269, with a Twitter profile of a Viking holding an assault rifle – most Canadians are not as conservative as they are. Calling them “Libtards” and “Lieberals” does not tend to encourage middle Canada to vote Team Blue. Also helpful: MacKay thinks women should be able to decide what happens to their own bodies – and, also, that LGBTQ people should be allowed to be just as miserable as straight married people are.

8. MacKay is from the Atlantic region. Conservatives do not have a voting base that is as “efficient” as the urban and urbane Liberals do. To win majorities, Tories need to capture support in every region, not just the prairies. MacKay is a native son of the Atlantic, and he accordingly has the best shot at stealing needed Atlantic seats away from the Grits.

9. MacKay isn’t angry. Stephen Harper was Mr. Angry, sure, but he only won a majority in 2011 because Jack Layton surged in the final stretch, and snatched multiple seats away from the aforementioned Ignatieff. Before that, Canadians kept Harper on a minority leash because he too often appeared to be a misanthrope with control issues. MacKay doesn’t look angry. In fact, MacKay looks like he’s never been angry. About anything.

10. MacKay is a compromise candidate. For a country weary of Justin Trudeau (who too often seems all sizzle, and no steak) – and wary of Stephen Harper (who, as noted, too often seemed like a rageaholic encased in cardigan) – Peter MacKay is a reasonable compromise. He’s likeable, he’s a known quantity. He’s not a maniac. He’s not despised, from sea to sea to sea. He’s not unpopular.

Not yet, anyway.


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My latest: sad Trudeau

— 02.03.2020 07:47 AM

Is Justin Trudeau sad?

He sure looks sad. He looks positively dejected, in fact.

In his few public appearances since the election, Trudeau has radiated none of the boyish charm that was the signature of his first term in office. Gone are the selfies, the costumes, and the maddening preoccupation with social media.

In their place: a grown-up Prime Minister, kind of.

The beard, the flecks of grey, the downcast eyes: all of it combines to give the Liberal leader the gravitas that he has lacked for far too long. He may be ineffably sad, but the sadness sits well on him.

Plenty of folks have similarly been struck by how changed Trudeau now seems to be. And – ironically, and whatever is the cause – that it has matured Trudeau.

It may sound a bit like Kremlinology, but it can’t be denied that Justin Trudeau is different, now. Even his detractors say so.

One of his biographers, the CBC’s Aaron Wherry, has observed that Trudeau is showing more introspection, and more humility, than ever before. He seems “less youthful,” declared The Economist.

“Humble,” agreed someone at the Toronto Star. “Sombre,” they said. Even card-carrying Trudeau critic Rex Murphy has acknowledged it: “There has been a change in his manner since the election.”

Now, it’s not as if Trudeau lacks justification. Raging wildfires in Australia, dozens of Canadians killed by Iranian missiles, crippling weather, an impeached and distracted president, climate change and economic uncertainty, a coronavirus global emergency: 2020, the experts agree, has deeply sucked, and it is only days old. There is little about which any Prime Minister can celebrate.

But there’s something else at work here – something that is not easily attributable to 2020’s bleak headlines. More than current events explains the change in Justin James Pierre Trudeau, PC, QC.

The conservative rageaholics tweet wild speculation about Trudeau’s personal life. All of it is fair game, to them. And all of it is is mean and lacking in proof.

The answer, like so many things in politics, may be hiding in plain view. It’s not a mystery.

Justin Trudeau is downcast – humble, sombre, older, changed, and all of the things the commentariat say he is – because he lost the election.

Because, you know, he sort of did. Everyone, including his opponents – particularly the Tories, who selected Andrew Scheer because they thought he’d be a reasonable placeholder leader, until someone better came along – believed Trudeau was preordained a second Parliamentary majority. It was his birthright.

And he didn’t get one.

Blackface, LavScam, Aga Klan, GropeGate, deficits, the Griswolds Go To India: all of it came together to bring Justin Trudeau down Earth. And at the worst possible time, too. An election.

It can’t be denied, of course, that Scheer and his campaign manager ran one of the worst election efforts in recent memory. Jagmeet Singh lost half his caucus. Elizabeth May could only add a single, solitary seat to what she had.

Trudeau did poorly in the 2019 federal general election, bien sur. But he knows he is only Prime Minister because his adversaries did a lot worse.

So, he’s sad. He looks humbled. He’s seemingly older.

Canadians like it. An Abacus poll conducted a few days ago concluded that “a clear majority see him doing an acceptable or better job.” His party is more popular than it was, and Trudeau’s negatives – while still a bigger number than his positives – are shrinking.

We don’t know why you’re so sad, Justin Trudeau.

But we’re kind of happy about it


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Coronavirus claims a Canadian victim

— 01.31.2020 08:58 AM

…for a joke.  A joke.

It may have been a bit too soon, or too edgy, or whatever.  That’s fair.  But to destroy an award-winning journalist’s entire career over it?

Full disclosure: Peter Akman is a former neighbour our of mine.  He is a great guy with a great family.  I am rumoured to know a thing or two about racism, and I can assure everyone: Peter is not even remotely racist.

But CTV has fired him. For a lame tweeted joke.

You know, CTV: the network that has permitted Jess Allen to remain employed on their network – after Allen said that those who play hockey are “white boys…who weren’t, let’s say, very nice.”  And: “They were not generally thoughtful, they were often bullies.”

Yes, CTV.  The network that promotes, funds and airs Canada’s Walk of Fame – which couldn’t find one non-white inductee in 2019 – and which had only one (1) token woman.

CTV and Bell Media, who this week were telling us all about the importance of understanding and forgiveness, have frankly acted like thugs, here.  And their hypocrisy, it seems, is bottomless.

Bring Peter back.


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Bell Let’s Talk Twitter thread: the response

— 01.30.2020 09:50 AM

My tweeted thread on the Bell Let’s Talk day got a big response. The thread is here.

Below is a sampling of some of the comments I received, with names and identifying information removed.  I was blown away by what came back at me.

There are many, many people in pain out there.  But their courage and honesty and determination to move forward is simply incredible.

(And, to those who said I was brave, I respectfully disagree.  I just said the truth – my truth, I guess. It was easy to do.  The really brave people are the ones still out there, struggling with mental health challenges all on their own.  If you need help, or just want to talk, DM me on Twitter anytime. I’m not a professional, but I will do what I can.)

  • Thank you Warren. A while back, over the holidays, you tweeted that if we needed someone to talk to, we could DM you. Just wanted to say thank you for that. While I havent reached out, that tweet helped more than you will ever know.

  • Thanks @kinsellawarren for sharing. It’s not easy admitting you’re vulnerable and not invincible.

  • Powerful thread here. Brought tears to my eyes, I’ve been hiding in silence and it isn’t working. Step 3 says no drinking but let’s have a beer some time.

  • There are times the thing @kinsellawarren writes can make me stabby [sic]. Not this time. Open, honest, even a little bit raw, but it might just help someone out there and is worth the read.

  • Everything this guy has shared is so true and so normal and so common. Please pay attention to @kinsellawarren. When my Mom was 60, she tried to kill herself. It was a long (talking) road back for her & me. But she made it!

  • Warren, you need to know how much this is helping so many people right now, including myself. You are a good man.

  • Thanks for sharing your story.  We admire your courage.

  • A beautiful honest post, thanks for sharing many will take comfort in your words.

  • Glad you mentioned diet, exercise, sleep, etc. FWIW, my psychiatrist wife and I did a book on those and other concrete steps to take, especially if (at least at first) you aren’t getting the help you ask for mhnav.com/book/

  • Thanks for sharing. I’m finding more and more we all have our devils to fight and deal with. Some more successful than others. Showing a little real empathy towards others goes a long way towards dealing with them. But sometimes we need Professional help.

  • Such great advice, broken down in manageable sips. Thank you for sharing. We can kick thru darkness…. with support, using our own strength, and by attending to our own wellness.

  • Thanks for sharing your “Let’s Talk” tale. That’s very brave. Let me add that no one needs to share their issues on social media. Ask your family doctor to recommend a qualified mental health professional to guide you through your trauma.

  • I felt seen. I’d been there, different (personal) darkness… but there. It’s raw and powerful when someone shares the story. It can hurt to share, but if it helps just one person to know they aren’t alone in what they’re feeling, it worked.

  • I am #Sick not Weak. People like you inspire me everyday to never give in to this Thank you SO Much Tears writing this, happy and relief ones not sad ones.

  • Well said. Sleep is such an important to make sure you have enough of! So many great tips! Thank you and take good care of yourself.

  • Warren I’ve had plenty of demons in my time, some of which I still can’t talk about, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you for sharing your struggle and your story.

  • Your 5 points are excellent ones. The 4th resonates strongest with me. GEM. Gratefullness, Empathy, Meditation. For me, prayer and praise is most of my meditation. I go to church BECAUSE I’m not perfect… rationally I don’t agree 100%, but personally.

  • I struggled with depression for 3 years. I really found out who my friends were. I am also here if you need a friend!

  • It isn’t easy to make oneself so vulnerable Warren. Thank you, from me and many others, that I am certain. I was diagnosed with PTSD (which surprised me at the time). I had watched my youngest son die after becoming ill…

  • You’re undoubtedly making a difference for many people out there suffering. They now have a plan in hand and a renewed hope.

 


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