Effort, Work, and Conservative Values We're Missing.

I suppose it might seem odd to some people that I consider myself a Conservative. I mean, as far as current political parties go, I'm definitely not, but I do think of myself as leaning more to the "right" than I do to the "left." Of course, I also believe in a basic amount of dignity for all. So I tend to support and vote in ways that support LGBTQ communities, reconciliation, women's issues, etc.

But I also believe in the right of someone to work hard and earn a living, and even earn a profit. I support entrepreneurialism and believe people who start successful businesses should be rewarded for it. I don't like the government intervening unless it's a case of ensuring equality of dignity and equal opportunity for all. So cases like Bill 10 have my support because ensuring every student can learn in a safe learning environment help create that equality of opportunity. Likewise, I'd like to see laws amended to end discrimination to people experiencing poverty and homelessness, so they can focus on working hard to get ahead, not working hard to pay fines other people don't face. They can focus on finding work instead of worrying if an employer will reject them because of their address.

I do support Universal Health Care, but recognize it's getting costly. I do support social services and welfare, but recognize their are only so many resources to go around, and Robin Hood was both a hero, and a criminal. Robbing the successful to pay the less so can't last forever.

Conservatives are missing something big though. There is one flaw in their plan, and that is society has changed greatly. We are now a society of fear. The political "right" has destroyed the very thing that makes conservatism work: Community has been replaced be fear-based buzzwords, like "Gay Agenda" and "Liberal Agenda."

Strong communities make strong cities, strong provinces, and strong nations. Plain and simple. the government wouldn't need to increase social spending if we as people would be willing to look after our neighbors. Today's world is one where we barely get to know our neighbors, let alone follow the commandment to love them (for those who subscribe to that religious path). We've become afraid to ask our neighbor and our community for help because we're afraid of getting mocked, judged, having rumors spread about us, etc.

Now, I was born in '84, so most of what I know about the "Good ol' Days" that conservatives seem to yearn for is from television, radio, anecdotes, and novels. People used to say hello to their neighbors, you could borrow a cup of sugar, go jogging together, have your neighbor pick up your mail while you go on vacation, and even have dinner together some days. We used to have porches, and we used them. We'd tip the paper boy and the milk man. (I actually do remember milk men).

Now it's become easier to be a society of individuals. Neighbors might meet at a community center, but rarely do we plan things together anymore. Rarely do we ask others for help, or ask our friends - if we can call them that - how they're doing, if everything's okay. We've taken the easy way out.

The fact remains, for conservativism to work, people need to put in an effort. They need to work hard, not just at work, but they need to work hard to build better communities. We wouldn't require so many "socialist" laws or programs if we as people put in the hard work and effort to produce the wonderful society we as conservatives yearn for, and last I heard, hard work and effort are the foundation of conservative values.

There are people out there who do good work and effort. And regulations and government interventions have often gotten in their way. YYCHelpingHomeless is one such group. They just want to feed the homeless and give them clothes. I know a few members. They genuinely do it because it's the right thing, not so they can pat themselves on the back. They aren't aggressive about helping, they recognize that when they are on the streets helping, they are guests in someone's home, and honor that and respect that. And of course, regulations have recently made legal and financial complications in their efforts to help people. This is where conservative values of less government can be an asset, and can help.

But before that, we need to deeply recognize what it means to be conservative, and if we want a conservative society, we need to get rid of divisive language that encourages us to not build strong communities. We have to recognize that if we want conservatism to work, we all have to put in the effort, and work hard to make stronger, healthier, safer, and more vibrant communities.

So, put down your phone or log off your PC, knock on your neighbors door, and ask them if they'd like to attend a potluck.

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While we're here, this is a good opportunity to plug my new Patreon! Check the sidebar on the right for more the link. You can also donate to my efforts to attend the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness conference in London!

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Sorry Jim, Albertans Know Better

DAMMIT, JIM!

Jim Prentice doesn't get it. And we're not sure he will. During an interview on Calgary's AM770 (CHQR) he turned on his interviewers and said the media needs to focus on issues that matter to Albertans, rather than issues like the disqualification of Jamie Lall over a restraining order stemming back from 2007 (a matter that had been resolved privately between Lall and his ex), yet allowing a member who solicited a prostitute in public. Also, not important to Albertans is Gordon Dirks' saying Albertans "Don't get it" and his condescending "Math is Hard" comment during the debates.

But, regardless of Mr. Dirks' assertions, it appears the PC leadership is the ones who don't get it. Mr. Prentice doesn't get to decide what issues matters to Albertans. Albertans decide. And if the governing party is acting completely irresponsible, condescending, entitled, or like characters in a mafia movie, then that is probably something Albertans should be concerned about. And if Prentice thinks blackballing deserving candidates to ensure your hand-picked guy doesn't have to contest a nomination, then maybe Prentice should look in the mirror.

THE PROGRESSIVE PROBLEM

Now, in light of that issue, that doesn't mean Prentice has to agree with Albertans on what's important. And I'll admit, there are some cases where I don't either. Maybe if I was more hardline, I would agree with some of them. A few examples that I could cite include the progressive Twitterverse constantly bringing up Christine Cusanelli's Olympic vacation. Now, people who follow me on Twitter probably view me as a Cusanelli apologist, and I'm not sorry that I'm proud to call her a friend and have the pleasure of working with her on poverty issues. Of course, I don't defend her spending decisions as a cabinet minister, but let's face the facts. She paid the money back before the press even broke the story. By the time it was reported, the matter had been completely resolved.

Now, if that Olympic decision is truly important to progressives, far be it from me to tell you otherwise. But sadly, the view I get on social media is that progressives are looking for any reason to attack any PC MLA or Candidate. I mean, really, we already have "Look in the Mirror," "Math is hard," "Albertans don't get it," "Buddy you're being set up..." We have the original bill 10, we have Prentice attempting to cut the charity tax benefit, we as progressives have lots of reasons to throw out Jim Prentice and the governing PC's. Bringing up something that happened 3 and a half years ago, was resolved AT THAT TIME, and then not even found by the media until two years ago... If it's important to you, then fine. Vote based on that premise. But the constant bringing it up on social media really makes progressives look scared and desperate. And that is the opposite of the message we want to send.

And for the record, to the guys who dropped the flyer in my mailbox mentioning "Was removed from Cabinet for spending taxpayer dollars on an Olympic Vacation." That's not correct. She paid it back within ten days upon returning. So everyone in the PCAA party knew already about it. While using the government expenditure as a credit card isn't responsible, even I'll admit that, she wasn't removed from cabinet for that. She was removed because the media reported it after the issue was resolved. Basically, she was thrown under the bus by Allison Redford. A premier who herself had her own share of taxpayer spending issues. And it is THAT kind of mafia-family government we don't want. And that is exactly why people have plenty of reasons to vote progressive.

FINAL WORD

Like my views or hate it, I am trying to raise money to attend the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness. I had six years of lived experience in Calgary's shelter system and have been an advocating for better treatment of our city's most vulnerable, including discrimination. Please take the time to donate by clicking on the box on the top right side of the page, so I can attend the conference as a person with lived experience. If, after budgeting is done and my estimate is too high - or if I go beyond my fundraising goal - extra funds will go towards gifts for the Montreal Homeless Community.

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Swann and Elbow - The Fight on the Left.

You don't get a PhD by being stupid. At least, most people don't.

Dr. David Swann isn't stupid by placing a candidate in Calgary-Elbow. But he thinks voters are.

The fact is, despite everything the Liberal leader said, we know very little of it is true. In fact, we know that he's making it up to justify an unpopular decision. Swann knows he won't form government. He knows he won't even get Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. He's not fighting to govern, He's fighting to keep the Alberta Liberal Party relevant.

He talks of the Alberta Party refusing to cooperate. States that there's a lot of animosity. Yes, of course there is animosity. After all, during the byelection, the smart doctor released private messages from a conversation between him and an Alberta Party volunteer and tried to spin them to state that Greg Clark's campaign was pushing a backroom deal to ask the Alberta Liberal Party representative to step down in Calgary Elbow.

Of course, in the published messages, there was no such thing mentioned about any candidate dropping out. The smart doctor made everything up. There was five days to an election, and it would have been impossible to remove a name on the ballot. In fact, all the message from the volunteer stated was an offer of future cooperation. Literally, the message read "Do you think there's any way we can both get what we want?"

The Alberta Party wanted to cooperate in some way - no one knows how exactly, except the volunteer who was messaging Dr. Swann - and the now Liberal leader spun it into an attack.

After Dr. Sherman stepped down as leader of the Alberta Liberal Party, Greg Clark once again offered to cooperate with the Alberta Liberal Party, saying he wouldn't run candidates in ridings where there are Liberal incumbents - even if those incumbents are not seeking re-election.

Again, the Alberta Party wanted to cooperate. There were two eligible Alberta Liberal Party MLA's qualified for interim leader following Dr. Sherman's resignation. One said they would take the helm if they were allowed to coordinate efforts with the Alberta Party. That person is not leading the party, Dr. Swann is.

So, either the smart leader was lying when he attacked the Alberta Party for trying to cooperate during the byelection, or he's lying now. Or possibly both, who knows... but he's hoping we won't remember that.

The second point is that he talks of a candidate preparing for a campaign for "Up to four years."
and that it isn't fair to let them down. It's a shame, since Alberta Party refused to field candidates in Mountainview and Buffalo, despite willing volunteers to run, and even one candidate was almost ready to fund raise. Had their nomination papers ready and everything.

The problem with that is that we know there was no candidate ready to run in Elbow. The candidate that the Alberta Liberals were ready to run, joined with the NDP. If the candidate had been preparing as much as he could, for such a length of time, then it wouldn't have taken one week into a three week election to announce his candidacy. The ALP essentially scrambled to make sure they had a candidate in Elbow, even though they are lacking candidates in many other ridings where they could have had a chance of winning.

He says no one knows what the Alberta Party stands for. Despite the constant mantra of "Socially moderate, fiscally responsible." Despite the Alberta Party having a complete platform on their website. If people don't know what the Alberta Party stands for, they can easily find it. The members know, Greg Clark knows, the volunteers know, and they have been working hard to inform voters.

So why did Dr. Swann place a candidate in Elbow? Because he's fighting to make sure the Alberta Liberal Party is still relevant after this election. First of all, Elbow is a major battleground. Every news outlet has been reporting on it and covering it. ALP needs to be part of that conversation.

Secondly, the ALP is nearly on it's death-knell. People in both sides know that there has been a word tossed about: Merger. It actually is in the ALP's best interests for the Progressive Conservative's to win in Elbow. Not necessarily in the best interest to ALP voters, but to the survival of the party itself
See, if there are any merger talks after the election, the Alberta Liberal Party is going to want a strong hand going into these talks. The best scenario for them is a pure acquisition of the Alberta Party. No changes in policy, ALP leadership. Essentially, an elimination of the Alberta Party as a rival on the center altogether, and membership switches to ALP.

An Alberta Party victory in Elbow would mean actual negotiations to cooperate. It would mean a stronger hand for the Alberta Party in any negotiations going forward, it would mean a rise of profile for the Alberta Party going forward, which would make any potential merger talks much more difficult. Albertans could see the Alberta Party as not only an alternative to the PC's, but to the ALP, which is still often associated - unfairly -  with the federal Liberal Party of Canada, who had brought in the National Energy Program which most Albertans are still angry about. A Greg Clark win puts the Alberta Liberals one step closer to irrelevant. Dr. Swann's political future is in the balance in this riding.

The Alberta Liberal Party has every right to field a candidate in Calgary Elbow. Dr, David Swann isn't stupid for exercising this right. But for this to work for him, he must be counting on voters being stupid enough not to remember the past eight months.

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It's Election Time!!!

Yes, I sure do love me an election. As Rick Mercer once said "It's like Christmas for journalists."

Do I think this $30 Million election is completely unnecessary? Yes. Do we need an expensive election right now? Of course not. Could an election wait until next year? Absolutely. I just bought a 50" HDTV on sale on boxing day and don't need a new one, but if Jim wanted to buy me an 80" TV that costs $2500 I sure as hell would not say no.

It's not that I actually enjoy the process of voting. I do vote, but sometimes it would be nice if the process were more exciting. Like randomly dropping golden tickets for free cars in the ballots. It isn't that I actually think there's going to be a major change, although as a member of a party and a volunteer, I certainly door knock and want change and go full out as if it will make a difference. It's because I'm a blogger. I haven't written much here lately, instead choosing to focus on my anime blog, because hey, watching anime is fun. But when an election comes, there is no shortage of content for me to write about. Lots of news articles I read because I want to. Additionally, I have a day-job, so sometimes it's difficult to become motivated to write about something here after a long day of work.

Tomorrow I begin door-knocking. Or doing whatever it is my party needs me to do. I enjoy working with these guys. We've got a very diverse group of volunteers, and I love the snacks they offer up at HQ. Despite not being located in my riding, it's still walking distance from home. A lengthy walk, but still reasonable. Besides, I could use the exercise. Especially if the food is half as good as it was during the byelection.

And for those who are still going to complain about the early "illegal election" know this: If you have time to complain, you have time to do something about it. Sure, you have a right to complain even if you don't vote, but this here is your chance to make a difference. It only comes once every four years (more frequently if your government is led by the PCAA) and it shouldn't be squandered or taken for granted. If you're upset about this election, voting is the best way to tell your government that. Volunteer, call, knock on doors, donate, just get involved!

If you're not upset about the election, or the budget, or anything else and are happy with the status quo, this is your best chance to tell the government that too. Remember, the government is supposed to work for us, the people. Elections are a form of performance review where we the people either fire them, keep them, or tell them where improvements need to be made. Volunteer, call, knock on doors, donate, just get involved!

In other blogs, I'll talk more about my leanings and my issues, and be much less neutral. But for now, the first thing you guys need to do is get involved. Talk to you guys later.

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Bill 10, Bill 202, and the Melodrama.

Warning: this is an unusually long post!!

This week was a very bittersweet. As a supporter of gay rights, I was extremely frustrated and disappointed. As a blogger with a sense of humour, I was extremely overjoyed. Premier Jim Prentice gave comedians across Canada an amazing Christmas gift this year in the form of Bill 10. Bill 10, The Act to Amend the Bill of Rights to Protect our Children was Prentice's attempt, to play bobbing for eggs without getting egg on his face. The end result was... well, it was Prentice getting a lot of egg on his face.

To start, a little background. It's been common practice since the dawn of time that students taking sexual education may be removed from the class if parents don't give written consent. I honestly don't know how common that is in other provinces, as I've lived my whole life in Alberta. However, Alberta took it one step further in 2010. As of September 1st 2010, Parents had to be notified if sexual orientation would be discussed in classes, and that parents had the right to exempt their children from participating in these classes. Presumably on religious grounds, I would imagine. As far as I know, Alberta is THE only province that does that.

Then this fall, Alberta Liberal MLA for Edmonton-Centre, Laurie Blakeman announced that she would propose a bill that did three things:

1. Reference the Alberta Human Rights Act and The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms within the Alberta Education Act.
2. Repeal Section 11.1 of the Alberta Human Rights Act that allowed parents to remove their children from classes that discussed sexual orientation
3. Legislate that school boards provide Gay-Straight Alliances on site where students request them.

Of course, that third objective was the point that brought the most contention. Ms. Blakeman introduced her Private Members Bill on November 20th and the Progressive Conservatives - well most of them at least - panicked. By Most, I should mention there was one PC MLA who supported the bill. The runner-up in the leadership race behind Prentice, Thomas Lukaszuc. This is where it gets weird.

Ms. Blakeman announced her intentions to present Bill 202 on October 15th. That gave Prentice and his at the time not-yet-elected Education Minister Gordon Dirks a lot of time to come up with a response. Granted, both the Premier and the Education Minister were involved in by-elections trying to win their own seats (Spoiler: They did). But I figured, ince they weren't at debates, and there were many times where as many as 14 PC MLA's were in town to try to help Dirks win his seat in Calgary Elbow, there was plenty of time where all of them could have been huddled up at campaign headquarters and at least mentioning possible responses in passing. After all, it's not like they were busy campaigning:

With Apologies to Martin Hanford.

That aside, Ms. Blakeman's Bill passed first reading in the Legislative Assembly.

Now, while all this was happening, the Wildrose Party (Sometimes called the "We really miss Ralph Klein and want to go back to the days of running the province on autopilot during an economic boom" party) was having it's own little fun times. After a disappointing by-election, party leader Danielle Smith requested a leadership review. Then withdrew her request because of overwhelming support. The Wildrose went ahead with it's convention and voted against broadening it's definition of equality beyond "all Albertans" Leaving some minorities - including members of the LGBTQ community wondering if "all" included them. After all, it certainly did not include them during the Klein Era.

Smith supported expanding the definition to include gender, race, and sexual orientation. The Convention however, did not. And when Laurie Blakeman announced Bill 202, Smith again said she supported it. It seems however, most Wildrose MLA's did not, most vocally, hard-line social conservative Rob Anderson (though he did say he would support second reading, and add amendments to make it more to his liking in committee, so they had that going for them).

Yet, Danielle Smith still has the overwhelming support of the Party! Despite, you know, not being able to agree with them on anything.

Back to the Progressive Conservative ruckus. A week after Blakeman introduced her bill, Prentice called a hasty press conference announcing that Bill 202 was essentially moot, because he had an even better bill, that presumably was not written yet at that time. Less than a week later, in Prentice's absence, Bill 10, The Act to Amend the Bill of Rights to Protect our Children was introduced by three Progressive Conservative Members. Sandra Jansen, Mr. Dirks, and Justice Minister Jonathan Denis.

Now why the ruckus? Bill 10 does... well, it does absolutely nothing! It was championed by Jansen with the now viral quote "We're moving forward incrementally" on the subject of gay rights, and by "incrementally" the meant "enshrine status quo into law."

Now how does Bill 10 do nothing? Firstly, the one bright spot on it all was that it would officially add sexual orientation to the human rights act as protected from discrimination. Now, while I do think that is important, it is also important to note that this is really a formality, since courts have already declared it as protected and that to discriminate against someone on the grounds of sexual orientation is indeed a form of discrimination. So, while the gesture is nice, it doesn't change much. especially since the rest of the bill itself - and all Alberta Laws are supposed to be done within the confines of the Alberta Human Rights Act - continues to discriminate against the LGBTQ community.

The second part of the bill that does absolutely nothing but was highly trumpeted by the Progressive Conservatives is that - like Blakeman's original private member's bill, it removed the controversial section 11.1 of the Alberta Human Rights Act that allows parents to remove children from classes where sexual orientation is discussed. Sounds great, right? Well, it would be amazing, and a victory in itself, if not for the fact that one of the other things Bill 10 does is introduce an amendment to the Alberta Education Act that - you guessed it - allows parents to remove their children from classes discussing sexual orientation! Thus, not only completely nullifying the removal of section 11.1 from the original act, but also violating the portion of Bill 10 that is supposed to prevent the government passing laws that discriminate against the LGBTQ community.

Thirdly, the bill went on to state that students could request a Gay-Straight Alliance in their schools. If the school refused, they could appeal to the school board. If the school board refused, then students could appeal the decision before the courts, up to the Queen's Bench.

Now, of course, therein lies the largest problem: Firstly, I'm not sure how many students have an understanding of the complexities of the legal system, in particular elementary and middle school students. I'm also unsure of how many have the resources to take up such a challenge. Or how many might have parents that may be opposed to the thought their child joining a Gay-Straight Alliance, thus removing parental support in the process. Or maybe a student is in the closet to their parents. There are a million reasons why this is a bad process.

That's not why this does nothing though. The reason why this does nothing, is that I'm pretty sure if a student had the resources, supports and knowledge to appeal to the courts, I'm pretty sure the courts were already an existing option. I mean, when there is a human rights issue, the courts are always an option! This bill, essentially spelled out the practice that in reality was already in place! So again, more status quo.

Now, I don't know how much of the discussion surrounded wasting taxpayer dollars on a Bill that would change absolutely nothing in practice and implement a series of formalities that were already the practice of the land was done in "the Ledge." Politicians aren't exactly know for pointing out the obvious. After all, if it was obvious to politicians, Bill 10 would not have even come forward. But here's where the fun really begins:

Prentice was out of the province during the entire discussion, and the Education Minister has been conspicuously silent both during question period and during press conferences and media interviews. So the entire week of debate between Bill 202 and Bill 10 happened during another time when our Vanishing Ministers were busy performing an encore of their famous by-election performance. Granted, Dirks was in attendance at the Legislature. He was just awfully silent and seemingly invisible.

During this period, Bill 202 was completely removed from the legislative agenda, essentially ending any further debate on the bill and killing it before second reading. Bill 10 passed first reading, and passed second reading with an amendment that actually changed something... and not exactly for the better. It gave our invisible/silent Education Minister the power to intervene if a school board refused to support a Gay-Straight Alliance. There was one small problem: There is no guarantee it would be on school grounds or have affiliation with the school.

This was the death-knoll on Bill 10. There were several things wrong with this amendment:

1. The whole point of Gay-Straight Alliances is to provide students a safe place on school grounds for students. Students should not have to leave school to feel safe.
2. The intention of Bill 202 is that Gay-Straight alliances would have the same support as other clubs at the school. This isn't much to ask really. A room to meet in, a teacher to preside, A budget isn't really that necessary (most of the clubs I was part of had no budget) . A page in the yearbook, and the opportunity to hold the odd event about bullying and gay rights. If gay rights are THAT big of a problem, they could at the very least hold events to raise awareness about bullying, but I prefer to not have to hide things just cause a few people don't like them.
3. Giving the power to the Education Minister. Yeah... look at the background of the current Minister. Tried to introduce religion classes into public schools as Chair of the board of Trustees of the Calgary Board of Education. Was the President of one of the most successful bible colleges in Alberta (at the time of his tenure). A college that made students sign a contract saying that they could be expelled if they practiced homosexuality or premarital sex. An Associate Pastor at one of Alberta's largest megachurches. A church that goes to painstakingly long lengths to identify in it's articles of faith that it's views on homosexuality and transgender persons.
   
   Here's a small hint. It's not a very flattering view.

Now, I don't really want to flat out declare that the Minister would not be fair or otherwise be unable to perform his duties as minister. But I do think the LGBTQ community has a few good reasons for thinking he might not. I've met the guy before, as I was a student at his college. He's kind, compassionate, friendly and vibrant. Then again, I'm straight and was paying him money to go to his school so maybe it's my privilege speaking.

Besides, if he isn't even speaking up in support of LGBTQ students now in the legislature on a bill that is directly involved in his portfolio, why would we expect him to do so if he is given the job of negotiating Gay Straight Alliances?

Anyways, as I stated, Bill 10 passed second reading with the amendment. Oh, and also they halted debate on the bill at the end of the day and forced a vote. Because, you know, human rights and such nonsense aren't quite so important as to be debated until things are right. It's better to pass a bill that went from making zero changes to not accomplishing at all what it was intended to do in the beginning.

And then swoops in Prentice.

To his credit, the Premier apologized and took responsibility. But half of it almost seemed as if he was trying to appear like some sort of PCAA saviour. He was absent during almost all of the Bill 10 debacle, and suddenly shows up out of nowhere and suspends the third reading indefinitely. For a bill he wanted. A Bill that should never have been introduced in the first place. He cited the bill's "clear divisiveness" and admitted it's become more dividing than Blakeman's original bill. He cited that the bill failed to strike a balance between parental rights and those of the LGBTQ community. He said the bill needs more consultation, because apparently, the parents should decide the rights for the children, instead letting children discover their rights on their own.

All I can say is that hopefully, his consultation determines that he should give Blakeman's bill a second reading. Because killing a bill in the Legislature is hardly a "free vote" that he promised everyone.

And maybe, while we're on the subject of rights we could say something about youth as a visible minority, since apparently, parents should decide the rights of the youth, instead of giving the youth enough agency to determine their rights themselves.

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Statement Regarding Today's Attacks

Today, a great tragedy has occurred in our nation. I fully denounce the actions of the shooter, and my thoughts and prayers are with the leaders, their staff, the soldiers, civilians, and everyone's family in Ottawa. I am very glad that our nation's leaders are safe, that those who choose to serve the public do so in spite of these risks, all because they care about people like you and me. I send my condolences to everyone across the nation, but most of all, to those in Ottawa and those affected by these attacks.

At the time of this writing, very little information has come in regarding who would attack Parliament and why. As such, I shall not presume to make assumptions. But regardless of who or why, the actions taken were an attack on democracy.

Today is not a day for partisan politics. But today is a day for democracy. Democracy was attacked today, and regardless of who you support, it is important that democracy thrive. The best way to respond to an attack on democracy is by responding with more democracy.

Today is not a day for partisanship, but I am eager to return to volunteering tomorrow. To me, it is my way of saying "You cannot scare me from the freedoms I enjoy. You cannot stop democracy with violence." No longer is democracy something to be taken for granted, but something to appreciate and value. I believe all volunteers of all parties feel the same way. You too are volunteering because you believe in democracy. I believe the leaders and candidates share these values, as well.

That is something no one can ever take away from us.


Update: It has been confirmed that one Canadian soldier lost his life in the attacks. My heartfelt condolences go to the family of Cpl. Nathan Cirillo.

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