Tuesday, November 15, 2016

The Walking Dread

It would appear that the White House is about to be painted gold and have a Trump Tower sign slapped on to the front of it.  The Donald and his entourage have arrived.  Life as we know it, even though he's not our leader, has forever changed.  I'm not sure how others are feeling but I feel like I've been caught inside an episode of The Walking Dead meets Mad Max and the war for survival is about to begin.  First Brexit and now this.  A girl can only take so much.

I know that most of us are reeling in disbelief with the election of the Donald.  How is it that a man whose whole campaign rhetoric has been rife with hate, racism, homophobia, sexism, xenophobia and admitting to sexual assault possibly be elected to the most powerful political seat in the world? Nothing, absolutely nothing about that choice, makes any sense to me.  I feel angry but more so, I feel filled with an aching dread.

The whole discussion about the up rise of the alt-right, as though that movement on its very own, catapulted Mr. Trump into the Oval Office is, for me, missing the mark.  More than 6,500,000 registered Democrats DID NOT cast a ballot.  Zero.  Zilch.  That's just the warm up.  Then apathy took hold, apathy of the status quo and exhaustion of a system that has simply ignored the citizens of the country.  Subsequently voter turnout was just barely over 50%.  So in essence, 25% of the voting populous of the United States of America, elected the most dangerous candidate that I have ever seen as their Commander and Chief.  Then again, one might take the perspective that NO vote, is a vote. So without actually putting their mark on a ballot, they in effect, voted for their leadership. These are dark days. As we watch the appointment of the new cabinet and inner circle, people such as alt-right extremist Steve Bannon, the likes of Rambling Rudy Giuliani, which I'm sure is soon to be followed by appointments of Chris Christie and Sarah Palin, there is much to be afraid of.  Thinking about the Trump offspring having national security clearance takes my breath away.

Of course, we sigh our sigh of relief. All of a sudden that wall is looking pretty darn good.  We could grow ivy on it and garden along its base.  The silliness of that kind of election could never happen here in the land of the Maple Leaf, right?  After all, we are a country that is infinitely polite, so very tolerant (which we all know is bullshit), always saying thank you, pardon me and asking you to pass the maple syrup.  Well it's time to put an end to that thinking.

Last week, shortly after Mr. Trump claimed victory, I could hear the chanting of the war drums starting to thump from the camp of Kellie Leitch.  Ms. Leitch, an MP from Simcoe-Grey and wannabe candidate for the Conservative Party leadership, hitched her little blue wagon to the Trump campaign as she hailed that this was "An exciting message that needs to be delivered in Canada as well." (Macleans, November 9, 2016).   That wasn't the first time Ms. Leitch has tapped in to the Trump rhetoric.  Prior to that she has chimed in on the issue of screening newcomers for "anti-Canadian values" (Macleans, 23, 2016).  Does this sound all too familiar?

Remember watching the news coverage of Mr. Trump, stepping out on to that escalator at Trump Headquarters, as he prepared to declare his candidacy for the Republican nomination and we all laughed our heads off, right?  What a buffoon.  How could the man who's known for the reality TV line "You're Fired!" possibly rise to the Presidency? Are we still laughing now?  Kellie Leitch is stepping out on that very same escalator.

There is a movement here in our country, deep in to the grassroots of our communities, that will eat up the rhetoric of the Kellie Leitch's of the world.  We are seeing glimpses of it and we will continue to see it pop up all over our country.  Just see for yourselves.  At the bottom of this post, these types of presentations will start to pick up steam, especially fueled by the likes of Ms. Leitch.

As a Canadian, people like Kellie Leitch concern me greatly.  I was absolutely shocked to learn that her big gun fundraiser is none other than Andy Pringle.  Andy Pringle is the Chair of the Board of the Toronto Police Services Board.  Read that again, slowly and let that sink in.  I don't know about you but I consider this a highly inappropriate activity on the part of Andy Pringle.  Police departments all over this continent are really under scrutiny so to learn that the Chair of the Toronto Police Services Board is fundraising for a leadership candidate who is latching themselves on to the forward motion of the hate train of Donald Trump, you are damn right I've got concerns.

What the hell is Toronto City Council and Mayor John Tory thinking?  Of course, we all know Mayor Tory's blood runs blue but to allow Andy Pringle to engage in this kind of activity while he is sitting as the head of the board of the Toronto Police Services is inappropriate and unacceptable. It's time for John Tory and the Toronto Council to get off their hands and remove Andy Pringle from his post.  If he's supporting Kellie Leitch, who is going to position herself as the Canadian version of Trump in drag, then how can Andy Pringle possibly provide leadership to Toronto Police Services?

Yesterday I did something in a million years I never thought I'd do.  I registered a membership with the Conservative Party of Canada and in doing so, it will allow me to vote for their leadership.  Let me be clear, I'm not a PC but if I stand idly by, taking no action then I'm just as guilty as those 6,500,000 Democrats who didn't vote. If Kellie Leitch or any other Conservative starts to spew the Trump rhetoric, just like we just watched in America, like sheep, there will be plenty of people willing to drink from her fountain of koolaid.  So I'm acting on the only choice I have to try and pre-empt this poison from seeping in to our system by being sure to cast my vote for leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada and that won't be for the ilk of Kellie Leitch.  Is this the kind of person that we want in any leadership capacity in this country?  Sorry, pinning a safety pin to my coat just isn't going to work for me and maybe you need to ask yourself what it is that you can do to make sure that the Kellie Leitch's of our government don't end up as our Prime Minister.

If you think I'm kidding, check out the pics below.  So it begins.  If you don't take some sort of action then that is your way of leaving the door ajar for the likes of Kellie Leitch.  Apathy wins every time.
I ain't putting on no damn safety pin.  Slacktivism isn't going to cut it this time.  Join me.  Fifteen bucks will get you a membership to the PC party and give you a vote against Kellie Leitch. https://donate.conservative.ca/membership   Say no to the hate.

Seen in Mississauga, draped over an overpass.   
vvvv
Posted up on the streets of East York.