Just thought I would put this in my blog so when Christmas comes along I can look at it again and be reminded of the follies of politicians from the Left as well as the Right.
Yesterday, I happen to meet a family who migrated to Canada in 2002, a couple with 2 kids now in their teens. And, as a habit, I usually manoeuvre any conversation with any new person I am introduced to, towards their political leanings.
This family being Roman Catholics and staunch ones at that, I was sure they would be Conservative. Imagine my disbelief when they said they always vote Liberal.
When I picked my jaw off the floor, I had the temerity to ask them WHY. Both of them were adamant that the Conservatives were against Christians !!!
After picking my jaw once again from the floor, a jaw that was now begging for first aid in a hurry, I timidly asked why they thought so.
Here's their tale of anger/disappointment and naivety with the political scene in Canada and I am willing to bet that naivety must be common with many new immigrants:
This family migrated to Canada in mid 2002. The couple both managed to find jobs fairly quickly, their 2 kids were enrolled in public schools and by end 2002 they were ready to celebrate their first Christmas in Canada.
The first "odd" sensation that they felt was when they bought some packs of Christmas greeting cards and they found that 50% of the cards had "happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas".
The real blow came when they were happily planning to celebrate their first Christmas in Canada by visiting the square where the Christmas Tree was standing in all its glory. Lo and behold, they were aghast to learn that it was no longer to be called a "Christmas Tree" but a "Holiday Tree".
And, to add insult to injury, the TV ads from the RCM were blaring tunes into their house about "On the first day of giving my true love gave to me...a coin from the Royal Canadian Mint!", replacing the word "Christmas" with "giving".
Mel Lastman, a Conservative, was the mayor of Toronto at that time. This family associated the "murdering" of a tradition that they held dear to a Conservative mayor and drew the conclusion that "conservatives are against Christians".
Do not be hasty in judging this family in the negative. If one is not a political junkie (and how many people do you know within the immediate circle of family/friends who are?) many silly incidents that politicians get into, remain in one's memory and the brain makes a deduction from which it rarely dithers. The deduction might be wrong but one will tend to stand by it, and all because of a single mishap by some politician.
I hunted around the web for an article that I could send to this family and have sent it on with a listing of the good things that Conservatives stand for and how one silly little thing by a silly little mayor should not put them off Conservatism.
Here's the news item:Holiday tree
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Lets get real Lastman was an idiot. The mayor who had to call in the army to clean snow of his streets, the man who thought WHO was American during the SARS crisis. Yes he is a real example to take your ideas from so tell that to your new friends.
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