Guest Column: So sorry, but I am not sorry
By Medicine Hat News Opinon on January 22, 2018.
Canadians have a reputation around the world for being polite and our politicians are anxious to perpetuate that myth with expressions of love, kindness, encouragement and acceptance of everyone. Our prime minister even threatens our chances of being part of a free trade deal by attempting to impose his world view into the conditions of a deal. Sounds wonderful, does it not? The problem is we extend those sentiments to everyone including murderers like Omar Kadar and those returning to Canada from the Jihad who have undoubtedly killed civilians and probably soldiers of various armies fighting in the war against ISIS and attempting to ensure our freedom. Our prime minister shed real drama school tears while apologizing to our native communities for past missteps in our efforts to educate and integrate our native communities through residential schools. We also had to grovel to the LGBT community for perceived discrimination against them. Most of us were not even aware of this group until 50 years ago and now we see them acknowledged like some disenfranchised country with their own flag and regular parades. If that was not enough, every television program I watch now has its token LGBT representative. Personally, unless I am dating you, I do not care what your sexual preferences are. I only wish you would stop flaunting them and throwing them in my face. I have never done it to you and I expect the same consideration in return. I believe that no one should be discriminated against and all should be treated equally but when the equality for one tramples on the equality and freedom of another, we have problem. The Missing and urdered Indigenous Women inquiry is in search of things that we already know but everyone is afraid to speak. The issue is largely cultural and cannot be solved by the government. The change needed to address this issue must come from within the Indigenous community. Some communities have not addressed the social, economic and family issues that are at the root of the problems. Only the leadership of these communities can foster that change. It has been done on many reserves and they are thriving. Overpaid chiefs, nepotism and lack of accountability on many reserves breeds and perpetuates many of the problems these reserve have. There is often no effort by the leadership to address or recognize the underlying issues. The problem is that our governments are afraid to speak it for a fear of offending or disrupting the status quo. Instead, we just apologize and throw more money at the issue to perpetuate the problems. Our politicians are afraid to speak truth and if they do, they are shouted down by those who are offended and wish to appear supportive of their constituency. People and opinions are labelled racist, bigoted and a host of other disparaging names. So instead, they apologize, ignore opinions and reality and nothing changes.There is no freedom or change when truth and opinion are silenced or oppressed by political correctness, media and those in charge. Donald Trump says what he thinks and follows through with what he says in spite of tremendous odds and resistance. That is why he got elected. The silent majority has grown tired of the political correctness and inaction. Although, the sentiment is not as strong in Canada just yet, it is there and it is strengthening. What is wrong with stating facts that some countries in the world are some kind of hole and there are people in the world who are other kinds of hole. If hearing the truth offends you, that is your problem. Not everyone is kind and caring and agreeable. There is nothing in our constitution to protect you from free speech and honest opinion that offends you. So suck it up buttercup. The pendulum is swinging and the day of political correctness is coming to an end. Conservatives tend to slide into the silent majority with a live-and-let-live philosophy but that day is coming to an end as our schools, media and the world around us attempt to lull us into extinction through apathy, political correctness and inaction. These columns are my personal opinion on the matters of the world. I enjoy my freedom of speech and I really do not care if you are offended by my opinions and I will not apologize for them. If you do not agree with my opinions, you are probably wrong. But that is just my opinion. Paul McLennan moved to Alberta more than 20 years ago as a member of the RCMP. He remained in Alberta after retirement in 2002, taught driving part time and settled in Medicine Hat in 2011. 10-9
