IN GOD WE TRUST..FRIDAY’S PHLOG FOR OCTOBER 24, 2014

I struggled with this Friday’s phlog because of the events that unfolded yesterday in Ottawa and several days before Ottawa, the events in Quebec.  The attacks in Quebec and in Ottawa were devastating and tragic.  I read today that Rosie O’Donnell has been taking heat because of a comment she made on the View.  I don’t really care about Rosie’s opinion or any other celebrities’ opinion, but it’s interesting how desensitized we have become.  Her comment is in support of another inappropriate tweet – “I think she’s saying: I’m an American, I live here. I see two people shot this week in Canada and the entire country of Canada is in mourning. However, in America this happens on a daily day basis and we don’t even pay attention anymore.”  I get what she’s saying, American’s have been dealing with this on a larger scale than Canadians.  We have had our public shootings in schools, malls but not even close to the amount in the USA.  What Rosie doesn’t get is whether it’s two or ten soldiers dying in their own country, killed by their own countrymen who have been blessed to live in a free and democratic country that welcomes people from near and far with open arms, is a tragedy.  Any life lost is a tragedy.  The attack of a soldier standing on guard to protect the honour of our fallen heroes in our Nation’s capital by definition is against our core values, moral standards and freedoms.  The same holds true for the soldiers run over by a radical extremist person in Quebec.  Both soldiers were exercising their simple freedoms of walking in a public area.  How Rosie can be so insensitive toward her neighbour during a difficult time is beyond  me.  This is not a time to be a self-centred attention driven media diva, it is time to unite as one in the name of democracy.  Leaving Rosie’s comments aside I found it uplifting  to watch the dedications across America from Obama to hockey games to talk shows,  all expressing their grief in the attack against democracy.  As well, I found it hopeful for humanity to learn that private citizens ran towards the gun fire, in Ottawa yesterday, to help a fallen soldier even though there was every possibility they were in immediate danger.   I chose the pictures above because to me it represents our freedoms in a democratic country.   The simple game of high school football, something we take for granted.  The truth of the matter is our children have the freedom to play this game  no matter the colour of their skin or whom they call their God because of men like Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and Officer Patrice Vincent.   The top picture of my youngest son holding his teammates’ hands showing solidarity and strength before their game represents all people who are standing in unity in this fight for democracy.