"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Thursday 28 October 2010

Election NIght

My daughter Heather works off her tension with a drive for competence and efficiency.Win or lose, signs are  collected  as soon as the polls close
.
The  aim is to have every sign  gathered  before the final vote is tallied.

The election is over. We begin anew.

This time  teen-age grandchildren were on hand to help. They came to see me before the party began, eyes shining with excitement and  happiness. It was good for them to be so close to the action  One never knows where or when  a seed will take root.

Aaron is twenty years old. He is over six feet tall. Good looking and articulate and  always ready for a political discussion. When he talks philosophy, he leave me in his dust.

He will be twenty-four at the time of the next election. He thinks he might be a candidate for the office of  Mayor of Newmarket.

It's not as if they don't hear the bad with the good. Kids talk about things. They repeat what  parents say. Mine know me to be just like any other Grannie except that my interest is a little off-beat..

When I first started writing the blog. Heather Sisman was  helping me . She thought I should publish good comments with bad. So I did.

Then I thought,why should I give my enemies a platform. Let them write their own blog. In the last couple of  days the  rage is  spewing out as well as a torrent of  good  wishes for all of us in the next four years.

Some of it got published accidentally

There is a bit of  advantage. It illustrates the  meanness and lack of self-respect that has been a feature of the Mormac  administrtation, better than any words I could use.

The Citizen Blog had a  dose of it this morning.The theme is, I am not entitled to respect.

I wonder how a person justifies treating  another with disrespect.

For example, if I ever addressed the  outgoing presiding member as anything other than Madam Mayor....or responded to the  eye-rolling  insufferable  condescension, long-suffering glances,.. with
similar behaviour in kind,our Council Chamber would have been a regular exhibition  of deportment no-one would wish to be a part. 

I never did that.

Instead,I  came home to Doctor Becker and  David Letterman and soaked in their humour  of slicing individuals and institutions  to razor thin shreds for my entertainment. It was my outlet.

I am not above resentment. I  do not claim to be  saintly. With respect however, I do take exception to being accused of not knowing how to conduct myself as a Councillor or handle my enemies.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I wonder how a person justifies treating another with disrespect."


Indeed, I wonder how you do it too. But you do. Here are but a few examples

Example #1:
You seem to have deleted it, but I still have a copy of what you posted yesterday on your blog

"Rumours of my demise have been vastly exaggerated" Interesting. Most people I know would have attributed that particular quote to Mark Twain. ************************************************************** Most people I know would not be so eager to prove themselves such supercilious barge poles Since you are so eager to provide accurate names why not your own? Why don't you try writing your own blog and discover how many people might be interested in reading it. I know a few who would probably be delighted to contribute


Example #2
http://evelynmbuck.blogspot.com/2010/10/funny-thing-happened-on-way-to-forum.html

Accusing the mayor of "kidnapping" and "sabotaging" are hardly respectful words. Especially when you don't even attempt to be sure you have the facts correct.



Example #3
http://evelynmbuck.blogspot.com/2010/10/overheard-at-market.html

"Yesterday I heard, the Mayor was overheard advising a voter every problem this Council had was due to one person. Moi."

Yet more spreading of gossip rather than facts. Another example of the disrespect you show. I overhead that someone else overheard that you wear a wig. Is that true?


I could easily go on. This is just in the last week. The truth is you check your cheekiness at the door when you enter the council chamber, but you are totally reckless in your display of disrespect the rest of the time.

You want respect? Earn it by showing some to others yourself.


(Cross posting to the AC as well for obvious reasons.)

LivingInAurora.ca said...

Evelyn nice read! May be after 4 years of not watching council meeting, I will start again, lol.

Just dropped by to congratulate you. Anna :)

Anonymous said...

Now after reading Anonymous's post, why do I get the feeling that any one, or all, of the incumbents that were not re-elected may have suddenly become interested in blogging??? I guess they have time on their hands now.

Anonymous said...

Dear Phyllis, Evilena, Stephen and/or Al,

Please refrain from using 'Anonymous' as an identity.

I've been using it for years and don't want to give it up.