Kudos to Michael Ignatieff for recognizing that the key to success in Canada is to appeal to book lovers with “True Patriot Love.” It doesn’t matter if the book is good, bad or indifferent. The fact remains that if you are an author you will receive glowing admiration from Canadians. It gets even better if you are a Harvard scholar and a quick learner of current Canadian culture and its’ gracious, government-subsidized underpinnings. I’m just curious to know whether or not his book/media/political tour is ultimately being funded by the Canada Council for the Arts via his publisher?

But he’s no Prime Minister for the times in my view.
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Relaxing with what little spare time I’ve have of recent, I sat down to watch a movie. Captivated by the previews (yes, a rarity in this day and age), I couldn’t help but feel the powerful emotions from Denis Villeneuve’s short preview of his movie, Polytechnique. While the silence of the actors in complement with the black and white film was emotionally captivating, I cannot help but feel that Canada’s most horrific massacre does not deserve Hollywood treatment.

I am strongly against the glorification of violence in this case, in an all too familiar setting: school. The massacre, which cost 14 women their lives at the hands of gunman Marc Lepine in 1989, was a senseless act of violence specifically against women in a forbidden school setting. The resurrection of this event is inappropriate and disrespectful because of its disregard for the victims and the nature of the crime. This movie is clearly going for shock value and is being billed as one of Canada’s most controversial films yet. However, shock value does nothing to help the state of school related violence or even violence in general, rather this movie looks to feed the masses a form of entertainment based on the sacrifice of innocent individuals. This is a movie designed to profit off of controversy and because it hits so close to home, I cannot support it.

Here is a preview of the movie:

Polytechnique Trailer

It appears that Michael Ignatieff is doing what Liberals do best. Threatening to bring down the government if they don’t get their way. Usually, this bravado is backed up with all the power and force of a yelping chihuahua. Rather annoying and not meaning much. This isn’t too harsh a description. Two years of Stephane Dion’s less than stellar turn at the Liberal leadership left many Canadians with that impression.

No. No. Mister Harper. Back our initiatives or we will bring down this government
(re: green shift – carbon tax). Then, nothing.

No. No. Mister Harper. We cannot support this government. (re: extension of Canadian troops in Afghanistan past February 2009) Then, nothing.

And again. No. No. Mister Harper… that just won’t do. (re: Conservative budget – Feb 2008) And again… nothing.
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