It's Gotta Be A Nightmare....

Everyday something - at least one thing - sometimes
significant - more often less so - happens that leaves
me shaking my head...For example.
Last evenning Charlene and I were watching TV - watching
a documentary on how a Senior Crown Attorney in Manitoba -
had falsely - not erroneously - but falsely - had a series of
unfortunates imprisoned for life for murders they had not-
and the Crown Attorney knew well they had not - committed.
They spent anywhere from 6 to 23 years in jail before
their convictions were finally overturned. They were
free....but so was the Crown Attorney who had withheld
evidence, paid informers to perjure themselves and
generally run amuck with our legal system. Makes
you wonder, with this individual himself not spending his
dying years in jail, who we think we're fooling in this
country even referring to it as a "justice" system.
Congratulations to the CBC for doing a nice job on the
Canadian Country Music Awards last night...seriously..
I was golfing yesterday with an individual - I will not
use the word gentleman - whose name I will also refrain
from using. I will say that this fellow has spent his
career in and out of the unsavoury world of politics in
this province, and I had heard rumours about his dubious
conduct on the course....but until I witnessed it for
myself I have to say I had had a hard time believing what
I'd heard. Until that is, he, with the backs of his
fellow golfers turned, attempted to tap in a two footer
- missed - and hastily put his ball back in it's original
position - and marked it. Then when his turn came he
made the second attempt and proudly claimed his par.
I could not resist the temptation and admitted out loud
that I was unfamiliar with the "do-over" rule and asked
whether it was limited to shots on the green or whether
it could be used anywhere. He didn't seem overly disquietted
by the fact that his blatant cheating had been noted by
those with whom he played..in fact he did it again before
the game was over and used his "par" to steal the honors
from the third member of our group who'd struggled all
day and finally had enjoyed a good hole...a legitimate good hole.
So much for honor, integrity and good sportsmanship.
I couldn't help myself...At games end I had to tell this
lizard that I had found this experience and specifically
his behaviour both shocking and offensive and beyond
anything I'd ever witnessed...frankly I don't think I
said anything he hadn't heard before...Astounding really.
I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that golfers will be
the death of the game.
I am the first to admit that I am probably a pain in the
ass on the golf course. While I try not to take things
too seriously, I am prone to "losing it" when others are
talking when I'm over the ball. I find it most interesting
that people, intelligent people, otherwise considerate
people, people who profess to know all the rules and think
nothing of talking about others who offend for any variety
of reasons, feel that what they have to say is of greater
importance and urgency than someone else's shot. These
are the same people who are most offended when they find
themselves in a divot or a bunker that was not properly raked.
We're not talking about people who are new to the game.
I wonder whether it is arrogance, whether it's just not
thinking, whether they are suffering from the same feeling of
entitlement with which Tiger Woods partially explained his
fall from grace, or whether frankly they've simply just stopped
caring. Doesn't matter really - the sportsmanship, and honor so
integral to the heart of the game are what suffer ultimately -
and that's too bad.
In Ottawa they're spending more time and money on the long gun
registry...Here is another glimmering example of why our seniors
live in fear of not having a roof over their heads or a dignified
level of care in their final years...why kids are going hungry and
not getting the direction, education, or lifeskills training
they deserve and why our veterans get treated like garbage.
I personally favor having controls on gun ownership...but not if
these controls are in the hands of our politicians. When are we
going to finally look at the bill the thugs in Ottawa are running
up over gun control and realize if that money were going into
health care, elder care, education, and infrastructure everybody
in this country could have a gun and no one would have a reason to
use one ! Look at how much tax renenue our three levels of
government raise each year ! What do we get for it ? And what are
we doing about it ? Canadian Business should rally and refuse any
increase in Canada Pension payments - Canadian citizens should
demand their MP's come up with a five year plan to reduce
the size of government by 30 percent and increase productivity
by 50 percent. Do Canadians need a CBC ? Do Canadians need a CRTC ?
Do Canadians need the Canadian Gun Registry ? Do we need to be
allowing illegal immigration ? Do we really want our politicians
spending hundreds of millions of dollars hosting lavish Summit
meetings ? I think the time has come we start demanding
responsibility and accountability of those who represent us.
Oh my...this was supposed to be a fairly mild return to the blog...
Maybe tomorrow there'll be something more casual upon which to
comment...and by the way...Rogers...I think your idea of subscription
"live" sports TV on Rogers 1 is the absolute end of blind greed and
shortsightedness....good luck with that.
Til next time...Happy Trials..
Don