Its sickening how quickly some individuals will hijack any public happening to jump on their bandwagon and pump up their egos.
Last Wednesday, most of us watched a drama unfold at Parliament Hill. It was certainly traumatic for those directly involved, but also for those of us watching safely from our homes and offices. Our hearts went out to Cpl. Nathan Cirillo, who was gunned down at the memorial to the Unknown Soldier by a mentally disturbed man named Michael Zehaf-Bibeau. Zehaf-Bibeau was killed by security officials as he brought his weapon and his twisted world views into the halls of Parliament Hill.
To others, it was only another opportunity to showcase their personal political agendas. I refer now to a letter sent to Premier Kathleen Wynne and another to Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau shortly after Cpl. Cirillo was killed by a crazy man thinking he was doing the will of Allah.
The emails were crafted by well-known Caledonia anti-Native rights advocate Gary McHale and he proudly distributed them far and wide, somehow equating the acts of Michael Zehaf-Bibeau to the reclamation of the former Douglas Creek Estates land near Caledonia.
McHale’s message to the Premier was, “Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne announced yesterday that Ontario will not give in to those who use violence to change our democracy. Maybe Ms. Wynne could explain why the McGuinty/Wynne governments have given in to the radical Natives in Caledonia who used violence to force their will upon everyone else? I guess it all depends on what race you are that determines whether violence will be allowed by the Ontario government.”
A similar letter went to Trudeau.
While normal humans were putting their hearts out to the family and friends of Cpl. Cirillo and prayed for the safety of parliamentarians of all stripes, McHale only saw it as an opportunity to get back up on the soapbox he so dearly loves and turn it into yet another anti-Native tirade.
Never mind that there is no comparison between murderously shooting down a man from behind with a rifle, and peacefully blocking a highway and demanding an inquiry into the unaccounted for deaths of thousands of missing and murdered Onkwehon:we women. The depth of McHale’s quest for self-promotion seems to have blocked out any human compassion he might have had before he found his “identity” in Caledonia.
We would hope that the thinking people of Caledonia would recognize this pattern, and reject both him and his heartless worldview. They are an embarrassment to all decent and honourable people.
