[van-discuss] Squamish Chief Editorial: CYNICAL SUNSHINE: Hawaii Point 149-0

[Gordon Flett]

THE SQUAMISH CHIEF
Friday,January 17, 2003
CYNICAL SUNSHINE: Hawaii Point 149-0
By Bryan Raiser    
Reporter
                      
  Well, today just happens to be my birthday, and if anyone asked me
"What do you want?", in a million years I would never have asked for a
Gordon Campbell mug shot. It would be like asking for a winning lottery
ticket or a normal family: it just doesn't happen. 

  The easy question: do you think he should resign? I do, but not
because he was drinking and driving. I think he has to resign because he
just lost the game he made the rules to. Gordo has based his entire
career on screams of scandal. 

  The day the story broke the Vancouver Sun once again showed pathetic
bias by printing a tiny mug shot and barely a bold headline, while the
Globe and Mail used the full front page to print our smirking blotto
Premier's pictures in colour. Can you imagine the Sun's front page if it
had been Glen Clark's mug shot? 

  Speaking of the NDP, I must hand it to Joy MacPhail. No, I don't like
her either; she's simply not a charismatic person. However she did give
him 48 hours to say his side of the story instead of sending camera
crews to his house. 

  This story is bigger than just the politics. This issue is about a
crime that, obviously, not many people take seriously. Many remember the
days when it was socially acceptable, and to many, it still is. My first
reaction was, "Whatever, this isn't going to kill him." Then my heart
humbly sank as I put myself in the shoes of someone whose daughter was
pronounced dead at the scene of a DUI accident. 

  As for his reaction, I'll take that as the cherry on my birthday
cake. If he stepped down we would have to forgive him because that would
be playing by his own rules. But he didn't; he even refused to admit he
committed a crime: "It was a personal mistake." To clarify: putting
laundry detergent in the dishwasher is a mistake; drinking and driving
is a crime. MADD even has a slogan saying "When you drink, it's
personal; when you drink and drive, it's public."

  Then having the entire Liberal party defend his actions is proof that
God exists. How amazing is it that everyone, including the Minister of
Education, sent a clear message: it's OK to drink and drive, but only up
to 20 km, and only if you're not at work.

  And how cool is this? After almost three years of columns I can
actually quote myself! December 2001 – "With the canceling of drinking
and driving road checks Gordon Campbell's Liberals are sending you a
message: "If you drink, DRIVE!" 

  I thought I was being funny. 

  Who knew? 

 All pages are copyright 1999 by Whistler Printing & Publishing Ltd.

http://www.squamishchief.com/madison%5CWQuestion.nsf/SCeditorial/E0DD08CCF4177E9588256CB100056D89?OpenDocument

Thanks to:
Bob Broughton                   /"\   
bob at broughton.ca                \ /     ASCII RIBBON CAMPAIGN
http://broughton.ca/             X        AGAINST HTML MAIL 
New Westminster, BC, Canada    \/ \/