The Great Angelo and the Great Divide

I must admit that I have never paid much attention to anything Angelo Persichilli has ever said or written. I thought The Great Angelo was just another Liberal who sounded like a Con. And they're a dime a dozen.

But now he's wearing Dimitri's hat, I think this is outrageous.

“Many are tired of the annoying lament from a province that keeps yelling at those who pay part of its bills and are concerned by the over-representation of francophones in our bureaucracy, our Parliament and our institutions,” Mr. Persichilli wrote about 18 months ago.

And this is PATHETIC.

“I will do whatever is in my capacity first to serve the government and eventually to serve the Canadian people – and I have the utmost respect for people living in Quebec, no doubt about it.”

Because how can you slag a people and then claim to respect them? And how can you put the interests of the Cons before the interests of Canadians and their country?

But then The Great Angelo is just a bit player in a bigger drama. For years I have warned that Stephen Harper's ultimate objective is to drive Quebec out of Canada. Because he knows that if the country's most left-leaning province leaves, the Cons will rule FOREVER.

And now you see the shape of things to come. The NDP are separatist traitors. Quebec is The Enemy. The mob in English Canada will cheer, and some Liberals will join them, because they think that's the way to win seats in Quebec. The idiots. 

And nobody will care about how Quebecers will feel, being treated as outsiders or pariahs in the country they helped found. And we will all end up living in a country choking in its own bile, stinking of bigotry, and ripping itself apart.

Great eh?

Which is when I think of Jack Layton. And how the last thing he did may turn out to be his greatest gift to our country.

Reaching out and embracing the people of that province...

And inviting them to rejoin the great Canadian family after more than twenty years of alienation and bitterness.

And I remember how warmly they embraced him back, and how sorry they were when he died...

And then I think how his tragic death could affect the future of our big beautiful country, and I wonder what will happen to it, now that Jack isn't there to bridge the Great Divide. Or the Two Solitudes.

You know... the other night the CN Tower was glowing orange to honour Jack. A fierce electrical storm was raging all around it. And I was looking out of the window with the Québécois Canadian I love. He was staring at the glowing tower and the lightning with eyes wide open in wonderment. And saying WOW. In French. Because he always sees the good in everything.

But not me. I can see the hate that will eventually consume this country. So although the tribute to Jack moved me beyond belief. The lightning scared me.

Oh sure. The Great Angelo is just a bit player, but you can see the shape of things to come.

Hope is still orange.

But the future looks ominous...


Lightning TO from Jon Simonassi on Vimeo.