Valentine's Day in Harperland

Well today was Valentine's Day and I didn't really feel like writing about it this year.

For starters, if I saw another cellophane rose, tacky card, or other pinky thing coming at me I'd probably scream eh?

And secondly, how can you celebrate love in a country as grim and grey and as broken as Harperland?

With a leader like Stephen Harper that Cupid wouldn't waste a single arrow on, because he is beyond the reach of human feeling. So cold and so cruel he would fund the activities of an anti-gay group in a place like Uganda. 

And thanks to him Canada today is full of all kinds of religious hate groups yapping like jackals. 

Being hand fed by the Con Regime.

But then I thought what better time to celebrate the power of love than in a time of madness and hatred? For when you have to fight for love, in a world full of bigots, you can never take it for granted...



And I did have to fight for it eh? Over and over again in school. 

And I was fighting some loud mouth homophobe in a pool room in Montreal one night, and I should add beating the shit out of him. When a stranger grabbed me from behind with incredible force, and dragged me kicking and cursing out of the place. 

The stranger turned out to be a guy named Sébastien, from the Saguenay region of Quebec. And despite suffering from some badly bruised ribs from the vicious elbows I aimed in his general direction, and despite the sudden collision of the two solitudes, he never really let go. 

He lives with me today as he has for years. And I couldn't ask for a more amazing, more wonderfully human, and noble companion. One who taught me to channel my anger, and inspires me to try to be better tomorrow than I was today. As hard as that may be.

And who I wouldn't swap for anything in the world, or all the stars in the sky.

Although he does have a new rival these days eh?

For look who arrived in the mail the other day.

All the way from Scotland...



My aunt bought him for me in London. My Mum says she can vividly remember how I reached out of my pram to grab him. He travelled all over the world. For years he sat in a chair in my room at my parent's place in the north of Scotland, waiting for me to return.

Only to be reunited with me in Canada two days before Valentine's. How great is that ? 

And yes, I am the kind of guy who was moved to tears when I saw him again, and reached out to grab him like I did the first time. And I'm probably a hopeless romantic too. *Sigh*

But I'm also one who believes, like Sébastien does, that only through hard struggle, sacrifice, and above all UNITY can we crush the Cons and all the other bigots of the earth. And make a kinder, gentler, better world for EVERYONE.

To my readers I send you all a big hug. May all that is beautiful fill your life like it fills mine with joy and hope.

Down with the nasty bigots.

Here's to the power of LOVE...




Click here to recommend this post at Progressive Bloggers