To the Editor:
One up and one down for the Opinion Line in the March 10 issue of the Advance.
The down is for Lorne Eckersley in his apologetic justification for the present deplorable situation in Bountiful. I’m not sure how it relates, but in the column he states, “Children of Doukhobors were taken from their homes.”
I beg to inform him that the children in question were not Doukhobor children, but children from a breakaway sect called the Sons of Freedom, some seven per cent of the original Doukhobor population. Removing children from their homes and parents is unconscionable under any circumstances, but let’s get the labels correct.
My second reference is a note of congratulations to Mr. Clement in his erudite presentation of the compassionate voter. He extols such virtues as “helping those who are less fortunate, protecting health care, education, and seniors’ pensions, creating employment for everyone, eliminating poverty, disease, racism, bigotry,” and the list goes on.
My immediate reaction was one of approval: “There is one who has seen the light.” I was sure he was singing from the NDP songbook.
Imagine my awkward awakening when I discover that he announces himself as a conservative! Try as I could, I could not recall any of these wonderful qualities evident in either the Harper government or the Campbell government. It appeared to me as though he was undergoing an identity crisis.
However, there is still hope. If things turn out well for the conservatives, our very own version of Sarah Pallin, Christie Clark, may soon put all of these values into effect, following Sarah’s lead in glorifying “family values”.
All of this may come to pass, although I’m not sure I can hold my breath that long. Fortified by his enthusiastic zeal for the American body politic, I am sure that Mr. Clement will.
Larry Ewashen
Creston