FORSETH – Wherever we live, isn’t one Kent State enough for a lifetime?

YESTERDAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, I posted a story from Kamloops This Week, in which Kamloops City Councillor Arjun Singh was quoted.

According to the story, Singh criticized U.S. president Donald Trump during Tuesday’s city council meeting, and indicated that racism still exists and argued the president is stoking that division.

“I’m horribly upset by the actions of the U.S. president,” Arjun Singh said, referencing Trump’s comments, tweets and actions.

Well I for one, at least, agree whole heartedly with that comment. Others, however, that responded to me posting the Kamloops This Week story on my Social Media Feeds?  Not so much as comments included:

… he’s obviously an id*ot. Why is he commenting on the U.S.? He’s stoking fires and fear and should be fired
… he should stick to his pay grade

 … that’s the problem with all these “councillors” they now think they have some spot light so they can express their views over the ppl that pay that. Stay in your own lane

One was quite vehement in their beliefs, and stated:

… should (Donald) Trump be encouraging the thugs who are using a death by one to wreak havoc across the countries, pillaging, killing, stealing, vandalising, destroying? No, he is speaking against it and will destroy these inconsiderate bastards, white, brown, or black, that are using this as an opportunity not a statement. It purely shows what kind of person they are and should be shot!

Meantime another simply said:
… he’s likely not an idiot. Anti-western bigotry including Trump derangement is high fashion and popular these days. It’s a mistake to dismiss this behavior as irrational

There are many people, that I myself have called thugs and anarchists, who are using this situation to create chaos. Those setting fires, looting, and creating mayhem are NOT protesters.
However, ‘The Donald’ is not helping the situation by his words — and actions — including his phony photo-op at the church.

Instead, those words are fanning the flames of unrest … and bringing even more people out into the streets … therefore ensuring discontent will last even longer.

Calm rationale words — not rhetoric — are what’s needed. Instead, however, Trump continues to fan the flames of divisiveness, to shore up his voter base.

As many of you are well aware, in commentaries I have written, I am no fan of Justin Trudeau.  Those 21 seconds of silence yesterday however — when asked about Donald Trump’s comments about using the military against protesters — spoke much to me, and to many other Canadians it seems, from what I’ve seen online in Social Media.

Let me ask you this … Whether we live in the United States or not, isn’t one Kent State enough for anyone’s lifetime!

Do we honestly need innocent people shot — and killed?

Finally … in a Political Insider email I received this morning, McLean’s Magazine writer Nick Taylor-Vaisey summed things up a lot better than I can/could ever do – in capturing the thoughts of what I believe the greater majority of Canadians are feeling:

21 seconds: Outside Rideau Cottage, Tom Parry of CBC News asked Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to comment on Donald Trump’s threat on Monday to unleash troops on protesters just as police unleashed tear gas on protesters to clear the way for a presidential photo-op across the street from the White House. Trudeau didn’t immediately answer, shifting his eyes down, gritting his teeth slightly, repositioning himself, then letting out a sigh. Finally, 21 seconds of silence later, the PM spoke.

“We all watch with horror and consternation what’s going on in the United States.” He shortly after moved on to addressing Canada’s own problem with racism.

Body language experts could spend hours analyzing Trudeau’s response. Did he want to speak more forcefully against Trump but held back? Did he expect the question and deliberately pause for such an extended period? Or did he simply not know what to say? Watch the clip and make your best guess. (Even Trudeau’s harshest critics might have been disarmed by the PM’s prolonged struggle yesterday with, yes, a stubborn case of the hiccups.)

There’s an idiot for sure – perhaps better described as a master manipulator – and they don’t live on this side of the border.

Alan Forseth is a Kamloops resident and former member of the Reform Party of Canada and the B.C. Reform Party, and a past and current member of the BC Conservative Party. His blog is My Thoughts on Politics and More.