It's not his dedication to public life.
And that's why the media fuss about "excessive grief" or why a State Funeral for someone who was never Prime Minister is just misplaced.
Jack Layton was someone we all got to know (albeit from afar) for many years. And agree or disagree with him there was no doubt he was an engaging and dynamic man. He was someone who electrified a room. He was vivacious and very alive.
That's where the emotion and grief comes from.
To see a man like that, a man we have come to know, slowly drawn down makes us remember all those we loved who have died; there is our grief, a grief of memory. And to see him face his fate with evidence optimism and hope makes us think on our own mortality; there is our emotion.
He stands as a memento mori for us.
We look on him and ask, when it is our time, will we be as strong?
6 comments:
Just so.
Morton, this guy was a Marxist who lived on the dole for his whole life.
Give me any reason he should be labeled anything other than the Marxist he was.
Wow, Anonymous has stunning ignorance! He/she doesn't know what a 'Marxist" is an dosen't know what the "dole" is either.
I agree with you Morton about mourning and why we are doing it.
But honestly, I am also morning because of people like Anonymous there who demonstrate so well that despite generations of work and mass education, many people still live in total, blinkered, unadulterated ignorance. Mr. Layton's death has showed that so startlingly well that I feel as though we also need to mourn the collective ignorance that people like this demonstrate.
"Wow, Anonymous has stunning ignorance! He/she doesn't know what a 'Marxist" is an dosen't know what the "dole" is either. "
If I am indeed mistaken correct my mistake.
Layton was a Marxist and he never held a real job in the private sector.
Therefore, he lived on my taxes his whole fucking life.
He was a loser.
Good riddance.
Dear Anonymous,
a) You have in no way demonstrated that you know what a Marxists is and you obviously don't know. And since one might make several arguments concerning what constitutes a Marxist, you would only have to provide one cogent discourse on the subject to at the very least attempt to defend such a position. Saying "he was a Marxists because he was a Marxists" is hardly a significant argument.
b) "Dole" is defined as a "benefit paid to the unemployed." Thus, since Layton spent most of his career "working," he was, by definition, never on the dole. The fact that he "lived," as you say, on your taxes, in no way constitutes the "dole" and since many people have made significant contributions to society working for various government agencies and NGOs (Including Harper) your argument is not simply ignorant, it is absurd.
Your deep-seated ignorance and spitefulness demonstrates not only your own stupidity and lack of humanity, it demonstrates the very reason that society and our political institutions are broken.
You will, like all, haters, eventually reap the whirlwind of your own making.
I agree with you kirbycairo.
Anon 11:23, is a blind fanatic. WW11 was the result, of the blind fanatics. Those people were taken in by a monster. They realized that, far too late.
Who pays all of the politicians salary's?
There are thousands of citizen's, who aren't NDP, that liked and respected Jack. So did many of the opposition. Jack liked many of the opposition too. Even though they may not have agreed with each others policies, that doesn't make any of them evil people.
Jack was a very fine person. He cared about his country, and he cared about the people.
Jack will be terribly missed, by Olivia and his family. I will miss him, along with millions of others. Canada will miss Jack.
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