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19:57 - 02.11.05
Soldiers and farmers
Quite a distinguished looking gentleman walked me home from the community one over when I got off the bus after work today. He had been standing at the bus stop that I pass just after leaving the first community. I could hear someone walking quietly behind me, but I was too tired to check who it was or really care about their presence. I'd only had a few hours sleep each of the past few days, so I was really feeling the impacts of the deprivation. He made a comment about how nice the day was now. It was true too. When I left the house this morning there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground - good packing, snowball type snow. I was wearing the new-to-me boots my sister had given me at our Thanksgiving dinner last month and an old winter coat of my Mom's. Still fairly warm for the beginning of November - no wind either. By the time I had arrived at work though the temperature had dropped substantially so now the snow that had been melting had turned to ice. Shades of things to come when trying to walk in an industrial area with no sidewalks.By the time I returned to the community at the end of the day the trend had reversed itself again. Most of the snow was melted off main streets. The gentleman and I just conversed about the usual generalities. He asked me how old I thought he was. I guessed he was in his 60's but it turned out he was closer to 80. Even so I had trouble keeping up to his stride. He had much longer legs of course and I was carrying my desk in a bag which is about 30 lbs at a guess. He was telling me how he occupies his time now that he is retired. Large family with lots of grandchildren, and several card playing clubs apparently. Bridge more than likely given the country of origin. He had been a farmer in the old country, but has been in Canada for about 25 years. When he pointed out his home just before we parted company I realized I knew the family simply having been neighbours for so long. I don't really get to see them now that I don't have time to volunteer in the community.Work today. Well yes. Elections Canada was just phone calls back and forth trying to clarify status and timing. In truth our deadline to have everything is the 14th of this month so I'm doing ok even without access to their fried hard drive. The one barrier is still the local rep. She won't acknowledge the community relations plan I sent her even though it has already been given approval by the second in command - the one who left for another position last week though. It is the one I used with approval last election but upgraded and enhanced to reflect lessons learned from the last time. It was obvious she had very specific people in mind that she wants hired and she has a point of view that I consider divisive and destructive to our population. Personally what happened in a battle in the 1300's across an ocean or two is not a reasonable criteria for determining current public policy. Especially not when it involves voting against the best interests of a community or country in order to spite one's intracultural rival of 7 centuries ago. I must say I have a strong affection for William Wallace, especially as played by Mel Gibson, but I long ago got over seeing the endless bloody rivalries on that island between the English, Scots, Welsh, Picts, Iceni, Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Danes,Varangians, Romans, Normans, and the Irish as a basis for making choices for my sons and I in the here and now. Let's face it those choices of that group led to the exile and death of thousands of their own families. How is that good decison making? Rather than catering to old wounds and fights "from the old country" I want New Canadians and young Canadians to see this almost as a celebration of a rite of passage. Finally being completely included in Canadian culture by obtaining that right to vote as a full citizen.One of the other reasons I am wary of anyone she suggests is that she ran as a candidate in this area in the 1990's and had the people now charged with elector fraud very involved in her campaign. There is a chance she wasn't aware of the full scope of their activities, although I suspect she would have known about some of the tactics since they were so blatant. She is still friends with them and I think she may still harbour political ambitions. That is fine of course - politicians do serve their country as best they can. However, I have already explained to you, dear diary, that there were a lot of security issues in our ofice the last couple of events and the staff she is advocating I hire come from that pool of people mentioned above. The fact that this weekend she tried to advocate for the reinstatement of the one person who it was very clear was not conducting herself honorably quite forcefully, is evidence enough that she shouldn't have any say in the matter. Truth is under the Canada Elections Act the position has no precendence or authority at all. All elections officer positions are named by title and duties and accountabilities are defined. There is no mention of that position even in a vague reference. What the head of the organization has done is created a separate class of staff who report only to him and are not accountable under any statutes or regulations. In public service that is called a kitchen cabinet for elected officials - people close to the individual who are unelected and invisible but who determine things like how you are taxed and what rules drive even basic neccessities for one's family such as home and living conditions. In the bureaucratic side of things I don't know what the polite term for "cronies" is but what one can't see can cause enormous damage. Oh well - deal with that tomorrow.When I came back from the kitchen at the warehouse carrying that first cup of coffee my telephone was already ringing. It was the second in command checking to see if I had gone in to work after yesterday's event. She had really not wanted me to return when we discussed it the day before, trying to cast it as an issue of me being too scared. As if. I don't enjoy or seek controversy or confrontation but I don't back down from it either. Well ok back to William Wallace and the Scots penchant for intractible stubborness. Have I mentioned they are deemed great soldiers wherever they go. Commit to battle and never give up. A lot of the settlers in Canada were of that stock. It is one of the few characteristics that allowed for the west to be opened up and built into the society we have become now, for better and worse. Anyway she said she would be checking in throughout the day to make certain I was still ok and I suppose I should take that as good intentions instead of interpreting it as her seeing me as incompetent right? We all have our demons.The atmosphere in the warehouse was instructive to say the least. None of the males who make up management in the building would even acknowledge my presence let alone look at me. No response even if I said a direct hello at least not until the end of the day. Equally it was obvious their staff had been told something about the incident and equally obvious that it had caused quite a polarization among them. A lot of the females and a couple of the males - even those who wouldn't interact before - made a point of coming up to talk with me when I left my work area. Most of the males however, and a few of the younger females followed the lead of their supervisors, even though they had been friendly before the incident yesterday. How I interpret that is that the behaviour pattern exhibited to me yesterday is entrenched at the management level. What was reflected back to them from the company I am working for now is that their management style is not acceptable. Something no one likes to hear, of course, including me - see above right? In truth a lot of what I have observed about the way they conduct their business is quite admirable and I have taken away some good lessons. However, that one aspect is simply illegal here. Making someone feel uncomfortable or threatened based on gender or race is illegal. Both occur though. That isn't to say the practice isn't carried out in the company I am in now but it isn't supported by senior management and they do take action if it is caught or reported. That is the difference. Old toxic patterns of behaviour are often so deeply entrenched that it takes a long time before they are seen for the damage they inflict on the whole of society. Think of slavery - it has only really been a century since it was deemed unacceptable in general throughout all continents and yet it still exists today - openly in Africa and Asia and underground in Europe and North/South America. Child labour and sex trade workers at the receiving end of our systems. Major conference about it and it's roots in poverty in our province last week. The victims are usually the most defenseless and therefore easiest targets to exploit. Babies and young girls and boys. Anyway that is a topic for another post dear diary. Time for bed. Good night.
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