Sometimes the elephant in the room isn’t just avoided, it’s downright verboten. Here is a perfect example of one such pachyderm: Canada’s Governor General, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, has stood up and spoken what the self-loathing liberal crowd would never dare say out loud, let alone in public. In Accra, Ghana, during “a state dinner on the eve of her emotional pilgrimage to a seaside fortress where thousands of slaves were shipped to the Americas,” Her Excellency (funny how she seems to wear that title well sometimes, isn’t it?) rose and declared that Africa must finally own up to it’s own collusion in the slave trade.

That’s right — Africans were just as guilty of complicity in the buying and selling of human beings as whites were, although you will rarely, if ever, hear that. Her Excellency also praised the government of Ghana for their own recent Mea Culpa on the matter:

“As it looks to the future, Ghana has shown that it is willing to confront the past. … I am impressed by your government’s decision to apologize for what was done hundreds of years ago by the people of this region involved in the slave trade. … As a descendent of slaves, that touched me very much. I know that we cannot go back and solve past injustices. All we can do is learn from the lessons of the past — even the painful lessons — and use that knowledge to build a better future.”

This is a stark truth that those content with — and sometimes having a vested interest in — merely pointing the accusatory finger at, and laying all the blame on, “Whitey” have rabidly avoided for decades, burying anyone who dared point it out under an avalanche of accusations of racism, bigotry, etc, ad nauseum. One look at Her Excellency tells exactly why we won’t be hearing that this time, except from the most deranged adherents of the “blame the whites for everything” crowd, who will be quickly dismissed for the malcontents that they are. But no one but the most deluded would ever think that any white person could ever make this point so honestly without being immediately drowned in a sea of ad hominem accusations.

While I could go on at length — and may, in the near future — about how the truth is the truth, no matter who says it, I’m not going to do that now. The truth is where it needs to be and this time, it cannot be venomously dismissed amidst a flurry of slurs. It will have to be dealt with, bluntly and in an honest manner.

Many will recall that I was initially very (some would say harshly) critical of Mme Jean’s appointment as Governor General. If she continues to conduct herself in such a fashion as this, I may well be proven wrong.

And, believe it or not, I would be just fine with that. A little crow in my diet isn’t going to kill me.

Okay, everybody; things have been way to serious around here lately. Between byelections, Bishop’s operation, and all the other yadda that you can yadda, things have been downright funless. Bearing that in mind, here’s a little something that I found in my email a while back. Yes, I know that most of you (or most of you from Canada, at least) have probably seen this before but, considering recent events, I thought it would be a fitting little interludefrom the daily grind. If nothing else, at least it’s good for a yuk or two:

Vancouver (Reuters)

Day 2 – Vancouver Blizzard 2005 – Revenge of the Commuters

Chilled Vancouver commuters faced their second day of winter hell today, as an additional ¼ centimeter of the peculiar white stuff fell, bringing the lower mainland to its knees and causing millions of dollars worth of damage to the marijuana crops.

Scientists suspect that the substance is some form of frozen water particles and experts from Saskatchewan are being flown in. With temperatures dipping to the almost but not quite near zero mark, Vancouverites were warned to double insulate their lattes before venturing out.

Vancouver police recommended that people stay inside except for emergencies, such as running out of espresso or biscotti to see them through Vancouver’s most terrible storm to date. The local Canadian Tire reported that they had completely sold out of fur-lined sandals.

Drivers were cautioned to put their convertible tops up, and several have been shocked to learn that their SUV’s actually have four wheel drive, although most have no idea how to use it.

Weary commuters faced soggy sushi, and the threat of frozen breast implants. Although Dr. John Blatherwick, of the Coastal Health Authority reassured everyone that most breast implants were perfectly safe to 25 below, down-filled bras are flying off the shelves at Mountain Equipment Co-op.

“The government has to do something,” snarled an angry Trevor Warburton. “I didn’t pay $540,000 for my one bedroom condo so I could sit around and be treated like someone from Toronto.”

E minus one day.

Okay, this one is actually going to be quick. It’s getting late and I have to be up REAL early tomorrow. Between scrutineering, taking Bishop to the vet, voting myself, and too damn many other things to list here right now, I’m gonna be busier than a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest.

That said, we’re just going to go straight to the links today:

The Freeps
Trudeau mobbed at Liberal rally
Outcomes won’t alter political landscape
Undecided voters target of final day of campaign

CTV
Outsiders hope byelections send them to Ottawa

CBC
May aims for Greens’ first seat in byelection

Canada.com
Two outsiders hope to join the opposition benches after Monday’s byelections

Canada East
Battle wide open in London, Ont., byelection as voting day draws near

Vancouver Sun
Tory candidate raises same-sex issue in byelection

E minus 2 days and counting.

I’ve said it before and I’m gonna say it again: Damn, but it’s gettin’ crowded around here! The front page of the Freeps pretty much summed it all up today with the headline (or should I say punchline), “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the London-North-Centre celebrity political run-off . . . We mean byelection . . .”

It’s starting to seem like everybody — yes, every-damn-body — has popped in lately. Don’t believe me?  Check this checklist:

1. Belinda “I’m smarter now, I’m a brunette” Stronach
2. Grit bench-warming honcho Bill Graham
3. Ralph Goodale
4. Kenny “oh my God, they killed daycare; YOU BASTARDS!” Dryden
5. Highway Rob Rae
6. Gerard Kennedy
7. Stephane “no, she’s not related” Dion
8. Martha Hall Findlay
9. Scott Brison
10. Igggy
11. Smirkin’ Jack
12. Howard Hampton
13. Alexa McDonough
14. Jim Flaherty
15. Stockwell “does this wetsuit make my butt look big?” Day
16. Diane Finley
17. Jane “where the hell did they dig me up?” Bigelow
18. Garth Nader

This is getting out of control. 🙄 Trudeau 2.0’s supposed to be putting in an appearance too, before it’s done.  You’ll have to just read the rest for yourselves; all this celebrity strafing is giving me a headache…

The Freeps
What are all these people doing here?
Why we didn’t endorse candidates
May offers up economic strategy

Crack a cold one, throw Flight of the Valkyries on the turntable and enjoy the spectacle of all the soaring swine. That’s right boys and girls, Rick Mercer said something with which I am in total agreement. He actually manages to take all the criticism of Harper’s stance with China and, in what I must admit is a very Canadian fashion, put it in just the right light.

No, I haven’t been drinking. Well, not that much anyway. Here, see for yourself and see what you think.

E minus 3 days and counting.

This weekend is going to be absolutely nuts, I can just feel it. As if politics a’ la Grit wasn’t enough to leave most people with and “eeeeewww… I need a shower” feeling, the Librano$ seem to have taken up bushwhacking as their latest little vote-getting dog & pony show:

Amanda Nielsen was just going out for a walk with her dog and her month-old baby.

The next thing she knew, a Liberal handler was taking her dog away, London-North-Centre Liberal candidate Glen Pearson was looking into her stroller and half a dozen photographers were taking pictures of former Ontario premier and federal Liberal leadership candidate Bob Rae.

If that’s not an argument for legalizing mace, I don’t know what is. Meanwhile, Megan Walker, the Dipper Dumbass that she is, came in as the hands-down winner of my WTF!? Of The Day award with her loopy assertion that only the NDP are addressing the war in Afghanistan:

“The NDP is the only party talking about the situation in Afghanistan in this byelection,” Walker said at the London Peace Gardens.

“It’s astonishing to me when there has been 42 deaths of Canadian soldiers, we’re at war and not hearing a word from the other candidates.”

Hey, Maggie; I don’t know about anybody else, but I know what Haskett’s position on the war is and I think most other people do too. By the way, calling over and over again for our Armed Forces to tuck tail and run is NOT “addressing the war!” Twit. 🙄

Tory Dianne Haskett continued to toot the law-and-order horn, following PM Harpers lead in pointing to the Amazing Vanishing Ahmed Moalin-Mohamed as a perfect example of why changes are needed to the justice system, PDQ.

And here’s the links:

The Freeps
‘Wiser’ Grit Pearson says he’s ready for tough slog
Walker says only NDP tackling Afghan war issue
Haskett highlights tougher bail
Candidates debate world poverty
This hour — or less — has three candidates