Lord knows it won't be me.
Until today I didn't even know the name Tom Lukiwski and I probably won't remember how to spell his name tomorrow. He's nothing to me and he never will be. He's certainly rich fodder for the wrath of a lot of folks on my side of the political divide however.
I watched the video posted by Scott Ross. What Lukiwski said was homophobic, completely out of line and he ought to be extremely contrite in his apology. On the other hand the tape shows a bit of who he was 16-years ago while in the midst of his pals with a beer in his hand. What's important to me is just who is this guy today?
Lukiwski has brought attention onto himself and his party and that's all for the good. Anybody remember the host of bigoted wingnuts who filled the ranks of Preston Manning's Reform Party? Now there were some scary people. I do believe we need to keep an eye on the ranks of the Harpies for this sort of thing. And yet...
Here's what I think. I think people can change. I don't just think that, I have an unshakeable belief in that. I know that people can change because I changed. Where I was brought up there was a terrific amount of prejudice. Sexist and racist jokes were nothing out of the ordinary in the 60's and 70's but the greatest prejudice I experienced was religious.
I guess it was in the 80's, well after I'd moved to the far end of the country, when it was announced that my little, ultra-WASP village was going to become home to a French-language, Catholic highschool. You would have thought they were building a bordello for Satan. The furor was astonishing, even to me, even back then. A Gay Pride parade up and down the waterfront would have provoked less controversy.
That was then, this is now. Things change, people change. I think we need to ask whether Tom Lukiwski has changed. If he hasn't, if he's still the homophobe he was 16-years back, then there's no room for him on Parliament Hill, none.
It's easy to get sanctimonious about these things, especially when the target is with the wrong political party. Then again, when was the last time a Liberal was given the boot for making a racist or sexist or homophobic joke? Or maybe I've got it all wrong, maybe this just never, ever, positively never occurs within our people, eh?
So, if you're comfortably in the ranks of the pure I guess you can go ahead and throw your stones. Please, just don't start throwing any of them my way. Please?
When I heard about this, I thought - private party, beer - who should care. On the other hand, I'm now 55 years old and I have never made comments of that sort, not twenty, not thirty five years ago - drunk or sober, in public or in private.
ReplyDeleteI have come to know this MP because he's been the one ranting about for weeks on hand to delay committee proceedings on alleged Conservative election fraud, which has put that party in a battle with Elections Canada. It would be a troubling situation, to say the least, if we were to head to the polls before we know the bottom of this alleged election fraud.
If the party and policies he supports now are not enough to turn you off who cares about 17 years ago.
ReplyDeleteEverybody has said or done something stupid, made an off colour, racist or sexist joke to garner a laugh , broke at least one law, spilled at least one secret, grabed at least one ass.
I'm sure even Layton and Dion have made such comments especially when seeing a picture of Harper in a leather vest and cowboy hat in that jaunty pose I so love to post on my site.
All in all it's todays actions that matter more.
This guy supports a narrow minded egotists attempt to convert us to a U.S. style facist puppet state, that offends me more than an old tape by a bad drunk.
I happen to agree. I think that people can change. Shouldn't progressives who have voted Liberal and/or Liberal voters be more concerned with those in their party that actually voted against rights for LGBTQ folk?
ReplyDeleteThere is a significant percentage of the Liberal caucus that is anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ and when they have had the chance they have voted their prejudice and their sexism.
There is no question that there are members of the Tory caucus that are homophobes, anti-choice and sexist but we all know the party policy on these issues.
When an NDP member voted against Equal marriage, she was stripped of her shadow portfolio and lost her nomination fight.
So minimally, Lukiwski should be removed from his portofolio/duties and possibly kicked from caucus. It would then be up to his riding association and or his constituents to decide whether they think that he still holds such offensive views.
Clearly we have more than enough to confront in the current mentality and legislative agenda of the Tories. I have learned a great deal more about this jackass over the past 24-hrs. and he does seem to be a vile piece of work.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'm not sure that pillorying Lukiwski is the best use of our efforts. He's had one news cycle. Put him up in Bin 3 and save him for some oblique reference in the next election campaign.