A Canadian’s Viewpoint: Trump has a God Complex

I never saw myself writing about politics. My bailiwick has been women’s rights, human rights, being a stepmom, being a grandparent, taking care of an elderly parent with Alzheimer’s Disease and surviving abuse; basically my personal experiences. Right now, though, I feel the need to write about what’s going on in the world.

Trump shows respect to no one or nothing. He is despicable. Definition of despicable: deserving hatred and contempt. My emotions range from annoyance to anger every time he appears on the news, but this week took the cake. There’s so much, but right now I’m focused on the Ukraine. There is so much bullshit coming out of Trump’s mouth, it’s hard to keep track.

Although it could ultimately have some benefit, it’s horrible that he’s gone off on a tangent to meet with Putin excluding President Zelenskyy. When Trump spewed a barrage of lies from saying Ukraine started the war to calling Zelenskyy a dictator, the calm Zelenskyy retorted by turning the other cheek and merely saying that Trump is living in a “disinformation space”. Zelenskyy took the high road and even said he respected Trump and the people of America. He remains a class act.

Others have come to Ukraine President’s defense. Many world leaders, representatives of the European Union have commented that Trump is wrong.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer was quick to claim Zelenskyy is a democratically elected leader.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, “Canada and our allies are unequivocal in standing up against Vladimir Putin’s illegal, immoral, unjust violations of the international order”.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said, “If you let Russia take over Ukraine, it would be unstoppable.”

Here’s my take on Trump. His personality is one that needs to be the ‘big shot’, the one who calls the shots, the one who orders everyone around, the one who is in control, the one who has the ideas, the one who thinks he’s better than everyone else…to the point where he truly believes he can fool everyone, and believes others are generally stupid. These personality types generally thrive on taking risks, love to stir things up and count on their minions to take care of the details and pick up the pieces. He’s got an inflated view of his abilities. He’s got a God Complex.

With respect to Ukraine, the rest of the EU need to chime in. So, far some of them have, but there are 27 countries included in the EU and they need to stand strong. Starmer and Macron are meeting with Trump on Monday. Maybe with their joint backgrounds in the law (criminal prosecution), philosophy and public affairs, they can talk some sense in the man. However, both are far from conservative and the meetings might not go so well.

Someone has to stop the man!

Canada’s National Flag Day – More Significant Today Than Ever

Sixty years ago, Canadians decided they wanted a flag that was instantly recognizable and totally separate from the United Kingdom – something distinctively Canadian.

I have traveled the world with this image on my suitcases and found that there’s an instant recognition and welcome associated with being Canadian. Why? Well, I think it’s because the world see us as the peacekeepers and even saviors, stemming from our actions in World War II. Albeit, mostly because of our connection with the British Commonwealth; Canada entered the second World War on September 10, 1939 to fight the evils of Hitler. That was 2 years before the United States joined and only after Pearl Harbor. With a total population of less than 12 million, 1.1 million (ten percent of our population) Canadians served in World War II with the 3rd largest navy and 4th largest air force. We didn’t brag about it, but perhaps it’s time we did.

Since then Canada has taken a step back from war and typically entered only when our southern neighbors do – except for Vietnam, and that was a good call. We’ve contributed to the Korean War, the Persian Gulf, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan and the Red Sea Crisis. Admittedly Canada has neglected her military in the last decades. We’ve let the United States take the lead because they’ve become a military powerhouse and we’ve been the best of friends for 210 years. Canada has been there to help and support Americans through natural and unnatural disasters. Regardless of what happens politically, I’m confident that aid will continue.

Nevertheless, our neighbor’s Felon Leader and his minions have misconstrued Canadian behavior as a weakness. We are TRUE, NORTH, STRONG and FREE. He’s unknowingly awakening the Grizzly Bear.

Canadians might be quiet, polite, demure, and complacent when left alone. We even hibernate. Do not mistake these behaviors for weakness. When riled, we are massive, focused, intelligent, protective, and formidable. Don’t fool with the Canadian Grizzly Bear!

We’ve always been proud, but never so proud as we are today. We don’t want a trade war. We don’t want a war of any type. We want to be friends. We want peace. And, we will proudly come together as a nation to support our sovereignty, secure our borders, offer a hand in friendship and never, never become the 51st State.

Don’t fool with the Canadian Grizzly Bear!

Black History Month: We Need to Keep it Alive!

I am disgusted by many of the actions of our southern neighbor’s Felon Leader over the last month, but today I’m focusing on the possibility that he might put an end to Black History Month in the United States. Rest assured that February will continue to educate and celebrate Black History Month in Canada.

I watch many documentaries about our deplorable past about how white people treated people of color, particularly those descended from the enslaved and I learn something with every one I watch. Today I watched the story of the Freedom Summer Murders where three young men, James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, who were voluntarily attempting to register African Americans in Mississippi to vote, were murdered by members of the Ku Klux Klan. What shocked me was: a. that this happened in 1964, and b. that I had never heard the story before.

My partner and I are both in our early 70s and he asked, “You don’t remember this?” Maybe it’s because I grew up in Montreal and he grew up in Windsor, right across from Detroit, that he remembered. Maybe I just led a very sheltered youth. I digress.

My point is – I believe these stories are so very important. I speak to younger people I know, and they have absolutely no knowledge of the historical prejudice that exists. They don’t know the stories of the horrors Black people had to face. They’ve never watch any of Henry Louis Gates Jr.’s epic productions. They know the names of Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Harriet Tubman, and they might know what they did; but they’re less likely to know John Lewis, Roy Wilkins, John Ware, Jean Augustine, Maya Angelou, Frederick Douglass – who they were and what they achievements. Of course, the list goes on. But how will people in the present and future know about these people if we don’t consciously single them out, teach their accomplishments, and celebrate how they rose to success against all odds?

I remember the hope when Barrack Obama was elected that maybe the United States has finally turned a corner in race relations. Sadly, apparently that is not so. We need to keep telling the stories of all the wonderful Black People (scientists, doctors, inventors, activists, writers, poets, politicians, etc.) of whom we can all be proud. Even if it is no longer officially Black History Month in the United States, our youth must be encouraged to watch every documentary that celebrates the accomplishments of Black People.

Former Canadian Prime Minister gives U.S. President Elect a Piece of His Mind…

The Honorable Jean Chretien, Prime Minister of Canada from 1993-2003 turned 91 today. In honour of his birthday, he wrote an opinion article in Canada’s newspaper, The Globe and Mail. This man has gained my utmost respect by hopefully kicking a few asses. Here is what he wrote:

“Today is my 91st birthday.

It’s an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. To look back on the life I’ve had the privilege to lead. And to reflect on how much this country we all love so much has grown and changed over the course of the nine decades I’ve been on this Earth.

This year, I’ve also decided to give myself a birthday present. I’m going to do something in this article that I don’t do very often anymore, and sound off on a big issue affecting the state of the nation and profoundly bothering me and so many other Canadians: The totally unacceptable insults and unprecedented threats to our very sovereignty from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

I have two very clear and simple messages.

To Donald Trump, from one old guy to another: Give your head a shake! What could make you think that Canadians would ever give up the best country in the world – and make no mistake, that is what we are – to join the United States?

I can tell you Canadians prize our independence. We love our country. We have built something here that is the envy of the world – when it comes to compassion, understanding, tolerance and finding a way for people of different backgrounds and faiths to live together in harmony.

We’ve also built a strong social safety net – especially with public health care – that we are very proud of. It’s not perfect, but it’s based on the principle that the most vulnerable among us should be protected.

This may not be the “American Way” or “the Trump Way.” But it is the reality I have witnessed and lived my whole long life.

If you think that threatening and insulting us is going to win us over, you really don’t know a thing about us. You don’t know that when it came to fighting in two world wars for freedom, we signed up – both times – years before your country did. We fought and we sacrificed well beyond our numbers.

We also had the guts to say no to your country when it tried to drag us into a completely unjustified and destabilizing war in Iraq.

We built a nation across the most rugged, challenging geography imaginable. And we did it against the odds.

We may look easy-going. Mild-mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and toughness.

And that leads me to my second message, to all our leaders, federal and provincial, as well as those who are aspiring to lead our country: Start showing that spine and toughness. That’s what Canadians want to see – what they need to see. It’s called leadership. You need to lead. Canadians are ready to follow.

I know the spirit is there. Ever since Mr. Trump’s attacks, every political party is speaking out in favour of Canada. In fact, it is to my great satisfaction that even the Bloc Québécois is defending Canada.

But you don’t win a hockey game by only playing defence. We all know that even when we satisfy one demand, Mr. Trump will come back with another, bigger demand. That’s not diplomacy; it’s blackmail.

We need another approach – one that will break this cycle.

Mr. Trump has accomplished one thing: He has unified Canadians more than we have been ever before! All leaders across our country have united in resolve to defend Canadian interests.

When I came into office as prime minister, Canada faced a national unity crisis. The threat of Quebec separation was very real. We took action to deal with this existential threat in a manner that made Canadians, including Quebeckers, stronger, more united and even prouder of Canadian values.

Now there is another existential threat. And we once again need to reduce our vulnerability. That is the challenge for this generation of political leaders.

And you won’t accomplish it by using the same old approaches. Just like we did 30 years ago, we need a Plan B for 2025.

Yes, telling the Americans we are their best friends and closest trading partner is good. So is lobbying hard in Washington and the state capitals, pointing out that tariffs will hurt the American economy too. So are retaliatory tariffs – when you are attacked, you have to defend yourself.

But we also have to play offence. Let’s tell Mr. Trump that we too have border issues with the United States. Canada has tough gun control legislation, but illegal guns are pouring in from the U.S. We need to tell him that we expect the United States to act to reduce the number of guns crossing into Canada.

We also want to protect the Arctic. But the United States refuses to recognize the Northwest Passage, insisting that it is an international waterway, even though it flows through the Canadian Arctic as Canadian waters. We need the United States to recognize the Northwest Passage as being Canadian waters.

We also need to reduce Canada’s vulnerability in the first place. We need to be stronger. There are more trade barriers between provinces than between Canada and the United States. Let’s launch a national project to get rid of those barriers! And let’s strengthen the ties that bind this vast nation together through projects such as real national energy grid.

We also have to understand that Mr. Trump isn’t just threatening us; he’s also targeting a growing list of other countries, as well as the European Union itself, and he is just getting started. Canada should quickly convene a meeting of the leaders of Denmark, Panama, Mexico, as well as with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to formulate a plan for fighting back these threats.

Every time that Mr. Trump opens his mouth, he creates new allies for all of us. So let’s get organized! To fight back against a big, powerful bully, you need strength in numbers.

The whole point is not to wait in dread for Donald Trump’s next blow. It’s to build a country and an international community that can withstand those blows.

Canadians know me. They know I am an optimist. That I am practical. And that I always speak my mind. I made my share of mistakes over a long career, but I never for a moment doubted the decency of my fellow Canadians – or of my political opponents.

The current and future generations of political leaders should remember they are not each other’s enemies – they are opponents. Nobody ever loved the cut-and-thrust of politics more than me, but I always understood that each of us was trying to make a positive contribution to make our community or country a better place.

That spirit is more important now than ever, as we address this new challenge. Our leaders should keep that in mind.

I am 91 today and blessed with good health. I am ready at the ramparts to help defend the independence of our country as I have done all my life.

Vive le Canada!”

Mr. Chretien, thank you. Let’s hope people listen and take appropriate action. May we remain the true north, strong and free.

No Joking Matter

Some Canadians see the threat of a 25% tariff and Donald Trump’s subsequent reference to our Prime Minister as the ‘Governor of the 51st State’ as a joke; but Canadian social media has exploded with retorting, threatening jibes that I won’t quote. Let’s just say Canadians don’t appreciate the United States’ President Elect’s shock jock style of negotiating.

Trump has it wrong. Canada is a sovereign state. He cannot buy it or use it as a negotiation element. The Dominion of Canada is also a part of the United Kingdom and while mostly symbolic, technically, King Charles III is the Head of State. Just like his idea to purchase Greenland, Trump’s latest quip flaunts his complete ignorance of how world governments work.

Let’s be serious for a minute before this escalates. And you know it will.

In 2023, the United States of America imported about $430 billion dollars worth of oil, vehicles, machinery, metals, wood, foods and a plethora of other goods. And Canada imports about half that from the U.S.A. Much of the trade is north/south to save transportation costs to and from east/west. What most people don’t understand is how intertwined the trade between the two countries is: one third of it occurs over the Detroit/Windsor Ambassador Bridge with multiple vehicle ‘feeder’ parts going back and forth in the automotive process of manufacturing a vehicle. Tariffs on either side would severely restrict the industry for both countries.

Both countries are rich in natural resources. Canada is larger than the United States in land and water mass but has only about 11% of the population resulting in a much quicker depletion of those resources in the States. It has been clear to Canadians that the U.S.A. wants our natural resources. For decades, Canadians have been touting how we should be protecting the north – our boreal forest, our waterways, our minerals – and whinging about selling any of it. With worldwide population growth and oncoming climate change we have an obligation to protect natural resources.

Don’t get me started about the massive water diversions to the U.S.A.: already siphoning 60 billion cubic meters of Canadian water annually while rashly exhausting its own aquifers without looking for alternative responsible farming methods. Donnie even had the audacity to talk about “essentially a very large faucet” in Canada’s British Columbia to re-route to California. Sigh.

We watched quietly during the election; most of us in disbelief at the sadly comical claims and dreadful results. Canadians are thinking that maybe your President Elect doesn’t realize that most of his assertions aren’t possible, maybe he’s just trying to frighten people, maybe he’s thinking if he starts with a wild threat then his opposition will succumb to the terms he is really after. On the other hand, maybe he’s just truly a wiener head. (Look up the Urban Dictionary definition.)

Americans and Canadians have been friends for many years. The frequency with which we have worked together, come to each other’s aid, respected our differences, enjoyed each other’s lands for vacations, shared and supported each other’s ideas and resources demonstrates our positive relationship. Our only hope is that there are enough level-headed politicians in the American House and Senate to restrain your new leader. (And I use that term loosely.)

A Canadian’s Perspective on Covid

I watch the news daily. I watch Canadian news, American news, British news and European news. When I see what’s going on around the world, specifically regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, I shake my head in disbelief. I have never been more proud to be Canadian. We, as a nation, have done well in battling this virus.

Admittedly, we had two key advantages at the onset:

Advantage 1 – Canada’s population spread: Although Canada is the second largest country by land mass in the world, our population of a mere 38 million means that other than a few large cities, our people live farther apart; so spread of disease over the entire country is less likely. This has been evidenced by how well our Atlantic Provinces and Territories are doing.

Advantage 2 – Canada’s Health Care System: Not only does our Health Care System allow most to get ‘free’ medical services, which fosters early testing and attention; but also hospitals can shift money around within from one department to another enabling them to react quickly.

We’re not perfect and we have some shameful blemishes on our Covid-19 track record. We should be conscience-stricken by the conditions in our long-term care facilities and Indigenous populations. While we’ve made some headway in these areas, there’s still a lot of improvement required. And, yes, (insert eye roll) we have some ‘anti-mask’ yahoos.

So, why has Canada done so well? For starters, we listened to the World Health Organization. Our politicians paid attention to the scientists. Our doctors heard the early reports of an overwhelmed hospital system from Italy. Then our ‘first lady’, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, tested positive. Our Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, self-isolated for 14 days.

Where Donald Trump failed, Trudeau led by example: Trudeau appeared daily socially distanced on the steps of Rideau Cottage (where he lives), let his hair and beard grow, and held online meetings all to model effective behaviour to Canada and the world.

The rest of the world should take note. In Canada, our major political parties all came together to show solidarity in the fight against the pandemic. There might have been some jeering back and forth, but for the most part: left, right and middle; federal, provincial and local, politicians have shared in the common goal of making sure Canadians knew exactly what was happening and what they could do about it. Lawmakers but their party lines aside to work together. Even right wing Ontario Premier, Doug Ford, praised federal actions; and although not well-liked by all, continues to exhibit leadership.

It’s not over yet. Now we’re in the second wave. American journalist Brian Williams recently said, “It’s been theorized the Canadians these days must feel like the people living in the apartment over the meth lab.” Did he ever get that right! As daily positive test ratios are above 5% in many States, and they’re still at 2.6% in Canada; we were getting nervous about the potential spread over the boarder. That’s been alleviated by the election of Joe Biden who we are confident will do everything possible to eradicate this pandemic. (Good on you, America!) The trouble is, we still have two months before he takes office.

We have learned so much about how the virus spreads and how to stay safe. Yet, the re-opening phases just before wave two hit have led some people to be lax in their safety practices. With Diwali now and American Thanksgiving approaching, so many folks are ignoring scientific advice and travelling for holidays. What is wrong with people? We’re in the home stretch and we must be vigilant: hunker down, socially distance when you’re out, stick to your familial bubble, wash your hands…and WEAR A MASK!

105 Days In and I’m Angry

Where l live, we’re 105 days into lockdown from the pandemic. Although we’re slowly re-opening, with caution; it’s obvious that we’re not going to see ‘normal’ any time soon.

I haven’t written a lot lately, perhaps because I’m not in a real positive place. I’m tired. I’m tired of 2020. I want 2019 back, or 2021 to be here. I just don’t like 2020. While all of my emotions are close to the surface, the one that I find most difficult to control lately is anger.

On a small scale, I’m angry at the local fool who, even though wearing a mask is mandatory, goes to the grocery store without one and then mouths off because she’s not allowed inside. I’m angry at the halfwit Canadian politicians who can only criticize our leaders’ efforts to minimize and control Covid-19; which they’ve done, by the way, quite effectively.

On a larger scale I’m angry at the violence of some police against marginalized populations – in Canada it’s against Indigenous Peoples just as often if not more than Blacks. I’m angry at ignoramus claims that “All Lives Matter” as a retort to “Black Lives Matter” – they just don’t get it. I’m angry at any buffoon who thinks Trump is doing a good job. All I can do is shake my head in disbelief and pray that they change their minds before the U.S. election.

Right now, at this moment, I am most angry at what is happening in the United States vis-à-vis the Covid-19 Pandemic. Come on! Take a look at what the results of your actions are! In one day, look at the new daily cases for June 24th statistics:

  • Florida (21.5 million pop.) 5,508
  • Texas (29 million pop.) 5,489
  • Arizona (7.3 million pop.) 3,592
  • Canada (37.5 million pop.) 279

Canada and other countries have managed this virus by staying at home, washing our hands frequently, socially distancing, and wearing masks when we cannot. Although we were slow, in some areas, to test; we are now testing the general population. The results in my home city of Windsor is less than 1% – and this is a city where over 6,000 Canadian nurses have crossed the border every day to work in Detroit hospitals.

I don’t think that Americans are less intelligent than Canadians, so why have they not figured out the action/result connection? I think it’s got to do with compliance. Canadians are known as more polite, more easy-going, selfless, and, yes, even compliant. Because we’re polite, I won’t say what many worldwide are thinking about Americans right now. Just read between the lines and look up the antonyms of polite, easy-going, selfless and compliant. You’ll get the drift.

Right now, Canadians are scared. We’re afraid that the sheer massive numbers of Covid-19 cases will somehow cross the border from the United States and start wave 2 of the pandemic in this country. We love you. We’ll do (and have done) anything for you. Please mask up and stay home! Please do this for your Canadian brothers and sisters.

Don’t Skirt the Real Issue!

When will we learn that racism is rampant in our world? Yes, I’m appalled by Christian Cooper being accosted by that dog-walking bitch in Central Park. Yes, I’m disgusted by a jogging Amaud Arbery being chased and shot in Georgia by two idiots who blindly assumed the poor man was a criminal. And yes, I’m mortified by the horrific murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. These terrible examples of blacks being mistreated are just the tip of the iceberg. I can assure you that thousands of examples of racism to varying degrees of offensiveness occur each and every day. Either they just aren’t noteworthy by the press, or they just aren’t caught on camera.

Sadly, the root of the issue of racism is being sideswiped by political hogwash. The press has once again targeted Trump’s malarkey and misguided use of power to redirect the focus away from the true problem. When Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was asked what he thought of Trump’s handling of the U.S. Black Lives Matter protests, he purposefully paused for 21 seconds before finally saying:

“We all watch in horror and consternation at what’s going in the United States. It is a time to pull people together, but it is a time to listen. It is a time to learn what injustices continue despite the progress over years and decades. But it is a time for us as Canadians to recognize that we too have our challenges, that Black Canadians and racialized Canadians face discrimination as a lived reality every single day….it is something that many of us don’t see, but it is a lived reality…we need to see that…we need to be allies in the fight against discrimination….and figure out how we can be part of the solution.“

Instead of paraphrasing what Justin Trudeau said or analyzing what he meant, the press focused on the actual pause. Canadian opposition leaders called him out for what he didn’t do…i.e. slam Donald Trump. People, wake up! Trudeau took the high road! He refused to jump on the bandwagon of Trump bashing and tried to refocus on the real issue: RACISM.

Until each and every one of us opens our eyes to what really goes on, and does something about it, not one of us can claim we are not racist. I’m talking about the time you laughed at a that racist joke; or maybe didn’t laugh, but missed the opportunity to say aloud that you found it disrespectful. I’m talking about the time you might have not befriended someone because the colour of their skin was different from yours. I’m talking about the time you perhaps hired ‘the white’ job candidate even though you consciously weren’t aware that the ‘race card’ was a characteristic in your personal selection toolkit. I’m talking about the time your child brought home a black friend and you asked them questions about their family and background thinking you were merely curious. It’s subtle, but it’s there.

Making changes to the political, criminal justice, policing and social systems are imperative, but they are just the foundation of the new world we must build. Of course systemic racism exists and we need to fix it. In the last 60 years some of us tried, albeit clumsily. We had the Civil Rights Movements. Back in the late 60s and early 70s we thought we were changing the world. We didn’t. Black History Month was established. Before affirmative action, tokenism was the fad. Non-whites (often female – two birds with one stone) were promoted to a positions for which they were ill-equipped. The result was the individual failed and criticism ensued. Then we followed with formal affirmative action. Although successful in some cases, it failed in others being misunderstood and poorly administered. Then U.S. elected Barrack Obama! On the surface, things were looking promising; but we didn’t really fix anything.

So, why are we racist? This week, appropriately timed, PBS Detroit aired a show about Henry Louis Gates Jr., renowned author, teacher, filmmaker, who has delved into the history of black people and then last night began Gates’ groundbreaking documentary series Africa’s Great Civilizations. The former (aired on Tuesday night) touched upon the hypothesis that racism is based on the myth that Africa was nothing more than a collection of tribes -uncivilized groups meandering the deserts and jungles with face paint and spears. Africa’s Great Civilizations debunks the myth by showing the people of Africa as anything but uncivilized. They were advanced, intelligent groups who were great builders, had culture and strategic battle savvy . I recommend everyone watch the series to gain new perspective of Black History.

Until we take a serious look at how and why we treat Blacks differently, nothing will change. As Michael Jackson once sang, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror, I’m asking him to change his ways…If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.”

Domestic Violence Rising Amidst Covid-19

In Canada, we’re mourning the lives of 22 people who were senselessly murdered by a lone gunman in quiet, friendly rural Nova Scotia on April 19, 2020. At the time, the mass shooting accounted for more deaths than Covid-19 had in the province with a population of almost one million. For the first few days, that was the only correlation made. A week into the investigation, it is becoming clear that this horrific rampage began as domestic violence. In addition, statistics are showing that violence against women has increased in Canada by 30 percent. We have more than one pandemic of which to be mindful.

Canadian Minister for Women and Gender Equality, Maryam Mosef is concerned about the increased danger women and children may experience while on Covid-19 lockdown: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/domestic-violence-rates-rising-due-to-covid19-1.5545851

Domestic violence - Wikipedia

Think about it. The coronavirus pandemic is empowering abusers. Many support groups have shut down. Victims are afraid to call help lines because their abuser is watching. Alcohol has been deemed ‘essential’. Abusers have their victims where they want them – isolated. The situation is a nightmare.

What can you do? In our polite society, we have a tendency to not get involved. If you suspect potential for violence, call the person and ask if they want help. Let them know that you are there and that women’s shelters are open. You may save someone’s life.

Abuse is all about ‘power’ and ‘control’. Case in point: The Nova Scotia gunman had a distinct admiration of power. He wanted to appear as an RCMP Officer. As a society, we need to start acknowledging the correlation between domestic abuse and violence. We need recognize and record homicides that have their root causes in domestic violence. Only then will we be able to address the problem.