AP on fire!

Clearly another comment of the week honour is due to 'AP' for his position on, among other things, the Ignatieff debate, Frank Gehry, Tim Horton's coffee and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Killer stuff!

These days, as I search for legitimate content worthy for publication in Next Face, I am finding my best material buried deep in my comments sections. 'AP' also gave me a cheap excuse to publish a picture of my favorite Gehry building in Prague - a first for Next Face - where politics and architecture collide...


Great job AP. Keep them coming.

AP said...
I think we have to relax about Ignatieff the intellectual and his academic background. When we see comments like Ignatieff does not have the “heart and soul of a Canadian” our blood should boil. This is a cheap shot. There is not one idea of what it means to be a Canadian. Have we not learned from the last election campaign that Canadians resent having the one true definition of what it means to be Canadian rammed down their throat? Canadians told us that they did not want to, “choose their Canada.” The “everyman” knew instinctively that there were many images of Canada, each one as valid as the other. Unless we know the man personally how can we claim to speak about what is or is not in his heart. From the few times that I have left this country I knew where my heart belonged. In fact my “Candianness” became clearer and stronger and I came to see just what an amazing place Canada is – not perfect – just amazing. How can we say that Ignatieff does not represent the “everyman?” What does that mean? He does not sip Tim Horton’s coffee by the bucket and he doesn’t play hockey? We can’t fall into the trap of assuming that a Canadian has to love hockey and drink Molson Canadian. Great Canadians also include the intellectuals, artists and architects who have the ability to go beyond the clichés of backyard skating rinks and love of Tim Bits. Think of David Suzuki, Leonard Cohen, the Group of Seven, Margaret Atwood, Micheal Ondaatje etc, etc. etc. Although Frank Ghery hasn’t lived in this country for decades, I like to think that when he says there is a Canadian within him and that influences him every time he designs a building he is validating the genius of this country. As for Ignatieff representing, “bigheaded academics and philosophers who have no idea what everyman lives like” that sounds like the type of nonsense that would come out Mike Harris’ mouth. Remember it was the “bigheaded academic” Pierre Trudeau who fought for a Charter of Rights and Freedoms because he believed in the grand ideas of liberty and equality. As for speaking with conviction, all I can say is actually see him speak or read one of his speeches and agree with him or not, you cannot help but see that the man has convictions. His are not the empty speeches packed with trite ideas and focus group tested drivel that we so often hear. He has serious things to say. We should welcome that he may ask us uncomfortable questions that may actually force us to think. That doesn’t mean that I will support him, it just means that his voice is needed in any leadership contest. If we’re going to dismiss Ignatieff let’s do it for the right reasons but let’s not take cheap shots at the man and let’s try and get beyond the outdated, hackneyed images of Canada.

February 23, 2006 2:58 PM