The War Room

DOSSIER # 22: THE GREAT DIVIDE

Much has been written in the past week about the results our election. Pundits have commented on the ‘urban/rural split’ and then those pundits have been taken to task by others saying that the split is in fact ‘metropolitan/rest of Canada’. To some extent, I think this is more over semantics but I thought I would let the dust settle for a week and take in the events before writing about them. As with many things in life, sometimes at least a little bit of distance can gather perspective.

I do not subscribe to the view put forth by some that Canadians ‘en masse’ engaged in some sort of group think to punish the Liberals but only ‘test drive’ the Conservatives. This is the argument that will be use by many to try to curb Stephen Harper. His critics will say, ‘but Canadians really want liberalism without the party’.

Rubbish.

If one voted for Stephen Harper it was because one though he was the best man for the job. Same for Jack Layton. Same for the other guy; y’know…the who had all of the ‘passion’.

What these results show is that we are indeed a nation divided. But what fewer people are willing to talk about is what exactly it is that divides us. There will be many people talking to Prime Minister Designate Harper over the next 12 months about what he can do to gain the hearts and minds of the great hinterlands known as Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto.

They will tell him to give more money to the cities. They will tell him to once and for all say he will never again speak of abortion and get him to put it in writing. One sorry columnist, Lawrence Solomon of the Financial Post, actually recommends that Harper marches in a ‘gay pride’ parade to show his solidarity for the gay community. Then again, if you recall the photos of Harper last summer making the rounds dressed as a cowboy, one might be able to argue that he was just forseeing the 'progressive' impact of Brokeback Mountain months before its release.

However, what these pundits fail to recognize is that what really divides us goes well beyond same-sex marriage. That is a sympton of what divides us, not the ailment itself. What really divides us at this point in history is the role of the traditional family in society; the role of children; and the role of gender.

SSM as an issue does not stand alone. It is part of a whole New Left philosophy that sees the traditional family as a form of ‘evil’ and ‘oppression’ in our society. It is part of the same philosophy that seeks to have a National Daycare System to keep undercutting the role of male/female parents and the impact that they have on their children’s lives. It is about what you can teach children and when should they be taught it.

It is about whether or not your children have a Christmas Pagent at their school or a Solstice Celebration. It is about acknowledging that while they are both equal, there are inherent differences between the male and female of the species and that these differences should be celebrated, not obfuscated.

It is about understanding that the primary force for protecting the weak in our society (children, poor and the elderly) is not government but the traditional family. It is about whether or not a family can be defined as a bunch of bohemian artists living in a loft.

It is about whether or not we legalize more recreational drugs and prostitution and lower the age of consent. It is about euthanasia and polygamy. It is about truth vs. moral relativism. It is also about when we believe human life begins.

In essence, it is the difference between having a Judeo-Christian worldview or a secular worldview rooted in a modern notion of neo-Marxist radical egalitarianism.

This is what the ‘red tories’ do not understand.

And althought there are many people who vote Conservatve in Toronto, this is why Harper will not get the ‘progressive’ downtown vote anytime soon. It is why the ‘educated elite’ will not vote for him. Sadly, in our modern echelons of higher learning where radical feminism, relativism and identity politics have taken on religious forms, everything that Harper stands for is to be feared. And as long as the Christian and Catholic element of the party exists in the form of Stockwell Day and Jason Kenney they will continue to deny him the vote.

Many metro ‘progressives’ would vote for Paul Bernardo if he ran for the Liberal Party of Canada. “Well at least we know he is a social liberal,” they would rationalize. That may sound cruel but there is some blunt truth to be found in this statement. What divides us is how we see our human body, the role of the traditional family and its relation to the world.

What this election finally did was put to death the Liberal lie that all Canadians are the same. We are not. We are perhaps more divided now than at any time of our history. Now this must be dealt with.

I have read Stephen Harper’s past writings and I believe he understands these issues. He will not be able to accomplish all that he wants but he does have a mandate, however slim. I suspect he will stay true to his views not because he is staying true to his base but because he knows it is the right thing to do. Many pundits believe Harper is a closet ‘red tory’ in disguise who really does not care about family issues and is only playing to his base. I disagree. I think he is motivated by what he knows is right. I think if he stays the course he could very well be one of Canada’s best Prime Ministers; a man with a vision and a sense of duty and honour.

I have no fears that we’ll be seeing Prime Minister Harper marching down Yonge St. in leather chaps for the sake of the ‘metro’ vote anytime soon.

posted by Nicol DuMoulin @ 9:22 AM