David Miller: another hypocrite of a politician

I'm sick and tired of hypocrite politicians.

Politicians who tell staff they can't be caught dead without wearing a poppy in the days leading up to Remembrance Day, keeping someone close by at all times to make sure that no camera will catch them without one.

Politicians who "proudly" stand up in front of the crowds and the media to deliver their recycled (and apparently faked) speeches on cue every year on November 11th. In these speeches, these politicians always talk about how grateful we all must be. They say that it is thanks to the men and women who fought on our behalf all those years ago who made the country what it is today.

And, again, right on cue, we eat it all up, glowing proudly and nodding in agreement with every pithy statement these elected officials make - often pausing for the applause to die down.

David Miller, Mayor of Toronto, has apparently equated "Support our Troops" with "Support the Mission in Afghanistan". Consequently, he intents on having all such ribbons removed from ambulances and fire trucks. He has distorted what it means to be someone who wants to show support for the troops out there defending the free world. As is the case for most politician with his stripes, any position on an issue other than his is uncivilized.

We'll show you uncivilized, Mr. Miller, if you show up at a Remembrance Day ceremony in four months or so to deliver some speech you obviously do not believe in, and in spite of this you deliver it anyway because it's the politically expedient thing to do on that day. Why do you waste your time? Stay home!

I'm hoping that saner minds prevail in Toronto (for once!) and that you, Mr. Miller, come to your senses and release a statement this afternoon proclaiming that you were "misquoted", "taken out of context", or "misunderstood". That's what politicians do when they suddenly realize that what they said is not exactly appreciated by the masses.

You can't make this magically go away. You were quite clear, Mr. Miller - now fess up and fix this mess. You might think that because you just got re-elected that people will forget this little incident when you hit the streets in three years. They won't. They'll remind you in November 2007, 2008, 2009 and hopefully in 2010 - with a boot square you know where.

Some say you're either "with us" or "against us" - a little too black and white for even me, but you've definitely crossed a line you should not have. Now apologize and admit you were wrong. You might be the first politician to openly do so - and doing so might resurrect a career you so carelessly (and, I hope inadvertantly) tossed off a cliff this morning.

It's not too late...