Right in the Centre - In pursuit of truth and decency

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Published on Thursday, July 21, 2016

By Ken Waddell

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

The government of Manitoba just re-named a portion of Hwy. 10 after the longest serving premier of Manitoba, John Bracken. Bracken wasn’t a big self-promoter. His name isn’t exactly a household name any longer.

The CBC tells the highway naming story this way. “Manitoba has named a section of highway after a former Conservative premier.

A 195-kilometre stretch of Highway 10 — from the International Peace Garden on the U.S. border to Riding Mountain National Park — will be known as the John Bracken Highway. Michael Bracken, his grandson, called it a tremendous honour.

Bracken was premier of Manitoba for 21 years, from 1922 to 1943.”

Bracken later represented the Neepawa constituency in the federal parliament. 

Bracken was the kind of politician that we need today. He wasn’t flashy, but was pragmatic. He was elected as a United Farmers of Manitoba rep in 1922 and served as premier from 1922 to 1943. His government had a few different names from Progressive Party of Manitoba to Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba. He had many different party’s members in his government’s various coalitions. He  was an unassuming man and that is a trait that is often missing in politics today at all levels.

The honour is well deserved and his name will be elevated to a more prominent position in Manitoba history.

In sharp contrast to the unassuming and diligent John Bracken, we have been subjected to United States politics in major doses this week. As I have said several times here, as well as publicly and privately, it’s a sad situation when the best the United States can come up with for president is Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. The U.S. voting public don’t seem to want decorum, decency, honesty or clearly defined policies and principles. It’s amazing that the country functions at all. Violence is rampant in the streets, the rhetoric is so over the top that it’s hard to believe that even the speakers themselves believe what they are saying. It boggles the mind that the United States can flounder so badly and still think they can survive as a world power. The choice for president seems to be an aged out crook versus an aged out buffoon. Is there not a better 50 year old out there who could do the job with honesty, intelligence and decorum?

A major lack of honesty exists in Canada and the United States right now. It’s fuelled by a less than honest media. Few in the media actually question anything they see or hear and so the message of the day, the biggest lie, the most outrageous and perhaps the least thought out message becomes the flavour of the day or the week. 

There is a pervasive message that is being accepted and it is that people are being oppressed in the United States and Canada. It’s only party true. Certainly, Canada and the U.S. have a racism problem. Canada has racist attitudes and policies against the First Nations people and the U.S. has racist policies and attitudes against blacks. The part of the message that is without much basis is that middle class and upper class whites are killing FN and blacks in North America. Any violent death is a tragedy.

However, we need to look at the stats and realize most of the violent deaths on both sides of the border arise from within the FN and black communities. Blaming middle class whites for the murders is, in many cases, a misplacement of blame.

The political system in North America needs a major overhaul and millions of frustrated people from all walks of life know it needs an overhaul. Most people inside the political system and most people in the media don’t realize it and that is why Donald Trump is so popular. He promises the common people that he will change everything. Buffoon or not, he rides the waves of frustration that are shaking North America.

Locally, all we can do is to do the best we can in our own homes and our own communities. Never give up, always look up.