Taxation Without Representation

Canada’s federal election is only a couple of weeks away and while all the candidates are campaigning for my vote, I can definitely relate to how people can become disillusioned and apathetic with the whole process.

Our federal representation is based upon population with our local Member of Parliament sitting in the House of Commons and representing the will of us constituents. Unfortunately Canadian politics is such that MPs do not represent the will of the constituents that elected them but rather the will of their political party as dictated by the leader of their party. While we may have 308 seated members in the House of Commons, typically it is mainly only one, the Prime Minister, who really holds all the power. No MPs of the Prime Minister’s political party dare vote against him in Parliament without suffering the inevitable consequence of being removed from caucus and being forced to change parties or sit as an independent. Not really an appealing option for someone who wishes to keep his job and earn another term in office with the promise of a pension. And thus if the ruling party holds a majority, the Prime Minister pretty much runs the country on his whim. So much for my personal representation in Ottawa.

The disillusionment and apathy that our political system has generated has fueled voting strategies that make individual MPs irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Rather than voting for the riding candidate of their choice to represent them in the House of Commons, people are voting for the candidate that represents the political party that has the best chance of defeating their least favorite candidate for Prime Minister. In an attempt to avoid splitting the left vote, websites like http://www.voteforenvironment.ca/ have been created to ensure that Stephen Harper’s poor environmental record does not get a chance to resonate for another four years.

Like with the financial crisis in the the US, wouldn’t it be better to just fix the system to run the way it was designed to operate as opposed to coming up with strategies to work around and patch a flawed approach? Why do we not demand that our MPs be allowed to vote the will of their constituents without political consequence? This would make all 308 Members of Parliament relevant again and would restore the faith of the Canadian people that they do have a voice in the House of Commons.

“Canadians can disagree, but it takes a lot to get Canadians to intensely hate something or hate somebody. And it usually involves hockey.”
- Stephen Harper ( b. 1959)

Busy

It has been a busy two weeks since my last posting and lots has happened. We destroyed one of our Chinese Lions after its performance in a memorial funeral service, as is the custom, and then wrote off another due to excessive damage from normal wear and tear. Since they were our Kwan Kung and Zhang Fei lions respectively, they will need to be replaced as soon as it is feasible. We raised another $250 for our Benevolent Foundation with a lion dance performed for Marlin Travel at Westland Mall this morning. The spectators were great and the team really fed off the crowd’s enthusiasm.

I have lots of sticks in the fire right now so the next few months will be quite hectic. Our annual fundraising event is set to run in about six weeks and we hope to raise a significant amount of funds for important initiatives. I am in the process of preparing for UBBT 6 with a bunch of my black belts participating as student members and I have Master McNeill crafting me a cane that I will use when I begin studying his curriculum. Busy, busy, busy.

While all this is going on I find myself pondering the current economic crisis the west finds itself embroiled in. I fear this situation may shift our focus from the environment back to the economy and I am not sure our future can afford such a distraction at this pivotal point in time. With federal elections looming in both the USA and Canada, I fear what mandate we may be giving our future leaders. Will we vote for what is right for the world or will we vote for what is right for our wallets?

Definitely a time for me to give thanks for my privileged life and perhaps remind myself of the responsibility I hold as a leader, a role model, and a citizen. By simplifying my life and keeping my focus on the important issues such as peace education, the environment and sustainable living, the societal paradigm shift required to make lasting change will happen. There has never been a more important time to step up and be counted.

“Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost.”
John Quincy Adams (1767 - 1848)

Travis Panasiuk - Jan. 30, 1988 to Sept. 4, 2008

It has only been three days since Travis died in a highway accident and the intensity of my emotions is overwhelming. His very first and very last kung fu classes were exactly seventeen months apart - to the day. In those seventeen months Travis touched us all in such a profound way that his persona will forever be imprinted upon the spirit of Silent River Kung Fu and will always be a part of us. He was the best of who we are.

Travis’ life was filled with challenges, challenges that he addressed with his kung fu. Travis could have continued his life down the road of self destruction he was on but he ultimately chose a different path and fought to regain control. It was a struggle for Travis but it was a struggle he openly shared with his instructors. Travis held himself accountable and set an example that inspired and motivated everyone who had the privilege to teach him or train at his side.

Travis was well on his way to earning a black belt in a few years. I had often looked forward to that day when he would do his presentation on what kung fu had done for him. Oh what insights he could have shared. Travis was the living epitome of the impact discipline and respect can have on a life.

Ironically Travis had visited me several times in the past couple of weeks to talk about the untimely death of his childhood friend Brock. Travis was having difficulty making sense of such a tragedy. Today I find myself faced with the same struggle over Travis’ death. I hope Travis got more use out of the advise I gave him than I am.

I hope to honour Travis’ memory by approaching my kung fu with the same enthusiasm as Travis approached his. Whether it was forms, sparring, lion dance, san shou, fitness training, or tai chi, Travis put his all into his training and ended every session looking forward to his next. Goodbye Travis, you were not only the student we all wish we had, you were the student we all want to be.

“In my lifetime
I will demonstrate my lessons
Stop the cycle of procrastination
Live every moment
Let the past be history
Have the future changed
Control my thoughts
Forge my spirit
Create hope
Push forward
Pull aid
Forget weakness
Discover strength
Continue greatness
Allow All to share in my difference.”
- Travis Panasiuk (1988 - 2008)