Sound Off — Sept. 5, 2012

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/09/2012 (5130 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Childhood trauma

As a traumatized survivor of fundamentalist Christianity, I was reading the interview with the altar boy in Saturday’s paper with interest and curiosity. Early Sunday school feelings of confusion and horror returned as I sympathized with his youthful enthusiasm and commitment. We all remember the Old Testament stories of a talking snake and a magical tree in the Garden of Eden, a virgin giving birth and that favourite childhood tale of global genocide, Noah’s Ark and that’s just the first couple of chapters. The fear of the torments of hell for eternity topped off my trauma. In the New Testament, Paul said, “When I became a man I put away childish things,” so I decided to take his advice and after years of therapy now have a personnel relationship with reality.

Empty promises

In regards to the Sound Off, “Dakota Should Seek Business, Not Confrontation.” Some people oppose that because Birdtail Sioux First Nation residents are also being bought off with empty promises and promises of business ventures such as their gas bar, which has gone unfinished for three years while residents, hard working people, have to go off the reserve to buy their gas, cigarettes, confectionery and other basic grocery items.

At least Reg showed up

I attended Two Days the Métis Way on September long weekend. It was a fabulous event, it was great to see Reg Helwer from Brandon West show up and give a speech at the opening ceremony. I have to say like the Republican party with the empty chair for U.S. President Barack Obama, there were three empty chairs, for Mayor Shari Decter Hirst, Merv Tweed and Drew Caldwell — I am sure that if Reg got an invite, they would have received one, too. Kudos to Reg for supporting the Grand Valley Local of Brandon.

New garden at Daly House

What’s going on, Brandon? While driving down 18th Street, I noticed work being done at Daly House. I drove around and parked. To my surprise there is a garden being built with a bandstand and a gazebo to yet be added. Just for a nice place to come and sit. How beautiful it is and when finished how grand it will be. Finally, Brandon is getting it together. I’m told it’s a lot do to with volunteers. Hats off to you Brandon citizens to create something so beautiful and unique for the rest of Brandon.

Learn to use what we have

The July 2012 budget change that includes the collection of RST on almost every insurance type is a classic example of our government spending time and resources trying to figure out how to tax us more. Although this is an act of our very own provincial government, don’t the rest of you (and you know who you are C of B, G of C, RM of Everywhere, etc.) point your finger and laugh as you are just as guilty. What could have been accomplished if the same resources had been directed to an area of need, like infrastructure repair or the provincial debt? What will it take to get the message through that the governments do not need any more money; they need to figure out how to get the work done with what they have so that we, the financiers, can get what we are paying for. I, for one, am getting very tired of receiving such a poor ROI.