In Praise of Jean Chretien's Message From Canadians to Americans on 25th Anniversary of 9/11

 

Canada observed the 25th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, in part by gathering in Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Of course, Gander, the former site of a Canadian military base, welcomed 38 planes diverted out of U.S. airspace and made the passengers and crew feel like they were at home.

At the time, Jean Chretien was Prime Minister of Canada. The previous year, his Liberals were elected to a third consecutive majority government. Something both Pierre and Justin Trudeau could only dream to achieve. It was Chretien's government that suggested that NATO invoke Article 5. An attack on one is an attack on all.

Chretien has largely been out of the limelight for the better part of two decades. But when he speaks, people listen. Given how relations between Canada and the United States have deteriorated since last year, the 92-year-old Chretien addressed the elephant in the room:

I have seen a few things in my lifetime, and I know the people from coast to coast to coast. 

I have a message for our American friends. 

Yes, Canada is generous open country, and Canadians are tolerant and kind. 

But never mistake our generosity for weakness!!!

Never mistake our tolerance for lack of determination.

And never, never mistake our kindness for softness.

We know who we are and we are proud of it.

Building a country like this with this climate and this geography is a sign of toughness, not of weakness. 

Welcoming people from all over the world. Caring for each other including the weakest in society is a sign of strength.

We embrace our friends and we help them in their moment of need. 

But we bow to no one.

And the more we are insulted, threatened and abused, the more we will stand up for ourselves and stand united.

And I say that not in anger but as one friend to another. 

Friends need to be honest with each other.

Just ask the people in Gander and anywhere in Newfoundland and Labrador.

They will give you the shirt off their back like they did 25 years ago.

But they will always show you the respect of telling you the truth.

So, my friends, here is to truth, to respect, to friendship and to good neighbors.

Vive le Etat-Unis and Vive la Canada!!!

Under normal circumstances, remarks such as these would not have been appropriate for such a solemn occasion. But these are not normal circumstances. Chretien's bluntness was in order.

Of course, these remarks are directed not at the Americans who found safety in Gander, but to the Trump Administration.

Yes, Canada will help Americans and anyone else in need when the time comes. But show us the friendship, honesty and respect that we show for you.

When I lived in Canada, I never supported Chretien or the Liberals. But I cannot disagree with anything he said. 

After Chretien finished his remarks, he was hugged by American Ambassador Pete Hoekstra to whom Canadians have taken a strong dislike.

One can only hope that Hoekstra took what Chretien said to heart and give Trump his message. 

Mind you, I'm not holding my breath and even if Hoekstra does convey Chretien's message, I cannot imagine that Trump will listen.

And if Trump does not listen and continues to insult, threaten and abuse then Canadians will continue to follow the lead of both Chretien and Mark Carney and stand up to him. 

My Thoughts on The 25th Anniversary of The Attacks of September 11, 2001

I would be remiss if I did not write something concerning the 25th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001.

At the time of the attacks, I had been living in this country for just under 18 months having moved to Boston from Ottawa the previous year. 

On the day of the attacks, it was the fourth day of a new job I had started working for a non-profit vocational rehabilitation agency in Lynn, Massachusetts, a few miles north of Boston.

As it happened, the organization was having a company picnic at their headquarters in Beverly about another 10 miles north. It was during the drive from Lynn to Beverly that we learned what had happened listening to Peter Jennings on the radio. Under the circumstances, it was far from a festive mood belying a beautiful sunny afternoon. 

The picnic was cut short. I spent some time walking around the shore trying to make sense of things taking a little comfort at the sight of a beautiful woman tanning on the beach apparently without a care in the world.

That evening, I walked from Boston to Cambridge up Mass Avenue to attend the open mike at Club Passim in Harvard Square and a read a poem. The crowd was sparse. But I wanted to be out and about. I wanted to live my life. I wasn't denying what had happened. Just the opposite. What had happened was all the more reason to exercise my freedom.

But it was at Club Passim where I would get rumblings of conspiracy theories of the act being an inside job accompanied by the pillorying of President Bush. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

At the time, I still identified as a democratic socialist. But I was so turned off by the anti-American and anti-Israel rhetoric that my politics turned rightward. By 2003, I was writing for conservative websites and by the end of the decade, I had begun writing for The American Spectator.

Then just over a decade ago, along came Donald Trump who claimed he saw thousands of Muslims cheering on the attacks. And we elected Trump President. I wanted no part of Trump and The American Spectator didn't want anyone who wasn't all aboard the Trump Train. So, I parted ways with them and have never regretted the decision.

After all, Trump is still lying about 9/11. Scarcely 72 hours ago, Trump claimed he was at Ground Zero and was escorted away by two firemen because they thought the building would collapse. Despite the lie, there are no doubt millions of Americans who will take him at his word. Because we elected him President again. You can indeed fool some of the people all of the time.

While my political perspective has moved leftward over the past decade, it will never return to the democratic socialism I espoused in my teens and twenties. For people like Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar the attacks of September 11, 2001 were nothing more than "some people did something". 9/11 is something to be minimized. Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed is happy to speak alongside 9/11 conspiracy theorists. Then there are deleted tweets such as this one:

Today, I mourn the 3K lives, 6K injuries, & infrastructural devastation in NYC, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my faith. Tomorrow, I'll mourn ~1M lives, millions of injuries, & infrastructural devastation in 3 countries, perpetuated ignorantly in the name of my country.

El-Sayed is essentially saying that those who served in the U.S. military are morally equivalent to al-Qaeda. This I cannot abide or accept. 

The fact that El-Sayed is prepared to share a stage with 9/11 conspiracy theorists means he is working to absolve al Qaeda for their actions. He and those who support him are no better than someone like Trump who lies writ large about Muslims while engaging in stolen valor.

To borrow a phrase from Stealers' Wheel there are "clowns to the left me, jokers to the right". Simply put, I am surrounded by morons. As I get older, I am more inclined to trust my own counsel than accept the words of charlatans and demagogues. In so doing, I accept the fact that we haven't learned much and will probably never truly understand the consequences of the events of September 11, 2001. Frankly, many of us don't want to learn or understand.

I shudder to think how our knowledge and understanding will further diminish on the 50th anniversary of the darkest day in American history come September 11, 2051. That is assuming I am still inhaling and exhaling five days before my 79th birthday.

Charlie Kirk's Legacy: Conspiracy Theories or Dialogue?

A year ago today, Charlie Kirk lost his life to an assassin's bullet. Here is a portion of what I wrote in response to the news of his death:

Charlie Kirk did not deserve the manner of his final fate while speaking on a university campus in Utah. A young man struck down a month shy of his 32nd birthday leaving behind a widow and two small children.

Even if one believed his views to be repugnant, the First Amendment permits such speech. A free people can choose to accept, reject or ignore it. 

What happened to Charlie Kirk today is every bit as wrong as what happened to Minnesota Democratic State Senator Melissa Hortman last June. No one should lose their life for expressing their point of view, right or wrong.

While we can and must condemn the act which ended the life of Charlie Kirk, we must not whitewash his legacy. As previously mentioned, I did not write a great deal about him but when I did write about him it was not to lavish him with praise. However appalling the circumstances of Charlie Kirk's death, it doesn't change the fact that he judged African Americans by their color of their skin instead of the content of their character. I will lament his death, but I won't ignore his bigotry and hatred of others. R.I.P.

With this in mind, let me draw your attention to an editorial in the Boston Globe written by Kara Bettis Carvalho which focuses on college students who are involved with Kirk's organization, Turning Point USA:

Yale’s chapter is one of dozens across the country that have launched since Kirk’s death. Turning Point’s website claims to currently sponsor 1,500 college chapters, including at 69 campuses around New England. A CNN report found that the organization had grown by 64 percent over the past year.

Students I spoke to say they want to promote dialogue — especially about economics and foreign policy — expose students on liberal campuses to opposing viewpoints, and at the very least, not be condemned for having a different political opinion that puts them in the small but not insignificant minority.

In many cases, conservative student groups meet to discuss politics, the news, and — what nearly every student told me — to have a “safe space” to talk honestly about their beliefs. Most of them had good relationships with the Democratic clubs on campus but had experienced harassment from far-left groups and individuals, including having their posters covered up.

On the surface, there is nothing wrong with wanting to promote dialogue and I am glad to hear that these students involved with Turning Point USA have cordial relationships with Democrats on campus.

It reminds me of my days as an undergraduate at Carleton University more than 30 years ago. At the time, I was involved in the campus NDP. Every year, there would be a Model Parliament. The first year, I attended it was organized by the campus Tories, and it was not a good event for those involved with other political parties. 

Not wanting a repeat experience, I took it upon myself to work with the other campus political parties to organize an all-party committee to organize the next Model Parliament. With a focus on cooperation, the event was much more successful.

Of course, we disagreed. That is the essence of political parties and democracy at large. We just disagreed in an orderly manner. If Turning Point USA can co-exist with left-wing organizations on campus, then this is a good thing. 

Nevertheless, I cannot help but wonder what these Turning Point USA campus groups discuss. After all, Kirk built his brand on conspiracy theories - COVID and election denialism with overt hostility towards African Americans and the LGBTQ community. If this is the sort of thing Turning Point USA talks about then I can see why it would turn off a great many people who would not be inclined to associate with it. 

Let us also consider that in the year since Kirk's death, there have been several conspiracy theories hatched concerning his demise namely that his assassination was carried out by Israel and that his widow Erika was involved in his murder. In the grand scheme of things, we should not be surprised that someone who promoted conspiracy theories in life would be the subject of them in death.

While I have no doubt that there are those who joined Turning Point USA in good faith wishing to promote dialogue, I suspect that Charlie Kirk's legacy rests on an endless cycle of conspiracy theories and diatribes.

Things Aren't So Smiley in Providence As Mayor Ousted By Anti-Semitic Challenger

(Providence Mayor Brett Smiley (L) & David Morales (R))

In Providence, Rhode Island, incumbent Mayor Brett Smiley was ousted in the Democratic primary by 27-year-old State Representative David Morales,

With 85% of the votes tabulated, Morales earned 54% of the vote while Smiley tallied 46% of the vote. Smiley was seeking his second term in office.

What is disturbing about Morales is that much of his campaign was centered on his hostility towards Israel and to the Jewish community at large. Not only has Morales pledged to use his platform as mayor to oppose "unconditional military aid" for Israel but he objected to Smiley attending a conference sponsored by the Combat Anti-Semitism Movement. It should also be noted that Smiley converted to Judaism during his term in office.

Morales is widely expected to prevail against Republican mayoral candidate David Talan in November. Providence hasn't had a Republican mayor since the late Buddy Cianci who eventually became an Independent.

I suspect Morales will campaign on a local referendum which calls upon the city to not invest in “foreign countries conducting ethnic cleansing, apartheid, illegal military occupation, or genocide.” No countries are named in the referendum question, but its organizers are clear in singling out Israel.

In retrospect, this turn of events is not entirely surprising. In May 2025, the Palestinian flag flew over Providence City Hall over Smiley's objections. 

It would seem that Morales is more interested than advocating for Palestinians than he is in advocating for Providence. But if the people see fit to elect Morales in November, then they will get the government they deserve.

Thoughts on The Holdout Juror Who Wanted to Convict Lindsay Clancy For Murdering Her 3 Young Children

I generally tend not to follow trials which occupy space in the news cycle. There is too much of a tabloid element for my taste. 

This also applies to trials which occur here in Massachusetts such as the two murder trials of Karen Read nor the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy - that is until it resulted in a mistrial due to a holdout juror.

As you may recall, I served on a federal jury last December concerning a drug case and ended up on the wrong end of an 11-1 vote until I reluctantly voted to convict. 

Given the circumstances, I must say that I have a great admiration for that holdout juror for sticking to his guns. There is a big part of me that wishes I had done the same. 

Now as you can imagine, the other jurors in the Clancy case do not share my admiration. I know full well that the jurors with whom I served could not stand the sight of me because they wanted to go home. 

The juror in question has not come forward since the mistrial as of this writing. Whether he will choose to speak his peace in public remains to be seen and is entirely up to him.

Notwithstanding my admiration, it is quite possible that if I had served on that jury, I might have very well stood with the other 11 jurors who voted to acquit Clancy. While I am inclined to believe that Clancy knew what she was doing and willfully killed her children, I did not sit in that jury box and did not hear all the evidence. There are certain things to which a jury and those in the courtroom are privy. It is possible there were mitigating factors that would warrant a not guilty verdict despite the fact Clancy killed her children.

Given my recent experiences, had I been on that jury and voted to convict, I would like to think that I would have possessed sufficient empathy to try to reason with this juror without belittling him. Such an intervention might not have changed his mind but if I were in a such a situation I can only hope to convey an understanding for his position and an understanding why his conscience told him he could not vote with everyone else.

Perhaps this juror did gain an understanding of post-partem depression during the trial. Yet this juror probably thought this was not sufficient to justify the murder of three children - Cora Clancy, 5; Dawson Clancy, 3; and 8-month-old Callan Clancy. Perhaps he believed the victims had been forgotten and deserved justice. For this juror, it meant Lindsay Clancy was guilty of murder.

Thoughts on Canadian Counter-Tariffs on U.S. Goods Taking Effect

 

Today, Canada's dollar-for-dollar counter-tariffs went into effect on more than $20 billion of U.S. imports following the breakdown in trade talks between the Canadian government and the Trump Administration last month.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the matter in both English and in French. True to form, Carney spoke intelligently and in complete sentences. He also spoke of the opportunities and the costs. While Canada is pursuing greater trade relationships within Canada and with partners in Europe and Asia, the United States remain a large market and there will be pain. Carney didn't tell Canadians there would be so much winning. 

Canadians have braced for impact and this evening the Trump Administration has announced bans on the import of Canadian alcohol and motorcycles along with 50% tariffs on molasses and motorboats to take effect at the end of the month. Canadian access to the U.S. government procurement programs will also be restricted.

But, for the moment, Carney has goodwill on his side as reflected by an approval rating of 70%. This isn't to say that approval won't fall if Canadians lose their jobs in earnest. But as long as Trump insists on saying "I don't want Canadian anything", demanding Canadian companies do business in the U.S. that already do business in the U.S. and renaming the Great Lakes and being the jerk he is then Canadians will stand with Carney.

Let me put it this way, Canadians are more likely to put up with the pain than Americans and this intolerance could soon be reflected in mid-term election results which will weaken Trump considerably. Should this come to pass, it will strengthen both Canada's stand and its resolve. 

Pat Putnam Was a Small Part of My Baseball Childhood

Former MLB first baseman Pat Putnam passed away on August 25th of natural causes, but his death was not made public until yesterday. He was 72.

Born and raised in Vermont, Putnam's family moved to Florida when he was 8 years old. Putnam would attend Miami Dade College on a baseball scholarship and would be selected by the New York Mets in the 12th round of the 1974 MLB Draft. However, Putnam opted to transfer to the University of South Alabama where he played under former MLB player and manager Eddie Stanky.

In 1975, Putnam was drafted once more this time by the Texas Rangers and in the first round and the 22nd overall pick in the nation. Putnam quickly became a man on the move. In 1976, while playing for the Single-A Asheville Tourists in the Western Carolina League, Putnam batted .361 with 24 HR and 142 RBI winning the league's Triple Crown and MVP honors. On the strength of this performance, he was promoted to the Triple-AAA Tucson Toros of the Pacific Coast League batting .301 with 15 HR and 102 RBI.

This would earn Putnam a September call up to the Rangers. When he made his big league debut, Putnam was batting cleanup collecting his first big league hit off future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins who was pitching with the Boston Red Sox at the time. A year later, Jenkins would rejoin the Rangers and become Putnam's teammate.

In 1979, Putnam would become the Rangers' everyday first baseman. That season, Putnam hit .277 with 18 HR and 64 RBI. Those numbers were good enough for him to finish in a three-way tie for fourth place in AL Rookie of the Year balloting with Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Ross Baumgarten and New York Yankees reliever Ron Davis. That year, AL Rookie of the Year honors were shared by infielders Alfredo Griffin and John Castino of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins, respectively.

Unfortunately, Putnam's offense would decline in both the 1980 and 1981 seasons. By 1982, Putnam had lost the starting first base job to up-and-comer Dave Hostetler who had been acquired from the Montreal Expos along with third baseman Larry Parrish in exchange for Al Oliver. Putnam spent much of the 1982 season in Triple-AAA which by this time was in Denver. 

Following the 1982 season, the Rangers would trade Putnam to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for pitcher Ron Musselman. Putnam responded positively to the trade by hitting a career best 19 HR and 67 RBI along with 126 hits and 23 doubles in 1983 and was voted the team's MVP by his teammates.

However, the Mariners brass was not fully confident in Putnam. In 1984, Putnam would lose the first base job to Ken Phelps in spring training. However, when Phelps went down with an injury, the Mariners chose to go with Alvin Davis who ended up winning AL Rookie of the Year honors. 

Putnam hit .200 in limited action with the Mariners but did catch a break when he was traded to the Minnesota Twins late in the season. Alas, Putnam did not acquit himself well as he went 3 for 38 (.079) in 14 games with the Twins. 

Prior to the 1985 season, Putnam would sign with the Kansas City Royals who would win that year's World Series. But with Steve Balboni ensconced at first base, Putnam would spend the entire season in Triple-AAA with the Omaha Royals of the American Association. 

In 1986 and 1987, Putnam would play in Japan with the Nippon Ham Fighters. He would return to baseball once more in the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989 and 1990 where he played in his adopted Fort Myers with the Sun Sox. In parts of 8 MLB seasons, Putnam played in 677 games collecting 508 hits for a lifetime batting average of .255 with 63 HR and 255 RBI.  

For me, Pat Putnam is one of those guys who I remember from baseball cards, NBC's Game of the Week and Zander Hollander's 1980 Complete Handbook of Baseball. It sounds cliche, but Putnam was a small part of my childhood which is getting smaller each and every day. R.I.P.