God help us all if, for the rest of our lives, we are judged on errors we all made in our youth, and not on the person we evolved to become as we matured.
Unlike our friends to the south, Canada is NOT led by a corrupt government intent on ensuring the rich get MASSIVELY richer and large corporations rake in (then hide) obscene profits.
The ONLY leader to actually listen to the people has been Justin Trudeau. Don't fall for the Trumpian style of politics promoted by conservatives or we will end up like the U.S. - ridiculed by world leaders while bending over backwards for corrupt despots like Putin, Assad, Netanyahu or Kim Jung Un.
1
Where are the Syrian refuges whom Trudeau welcomed to the country- even set up more administrators to help quicken their arrival, whom he welcomed personally and helped in selecting the winter clothes gathered for the families right at the airport?
It would mean a lot to hear their voices along with the rest of us who know that Trudeau is not and never has been a racist!
4
I am a dual citizen of Canada and the United States. I am of south asian descent, was born and raised in Toronto and the past 9 years have lived in the U.S. Yes, his brownface can come across as ignorant but Canada and the U.S. have completely different histories. I believe he would not make the same action as he did back then but he has done a lot for minorities in Canada and is a good man. This picture being used as a political tool most likely by the conservatives of Canada is desperate and ugly.
5
This constant breast beating over prior bad acts is preposterous. Politicians are not our friends. They certainly aren't role models. They are public figures who promise to deliver policies aligned with our political beliefs and economic goals.
Liberals who vote Conservative harm themselves far more than Justin Trudeau who has and always will be a privileged white male at the top of the social and economic ladder. DON'T make the mistake Progressives did in 2016 when they disdained HRC as unworthy of their support.
Hold your nose and vote for the person who most reflect your politics. Or regret it til the next election.
5
I voted for Trudeau’s party in the last election. If these black/brown face incidents were the only misstep, I would be prepared to let it go. But there are other factors in his governing that have made me think twice about voting liberal again particularly the SNC Lavalin debacle and the treatment of two of his female cabinet ministers in this situation. He has had other ethical breeches in his term that the ethics commissioner called him on. So forgive the back/brown face, yes, but taking in the totality of his term I’m not sure his party has my vote.
1
Prime Minister Trudeau can be forgiven, but he does not deserve the vote of the Canadian people. He is a highly educated, upper middle class citizen who certainly knew better. He did it several times. There is no excuse for him or any of the others who have been caught. Several who really did think themselves above everyone else an refused to step down. We cannot pick and choose the people we want to "excuse" solely based on our political preferences. Of course, he's "deeply sorry," he got caught. What else could he say. It's disturbing to me about people like him who preach to the masses, but what conversations go on behind closed doors, we will never know.
If the same revelations came forward about an opposition candidate Trudeau and his fellow Liberals would undoubtedly be howling and calling for that candidate to resign or be kicked out of their party. Although it would be unprecedented for the Prime Minister to resign during an election campaign, to not do so will compromise the integrity of the election and the government (if he wins the election) going forward. Resigning is the only and right thing to do.
2
We're witnessing the braying of the hounds of pack journalism run amok. Sad.
9
Getting rid of Trudeau would be the best thing that ever happened to Canada. He is an arrogant, entitled spendthrift who wouldn't know the truth if it bit him. He has divided Canada, tried to ruin our energy industry and is a pathological liar. He is responsible for a huge loss of job creating investment in Canada and may very well be the biggest hypocrite ever to hold public office. He almost never answers a question and when he does the answer is either patently false or a string of verbal diarrhoea that is nonsensical. The virtue signalling and leftist political correctness would gag a maggot. At last even many blind liberal supporters have seen what he really is
3
After Harper I was hoping the Orange Wave would provide some relief but considering the NDP's positions since losing to Trudeau I'm glad they didn't and I won't even bother commenting on their prospects
The previous Harper conservative government only cared about tax dodging grifters and used evey wedge issue possible to maintain power, from the long gun registry, to unfettered support of dirty oil development to racist dog whistling on "Canadians of Convenience". As to the oil industry, he has been far too accomodating. Buying the pipeline might have been realpolitik but it hasn't done him any favours in the oil patch, as this poster clearly demostrates. He'll be more open to sane policies that will have the effect of curtailing tar sands development.
So it's perfectly understandable the sensible policies he calls virtue signalling would bother this poster, but the two thirds of Canadians who abhored Harper's politics of division have spoken. They won't forget the toxic Harper years and won't give a chance to the Conservatives for a generation, especially if the only thing they can offer is incompetence on the scale of Sheer.
8
@Andy
Hope you still have the right to vote in the upcoming election, Andy.
This should be a non-issue. Trudeau can't say that, but the facts do not lend themselves to equate this event to episodes of others dressing in blackface.
"Brown face" has no history like "black face" and is thus, "not a thing." He was dressed as a specific fictional character and was not invoking a cultural stereotype. That character is not characterized or denigrated because of his race, the way that black people were/are with blackface. It is equivalent to dressing up in "blue face" as a smurf.
Putting on dark make up is not equivalent to dressing up in "blackface". What are the acts, decisions, policies, etc. that provide a context that suggest that this person is a racist or is prejudiced or discriminatory?
10
@I dont know
Thank you . Here is something you might want to know. For forty years or more our government has told us putting masks on children exposes them to needless danger because of vision issues and when little Justin was celebrating Halloween his parents would have painted his face like the government told us.
3
As a new Canadian citizen, I would say that no Canadian with dark skin, or any skin color, that has a tiny portion of dignity should vote for Trudeau. It is obvious that he was making fun and/or having fun impersonating people who has suffered atrocities due to racism. I knew he was ignorant and entitled, but I also know there are many Canadians who are not: please show it on voting day!!
1
@Patricia Gonzalez: How do you think Trudeau and Scheer compare on their support for diversity? One has supported it full-out and the other has railed against it. Take your choice. I'm supporting Trudeau because I know he will support policies that support diversity, as opposed to Scheer who will form the government if Trudeau fails to do so.
7
@gschultens
Whoever and wherever gschultens is we all know Trudeau, Scheer and Singh are honourable men. We are lucky. We must get as far away psychologically from the USA as possible. Cynicism destroys democracy. I am 71 and have lived all over Canada. There are hate mongers everywhere but most of us love our country and the last thing we want is to become Americans.
I never want to live in a Canada where we look at our politicians as anything but well intentioned. We may disagree but the disagreements are about policy not character. There will always be the occasional bad apple but we call it the loyal opposition because it is above all loyal to Canada and its people.
7
There is nothing obvious about Trudeau making fun of anyone at all. Your comment is both counterfactual and unsupported. You will find Canadians to support that position but you should be aware it is out of pure hypocrisy : they are same Conservatives who supported Harper and his racist dog whistling about "Canadians of Convenience". And in case there is any confusion, "As a new Canadian citizen" you should not mistake that those comments are directed at you, @Patricia Gonzalez.
So take offense if you must and vote according to your conscience, but don't expect anyone else to pay attention. You'll find that contrary to the US, uninformed opinion tends to damage the reputation of the person who expresses it rather than the intended target.
Regards.
7
Trudeau has done so much good, said a truck load of uplifting comments on humanity, and served not just Canada, but the world by his acts and his life. I am Jewish, but to paraphrase that famous quote, who among us is without a few stupid mistakes? Many of the comments here are correct, whether they come from the US, Canada or elsewhere, when the infer (or say straight out) why on earth would Canada want to mimic the words and actions of [some] dense Americans? If I were Canadian, I would be proud to re-elect this valuable, pensive, concerned human being.
10
What do we have to say about the creators of Broadway's Hamilton, lauded for casting actors of minority ethnicity to portray historical figures who were white? What about women who dress as male characters? What about male cross-dressers and drag shows? Is it okay to use artificial tanning methods? Is it wrong for dark-complected people of African descent to use whitening agents on their skin, or to use straighteners on their hair?
It may be shallow to assume the superficial costumes or the physical features of someone whose true identity one does not share. But every place and time seems to have allowed occasions for people to try out other identities. It's often mildly transgressive. Context is important and considerations of character far more so. Let's keep this in perspective.
10
Look at that face--forgiven.
1
Oh come on.... as if people cant change. Let's nail everyone to something they did in their past and persecute them for the rest of their lives. People grow up, life experiences change people. We learn. Give the guy a break.
12
This just proves that Trudeau has always been a childish. It's no wonder that he is the perfect vehicle for Canadian companies like SNC-Lavalin,
6
When I see this stuff all I can think of is US-style campaign tactics creeping into Canada. And the ones who scream the most about it seem to be largely devoid of constructive ideas -- so filling in the silence. It's a different system up here -- one votes more for the party than the individual candidate. So to some extent Trudeau's personal failings are irrelevant. But some focus on that rather than the competency of the parliamentarian that we would be relying on for our interactions with government. The question seems to be whether one can differentiate between wearing a costume and makeup at a themed event from real life -- his actions as PM appear to show that he can. I chose to not conflate the two -- after all, what kid did not play something like 'cowboys and indians'. Should they be condemned for life for making a culturally inappropriate choice? I rather hope not. But here we are.
13
@Greg Latiak
Thank you Greg, we need you. This election will be about our relations with the USA and how enormous a prophylactic and impervious to infection it must be to protect us from a neighbour whose sanity is so suspect.
In Quebec we have our language to protect us but explaining to politicians like even Vermont's Bernie that we are Canadian and that our GM UAW supports medicare for all and lifting ALL boats is Herculean.
Our metaphysics are like John Donne's (1572-1631).
No man is an Island no man stands alone.
8
I don’t understand why the articles and comments seem to ignore the bigger issue. If it were any other politician in these photos - or anyone else who hid this during the vetting process - Trudeau would be denouncing them as unfit for office and distancing himself from them, irrespective of how long ago it was or their actions since. He holds himself to a lower standard. That makes it difficult to respect him.
5
@Lesley
Here's who I don't respect - the guy who only last week explained that he could forgive his candidates for a whole lot worse.
How come he won't forgive Trudeau?
8
@Lesley
The Herald was much better than a rag when I lived in Calgary but you probably read The Sun. Stop watching right wing media. Trudeau makes mistakes but he doesn't spend his time condemning other people's mistakes. He has real problems to solve and has done a really fine job even if he is a little far right from my perspective.
Between climate change, a nationalist government in Quebec, an incompetent leader in Alberta and a roiling Ontario and the most existential threats of climate change and an insane neighbour he is doing a fine job with only Saskatchewan having more workers than jobs.
We are the envy of the world why would we resort to American politics. Trudeau's results bear examination, he has done remarkably well in our satellite economy even as our neighbour seems intent on felo de se.
6
I am a Canadian by birth, of mixed race. I recall days (the 1980s) of being asked - "What race (or "ethnicity") are you?", sometimes several times a day. I used to stay out of the sun to keep my skin as light as possible, especially in the summer so I wouldn't appear "foreign" (ie non-Caucasian). I would be gratified just to pass as being from the Balkans or Southern Europe and fair-skinned enough to slip under the "race-radar".
@DN
I very much doubt anybody would ask you 'what you are', never mind, what race you are (and several times a day - please).
Now, I have been known to ask younger people with accents where they're from, but I can assure you that it was purely out of my interest in that person.
Your story just doesn't ring true.
5
Even if true and I don't believe a word of it, if you can't thrive in Canada, seriously, it's not about your environment. Travel a bit and find out for yourself.
3
Here in Canada we do not and should not vote for the Prime Minister. Constitutionally, parliament chooses a leader, who is then Prime Minister, which is invariably the leader of the party with the most seats. Parliament can, in fact, choose any member to be the leader and can remove them at any time. We voters however, should and do, vote for our representative of the party that most closely aligns with our values.
What the current party leader leader did in the past, when attending a theme party, should have absolutely nothing to do with our vote.
7
@PeterC
We are overwhelmed with misinformation and I am overjoyed with observation which I must call a self evident truth.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has always shown that Canada has problems with bigotry and prejudice and has done as much he could to show the world we are comfortable with their foods, their cultures, their clothes and their beliefs.
I was watching CBC Newsworld yesterday when an expert said everybody knows that Trudeau is decidedly not a racist but it is the racism and bigotry that stops us from understanding the damage the bigotry and racism does in preventing honest and open dialogue. I cried, Trudeau a great Canadian did what every Canadian should do, apologized.
Trudeau apologized for not knowing brown face or blackface would cause pain. We all have so much to learn I am 71 and lived for many years in Aboriginal and African American communities and I now live in a white working class community and I am not embarrassed to say I have much to learn. For me I'm sorry means forgive me for failing to understand.
7
Not all Canadians are as offended by all of the pictures as many media outlets have reported. The Ottawa Citizen interviewed one of the sikh gentlemen shown with Trudeau at the now infamous gala. The fellow, Khurana, is with his brother-in-law flanking Trudeau. He told the Ottawa newspaper:
“It was a fun event,” Khurana said, adding that he was “not at all” offended when he saw Trudeau in brownface.
“He did not come across as somebody who was demeaning to anybody,” Khurana said.
“He was like one of those actors in Aladdin. In fact, I think, if he didn’t colour (his face) it wouldn’t even look like the character. I think, personally, it’s not a big thing.”
8
Yesterday Rev Al voiced his ignorance on MSNBC and now I must convince my wife it is time to chose another channel to subscribe to.
The coverage on CBC Newsworld was a refreshing change from the Rev's judgement that displayed his willingness to talk about things he knows less than nothing about and his joining the right wing talking points of right wing media.
Mayor Nenshi of Calgary op-ed in the Washington Post was words to the wise. Justin Trudeau's life has been exemplary for those that fight ignorance, bigotry and racism. The attacks on Trudeau reveal our inability to go beyond the most superficial examination.
The CBC Newsworld 's expert told us there is absolutely no reason to believe that Justin Trudeau had any reason to believe that there was any reason to suspect any racial messaging in painting his face black or brown.
The fact that a child of privilege chose to live and work in la Petite Patrie an after college should tell us what we need to know.
Trudeau's district voter are decidedly diverse multi racial, multi ethnic, and working class new Canadians. The only thing we do know is that he chose to snub the Canadian establishment and live among ordinary folk.
I was born a Montrealer bit I am not a Liberal but I am proud of our Prime Minister for his quick apology when discovering that people were offended by actions that millions of us had no reason to believe are offensive. For decades our government has told us to paint our faces masks are an unneeded danger.
7
As a Canadian, I'm more concerned about what policies the candidates are putting forward and whether they will follow through with them than this nonsense. I'm sick of reading/hearing about it. When I determine who I will vote for, I need candidates to provide information with substance - not attack ads and witch hunting for any information on the opposition that candidate will bring to the media for the purposes of promoting their own agenda. It's this type of politics that results in people not wanting to vote.
7
Any Canadian party leader, and thereby a de facto candidate Prime Minister, who won’t unequivocally declare his/her opposition to Quebec’s Bill 21 which attempts to dictate how people in Provincial employ may dress (as that Province’s current laws dictate what language they may speak and schools their children may attend) and take the position that it will be his/her stated policy to use all legal Federal powers to have bill 21 overruled and/or overturned would be guilty of ethno/religious bias and a supporter of legalized state discrimination. Quebec’s current legalized discriminatory laws are a national embarrassment to Canada and represent a teleological threat to Canadian society & democracy far greater then climate change, carbon taxes, pipelines, or any other transient issue.
4
@Lewis Sternberg
Prime Minister Trudeau has expressed his opposition often and openly. We are not bilingual we are French speaking. I was born in Montreal as was mother over 100 years ago.
I remember Catholic conservative Quebec and I am a very liberal Jew and I cannot help but sit on the fence on Bill 21.
Bill 21 allows me to see liberal and conservatives on both sides of the fence. Prime Minister Trudeau is a loud and committed no and Premier Legault a chief proponent of yes.
For people like myself yarmulkes, hijabs, turban and crucifixes bring back memories of women as chattel, no birth control, backstreet abortions, condoms hidden behind the the counter at the drugstore, padlock laws, schools that did not teach but indoctrinated, women who entered convents in infancy and left when they expired in very old age and schools where even if you were born and raised in Paris you were English if you weren't Catholic.
7
Has anyone pointed out that Aladdin was the hero of the stories? I just don't see how this can be taken as in insult. "The Prince of Persia" was a hugely popular computer game, and the movie even more so. Where is the insult?
6
As a child on Halloween night I dressed up as an Indian: Mom would tape a feather to the back of my head, put some rouge on my cheeks and push me out of the door. Was I prejudiced against Indians? Did I hold them in disdain or disrespected their culture and identity? I'm pretty sure I wasn't and didn't. I just wanted lots of candy.
Trudeau is not a racist. Attending an "Aladdin"-themed party, he dressed up as...well...Aladdin. I'm convinced that he felt putting black make-up on his skin was no more racist than Mom sticking a feather on the back of my head. I supposed that in today's highly charged politically-correct environment he should have anticipated the pretentious moral outrage which would occur some 18 years into his future. That he didn't shouldn't come with condemnation of his failure to be prescient but, rather, as a limitation in our ability to anticipate the ever-evolving changes of cultural enlightenment.
4
@MosbysMusings
When I was in university and Michael Jackson hit with thriller, a couple of my white friends declared themselves black in admiration.
It was silliness from otherwise-smart people (one of those friends went on to become Canada's ambassador to Mexico), but would be considered cultural appropriation today.
3
Oh yes they can (and should) forgive! For that it will a much needed sign in the witch-hunt like environment of late, that societies acknowledge themselves as imperfect sometimes, and prone to offer a second chance to those that have proven to be of great value to them! SO GO AHEAD AND FORGIVE TRUDEAU!
6
Trudeau is not racist. We used to have a "slave day" at our high school in the 80's where I went. Freshman were owned by seniors and had to carry their books, etc. for the day. Obviously the day is no longer practiced within the school but maybe we should start a witch hunt and hold previous school administrators accountable for such an outlandish idea! We could even deduct some of their pension and request a formal apology of some sort! This would settle things, would it not? Perhaps the school admin from the Trudeau photos should also be held accountable? Where does it end?
8
Not that I am an expert or anything, but Trudeau really doesn't strike me as a racist. Or is this just my left wing bias kicking in? I have a lot to think about.
6
What Trudeau did 19 years ago and earlier was immature, insensitive, and stupid. However, when I go to vote in a month's time I won't judge him and his party on that but on their policies and record. These aren't perfect either, but a good deal better than what the Conservative Party has to offer, either by way of their leader, their policies, or their mean-spirited approach to politics. As for the other parties, they can offer anything knowing that they don't have a ghost of a chance of forming a government. As many have commented, this is a tempest in a teapot and it has not changed my voting intentions one iota.
9
@Michael Paré
Right on !
We need 4 more years of annual deficits in the order of 20 billion......our grand kids can deal with that debt.
3
@Ron B
You mean, to stack on top of the more than $160 billion Harper added?
If you look at all of Canada's debt (which is much less than America's, and a very manageable - and declining - proportion of our GDP), 3/4 of it comes thanks to 'conservative' governments.
What on earth were they conserving?
3
@Ron B
Thank you Ron. I wish you would explain we have medicare for all, a very high floor and 20 billion is like 13 billion American and would represent 130 billion for a country 10 times our size and in these days of almost zero interest a miracle of financial oversight and conservative management.
I wish I knew a synonym for conservative because Meadows and Jordan who believe themselves conservatives because their liberal extremism is on the wrong side of the sanity line or whether they call it conservative fiscal policy or it is authoritarian social policy. It is difficult when all you know is English and have trouble with Newspeak and what often passes at first glance as truth.
3
A long time ago Disney made a popular movie where a dark skinned Aladdin was the hero, and Justin Trudeau went as Aladdin to an Arabian Nights costume party. He is wrong to apologize now in reaction to media's easy milking of dirty politics. Besides a Liberal loss, the effect will be to make people feel that society considers darker skin to be inferior. Long ago the only thing that prevented me from appearing all the time as African is that I didn't find a way to do it. 'Blacks' were, and still are, my heroes.
6
@Tamroi Once upon a time, it was thought that a good actor could play any part in the play. Now, apparently, no one is allowed to be a good actor.
1
@jasocean
It's gotten to the point where celebrated authors are no longer allowed to speak in voices other than their own, even where doing precisely that is what gained them reknown in the first place.
Political correctness run amuck.
1
@jasocean
You haven't watched Breakfast at Tiffany's lately. Mickey's long success said he was a reasonably good actor but Breakfast at Tiffany's sure can make me think.
1
Despite some acts of youthful idiocy (and who isn't guilty of that?), the Prime Minister has led the most inclusive government in Canadian history. Canadians of all genders, faiths and ethnicities serve in his cabinet. On the other hand, the Conservatives still remain largely a party of rich WASPs with a long history of hostility to Canadians from non-traditional backgrounds. Their release of these tired old photos is part of their overall campaign strategy of desperately slinging mud, because they don't dare run on policy.
10
@curious
And what policy anyway?
2
@Michele K
It was a little over a year ago when the Saudis declared war on Canada. Headlines across the world said Canada stands alone. Thank goodness the war is not a shooting war. The war is the result of Saudi Arabia rejecting our fairly normal 21st century human values and ethics.
There is nothing I fear more than our war with the Saudis and knowing whose side Trump's America would join.
6
@Michele K
Do you ever watch Canadian news? CBC is honestly fair and balanced and our parliamentary is as truthful as any Socratic might desire.
4
I cannot wait until the era of digging up costumes from long ago that used dark makeup on a white person dies out.
There is a difference between actual blackface and this.
The same thing happened here in Virginia with our current governor, Ralph Northam, who wisely refused to resign. His public policy positions and legislative record are what count, not a costume, however offensive it may be to some, that he wore decades ago.
The drive to make everyone issue apologies for either being young and stupid, or doing something now recognized as offensive but not thought so by most at the time it was originally done, is insane. You could dig up something in this class on virtually everyone "of a certain age" and given that there has been a pretty continuous changing in attitudes over time, will probably continue to be true.
Judge on public life and track record, not a one-time or several-times event(s) in the distant past.
11
He was young. He admitted it. He apologized. Get over it!
11
As my brother noted, Trudeau was a drama teacher so one would think that he had some knowledge or inkling of minstrel shows and the history of blackface which is intended to mock and denigrate humans of African descent.
But let’s assume that Trudeau had no idea about the cruel origins of this “art form”. Harry Belafonte is a light-skinned black man. If Justin Trudeau wished to mimic the singer he did not need to tar his face.
Also, wildly jumping up and down in the video with blackened face? Blackening his face to portray Aladdin? What connections or conclusions was he formulating in his mind at the time? Or is Justin Trudeau merely an attention-seeker who always needs to be in the spotlight no matter what?
As I heard a gentleman say this week, some people take a really long time to grow up.
3
trump would have denied he did it —it was a trick or he was framed or something. Trudeau just admits it and apologizes. No sharpie needed!
10
Truly a mountain out of a molehill. Get over it Canada, you have a good leader in Trudeau. The United States should be so fortunate. Accept his apology and move on.
27
@Steve
Amen.
Unfortunately, this is politics, and our Conservatives like to play really dirty.
10
@Michele K
Agree completely.
Also Aidan Gardiner thinks Canadians are wrestling with their vote ? Read the commentary to Melissa Gismondi’s article. No wrestling. A perfect understanding of Conservative smear tactics. Close to 100% Trudeau.
5
@Allan
I truly believe it's really only the already Trudeau-haters who will use this - again - as their excuse not to support this government.
And those who are legitimately on the fence, I believe may very well tip in Trudeau's favour, as reasonable people cannot deny that he's being unfairly maligned here.
2
Never understood this fascination with putting on blackface. He should have known better (as many people find it offensive). He has shown he is just as ignorant as any other young person, but his political record shows he is not racist. The election, in my opinion, will still be based on other issues.
9
The media frenzy betokens reporters' boredom and the absence of real issues. Trudeau risks going overboard in his apology tour; "It was stupid. I shouldn't have done it" should be enough. "Can Canadians forgive him?" Please. If dress-up for costume parties twenty years ago is a mortal sin, Canadians are even more innocent than their well-tended image would have us believe.
9
Justin, Justin - give Virginia Gov Northam a call. He'll tell you how a Democrat handles these black/brown face charges. First, do the apology - you're good there. Second, say it's not you in the picture. It should all be over in a few months.
1
I for one am sick of all this search for guilt in the distant past - not to mention that it cheapens and diminishes the impact of real and present bigotry.
Get real about Trudeau - he was wearing makeup suitable for his stage role as a darker skinned Arab/genie. This wasn't some South Carolina politician showing his true colors.
Sadly, gone are the days when news media focused on news - today it is nothing more than a ratings game based on sensationalism.
11
I'm impressed with the maturity exhibited by these respondents who, unlike Americans, don't froth at the mouth at the command of pundits an politicians. While the latter are screaming, "LOOK OVER HERE!" our neighbors to the north seem to be keeping a gimlet eye on what matters most to them: walking the talk.
8
@BC That's my opinion as well. I was impressed with the maturity of the respondents. The media were all too serious and expected a huge uproar among the people to make the news, but people were very collected.
4
@uji10jo
I think because you cannot deny Trudeau's recent bona fides when it comes to inclusiveness.
But also because a lot of Canadians were ultimately horrified to have found themselves made fools of by their supposedly trusted media re: SNC.
1
We are all hearing and reading about Prime Minister Trudeau's disgrace as a racist for appearing in blackface or brownface some 20 years ago dressed as Aladdin, and singing Day-O as a Jamaican dockworker even further back while he was in high school. Shall we now hunt down and pillory any white baritone or actor (like Orson Welles) for darkening his face playing the Moor in Othello? Should I hide my head in shame because I say publicly that I am sick and tired of seeing political correctness gone stark, raving mad?
18
He's all fluff and no substance and a hypocrite to boot. He was elected leader because of his name.
3
@John ... Nope, sorry John. He was elected leader because the nation was sick of Harper.
1
Everyone has done stupid and insensitive things - and still do every moment of every day. If all we're going to do is sit around demanding apologies and reparations for what happened 5 minutes ago or 5000 years ago it'll never end. Where's the apologies from Italy for enslaving and murdering my Celtic ancestors?!?!?!?
No one in Canada cares about this - except for the left-wing extremists obviously. What he shouldn't be forgiven for - or re-elected - is for engaging in a criminal conspiracy to get his pals off of bribery charges. He should be going to jail for that! Not to mention his back room deals with Big Oil, etc. The guy is as much a crook as Trump is he just puts on a better act.
@Sparky
It's our right-wing and extremists who claim a criminal conspiracy that doesn't exist and try to claim Trudeau is anything remotely similar to Trump.
3
Forgiving Trudeau is not what this Federal election is, or ought to be, about. It ought to be about the party leader who will publicly declare his/her dedication to using all legal Federal powers to overturn or overrule Quebec’s discriminatory Bill 21. That reprehensible, anti-democratic bill, and that bill alone, is the single greatest threat facing Canadian society and good governance today the “not withstanding clause” not withstanding.
2
These letters speak for themselves of course and demonstrate that a good number of Canadians aren't about to be distracted by the desperate political dirt-mongering of a bunch of conservatives who have nothing constructive to offer the electorate. This is a manufactured "crisis" that one hopes will fall by the wayside soon enough that the election can get back to the normal process of evaluating who is fit for office based on their records of political, economic and social success and intentions going forward.
8
The media made this a sensational news and are still asking the questions but people are not with them.
The letters to the editor column in The Globe and Mail, conservative stance, this morning are almost of all "It's not a big deal" The poll Nanos says "No drop so far in Liberal support after bombshell revelations: Nanos"
The media are not seeing what people are seeing.
Can we trust the media's sensationalism?
28
Melissa Gismondi aspires to be the Canadian Maureen Dowd, with her preoccupation with Trudeau's locks and socks.
Imagine the outcry if a male journalist characterized Jacinda Ardern as New Zealand's "dreamy girlfriend."
Justin inherited his height and looks from his mother, Margaret Simpson, who possessed fashion-model looks as a young woman and partied with Mick Jagger at NY's Studio 54 in the '70s. If Justin cultivated some of his father's wit, he would become fatally attractive.
Canadian politics is dominated by the centrality of Ontario and Quebec--with its Anglophone/Francophone divide--and the regional interests of the Western and Maritime provinces.
Trudeau has overseen Canada's first gender-equal Cabinet, the child benefit--which has lifted thousands of children out of poverty--and the nation's vanguard status as a sanctuary for refugees.
Most Canadians are not moved by the latest disclosures, nor SNC-Lavalin. Jody Wilson-Raybould was Attorney General and offered three major Cabinet posts as a forty-something. Turning down the Indigenous Affairs portfolio because of a dislike for the Indian Act epitomizes stubborn inflexibility.
Conservatives dislike Trudeau because of his position on immigration, gender, and social security.
South Asians and Muslims will come out strong for Trudeau.
Doug Ford cost the Conservatives dearly, because he is the unpopular premier of Canada's most populous province.
Trudeau will remain Prime Minister after this election.
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@Andrew Shin
Totally agree with you - but Margaret is a Sinclair, not a Simpson.
4
@Michele K
At least I did not refer to Margaret as an Eaton.
4
@Andrew Shin
Ah, more inside-Canada humour - I love it!
2
Actions speak louder than words and he has proven himself to be a progressive, open minded, inclusive person, especially in the last 20 years, and even more so as Prime Minister. The economy is booming and he has done many good things for the country in four short years He made some very stupid mistakes. He has apologized, sincerely. Now move on. As per the whole SNC Lavalin nonsense, In her testimony, Minister of Justice and Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould said, when asked if Prime Minister Trudeau directly pressured her to not prosecute SNC Lavalin, "NO HE DID NOT", but some of his advisors and members of his cabinet did, but the Prime Minister did not. Those advisors were all fired or resigned. That is the end of it. The rest is noise. Andrew Scheer's Conservative campaign has nothing to offer and, for the last year, been advised by Steve Bannon and the Koch bother's political arm. Be careful what you wish for Canada. America is in deep trouble.
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@Carl
If you're correct on the SNC case, why wouldn't trudeau allow the RCMP to conduct the investigation they sought to carry out ?
@Ron B
He has not prevented one.
The RCMP make those decisions all by themselves.
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This breathless hyperventilating over an over-hyped ‘issue’ with Trudeau’s costumes is ridiculously shallow. I am not buying it.
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@Philip Sommer Cnadian media, not people, are obsessed with this. What is their point, I wonder?
Do they think it such a serious case of discrimination?
I just don't get it. The poll result shows people don't really care.
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I've seen others dress like Terry Fox with a leg brace - does that make them discriminatory against people with disabilities? Or could we perhaps consider it to be flattery? I encourage discussion, as what I've learned over the last year is that black or brown "face" imitations are a highly charged issue. But I also recognize that it was not something that was commonly known to many, who in the spirit of fun have chosen to imitate the likes of Aladdin in a favourable fashion. Having said that, now that we understand the sensitivity, we can reflect, learn, apologize and do better (and he has). We all have a past - and politicians are human too. We can tell more from Trudeau's heart from his actions - and he's been CONSISTENTLY an advocate for people of all walks of life and their challenges (refugees, immigrants, LGBTQ, Disabled, Sick, Youth, or Elderly etc). I'd far rather have him looking out for my interests, than his political colleagues who are just trying to create and capitalize on a scandal.
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@Julie
You've seen others dress like Terry Fox with leg brace?
Seriously?
I wouldn't call it 'discriminatory,' but I can't even begin to articulate how disrespectful I think that would be - to make light of a cancer victim's disfigurement.
If Terry had been a black man, I would still feel the same way about it.
To dress up like Terry with a leg brace would be truly obscene.
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@Julie
Totally agree.
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@Astrid
so someone can dress up as an admired person, unless the admired had a visible disability, even if that was part of what made them admirable?
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As a Canadian subscriber to the New York Times and Washington Post I was interested to see what readers made of this Canadian story. Overwhelmingly, the majority of those commenting dismissed the story as a distraction from more important issues. It is as though the Canadian press is delighted to have its own scandal. I really do believe that the Canadian media have overblown this story, and that it is a red herring. There is so much more at stake for Canada.
One need only compare the current government to the past one to see the difference between Conservative and mainstream Canadian values.
It was such a relief as a Canadian not to be represented by a born-again theo-con that waged a war on science, cherry-picked support for UN programs to deny women access to safe abortions, curtailed diplomatic outreach, and demanded that public servants referred to the Government of Canada as "the Harper government".
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@ThinkingCdn- ThinkingCDN, I also subscribe to the NYTimes and WAPO. For the life of me, I wonder why the matter of brown-black face photos from the past weren't brought up years ago. Is it because Americas only have promenaded this issue for the past one/two years and that our Canadian press had to catch up? Or is it because they have nothing else to talk about? Or is it that Canadians don't find "dressing up as others" as offensive as our neighbours to the South?
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I attended a Halloween party about a decade ago where a linguist and his wife came dressed in the clothing of an indigenous people. They had been living embedded in this community for a year while he studied, and learned to speak, the language. Their costumes were beautiful. They were both in complete blackface. I’ve known him for years. I almost didn’t recognize him.
Should this act disqualify either of them from public office? Should they be declared racists? I guess those are questions of import today, but I know that both are as far from the type of person who would describe Mexican immigrants as rapists, or people who chant ‘Jews will not replace us’ as “fine people”, as one could possibly find.
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Some points to be made:
1) He apologized because he was caught;
2) He said that in 2001 he did not known that is was racist, well he obviously did not read about US history because if he would have done, he could had read that "blackface" was done to ridiculed the Black people and therefore it was racist;
3) He is an expert at giving lesson of democracies and racism like we have seen in the debate about the secular law of Québec. Well guest what? L'arroseur arrosé as we say in French or getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar;
4) He has now the dubious distinction of the only Prime Minister of Canada to have been ridiculed on the Daily Show, twice (The first time it was during his trip to India, see "Can a Canadian Carry Off Bollywood Style? Justin Trudeau Finds Out" The NY Times, Feb. 23, 2018);
5) He is a repeated offender (three times);
6) He hid it for 18 years.
And in conclusion if I was a black person I would refused his apologies, as a white person, I refuse his apologies.
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@Wilbray Thiffault
Don't you push it a little too far? .."Because he was caught"..."repeated offender"...
For your information, the Black Coalition of Quebec said that Trudeau shouldn't apologize, calling his critics hypocrites, insisting on what Trudeau DID for their communities. They also said that this was a storm in a glass of water...and I agree with it.
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@Wilbray Thiffault
You should examine your motives. This whole affair has been blown sky high by the media and you got caught in the righteousness of the moment. Trudeau is simply not a racist. And, I believe a majority of Canadians are not racists and will accept Trudeau’s apologies and mov3 on with their lives.
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@Wilbray Thiffault Why would US history matter in Canadian politics? It's a completely different culture. As an afro-latino I don't find it offensive as his intention was not to offend.
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Trudeau blames his actions on his privilege. This is an insult to privileged people everywhere. Privilege does not require foolishness.
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@Robert Graham
taking into serious consideration what "privileged" people choose to spend their obscene amounts of money on (hello, Jeffrey Epstein, among many others).....oh, and David Geffen....(Child trafficking anyone?) it seems privilege is bestowed with the ability to indulge in whatever horrific 'hobbies' they choose......so I say
EAT THE RICH.
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@Robert Graham I think that often, not always, there can be a certain kind of privilege that is unique to the children of the powerful and or wealthy and Trudeau fits that bill. Having said that he is turning this into a bigger issue than it should be because of his propensity to virtue signal on social issues.
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@Honora
No, he's just trying to explain himself - though you clearly don't want to hear it.
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I feel the poor guy is being targeted because the public is forced through media picks to focus on this ridiculous allegation. This is a Disney fantasy he participated in for heaven's sake!
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I am surprised and disappointed to see how blasé so many Canadians are about their current leaders repeated use of blackface. It’s additionally disturbing to see how many of them call out “political correctness” as prescribed by the US as the reason for the outcry. If you’re defending ones repeated use of blackface, and see no problem with it, you are part of the problem.
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If a man dresses up in cheap, exploitative, drag as a female for a costume party does that make him a misogynist?
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@Bruce Savin In the eyes of progressives, and Trudeau is one of them, most assuredly yes.
1
it might suggest he has some transphobia, yeah.
"Yes, it has changed my impression of him, but not to the point of affecting my vote." This statement made by Dominie McGruer of Ottawa strikes me as the most logical assessment I read from the quoted letters.
In many instances, Americans should look at our many racial problems in the same light. Allow for people to change and grow and accept their change.
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First I am not Canadian, so my opinion is merely that of an outsider looking in....
He really seems to be doing a great job with the country of Canada. I’m sure he isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but people calling for his removal from office based on something that happened nearly 30 years ago is kinda silly. It is offensive, yes, but in the 90’s people weren’t so sensitive to race/culture. I am not justifying the behavior, but trying to see it from a different angle. You wouldn’t take a baseball bat to a car windshield because of a chip right? Maybe my logic is flawed, but I would not be quick to oust a PM that clearly loves his country (for all the right reasons) and has presented Canada to the world as a great country, one that should be emulated.
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@Amanda I agree with many of your comments, and will still support Trudeau as I believe he is a compassionate statesman who can effectively lead my country. I have heard many comments like yours, indicating that 18 years ago, people weren't sensitive to race and culture. 18 years ago was 9/11 and just after that time was one of the most racist periods of the century.
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I think his competitor is succeeding for the moment in shifting attention away from Trudeau’s policies (most of which have benefited vulnerable populations) and toward his costume party choices. However I have more faith in Canadians to see through this tactic than I do Americans when faced with the same ploy. Nobody is perfect. Why demand it? People make mistakes. Look at his actions in office. And lastly, if we’re going to throw people under the bus for blunders, why does Trump keep getting a pass?
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@Critical Thinking Skills The result of the polls show
people are not buying it but the media are obsessed with this news and keep telling the "crisis" as if it is the worst scandal Canada has ever experienced. Sensational news sells!
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@Critical Thinking Skills
Well put and thank you.
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I'm an American so I really have no input, but I am curious how his father, a seasoned politician wouldn't have put a stop to something like this. Surely he must have thought one day his son would follow in his footsteps? Surely he must have imagined how something like this would look on the world stage?
I am 59 years old and grew up in Michigan. At no time during my life would this have been acceptable. When I was young there was a huge movement to make sure Othello was played by a black actor. I remember the fuss about James Earl Jones and Othello on Broadway.
But that is the United States, not Canada. There has certainly been a cultural awareness all of Justin Trudeau's life.
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@mj One might also wonder why George W. Bush's father did not advise his son to avoid a political relationship with Dick Cheney.
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@mj I don't recall any fuss about James Earl Jones portrayal of Othello (at the Public, not on Broadway). I do remember people being upset by Olivier's performance of the roll in black face on film in the 1960s.
It's a tempest in a teapot (or, as one of the Canadian respondents above wrote: "a storm in a glass of water". I am really quite pleased to see that most of the respondents see it as such, a minor distraction.
However, I am not enamoured of Trudeau policies on the environment or the rights of First Peoples. Against their objections, he is pushing a pipeline through their lands and continues to promote the extraction of tar sands oils, which are among the dirtiest of petroleum sources presently exploiited, despite Canada being the country whose climate has changed most dramatically as a result of global warming. He talks the talk on environment, but does not really walk the walk. Still, he is far better than the alternative who are in Koch-funded denial , and were I Canadian I would still vote for hm and his party with no qualms.
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@mj
Well, when the 2001 incident occurred, Pierre Eliot Trudeau was already dead and Justin Trudeau was thirty-ish years old.
Pierre Trudeau was a brilliant politician and by all reports a great father, but I doubt that even he could anticipate every dumb thing his children would get up to.
I am certain that QEII never anticipated that her beloved grandson, the adorable and socially involved Harry, would be dumb enough to wear swaztika at a party.
Can any parent really think of everything? All they can do is try to teach their children to be empathetic humans and good citizens. I think that if PET was still alive at that point he would have said "that was really stupid, son".
JT has made some monumental bloopers, but I do not believe that he is racist, misogynistic, or xenophobic.
I agree with those who propose judging him by his actions, to consider all of the alternatives, and vote accordingly.
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I am surprised that Justin thought these costumes weren’t offensive when he wore them but I don’t think they make him a racist. He needs to put the priorities of the country in the forefront and give up his theatrics.
He’s still the best leader we have.
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I am Canadian and voted for Mr. Trudeau in 2015 and plan to vote for him again. There was nothing Recent about the exposures, my anger goes to Mr. Scheer, a weak man, anti abortionist and thinks his personal religion should become part of Conservatives policies. In Canada, women have sole rights to their bodies, and freedoms we are proud of. Women will Not vote for an anti abortionist placid man.
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@Connie Hayes Scheer is not anti abortion. He said the exact same thing Justin has said in the past. He has no intention of introducing any kind of abortion legislation. I don't know where you got that from.
I am a woman, and I, and many women that I know, would vote for that in a second. I don't stand for murder.
Scheer is just as morally bankrupt as Trudeau is in many other ways than that.
@Connie Hayes
The other thing about Scheer is that he said he would forgive his own candidates who apologize for such stupidity - so why won't he Trudeau?
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@Tanya
Please. All Scheer said is that he wouldn't personally introduce anti-abortion legislation.
Do you not understand our political system? That a PM is only first among equals? That private members can introduce bills?
The only reason you support Scheer in this - as you yourself let slip - is because you are anti-abortion yourself.
And that's fine, you don't have to have one. Just don't deign to force your views on the rest of us, in violation of our Constitutional rights.
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Who among us does not have "past misdeeds"?
It's the degree that matters.
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@LM
Yes, but the degree here in Canada is minor - we just don't have your history of racism and slavery (though we do have our own).
This was stupid and thoughtless, but it wasn't criminal, and Trudeau's many recent good acts far outweigh this stupidity from his past.
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I don't think Prime Minister Trudeau is in any way a racist. All one has to do is check his record of inclusion to see that. Those who say otherwise have an obvious political agenda and their remarks reflect more about their lack of integrity than anything about Mr. Trudeau. In earlier decades, face makeup and dress like he used were not meant to be racist or demeaning in any way. That has changed now and there is more awareness of the issue. He isn't perfect and I don't agree with everything he has done but this issue should fade. He has apologized, which is more than some would do.
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What changed my view irrevocably about JT was his purchase of the Transmountain pipeline. He can’t say he supports climate science and the environment and then bow to the fossil fuel industry and Albertan interests like that. I will never respect him again and I will not vote Liberal while he is the leader of the party.
Not impressed with the brown face thing but not surprised. This is not going to destroy him politically though.
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@Rachel Laniado
The TransMountain thing is big with me, too.
However, a vote for any of the other candidates will ensure a Scheer victory, and ensure that pipeline will be pushed through whatever the courts may have to say about it.
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@Rachel Laniado It's worth considering that he and Rachel Notley had to take Alberta's strongly held interests into consideration. Certainly nationally it would not work if Trudeau were overtly anti-pipeline. Note that court actions are still deferring the pipeline and who knows how it will unfold. These things are very complicated. Imagine balancing all sectors in the country, appearing fair is next to impossible. I respect anyone who does their best as Prime Minister.
1
This PM is a reckless and incompetent man. He and his governments policies have brought Alberta's Oil/Gas/Pipeline Industry to its knees; and as a result 110, 000 job losses ensued. He gave millions of taxpayers dollars to Khadar- a known terrorist, in a sly backroom deal. He brokered a corrupt deal with SNC Lavalin ; and now, this latest fiasco. The only thing he HAS managed to do is legalize marijuana - and even that he has not done well. Meanwhile, the Trudeau Family Trust Fund has grown from a mere $2.5 million, to a staggering $ 760 million in just a few short years- all under his brother's management. This PM does not even remotely pass the smell test- Vote him out - the sooner the better.
5
There's your Alberta view, folks - all they care about is continuing to profit off the destruction of our environment, and they've hatred Trudeaus ever since the Senior had the temerity to suggest a national energy program.
A program which today, would have seen pipelines across the whole country and Alberta not in the sorry state of today that THEY put themselves in.
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@Michele K Yep Albertans didn't think back then and they still wont think now. Alberta diversify or die; I still love you.
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@Michele K, I really must weigh in here. As an Albertan, raised in one of those typical right wing rural places, I can assure you there are many of us here who care about the same things you do.
Statements starting with, "All they care about is ..." are not helpful to the discourse. Neither 'side' passes the smell test here.
What I find most disturbing in all of this is how Canadians are adopting the same tactics of division, playing gotcha politics to score points so prevalent in the United States now.
The media on both sides of the border aren't blameless. They have taken up stores like these, with such glee, and pursued them with such fervor, you'd think there was nothing else going on. In some sense, there isn't. The more we, the consumer, pay attention to the scandals du jour, the more they feature them
We get what we pay for, but paying attention to the sizzle is a distraction at a time when it is sorely needed elsewhere.
I'm hoping Trudeau will challenge himself to a steeper learning curve, get handed a minority government and learn how to govern properly. He's a much better man than he's shown himself to be so far, and a far far better one that his opponent who had to resort to smears to get some traction.
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Here is the story apart from the Conservative Party electioneering blitz just created, and perpetrated in nasty gossipy fashion by the New York Times.
The West Point Academy had a fundraiser. The organizing committee was itself diverse as it planned an Arabian Nights costume party for teachers, parents, and presumably donors. One attendee of South Asian background said on CBC radio that he was not offended then and he is not offended in retrospect. He also said that Trudeau may have managed "the best" costume that night, but that is how he was.
Was the costume an immature act by a 29 year old? That is the only question in my opinion. Did the Times get to the story itself?
26
As a dual citizen of both the US and Canada, I find this compulsion to judge a prime minister not on his record in that job but on silly things he may have done when he was younger to be absurd. I doubt any Canadian currently living in the political sewer south of the border, as I do, takes this seriously.
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@JG
Neither do most of us living here.
As you say, this is pure overzealous partisanship and ridiculous in the extreme.
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@JG Yes, and sadly people all over the world including Canada are witnessing daily a US dictatorship rolling in more quickly than anyone ever imagined was possible. It is almost as painful to live in Canada as in the US. Anything the US does affects every country in this world. You of course do, but many Americans don't actually realize this.
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@Michele K
'most of us " is truly a stretch
This is ridiculous: he dressed up for his school play and when he was a teenager and sang Day-O and now seems to be worried that someone is going to find a forgotten Halloween trick or treat photo of him when he was a kid. Last night, while CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) was chewing over all this, an ad came on showing a white actor in brown face and dressed as Aladdin: talk about underscoring the idiocy of this tempest in a teacup. I'm still going to vote for him. I look at how he's behaved as Prime Minister and at what he's done for indigenous people, the environment and at how his government reflects the whole of Canada, including giving jobs to many women. The media has been dying to take him down - first with the SNC Lavalin non event(why wouldn't he try to save jobs) and now this nonsense. I'm old enough to remember his father and recognize him in Justin.
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Yes he tried to save jobs and he did. SNC Lavallin was doing what is needed to get the contract and Prime Minister Trudeau was doing his job. Now about the brown face that the media are feeding on. Justin Trudeau is not a racist. If he were, would he have welcomed refugees so warmly? He is a fine man and I will vote for him.
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@annberkeley2008
I agree with you Ann.
Also the contract he SCN-Lavalin was in Libya.
It might be quite a challenge to work there. This Canadian company works in 50 countries over six continents.
It very often supports NGO's whose mission is to help citizens of the countries they work in. Clean water, education, women empowerment.
I do not work for SNC-Lavalin nor am I a shareholder.
But I have worked for NGO's in developing country.
2
This story is PC run amok. People - even politicians - make errors in judgement and judging Trudeau's fitness for office because of dressing for a costume party is pretty ridiculous.
Much ado about nothing!
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He has diminished himself both in Canada and on the international stage. The moral high ground he claimed is gone. He should resign before the election and allow a candidate like Ms. Freeland to temporarily lead the party until a new leader can be chosen.
3
@Stephen Ranger
Please.
You know that's not remotely possible, so you 'suggest' it, knowing it will get you that dream PM Scheer that you really want.
11
@Michele K
Time for a change....
We've had to 'live your dream " for the past 4 years.
I am disappointed in some of Mr Trudeau’s policies and actions but think condemning him for dressing up for a party is ridiculous. Nor was it meant as a slur.
Political correctness and extreme partisanship is out of control in the US and much of the world, in my opinion , and not helpful in solving problems or finding compromises.
JRH
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@Joan
Thank you Joan! It's sad how rare it is to see rational comments like yours about our irrational political correctness.
22
@Dav M
And political correctness from the Scheer Cons, no less - those who are usually screaming against it (and the 'nanny state', though they're actually the most authoritarian out there and spewing ridiculous socially-conservative policies themselves).
22
I think it is a tempest in a small teapot. I did not vote for him in the last election, but I will this election. Most people hate him for being a handsome man.
There are bigger things for people to be so upset about.
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@Ann Rose
I agree that this is a non-issue. Mr Trudeau has demonstrated the type of person & politician he is while in office. That is, non-racist by his behaviour and the type of policies he has followed and also as a reasonably even handed and not overly partisan politician. These are the qualities that I personally look for in a politician.
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@Ann Rose
Look a little deeper, Ann , here's a guy who has been found to have violated the ethics of the PMO....the first in Canadian history.
1
@Ron B
Why don't you look a little deeper into the party you support?
Harper Cons - Scheer being key among them - were found to have cheated (some even going to jail) in each of the 3 elections they 'won'.
And Harper - well before Boris - pulled the same manipulative prorogation of Parliament to hang onto power, and was ultimately himself found in contempt of it.
And don't even get me started on the attempted bribes of Cadman and Duffy, all of which is far, far, far worse than anything Trudeau has ever - or will ever - do.
Get some perspective.
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