On politics... (en francais)

To those who grace my humble blog with their presence, you may have heard a very loud sigh this morning.

How to describe it?

Last evening I was unfortunately involved in a political betrayal of such magnitude that it immediately caused me to lose the rather excellent meal I had recently consumed at a fine local establishment. While not the actual target, I was certainly very involved. For the thousands of times that I have read the expression " felt like I'd been kicked by a mule" or something similiar, I now truly understand what that means.

The betrayal itself will probably be insignificant in the long run, the true crisis is my faith in honesty, loyalty and friendship. My belief in these noble things was shaken in a very profound way last night. As a sad result, I feel my cynicism and mistrust of others has ratcheted up a notch or two. That does make me very sad. I now feel the need to more closely guard my friendships, feelings and ideas. In many ways, I feel I have been silenced by this act.

Cliches of "politics is a blood sport".... etc are always bandied about. One of the reasons I entered the realm of politics is to help affect some positve change for my city, province and country. I have met, and continue to meet, some truly wonderful people in my recent experiences. Passionate, outspoken, opinionated and knowledgeable people. Our differing opionions and passionate debates on the ills of the day are the spice of life.

A very defining moment in politics was arrived at by myself last night. The new morning brought opportunity for others to take part in this defining moment. I must say, I was quite suprised and very encouraged by the response. There are other honourable people in this business. As of last night, I truly wondered.

Though my spirit has been bruised and battered, I take heart in those still standing around us. Your willingness to stand up for honesty, integrity and good old fashioned hard work has not gone without notice. Last night may have permanently changed me in ways I have yet to determine, yet, your continued presence ensures most of the future will be a better place.

Thank-you for that.

This story was crossposted to Colbert's Comment's Friday Open Trackback Party