Raise the Hammer

They all agree to take a pass on Pan Am (unlikely given the upcoming election and the implications for the longevity of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats).

From the beginning, I've watched as people have, at various junctures, injected some sizable amounts of emotion, of fear, of perceived outcomes should this, that or the other come to pass.

All the while, my own belief hovering in the background: that there is nothing at all 'wrong' with backing out of the Pan Am Games process entirely.

Unfortunately, whenever such a 'negative' proposal is even suggested, the nay-sayers begin to clamour, the Chicken Littles begin clucking about the sky falling, and the down-voters commit themselves to effective banishment action regarding 'He/She Who Dared Whisper Such Heretical Nonsense'.

Most assumptions made about the ramifications of such an action are fueled by the person's a) personal perspective, b) ignorance about how this city actually works, and c) a lacking of understanding of the bigger picture, the context of Hamilton within Ontario, within Canada.

Mature entities conduct themselves based on factors a lot more sound than some of the desperation-tinged assumptions of what this action or that decision will result in. Mature entities appreciate on a very basic, very deep level that most situations are best addressed in sensible ways, that nothing is accomplished by creating a plan that has at its core some meek need 'not to fail'.

There has been, at least through this summer, a vein of desperation that has been mined, even by those who have shown incredible civic enthusiasm, truly inspirational initiative to push for what they have believed to be 'the right way to go'. And while I understand why this desperation exists (having been 'a Hamiltonian' going back to a time most readers here would have to either Google to grasp the context of, or spend some time in the Local History archives at the HPL), it's still not a wise state in which to be making decisions.

So I guess I'm especially cynical (I'm being generous here) about the ramifications of a 'pull-out' because of this being an election year, or the impact on the longevity of the Ti-Cats. That this issue should be the pivotal election issue that it has become is distressing enough; it speaks volumes about how badly MSM provides context (no, I'm not actually expecting them to execute this role; I may have been born at night, but not last night...), and worse, how little the average person seems to understand our local politics. (Or perhaps more precisely, how little interest they have in developing an understanding.) As for the Ti-Cats and the implications of their longevity... That this has become conflated with the greater stadium issue speaks loudly for the need for clearer heads and more mature thinking.

Having said all that, at the very least all of 'this' has been an invaluable opportunity to observe a community struggling with what amount to 'growth issues'. And I'm not referring to physical growth, but the kind having to do with maturing emotionally and intellectually. You know; as in an eventual 'mature entity'.