Raise the Hammer

God bless you Larry.

Thank-you Steve. Although I am not a religious person, I do appreciate a message to me beggining with those words because I recieve them as very respectful and I thank-you for that.

I thought about it while I wrote it, and especially thought it after I hit send and forwarded it off to Ryan. I thought it would not be considered because it seemed so naive on the surface, but I am thankful to Ryan and RTH for allowing these words to surface in all t heir naivity.

na•ive [nah-eev] - having or showing a lack of experience, judgment, or information; credulous: She's so naive she believes everything she reads. He has a very naive attitude toward politics.

Funny that the last line where Naïve is used in a sentence, is in reference to politics.

I am surely a little naive where politics are concerend (hell where love and life are concerend as well), but not as much as this article might portray. I just get tired of all the negativity because life is too damn short. We either bitch about life or do something about it.

I never voted for Bob. I never voted for Bernie and my vote if I lived in Ward 2, would have been for Jelly. Nothing against either of the folks who now or still hold these chairs - as people.

Bob, Bernie, and Jason are among our leaders now and we can either spend the next four years mocking them or calling them idiots behind forum doors, or we can help them be better leaders, by being involved ourselves. Challenging them constructively, sharing our dreams and visions for our city.

This was/is my vision for our city. What is yours? Share it with us. Share it with your councillor.

The only way we will live in a better city, is by being a better city 'ourselves'.

Without dreams, however naive or far-fetched they may seem on the surface, there is nothing. We listen to inspiring music, read poetry and stories that touch our heart, and watch movies that change how we feel about love and life and people; that rekindle our affection for the good that does exist in so many people and creatures for that matter.

Why do we watch, listen, or read any of these artforms, if we don't believe in these 'dreams.' These seemingly naive dreams.

Ivor Wynne represents 'anything can happen' to me, so my dream is that in 2015 when the world comes to Hamilton, I am sitting in Ivor Wynne watching soccer and seeing an ever changing - for the better, Ward 3 because of this opportunity.

If it fails, I will be the first one to say I am sorry, and if it succeeds I will not say 'I told you so.' I'd be a little skeptical that anything can change in my neighborhood too, but if I don't believe it can ever change, than why am I living here?

I think all of you want a city you can believe in. I am sure many will call you all naive for feeling this way about the armpit of Ontario. Dirty, smelly, lunch bucket hell.

Is our city perfect? Is council perfect? All I know is that I am not. Let's start from there.

Comment edited by lawrence on 2011-02-13 15:39:58