Let's Aim Higher!

There's a new kid on the Award block in this province.

Ovations.

It applauds the many accomplishments of women in our communities (which are often overlooked).

Kudos to the first recipient Hilda Whalen - who for 15 years fought an injustice, never imagining perhaps a success; or many years later being publicly recognised for her strength and convictions.

A worthy recipient indeed.

Another deserving recipient back in the 1980s would have been Premier KD - who as a Council member in Burin successfully fought back against a company trying to shape the future of her town.

It is disheartening then years later, in a more influential position - that this is the same person who 

• promised the people that a full and meaningful debate would take place on the biggest expenditure of their money and failed to keep that commitment;
• promised plant workers in Marystown fighting to save their livelihood and their community that she would help find a solution - and months later the plant was shuttered with not a finger lifted;
• promised a grieving grandmother a meeting would take place to talk person to person only to back down on that promise. ..
• ignores the plea of a native woman elder fighting to expose the ills of a megaproject that will destroy her land and compromise the health of her people;
• ignores the pleas for fairness and justice of a family with a disabled child;
• fails to fight with the people against the feds stripping us of search & rescue services meant to safeguard the lives of many of our people on the water;
• ignores the pleas of parents fighting the closure of their schools which they know will mean the eventual demise of their community;
• does not open her mouth on the closure of the Burin plant that she so compassionately fought for 30 years ago
• etc...

None of these people were at the OVATIONS Awards ceremony, but they deserve our applause and our support.

Interestingly, the Premier says she wont be satisfied until women hold at least half of the leadership positions in this province.

Perhaps that should NOT be the goal.

The more laudable one should be that whoever is in leadership shows 100 percent compassion, respect and dignity all the time - not when it is politically convenient.

People understand that  government cannot solve all their problems;
BUT they gave their most precious democratic treasure - their VOTE - to  be listened to, to be acknowledged and to have their vote carrier at least attempt a practical working solution of their problems.

The real test of female leadership is not to occupy half of the democratic slots,
but to help shatter the glass ceiling holding back POLITICAL COMPASSION.

Because in the end politics is all about aiding REAL PEOPLE to overcome their struggles.

And all people really want is to be shown kindness, respect, comfort and compassion even when their problems ultimately cannot be fixed on the public treasury.

So, congrats to the Ovation Awards;
but as women we need to aim higher than occupying political space.

We have seen in this province that when we do there is a real risk that we can become Compassion Complacent.

As the Ovation award recognizes, the simple fact is that
destroying Complacency and stirring Compassion WINS no matter what your job is ...