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Goodness knows I owe my grade 10-11 English teacher at PCHS, Mr. Doyle, an apology or two. But I also know what I'd have in tow if I was still a sassy-assed high school student facing expulsion because of a few Facebook entries.

Case in point, go visit NOT A LEADER.CA or Conservative.ca, and help me understand the difference. At the risk of getting some poor kid kicked out of school, change the words "not a leader" to "not a teacher" swap images for an unfavoured teacher, and see if you make it to June 15.

But it's okay for a website seemingly proudly "the property of the Conservative Party of Canada."

Leadership, as the word implies, is a quality in someone who leads. Great leadership, in my opinion, is someone who leads by example. The "not a leader" website is not an example of great leadership.

Clearly, Mr. Harper and the Conservative Party want Canadians to know they think Mr. Dion is not a leader. Fair enough. Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. But since when is leadership measured by who produces the best attack ads in which the underlying message couldn't be more clear ... that it's okay to be a cyber-bully and to publicly disrespect a colleague ... the very thing kids are getting kicked out of school for doing on Facebook and other places online.

Quoting today's Globe and Mail Tories take another swipe at Dion, Peter Van Loan "refused to say how much the ad campaign will cost or how long it will run. "It will continue until it works," he said."

Until what works? until all kids get kicked out of school?

When will these TV ads be playing for our teenaged kids to absorb? No doubt just after Don Cherry's Coach's Corner during Sens and Ducks Stanley cup finals.

Don't get me wrong, I am not picking partisan sides. I've had my share of days observing Question Period, live, in which both sides of the floor make me cringe. If Mr. Dion suddenly authorizes counter attack-ads and a few Internet domain names devoted solely to ridiculing Mr. Harper, I'll write and encourage my kids to ignore those too.

Pity, given how very hard I've worked over the years getting the kids to actually give a damn instead of being sheep to generalized apathy and cynicism. On the other hand, hopefully they've already learned enough to see things for what they really are.

May 30, 2007  

June 11, 2007  @ 6:00 a.m. SHARP  - Most recent Core Strategies Poll; Intensity of Conservative vote softens, Liberal vote strengthens

Facebook school expulsions set by Government example