Going beyond the gates

In our own backyard or from the hill in Ottawa, politicians need to show leadership

Leadership is a catchall word during elections. For the next two months Canadians and Americans are going to be debating leadership issues nonstop. Because, right or wrong, for whatever bizarre reason, citizens of both countries look to their political leaders for guidance, direction and reassurance that a steady hand is holding the reigns of power. This despite the fact that our political leaders generally pursue the interests of the people who put them into power - and I'm not thinking voters here - or they simply react to public pressure like a see-saw.

This is why the Conservative Party ignored food safety issues until there was a listeriosis outbreak and then ordered an investigation while the federal Agriculture Minister, Jerry Ritz, mused that his department was dying of a thousand colds cuts and that hopefully the Liberal Agriculture Critic would eat some deeply discounted Maple Leaf baloney.

South of the border, this leadership vacuum can be seen in how the Bush White House is pressing for an almost unimaginable bail out of the bloated financial sector, while waging ruinously expensive multiple failed wars on numerous physical and psychological fronts.

During an election a leader needs to be tough to get votes.

The best example of this is Pierre Trudeau in 1968. Trudeau, a staunch federalist, attended the St-Jean-Baptiste parade that summer in Montreal, during an election that he'd called. Separatists tossed bottles at Trudeau and threatened violence. Trudeau shrugged off his staffers, who took off for safer grounds and smiled as the bottles flew. The scene eventually led to Trudeau becoming Prime Minister for a decade.

Now, I'm not a fan of the now deceased Trudeau, for various reasons, but he was smart and had guts and the courage to stick his neck out, especially when he could gain politically.

Perhaps the Fanshawe Student Union representatives could use some of that type of backbone. There probably isn't anyone in the college, or in the London area, who hasn't heard about the weekly torching couches and busting bottles fun and games on Fleming Drive. There's no doubt the continued incidents are giving the college a bad name.

There's plenty of blame to pass around, and not much of it towards the college, which can't - and shouldn't attempt to - control students outside the school property.

But it seems to be that our own elected student reps could possibly be doing something other than nothing. Why not put on those sweet Fanshawe threads, which have likely been paid for by the students of the college, and go out on Fleming Drive on weekends and attempt to keep the peace? Talk to people; try to maintain some semblance of order. Alas, it is difficult to wander wander amongst the serfs when there are so many fun events happening around the college on weekends. Where would the Out Back Shack be without it's usual cadre of FSU celebs?

Fear, laziness, apathy - what's the problem with our FSU executive? Proactive has to be better than no-active. Maybe President Hillis could use his expertise and set up a Fleming volleyball tournament, so the drunks could release some of that pent up energy and work on their setting instead of spiking bottles in front of fire trucks.

The police have clearly lost patience. There will be more arrests, including criminal charges from now on. I'm sure Hillis and his pals in the Student Union strongly denounce the Fleming activity. But that just reminds me of every other politician out there who likes the office, and the clothes, and the perks, but isn't willing to walk the same streets as the people who put them into their lofty position.

At the end of this year Hillis will no doubt be putting Fanshawe Student President on his resume, as evidence of his leadership skills. But it's hard to say what a potential employer will think when they do a Google search for Fanshawe and up pops a record number of charges being laid in Hillis' backyard. Maybe it's time for the FSU student reps to get out of the office, put down their Out Back pints, and see what's happening to their school's reputation outside the fences.

Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.