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Gazette, Handel, Harmonious Blacksmith, Ilya Repin, Le Devoir, Le Monde, Le Monde diplomatique, National Post, Sviatoslav Richter, The New York Times, the saddest day, United States, WordPress

Apples and Leaves (1879), by Ilya Repin (State Russian Museum)
Photo credit: Wikipedia9/11
It was the saddest of days. I was in my office, but was told to come and see what was happening in New York. We were crying. All flights to the United States were redirected to Canada and in localities where there were no hotels, motels, inns, such as Gander, Newfoundland, local families took in bewildered passengers.
I worried. If they needed medication, did they have enough? Did they have their nightgowns or pyjamas. Little things. I think my concerns were of a motherly kind.
However, later that day, I received a telephone call from a person of considerable influence in Ottawa, Allan J. MacEachen. We discussed the attacks. He wanted to know what I would do under such circumstances. I answered that, personally, if I were the President of the United States, I would not do anything. I explained that, in my opinion, the terrorists had to be tracked down, but that the United States should not engage in a war.
And what would you do as a Canadian, he asked. I answered that, in my opinion, we were doing what we could and should do. Planes headed for the United States were landing in Canada. We had to be compassionate, hospitable, generous. We had to be good neighbours.
President Obama’s Campaign
As a Canadian, I cannot even imagine life without the social programs put into place about 50 years ago. The person I mentioned above, had lost his elections and was coming back to Antigonish, Nova Scotia. However, Lester B. Pearson (23 April 1897 – 27 December 1972), an extraordinary Canadian, asked him to stay in Ottawa and design social programs: universal health care, students loans, the Canada Pension Plan, which he did. We are very fortunate. I have written a blog about this person, the Honourable Allan J. MacEachen.
Related Blog: The Honourable Allan J. MacEachen: Nationhood and Leadership
The pictures : I will let it be
Regarding yesterday’s posts, I have decided to feel flattered and let things be. I am not engaging in hostilities as it could harm some of my colleagues at WordPress. They could lose a sponsor.
The News
English The New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/ The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ The Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/ The Montreal Gazette: http://www.montrealgazette.com/index.html The National Post: http://www.nationalpost.com/index.html Le Monde diplomatique: http://mondediplo.com/ EN CBC News: http://www.cbc.ca/news/ CTV News: http://www.ctvnews.ca/ French Le Monde: http://www.lemonde.fr/ Le Monde diplomatique: http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/ Le Devoir: http://www.ledevoir.com/ La Presse: http://www.lapresse.ca/ German Die Welt: http://www.welt.de/ © Micheline Walker September 11, 2012 WordPress composer: Händel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) piece: The Harmonious Blacksmith performer: Wilhelm Kempff (25 November 1895 – 23 May 1991)
Handel by Philip Mercier