So I woke up this morning to a comment on one of my posts. The person wondered whether I’d seen the Canadian political advertisement that had gone somewhat viral.
I had not.
But now I have.
And … I’m beyond words.
The spot features two people running for mayor in Milton, Canada—the 89-year-old incumbent, Gordon Krantz, and his significantly younger challenger, Zainab Azim.
Here’s the video …
It’s warm and lovely and civic-minded, and speaks to a tone of neighborly appreciation from which we, as Americans, are light-years removed. It actually hurts me to watch, especially as Donald Trump and the Michigan GOP are heavy into the Muslim-bashing xenophobic messaging that they hope will keep Abdul El-Sayed out of office.
In a quirky twist, both Krantz (Milton’s mayor since 1980) and Azim (a United Nations fellow) wound up losing to George Minakakis, a longtime business executive.
Of course, after the results were counted, the new mayor sat down for this interview—and was exceedingly polite and gracious.
Sigh.
Ah, if only! How inspirational.
I'm wondering if the town was named after the the John Milton, author of Paradise Lost. That would be apt.
In contrast to the politicians in that Canadian Paradise, we have Donald Trump, who would divide and ruin America to satisfy his own venal ambitions. The updated version of Paradise Lost could seamlessly substitute Donald Trump into the role of Lucifer:
"Here we may reign secure, and in my choyce
To reign is worth ambition, though in Hell;
Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heav'n."
(Book 1, lines 261-263)