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2000-09-29 || 10.56a Pierre Trudeau RIP He was also a man who galvanised this country and made politics exciting to young Canadians through wit and charm where most Canadian politicians have been stuffed shirts at best, and downright dull at worst. As Prime Minister, he pirouetted at a photo-op with the Queen, pulled Canada (kicking and screaming) out of its laconic daze, stood his ground against angry separatist rioters who were throwing bottles at him in Montr�al, told striking truck drivers to 'Mangez de la merde,' and caroused with John & Yoko, and Barbara Streisand. He also re-patriated the Canadian Constitution, worked to bring us a Bill of Rights, forced Canada to become a bilingual country, sent the Army to Montr�al to end an FLQ bombing campaign, said 'Fuck you' to an opposition MP right in the House of Commons, and called US conservatives 'Pentagon pipsqueaks' after they scoffed at his 1983 effort to reduce nuclear armaments. He was climbing mountains and kayaking long after many of his age were settling down into the twilight of their lives. But all of that changed in 1998, when one of his three sons disappeared under an avalanche in British Columbia. He was the last vestige of a very special period in this nation's growth, at time of epic politics, when he and his nemeses thundered at each other from across the House of Commons or a crowded press room. Many would now die before admitting to having voted for him. I was too young even when he stepped down forever in 1984, but no-one could escape the energy of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Michel Trudeau's body was never found after the skiing accident that claimed his life. News reports of Pierre's failing health started circulating not long after: Complications related to this and that... The news said that he died of cancer. The news said that he had parkinson's. The news also announced the death of Michel, an event that changed Trudeau, dulled a bit of that shine. The news can say whatever, but the word on the street is the truth: Pierre Trudeau died of a broken heart. |
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shite One last little note... - 09.21.2006 de-stressing, biking and terrorism - 06.06.2006 Mildly stressed... - 05.29.2006 More crime stupidity - 05.28.2006 Scary stuff - 05.25.2006
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