The Black Rod

What better way to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation than by injecting some truth into the Truth column. Then the Reconciliation can follow with the critics of Winnipeg Mayor candidate Don Woodstock issuing their apologies to him for telling the truth at an all-candidates forum held by the  Council of Women of Winnipeg . Woodstock stirred a mini-tempest when he addressed the topic of ways to improve safety for women. Another  candidate had raised the issue  of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and Woodstrock responded by saying  Indigenous men bore much of the blame and needed to do more to stop violence against women. The knee-jerk reaction wasn't long in coming. MKO Grand Chief Garrison Settee was interviewed by CBC. "Settee said on the path toward reconciliation, Indigenous people are trying to meet non-Indigenous people halfway and don't need someone like Woodstock spreading stereotypes. "He should drop out of the race and work on ...

Where ya bin? you ask. In the modern vernacuar, we reply:  Later, dude. The Black Rod was jolted back into action by the televised news conference last week with the Prime Minister of Canada,  Justin  "Buckwheat" Trudeau. Trudeau had been jaunting around the world, basking in accolades, while mobs barricaded railroads across Canada, slowly strangling  the economy and forcing layoffs and shortgages of essential goods. Finally, shamed by the Opposition Conservatives in Parliament for ignoring the crisis, he reluctantly cancelled the next destination of his winter world tour---sunny Barbados---and returned to Ottawa. Less than a week of non-action later, he stood in front of television cameras to make an announcement:  he had no idea what to do. Yep, that was it. The leader of a country of 35 million people formally announced to the world that the protestors had won. He had nothing.  He had  tried his best, i.e. begging the "hereditary...