A Dash To Stop Proroguing Parliament

TICK TOCK, tick tock ... the stoic and inscrutable Olympic Clock might have said, if it were not digital and could talk.

We dashed past the Flying Girl seen through the Vancouver Public Library window, thinking we were late for the Stop Proroguing Parliament Rally.

Although in a hurry, we couldn't resist stopping to admire the library's marvelous mass of architectural arcs and swirls.

Surprisingly, at the Vancouver Art Gallery where the rally was to be held, we instead found a lone woman at the foot of the historically ornate building who explained the group had left and was marching to Victory Square.

Time relaxed for a moment when a mother, with her adorable daughter and doll, caught my attention and she allowed me to take a picture. They were each accidentally dressed in a pretty pattern resembling the giant floral panel decorating the gallery walls.

Arriving at Victory Square, we discovered a notable crowd. There were buttons, waving flags, and a variety of signage to show objections over the closure of Parliament until March 3, 2010.

Standing in the mud-soaked grass, we were immersed in speeches and the hearty organized shouting of slogans by a conscientious crowd.

It was encouraging to see such a rousing civil display of democracy. The rally was just one of several groups voicing their views last Saturday.

People expressing themselves throughout the city covered topics such as: Save Christians In Egypt; to Haiti Needs Emergency Relief, Not Military Intervention; to Canadian Troops Out Of Afghanistan. There were also several folk out and about protesting the upcoming Olympics.

The peaceful array of democratic opinion was somehow as comforting and colorful as the unruffled rainbow circling one onlooker's hat.

For more information about the purpose of the rally we attended search for Proroguing of Parliament online.

I See You: Proroguing Parliament

WE NOTICED A YOUNG woman handing out flyers as our vehicle crawled along a busy Vancouver street last Sunday. We were on our way out of the City after seeing Avatar at Scotiabank Theatre. Several people rejected what she offered and quickly walked by. I rolled down the car window and asked what she was doing. She smiled and handed me a small piece of paper, bringing me back to earth from Avatar’s imaginary planet Pandora and its breathtaking beauty.

The flyer was about an upcoming Rally on January 23, 2010, at the Vancouver Art Gallery, 1 pm to 4 pm. Leaving the paper to wrinkle in my pocket, I was, nonetheless, impressed with the woman’s willingness to get involved. My instinct is to reject the notion that Mr. Harper can simply shut down Parliament at his whim. Those wanting to know more about Prorouging and the reason for the rally can visit here.

In the Avatar movie, there is a greeting the people of Pandora give to one another that means more than a simple 'hello' or 'how are you'. The 'I see you' greeting seems to offer a greater sense of connection, understanding and appreciation between people. I suppose when one turns to politics, however, 'I see you' can also represent people paying attention when some leaders hope to quietly move their agendas along, assisted by public apathy.