Larry Miller wasn't the only one determined to lower the tone of debate in the House of Commons yesterday. Julian Fantino decided to resurrect an old favorite in a comment directed primarily at the NDP's Christine Moore (via Aaron Wherry):
The one thing that should be stated in the House is for NDP members to state categorically that they do not support our military, that they do not support our men and women, that they do not support our airmen and women. That is really the theme here.
Ms. Moore rose on a point of order later in the day to inform Mr. Fantino that she had served in the Canadian Forces herself. But that isn't the point. And I didn't bother to find out what the original debate was about because that isn't the point either.
Questioning an opponent's support for the troops is just a variation on questioning an opponent's patriotism. It's designed to shut down debate and intimidate people into silence. Good for Moore for not allowing herself to be bullied but it shouldn't be necessary for her to bear witness to her own service. The accusation had no place in the discussion in the first place. If that's all the response Fantino had, he had nothing worth saying.
Nothing worth saying has never stopped a politician, especially a Harper politician, from saying. They talk and talk to reinforce their skewed and perverted points of view into the psyche of Canadians. Unfortunately it seems to work for too many of us.
Good for Moore for not allowing herself to be bullied? I hate to say it, but not really. She responded by defending herself. You don't respond to scum like that by defending yourself, you hammer them back.
"Mr. Speaker, I would not have been the one to raise the issue, but if Mr. Fantino insists on talking about support for the troops, it should be pointed out that the Conservative party is actively undermining them. If Mr. Fantino supported our men and women, he wouldn't spend their lives in pointless conflicts that are irrelevant to Canada. If Mr. Fantino supported our airmen and women, he wouldn't support wasting their budget on expensive toys that won't let them get their missions done. In supporting the F-35, Mr. Fantino supports US military contractors against the Canadian military, a disgraceful position for someone who dares hector people about patriotism!"