“Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.” Aristotle.
I was born in Cairo, Egypt to Greek and Lebanese parents. I spoke three languages when we arrived in Canada. English was not one of them. I used to come home after school and tell my mother, I spoke English today and proudly proceed to spell out. A. P. P. L. E..
As a kid, I was bullied for being the outsider. I can’t recall how often I was called the “n” word because of where I was born. I was hit one time by a bully and my father called the police to report the incident. When the officer came to the door, heard my story, he said to my father, “What do you expect? You’re immigrants.”
I’m also the kid who as a teenager wrote many a letter to newspapers about issues I was concerned about. In one case, I wrote a letter against capital punishment. I had opinions because in my family we were taught to be informed, make up our own minds on the issues of the day, and never to remain on the sidelines when we witnessed injustices.
At sixteen, I was at my parttime job earning money for my university fees when one of my letters to the editor appeared. My mother received a call from an irate woman who took offence to my words. With a last name like mine, my family was easy to find in the phone book. She asked my mother if she was the Stella Leventoyannis who wrote that “offensive letter”.
My mother said, “No, Stella is my daughter.”
The woman then began to berate my mother, asking her how she could allow her daughter to write such things. “Capital punishment is the only option for dangerous criminals. Your daughter can’t possibily understand what she’s saying, quoting the bible in such a way. Shameful. The court system knows what is best for criminals. But you are immigrants. What do you know about anything?”
I think I’d said something in my letter like, “vengeance is mine, I will repay,” quoting the bible verse that discourages revenge. I’d concluded my argument, saying that it wasn’t up to the government or the courts to sentence someone to death. Capital punishment was inhuman and not part of a just and caring society.
My mother told the woman, “My daughter has an opinion, and, in this country, we have the right to express our opinions.” I still tear up thinking about how my mother defended me.
Various forms of bullying continued as I became an adult and started my career, first in Corrections, becoming one of only a few female leaders running a prison, then later again, as one of a few female leaders in the consulting business. And with each incident (sexist jokes, sexual advances, downplaying of my decisions and threats), I stood my ground refusing to be intimidated by my male counterparts and at times, by my male staff. I didn’t run and I didn’t hide. I vowed to either win them over or usher them out the door. This is what I was taught by both my parents and my adopted country. I’m not perfect, nor is my country, but we both face threats head on and fight for what is right.
Canada fought honourably in the two great wars. The United States became involved in the First World War in 1917, three years after it began, and entered the Second World War when it was attacked by Japan in December 1941, over two years after the war had begun and only when they were attacked. Early on in these wars, the United States stood on the sidelines, while Canadians and Europeans died on the front lines in both wars, fighting tyranny.
In addition to fighting injustice, Canada has a history of peace keeping. Canada’s former prime minister, Lester Bowles Pearson proposed a UN peacekeeping force as a means for easing the British and French out of Egypt during the Suez Crisis of 1956. His plan was implemented, and as a reward he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957. Canada has been involved in peace-keeping missions ever since. Pearson was also instrumental in the establishment of NATO. Again, Canada punching far above its weight.
Our recent prime minister, Justin Trudeau, showed his own courage and unwillingness to back away from a fight, by reassuring Canadians he would protect us after the President of the United States introduced unfair tariffs that broke our CUSMA free-trade agreement.
In this country we uphold international law as well as local agreements and take care of each other. For example: the Canadian government stepped up with multiple aid programs to protect both citizens and organizations during the pandemic. We have always had systems and programs in place in this country to take care of our most vulnerable. This value for the life of our fellow man is inherent in everything we do. In the United States, the value for the life of the fellow man has all but disappeared given the recent wave of indiscriminative firings.
And that’s just the beginning for our American neighbours. Elections bought and paid for by the rich, dismantling key government departments, flouting national and international law, bullying partnering countries while cozying up to dictators, deporting refugees and immigrants, threatening to uproot millions of innocent people to build a sea-side resort in Gaza, expanding Guantanamo Bay to house more expelled refugees and immigrants, questioning European leaders about their commitment to democracy while wooing far-right political parties, taunting all those who disagree, influencing the media, banning books, and manipulating the market for personal gain. And the chaos and flip flops continue on a daily basis. What era are we in? And what despot could do such things?
The President of the United States.
It took Hitler 53 days to dismantle democracy. The President of the United States continues to uphold and surpass the record of his fellow Malevolent Narcissist. A student of mine reminded me in an email that there was one significant difference between Hitler and the current American president: “Hitler personally led the SA mob in the Beer Hall Putsch, firing his revolver into the Bürgerbräukeller ceiling. On January 6, 2020, Trump egged the mob on but kept himself safe in the White House.”
Safe to say, the United States has shown its cards on the home front and abroad both in the past and in the present.
After Jesse Watters of Fox News (another bully) berated Doug Ford and suggested to the premier that Canadians should consider it a privilege to become the 51st state, I emailed Mr. Watters (yes, I’m still writing letters, emails and notes).
We are an independent country and as such, it is never, never a privilege to be taken over by another country, particularly a bully country such as yours (or at best a failing democracy where billionaires determine the government and agenda of the day). Ask the Ukraine if it was a privilege for them to be taken over by Russia. Then puff up your chest and tell me how we should be thankful to listen to your president's rhetoric. Not thankful. And really embarrassed for him.
As a proud immigrant to Canada who was raised in this country by parents who sought a better life and got it in this country, there is no way I want to be an American. No bloody way!
And besides who wants to be part of a country, any country that doesn’t allow convicted criminals to vote and yet, elects a convicted criminal to the highest office. Yes, that’s the United States. Again, no thanks.
Like much of the world, I was embarrassed with the display of the bullying that took place at the White House with President Zelenskyy. It so reminded me of my own past experiences. President Zelenskyy held his own and has garnered the support of the rest of Europe as well as Canada.
The bullies are one issue. Bystanders are another. Others stood by or walked away when I was personally bullied as a kid. They didn’t bother to object or intervene. These offenders, like those in the Republican party, who supported their President after his reprehensible treatment of President Zelenskyy have their own motivations, likely to protect themselves. There are many others who won’t support each other either against Trump (law firms, organizations, and universities to name a few). Still for me, I will always act, always speak out when necessary. Doing something is always better than doing nothing. Ask those who stood by while Jews were murdered before and during World War II. Ask those who now stand by and watch Palestinians murdered, maimed and thrown out of their home. Their shame will live on within them and in their subsequent generations.
In case you haven’t figured out how I feel, I can tell you now, I will not bow down to our bully neighbour, or any bully. Haven’t in the past and certainly won’t do it now. So, in terms of the threats of tariffs and the other idiotic comments of a tyrant and his band of rogues about Canada, I say, bring on the tariffs (that is if you don’t change your mind again). It isn’t the first such battle and it won’t be the last given our neighbour. And regarding Trump’s threats about making Canada the 51st state, I echo Prime Minister Trudeau’s response, “There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell …,” and I’ll even go one step further, I will personally be on the front lines of our border if the convicted felon of a president and his goons even so much as try. Bullies, no matter who they are and where they come from or what positions they hold, always back away when confronted. They are weak individuals with equally weak egos they continually must validate through threats, intimidation and retribution. But that has never, nor will it ever work with me or my country.
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