<div dir="ltr">Thanks, Sean! Your letters are among the most intriguing ones!<div><br></div><div>Anita</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jan 20, 2017 at 11:47 AM, Jennifer Ross <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:2jennross@gmail.com" target="_blank">2jennross@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>Really great letter, Sean! My sentiments exactly this morning.<br><br></div>Jenn<br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="h5">On Fri, Jan 20, 2017 at 11:14 AM, Sean OS <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:fifthprovince@gmail.com" target="_blank">fifthprovince@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div class="h5"><div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">The Honorable Karina Gould M.P.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Minister of Democratic Institutions<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">House of Commons<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">January 20, 2017<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Dear Minister Gould,<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Congratulations on your appointment to the most important
post in the present parliament. This is not <i>plámás</i>*
- it is <u>not</u> ‘empty flattery’ or ‘ingratiating talk’. It is a serious and
sincere expression of hope and trust. I am writing this in the morning of
Friday January 20, 2017 – a day in which much of our attention is inclined to focus
down south on Disunited Distopia and what is expected to be a cacotopia **circus.
It is a possible foretaste of what could happen in Canada. <span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Unless, of course, you do a Trojan job - for which you are
noted - on reforming our electoral system. When our Prime Minister, Justin
Trudeau (In 1971, I celebrated the Eucharist for his parents on their honeymoon
in Tobago), whispered in French some months ago that he didn’t think people
were that keen on electoral reform, he betrayed the trust and hope that so many
of us had for this very thing if he was elected; and he promised it! <span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">So please do not just give us platitudes that may be placating
for the non-plebs and the impious ears of the self-clowned Emperor of Amerikay.
Let Canada continue to be a beacon of benevolence and constitutional democracy;
and not pander, nor be a hostage, to the friendly fascism being bequeath to our
brethren “South of the Border” but certainly not “… down Mexico Way”. We do
believe in you … at this moment. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Keep the momentum going.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Thank you.<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal">Seán O’Seasnáin<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">References:<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">* It means:
'Pay no attention to his flattery.' Don't and mind were merged, so the phrase
sounded like /do:'maɪndɪz 'plɔ:mɔ:sən/. Plámás /'plɔ:mɔ:s/ ['plaw-mawse'] is an
Irish noun and verb used in Hiberno-English; it means empty flattery,
ingratiating talk, disingenuous praise. <a href="https://www.google.ie/#q=pl%C3%A1m%C3%A1s+meaning" target="_blank">https://www.google.ie/#q=pl%C3<wbr>%A1m%C3%A1s+meaning</a>
<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt">** Cacotopia
(κακό, caco = bad) meaning “a cataclysmic decline in society” and was the term
used by Jeremy Bentham in his 19th century works <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dystopia" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<wbr>Dystopia</a>
<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">------------------------------<wbr>--<span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Seán O’Seasnáin<span></span></p>
Postal Address<br>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal">Cell Phone Number <span></span></p></div>
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<br></blockquote></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="m_4992468110112111360gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-size:10px;background-color:transparent;font-style:normal"><span><font color="#888888"><font size="1"><span style="font-family:tahoma,new york,times,serif"><span style="line-height:10.909090995788574px">No other Western democratic country concentrates as much political power </span></span></font><font size="1"><span style="font-family:tahoma,new york,times,serif"><span style="line-height:10.909090995788574px">in the hands of one person as Canada does with her Prime Minister. </span></span></font></font></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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