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Lasting words 2002 Quotes guru JOHN ROBERT COLOMBO has scanned newspapers, magazines and books for the past 365 days seeking gems about what he calls 'the peculiarities of this country.' Here's a sampling
By JOHN ROBERT COLOMBO Tuesday, December 31, 2002 – Page A9
In my universe, everyone can be immortal, rich and beautiful, and the stars are their steppingstones. Spider Robinson, science-fiction writer, distinguishing between "magical age" fantasy fiction and "future-perfect" science fiction, "Forward -- into the Past!" The Globe and Mail, Jan. 1.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It is easier to write of the future if one is prepared to be a good sport about things, and predict a new and better world. Optimists are generally forgiven when they are proved wrong. People tend to be unforgiving of doomsayers, even when they are right. Dalton Camp, columnist, "New Year Will Be No Worse than the Old One," Toronto Star, Jan. 2.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He thinks The Flintstones is a documentary. Warren Kinsella, political commentator and Liberal apologist, referring to the fundamentalist Biblical beliefs of then Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day, as recalled on CBC Radio's "The Week in Review," Jan. 5.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If hockey players don't start out as toothless morons, they'll probably wind up that way. Margaret Wente, columnist, "It's Okay to Hate Hockey," The Globe, Jan. 10.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hockey, per se, is obviously a big part of what makes us us. Stephen Brunt, columnist, quoted by Margaret Wente. She added, "Mr. Brunt: Who you calling 'us', white man?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I took a walk in the snow. And I'm staying. As long as I am Prime Minister, I remain the Prime Minister. Another day, another snowstorm -- in July -- I might decide to go. Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister, announcing a cabinet shuffle, Jan. 15, quoted by Tim Harpur, "Chrétien Dumps 7, 13 Others Change Jobs," Toronto Star. The Prime Minister is alluding to the snowy walk that Pierre Elliot Trudeau took prior to his resignation in 1984.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peace is not the absence of war but the absence of fear, which is the presence of justice. Ursula Franklin, scientist and peace activist, address, recipient of the Canadian United Nations Association's Pearson Peace Medal, quoted by Michael Valpy, The Globe, Jan. 19. Gritlock. A neologism popularized by authors Peter G. White and Adam Daifallah in their book Gritlock: Are the Liberals in Forever?. The authors attribute the term to editorial consultant Frances Hannah.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canada is to- day the most successful pluralist society on the face of the globe, without any doubt in my mind . . . That is something unique to Canada. It is an amazing global asset. Aga Khan IV, spiritual leader of the Ismaili Muslims, interviewed in Ottawa by John Stackhouse and Patrick Martin, "Interview with the Aga Khan," The Globe, Feb. 2.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have no opinion but I agree with you. Shelagh Rogers, host, CBC Radio's "This Morning," Feb. 5. Ms. Rogers genially agreed with a guest, who made a straight-forward point about the lack of Olympic sportsmanship, while she maintained her professional objectivity.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sometimes a silver medal is won by a gold-medal performance. David Pelletier, figure skater, interview, CBC Radio, Feb. 12. Mr. Pelletier and Jamie Salé came second in the Olympic pairs figure skating competition in Salt Lake City, Utah, Feb. 11. A later decision gave them a gold. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There is a fine difference between feeling the universe evolves from within and feeling the universe revolves around you. But there's a big difference in the outcome. Peter Urs Bender, motivational speaker, Gutfeeling: Instinct and Spirituality@Work.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you could mix up chess, golf, billiards, and shuffleboard, you would have the sport of curling. Kevin Martin, skip, quoted by Roy MacGregor, "NBC Calls Canada Coolest," National Post, Feb. 19.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Few people actually dare to come out and say, "I'm from Alberta." The very admission is a social gaffe. Albertans are regarded as creatures from the swamp, Neanderthals, figures of fun, fools and daredevils, lunatic Bible-thumpers, gun-toting renegades, and crazy oilmen who really don't appreciate their tolerated position within this great nation. Aritha van Herk, author, Mavericks: An Incorrigible History of Alberta.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Blind faith in markets is just as dangerous as blind faith in central planning. Mark Jaccard, economist, former chief of the B.C. Utilities Commission, writing in a publication of the C.D. Howe Institute, quoted by Thomas Walkom, "Confusion Reigns over Electricity," Toronto Star, Feb. 24.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You know, if all of us quit breathing, can you imagine how much carbon dioxide we could avoid sending into the atmosphere? Ralph Klein, Alberta Premier, flippantly remarking how breathing contributes to global warming, quoted by Jim Mahoney, "Klein on Cutting Smog: Just 'Quit Smoking,'" The Globe, Feb. 27.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Life marches right up to the wall of that final darkness. Statement made by a dy- ing woman in Carol Shields's novel Unless.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The 21st century will be a century when Africa will fully become part of the international community. Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister, address, Dakar, Senegal, April 12, quoted in "21st Century is Yours, P.M. Tells Africa," Toronto Star.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- People from every corner of the world are coming to Canada, and on arrival, looking around to see that they are surrounded by people from the other three corners. Pico Iyer, traveller and essayist, "The Last Refuge," Harper's Magazine, June, 2002.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What's the difference between an optimist and a pessimist? Ask someone to name a great Canadian actor and the optimist says Christopher Plummer and the pessimist says William Shatner. Adapted from a remark made by drama critic Kate Taylor, "Artistic Licence," The Globe, May 23.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Brian has great contacts. He knows every dictator in the world on a first-name basis. Peter Munk, financier and friend of former prime minister Brian Mulroney, quoted by Peter C. Newman, "Back in the Limelight," the Post, May 11.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canada is the only country founded on the relentless pursuit of the rodent. Preston Manning, founder of the Reform Party, address, IdeaCity conference, Toronto, June 20.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The problem doesn't arise when people come to Canada from the Levant; the problem arises when people come to recreate the Levant in Canada. George Jonas, columnist, discussing the importation of divisive ethnic values, "Multiculturalism's Volatile Mix," the Post, June 21.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trust your gut instincts. There's a lot to do down the road; there's always more. In small matters trust your mind, but in the important decisions of life . . . trust your heart. Al Waxman's words of advice, inscribed in stone, part of the bronze statue of the "actor, director, humanitarian (1935-2001)," depicted as "King of Kensington," created by sculptor Ruth Abernethy, and erected by citizens in Belleville Park, Kensington Market, Toronto, unveiled June 23.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In a world of great social and ethical strains, and confusion about the very purpose of life, Canadians have an incomparable treasure to contribute -- on condition that they preserve what is deep and good and valid in their own heritage. John Paul II, Pontiff, speech on arrival, Toronto, July 23. The head of the Roman Catholic Church appeared in Toronto to celebrate World Youth Day, a week-long festival of Catholic youth from around the world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I sometimes wonder if the Pope has ever changed a diaper or been peed on by a toddler who hasn't quite mastered the art of getting to the bathroom on time. Joanna Manning, activist and former Catholic nun, interviewed by Wayne Holst, "Truth Not What It Once Was," Toronto Star, Aug. 3.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- One of the wonders of the downsizing of hospitals is that, though patient quarters get tighter and tighter, administrative space and doctors' offices get larger and larger. Mary V. Seeman, psychiatrist, "Schizophrenia: Two Sides of the Mirror," Queen's Quarterly, Summer 2002.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadian multiculturalism, in other words, is not "multi" at all, but culturally biased to the degree that it expresses a Canadian respect for individualism not shared by most countries in the world. Richard Rodriguez, American commentator, Brown: The Last Discovery of America.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is not the result of a walk in the snow, it has taken longer than that. Joe Clark, Leader of the Conservative Party, announcing his intention to resign the leadership in six months' time, Aug. 6, quoted by Allan Thompson,"Clark Quits, Sort Of," Toronto Star.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It took just 30 years to destroy the biomass, 1960 to 1990. The fish couldn't hide. David Boyd, former fisherman, director of the Prime Berth Fishing Museum, Twillingate, Nfld., quoted by Alanna Mitchell, "Canadian Cod Remains a Tragic Fish Tale," The Globe, Aug. 26.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regardless of where they come from, every single Muslim on the planet is the worse off because of 9/11. So much for the master planners' fanatical scheme of "advancing the Muslim cause." Mohamed Elmasry, engineering professor, national president, Islamic Congress, "Islam," Toronto Star, Sept. 7.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now, you've heard nothing so far about referenda or the constitution. Not by accident! Neither are on our radar screen. We already have a full plate in order to put Quebec back on the way to prosperity. Mario Dumont, leader, Action Démocratique du Québec, speech, Canadian Club, Toronto, Sept. 23, printed in the Toronto Star.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Museum of Civilization is the only museum in the world that is more interesting on the outside than it is on the inside. Roy MacGregor, columnist, "This Country," The Globe, Sept. 24.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Americans might not always be right. But they are always right next door. Thomas Walkom, columnist, referring to the United States and the Cold War and the war on terrorism, "Return of the Old, Cold War," Toronto Star, Sept. 28.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Instead of God creating our brains, our brains created God. Michael Persinger, cognitive psychologist, interviewed by Robert Hercz, "The God Helmet," Saturday Night magazine, October, 2002.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It's a vast country, so that inspires you. It's also the greatest hotel on Earth: It welcomes people from everywhere. It's a good country to write from because in many ways Canada is the world. Yann Martel, recipient of the 2002 Booker Prize for his novel The Life of Pi, acceptance speech, British Library, London, Oct. 22, quoted by Michael Higgins in The Globe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We have permitted a culture to arise that has been some 30 years in the making, one that can best be summarized by the one question that everyone in Ottawa believes has become the key to getting things done: "Who do you know in the PMO?" Paul Martin, Liberal leadership contender, referring to the pre-emptive tendencies of the Prime Minister's Office, address, York University, Toronto, Oct. 22, quoted by Susan Delacourt, "Martin Vows to Make PM Less Mighty," the Post.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I am often struck by the thought that I have survived into the future. Robert Hunter, activist and author, 2030: Confronting Thermageddon in Our Lifetime.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I may spend my public life dealing with organizations, but I spend my private time escaping them. Henry Mintzberg, professor of management studies, McGill University, observation, "About Henry Mintzberg," from his Web site http://www.mintzberg.org, Oct. 27.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Quebec is a nation and a nation will never be satisfied with the status that is honourable for Ontario or Saskatchewan, of being a simple province of another nation. Premier Bernard Landry, deflecting criticism he and the PQ aren't committed to independence, speech, National Assembly, Quebec City, Oct. 29, quoted by Rhéal Séguin,"Landry Rejects Bégin's Accusations," The Globe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- That place is a complete haven for international terrorists. Even their own retired security guys say it's a complete haven. We . . . need lectures from some people, not from Soviet Canuckistan. U.S. broadcaster Pat Buchanan on TV program "Buchanan and Press," Oct. 31, quoted in Toronto Star. Mr. Buchanan was ridiculing Canadian protests about U.S. border authorities photographing and fingerprinting Arab-Canadians.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Jean Chrétien is 68, Paul Martin is 64, but I am only 63. So I've got my campaign motto: "Give youth a chance!" Adapted from a remark attributed to former prime minister Brian Mulroney, who was reacting to rumours he might contest the P.C. leadership, as noted by Lawrence Martin, "The Case for Bringing Back Mulroney," The Globe, Nov. 8.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I think the next stage in Canada's mental evolution is to learn how to subvert existing transnational systems to our own ends, rather than having them subvert us. Douglas Coupland, novelist and essayist, "Strong and Free," Maclean's, Nov. 25.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What a moron. Of course, our official position is that he is not trying to hijack the summit. Françoise Ducros, director of communications in the Prime Minister's Office, referring to U.S. President George W. Bush in private conversation, overheard by a journalist, Prague, Nov. 20.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- He's not a moron at all. He is a friend. Jean Chrétien, Prime Minister, referring to U.S. President George W. Bush, NATO Summit, Prague, Czechoslovakia, Nov. 21, quoted by Daniel Leblanc and Jeff Sallot, "P.M. Urged to Fire Aide for Insult to Bush," The Globe.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- All of us must realize that our health and wellness are not simply responsibilities of the state. Rather, medicare is a defining aspect of our citizenship. Roy Romanow, health-care commissioner, The Globe, Nov. 29. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Okay, science fiction failed to deliver passenger service to Luna City, anti-gravity belts, or benign planetary government. But it did promote, worldwide, an awareness that a benign planetary government would be a good thing to have, and that's a start. Spider Robinson, science-fiction author, "Forward -- into the Past!" The Globe, Jan. 1. John Robert Colombo is author of Colombo's Famous Lasting Words and The Penguin Treasury of Popular Canadian Poems and Songs.
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