Raven's View

Repost from Feb 6/23

Too much freedom

 - Are more structures and constraints a good thing?

I need to try sketching again. My son and I got into it last summer, using just the basic pen and ink and paper. He kept going and is still enjoying it. I didn't. Fear of failure? A general lack of ambition? I don’t know. Not that I haven’t been busy, as there is no shortage of sparkly things to grasp at. Still, it feels lately that I’ve been wasting my days doing fun but less challenging things - like playing games or watching videos or reading fantasy books or surfing the interwebs. Yes, I am retired and I can do anything I want, so maybe it really isn’t wasting, but still . . .

Repost from Oct 3, on ravensview.substack.com

Sharing the Land

When is a Treaty Not a Treaty? 

Yes, it’s been a while, but I’m back.

Repost from Sept 21, on ravensview.substack.com

Royalty in Canada

To Be or Not to Be

I started thinking about this a few days ago, browsing news stories and blogs, but I decided to wait until after the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II.

So why not deal with it? I’ll look at some ideas/opinions on why we do or don’t need it, and then how we might change it. 

In Canada, while the monarchy has little more than a ceremonial function, it still helps us define our identity, and adds a sense of continuity. Queen Elizabeth II saw 12 Prime Ministers in Canada during her reign, from Louise St. Laurent to Justin Trudeau. Her presence was a unifying thread over the years, the challenge will be for King Charles to define what his relationship with the world will be.

Repost from Sept 15, ravensview.substack.com

Freedom, and Frustration

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” -Charles Dickens

So much anger, so much frustration. The recent protests, in particular last winter’s “Freedom Convoy” here in Ottawa, brought a lot of that to the forefront, but it’s been on the boil for a while. There is anger amongst protestors worldwide at being mistreated by the system, and they are frustrated that they seem to keep being ignored. In some ways they are right, they are being misused and mistreated and ignored by the current system. Face it, many (most?) politicians are in it mainly for the power and the glory. And once in power they then ensure their efforts are focused on the issues and demographics needed to stay there, on those people best situated to contribute to the economy, while fitting in smoothly and quietly. And of course, people that will pay back with their vote. It is ironic too, that sometimes the protesters are misused, mistreated, and ignored by the leaders of their movement - power is tempting.