Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Jack Layton 1950 - 2011

Leader of Canada's New Democrats from 2003 - 2011 Jack Layton dedicated his life to building a better, fairer Canada.  Great things were done. Day in and day out he showed a rare passion, determination and skill. He was a fighter and a bridge builder and he never lost sight of why he was involved in public life.


Smiling Jacks torch will now be carried by every person who believes in a better tomorrow, every person who believes in dignity for our seniors and better opportunity for our youth and by every person who believes through working together we can make our great country even better.
Part of what Jack wrote in his final letter to Canadians:

My friends, love is better than anger.
Hope is better than fear.
Optimism is better than despair.
So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic.
And we’ll change the world.

5 comments:

Catz said...

I have never seen such an out pouring of grief for anyone in Canada.
I think that this man's character and his ability to draw all people to himself showed so greatly in the people who lined up to pay their respects. Business suited men and silk clad women stood in line with the homeless who carried all their possessions with them in a grocery cart.

He was a good person and good decent people are hard to come by these days. Even harder in the world politics.

Lorraina said...

He was truely the best Prime Minister we never had and it's tragic that he was stopped by that old devil cancer in the prime of his life. I'm trying to be optimistic and hopeful that someone like him will step forward to build us the better life that smiling Jack worked towards.
R.I.P. Jack, you are sadly missed.

A Plain Observer said...

What a beautiful quote.
There are so very few politicians who have the best interest of the people in mind.

Lorraina said...

Thanks Just Because. Jack Layton was a strong voice for the ordinary working people and the underprivileged even as he fought for his life. He was a true gentleman who believed more in human values than the dollar value and losing him is a huge loss for all Canadians.

Anonymous said...

These are great Tributes to a well deserving Gentleman.