Clive Doucet: Your comments about journalists weren’t appreciated by some readers.
Capt. Tom Travis: “Because the truth hurts? They’re gutless. Take Lac Megantic – the most recent tragedy to come our way. There’s only one question worth asking. Why was one man driving at 72 car train loaded with hundreds of tons of tar sands gumbo? Could it be because it exposes the unholy alliance between the elected politicians and the corporate ones?”
C.D.: “I remember seeing that question being asked.”
Capt. Tom Travis: “One question out of kilometres of coverage and a zillion interviews doesn’t make a story. The reason the question is buried in ‘personal’ interviews is it exposes the fact that this country won’t invest in rail. Today, the French who have the best rail system in the world just announced a 3 billion dollar upgrade forthe Paris system. That’s three billion to improve and expand one city’s rail system. We’ve got governments that specialize in dis-investing in the country’s assets. The largest rail system in North America is now Canadian National. It’s private. Guess what? We Canadians used to own it, lock, stock and barrel. We kept the junk. It’s called VIA Rail.
“And how about the single pay-out for soldiers suffering from PTS. Here’s some cash soldier – go fix yourself and don’t bother us again. Do you see journalists asking tough questions like what happened to taking responsibility for broken bodies until they’re mended? Maybe we can’t afford to go to war if we can’t afford to take care of our wounded after. And how about the return to glory? The government just announced there’s pips and stripes for Canadian soldiers just like in the good old colonial days. While we’re at it, why don’t we go back to muskets?”
C.D.: “I take it you don’t like the government.”
Capt. Tom Travis: “The local government does what it can but it’s got no money and no authority. That’s why l live in Bruce County. The possibility of a fucking up paradise is limited here. Now, can you go to the beach or something and leave me alone?”
C.D.: Clive Doucet reporting from Wemje, Bruce County. Home of war hero, Captain Tom Travis.