A Vision for the Self, a Vision for Canada
Manhood. It used to mean something concrete, but definitions had been blurred and changed over the past few decades, and it was up to every boy to decide what kind of man he wanted to be.
What is it that Jonathan saw as manly? Who did he idolize, follow as a role-model?
A man should be moral, he thinks. Yes, a strong moral foundation is where one should begin. Honour is the first word that comes to mind. But honour too is ambiguous, what does it imply? Many things and few. Courage, the kind that does not imply the absence of fear; but instead the strength of will to fight through it. Trust, an honourable man must be trustworth, for the responsibilities and secrets he is entrusted with. Loyalty; a man of honour does not betray those he holds in good standing. Justice; honour must be able to judge right from wrong, or it is wasted. Respect for everyone, even his enemies.
Compassion next. Compassion means feeling about what someone else feels, like empathy. Compassion also implies action; acting kindly towards the weak, showing mercy, and doing one’s best to protect others.
Wisdom too, so important to morality. Not raw intelligence, no, but intelligence mixed with level-headedness; that cool mindset which allows a man to step back from himself and contemplate something objectively, then return with a conclusion. The prudence to realize that knowledge is infinite, and to close the mind is to shut the door on possibility. Skepticism and optimism in equal supply.
Finally, Jonathan thinks, I must be a man who leads. He pauses, noticing his own transition from abstract to concrete. A man who leads as many as he can, by example or persuasion, to his own values. Not resting, but acting.
He resolves to become this man. A man of honour, compassion, wisdom, and the decisiveness to lead others.
And then a new train of though strikes him, pouring through his mind like the torrent that follows a spring thaw. I want politics to be like this, not just my own character, he thinks.
I want our men an women in the service of their country to have courage; just like their military counterparts do. I want them to have the courage to follow their sense of justice, not ignore it. I want Members of Parliament to be trustworthy, as we charge them with not only our money and the custody of the country, but our ideals, dreams and concerns.
I want politics to reward loyalty not just to a party but to an MP’s principles; the strength of will and again, the courage to stand up to a punishing majority view. I want politicians to embrace justice, to know how to call a situation regardless of what might be in their own best interests. I want them to respect each other as people and as people representing people, and I want them to respect the people they represent.
I want them to practice compassion and kindness, empathy and mercy. I want honour and wisdom in politics, an open mind yet an iron conviction, fierce passion yet cool objectivity. I want skepticism and optimism.
And I want them to lead. I want them to lead now.
