We're off on our final vacation of the year! We'll be visiting Richard's family on the coast and my family in the States, camping in between. Yay! It's a hectic schedule, but well worth it. We're also getting together with a few of Richard's Truther associates here in Canada.
I'm not taking my laptop on this trip - I think the Chinese characters on it might freak out Customs - so my posting and visiting will be sporadic if I get the chance at all. I'll miss y'all, but I'll have plenty of time to catch up during the rest of the summer!
I'm working to arrange a speaking engagement in Edmonton for this fellow. I highly recommend that all Canadians watch his 2006 documentary Unrepentent, available on Google Video. It's very disturbing, but if even half the allegations are true, the tribunals that will soon be investigating residential school abuses have their work cut out for them. I hope that the surviving victims will finally have recognition, healing, and justice. It's up to all of us to acknowledge what they experienced.
7 comments:
I'll really miss you for the 9 days you're gone, but we'll make up for it when you get here.
Stay safe! We love you guys!
Have a safe trip and be careful out there.
You Canadians! You have all these words that we don't have. What is a vacation? I'll have to look up the meaning of that word.
School bullying has been around before the chalk and slate, even teachers got into the act at our f----- school.
CHAPTER 9
Back to School
During school lessons, mild mannered schoolmaster, Mr Hensby was flicked behind the ear with an ink shot from a rubber band. A boy nicknamed ‘Scabby Harris’ did the job. I got the blame, which resulted in my being punched in the chest and head by mild mannered Mr Chicken Hensby. After suffering enough, I jabbed a sharp nib pen up his rear-end several times, which stopped him from beating me. I had never seen such violence by a teacher. Mr Hensby was sick for a few days. I wasn’t able to enjoy the hero status that was bestowed upon me by my class, as I was suffering from a black eye and a sore head and chest.
I was found guilty, and received four of the best from the headmaster, who told me to yell with each stroke. I can’t say it didn’t hurt, but there were no marks. When this was noticed in the communal showers, I was called a cheat. At WNTS School, we showered from eight pm to nine pm, seven days a week, using hard, yellow soap. At Chalgrove, it was a bath once a week in the winter and the brook in the summer. I suppose we all smelled the same.
When schoolmaster Chicken Hensby returned, I moved to 2B, my brother’s class. Mr Stokes, the Master, was the ‘Mr Chips’ of the school. He was a top class tutor who would hold our attention. He was a remarkable person and revered by all.
George Leatherby was a student in class 2B. You could see at a glance that he was not an ordinary bloke. George was also quite huge for a twelve-year-old boy. George had a deadpan face. He would appear to study you and then move on. The best way to stay on side with him was to be pleasantly polite. George was a nice boy, but easily led. He had a strange accent and his speech always ended in a blur. His understanding of the spoken word equalled his delivery. The only reason George was in class 2B was that the school didn’t have a 2C or 2D.
George was very good at soccer. Whenever possible, he would hog the ball and kick everyone and anything that got in the way. He also had a sort of ‘white knight’ instinct, whereupon he would go to the assistance of the oppressed whenever necessary.
It took about a week before the news about scabby Harris getting me into strife with chicken Hensby filtered through to George Leatherby. Because George considered my brother as a friend, I was his ‘little friend.’ He then beat the living daylights out of scabby Harris.
George had no idea how to box. Explaining the rules to him just fell on deaf ears. As a boxer, he was far too slow. On one occasion in the boxing ring, his opponent hit his face, so George head-butted him several times and put the boot in. George. When asked why he did it, replied in his strange accent, “Youse it’s mese ise its youse back.” Ginger Williams, the school bully, did beat George much later, but when the protection society was formed, George was put to good use as a hit man.
The last time I saw George was several years later at the Royal Navy gunnery school. He was doubling around the parade ground with a rifle above his head.
For those going on vacation have an enjoyable time.
Imagination will carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.
Still sore are we?
Hey, I just read this today. I've been out of the loop for a really long time and was wondering what was going on. I started to worry when I saw you bailed on our Scrabulous games. I'm glad everything's OK, though, and that you're on holiday again rather than in some kind of crisis or dire straits. Have a wonderful holiday and update as you are able to!
WC, SME's here right now. We'll try to put together a post today...IF we can shut-up long enough! ;)
Alright you have been home long enough to take this vacation post down at least please... LOL...
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