I always thought Tony Clement delusional, but he confirmed it today by calling for a state funeral for Gord Downey. OMG! I mean, I loved a lot of the guy's music and feel terrible for his family and friends obviously grieving, but an official state funeral? Let's get a grip here.
Sadly, judging by the infantile and vacuous Trudeau's public weeping and gnashing of teeth on the airwaves this morning, the Tragically Hip frontman will probably get one! From what he blubbered on about Canada's being less of a country without Gord in it, we must be a pretty weak country. I mean, Downie was a talented guy beloved by his fans, but he was not an official Canadian figure. Sorry, but it would be an insult to the likes of fellow Kingstonian Sir John A to accord Gord the same honour and have him lie in state in The Senate. OMG again.
As a matter of fact, I have a good friend who has the same brain cancer. Knowing her well, I will grieve if she dies before I, but I didn't know Downey personally, so am not grieving. And we still have his music which will live on. If they don't know me, anyone reading this will think me harsh, but I am talking about the appropriateness of a state funeral, not the man himself, who I didn't know.
Remember how the world went crazy when John Lennon said The Beatles were more popular than Jesus, accusing the former of sacrilege? Well things have certainly changed because it appears Gord was way more popular than Jesus, yet no one bats an eye.
According to protocol, "Canadian state funerals are reserved for governors general, prime ministers, cabinet ministers and other official eminent Canadians. Conducted with ceremonial, military and religious elements incorporated, State Funerals are executed by the governor general to provide a dignified manner for the Canadian people to mourn." By the way, I noticed when interviewed by CTV last evening, Clement didn't again call for a "state funeral"; someone must have dragged his knuckles off the ground and rapped them. And by the way, do three sitting MPs not have better things to do than sit in Centre Block and cry about what huge fans they were for the duration of an entire interview?
Opening that can of worms means we'll have to have one for Saint Neil Young, Bruce Cockburn, Gord Lightfoot, Ian and Sylvia, Bryan Adams, Ann Murray, Rita McNeil, Burton Cummings and every other singer who apparently "defined" Canada. But what about Guy Lombardo, a guy whose music carried Canadians through WW II? Didn't have one for him. No because back then Canadians had respect for authentic tradition and decorum.
And speaking of our vets, every Remembrance Day our hapless PM spends most of his time grinning and taking selfies, instead of honouring the fallen. Yet he cries about a rock star. He is clearly unfit to govern.
Every radio station is playing The Hip's music and call-in shows everywhere are jammed with people weeping and recalling their greatest memories of Gord -- mostly drunken parties at cottages, from what I can gather.
It's all bizarre.
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