The View from Hats and Heels: Breathtaking hypocrisy!

Yesterday, we went to a lovely ceremony, where the Alberta Lieutenant Governor, Salma Lakhani, pinned medals onto the lapels of 40 worthy recipients of the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

B was one of them:

Brian Marley-Clarke with the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.

First name called was Alison Redford's, former premier of Alberta. Blank, silence. She was a disgraceful no-show. That just confirms to me how unfit she was to be premier in the first place. A premier doesn't thumb her nose at our Head of State, but Redford did exactly that. When you're too great to be honoured by a mere King, you bring shame on the office itself. A very poor show, Alison.

What made me almost burst out laughing was the presence of five or six Indigenous people who were also getting the medal. Remind me, isn't it the Indigenous who rail against the Crown and the colonialism it "perpetrated", ruining their culture and destroying their people and way of life? So why were they there to accept a medal in honour of the King they blame for all their ills?! But there they were, dressed in all their regalia and feathered headdresses, enjoying the largesse of His Majesty and basking in his glory.

Shouldn't they have indignantly refused the honour? Rhetorical. But I did have a nice chat with one Indigenous woman who was wearing a traditional ribbon skirt. She was shocked I knew the history of that skirt, but, I -- an ignorant white woman -- always do my research. There she was, running up to get a picture of her Siksika husband while Her Honour pinned a King Charles gong on his lapel.

As I say, it's both hypocritical and bullsh-t.

Most of the Indigenous recipients were leaders in the "recovery" industry. More irony was when we were stopped at a red light as we left and were harassed by a drunk Indigenous man who banged on our car window for money. What a bizarre juxtaposition -- leaving an awards ceremony honouring the Indigenous and then encountering the main problem with that population in Canadian downtowns everywhere.

Particularly galling was that Her Honour announced she was awarding the medal to a slew of aides de camp who work in her office. What?!?! Why were they getting one?! A healthy dose of blatant nepotism there because it cheapened the currency of the award a tad.

As for the reception, I have to say it was cheesy. A few small tortilla wrap bites, a couple of danishes and tons of sweets (which I don't eat). As for beverages, coffee and tea only. That was a real slap in the face for the medal recipients who collectively have given thousands and thousands of volunteer hours for their various causes.

But Her Honour Salmabegum Lakhani, a self-proclaimed "proud Ismaili Muslim", was born in Kampala, Uganda, and doesn't imbibe. So, the rest of us weren't permitted a drop of the grape either. She evidently forgot that this is Alberta, Canada, where traditional toasting with a little alcohol is the expected norm. We are not in Uganda any more, Salma. Open the bar, please. But it stayed closed.

She was appointed by Jason Kenny, who must have done so in a moment of extreme diversity-ism. Poor Jason, so many misguided moments in his brief tenure.

As for Salma, time to let a little "Alberta" rub off on your shoulders. Afterall, as Lieutenant Governor that's where your pride should be draped -- not in Kampala at the local mosque. Take a page from B's grandfather's book, who told him when they immigrated, "Forget about India, forget about England, my boy. This is Canada. Just be a Canadian." Wise words of advice B has heeded since.

One other bizarre moment was when the emcee announced that the words to 'God Save the King' were written on the back of the programme. Huh?! Are you telling me that Canadian medal recipients in Alberta, Canada, were not expected to know the words to the Royal Anthem when they received a medal from His Majesty?! But there they were, written on the back so we could sing along;