Ottawa: Some reminders that we tend to forget...

I like Ottawa for many things (if for anything else, to see where my taxes are going. :) ), but there are cities, which they are open books.

Boston is also such a city. Walk the Freedom Trail, follow that red line on the sidewalk, and instead of reading an history book, it is there before your eyes.

Ottawa is a bit like that. Also, like a few cities in the world, there are _lots_ of monuments. Almost a local industry, after the government. :)

These monuments are reminders... about things we shall never forget.

Yesterday at lunch break, I had time for a little walk. So I walk on Elgin street, and I came to this monument (located next to City Hall). The nice weather was inviting to relax there.

The large plaque reads:

" All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and in rights" -
"Tous les êtres humains naissent libres et égaux en dignité et en droits"

Mandela came to this monument on his last visit to Canada. The Dalai Lama has blessed the monument. To my eyes, their spirits are still floating...

Some leaders need to be reminded of that monument... Not just foreign leaders, but also on this continent, and I'm not even mentioning countries ( *plural* ).

(Also in parallel, if you're keeping tabs with our local news, we're in the middle of a big heated debate about reasonable accomodations. On both sides of the issue, some people need that reminder I shall say, but I digress).

Besides religion, I'm thinking... of disability, I'm also thinking of medical conditions (for example: being HIV positive is still seen as a "sex" disease (or even a gay disease to men), clouding your morality quite a bit), race, sexual orientation, and so on and so on... Human rights start at home first, it seems...

I went back to the conference room, but throughout the afternoon, that monument was back in my mind and I've been pondering and pondering...

Yup, a lot of people need to walk on Elgin Street, if you ask me.

Cheers,

-E