This story has stayed with me. I keep coming back to it and thought I would share it with you.
Standing beside me while we watched Michael Ignatieff meet with First Nations leaders at a Pow-Wow in Regina was a 9 year old boy and his mother. His name was Shawn.
I asked him if he was enjoying himself. He replied: that yes he was, because here he could have candy. “At home” he said “I can’t because we are poor”. His mother looked at me, shrugging her shoulders, a little embarrassed.
She asked me if I was traveling with Michael Ignatieff. I replied that “Yes, I am”. She looked me straight in the eye and asked: “Is he a good man?” I replied that “He has a big heart and he loves his country passionately.” “Then tell him we need him. My boy needs him. Do not give up!”. Shawn just looked at me with a big smile.
I have to say that beyond the media hype about the strategy, the polling, the advertising and scholarly analysis, the reason for what Michael Ignatieff is doing is this: serve to give hope to young people like Shawn. Nothing is more important.
- Robert
Robert Asselin is a speech writer for Michael Ignatieff. Follow him on Twitter: @rasselin66.
