Scottish Government’s disowning of Canada’s first prime minister unforgiveable
I have just heard that the Scottish Parliament has stripped all reference to Sir John A Macdonald, Canada’s first prime minister, from its archives.
I cannot understand how history can be forgotten because some small-minded people do not like what happened 150 years ago – that was a very different space in time and practices.
As a fifth-generation Cana- dian of partial Scottish heritage, I do not accept what happened back 150 years ago, when our first prime minister only did what was common in those days, something which would have been done by any other politician in those faroff times, when violence and severe hardship were very common.
Look at how destructive and violent the Catholic Church was many hundreds of years ago, when if you were considered a non-believer or disagreed with the teachings, your life was in peril.
Today the Catholic Church is in trouble again, with abusive priests exposed; criminal charges against the church and paedophile priests to stop this perversion are never brought.
I hope your parliament will also get rid of any record or history of the Catholic religion.
My wife and I were considering visiting your country next year, but since hearing this unfortunate view of Canadians and our history, we feel your country is not worthy of our presence.
In my small town of Almonte there are yearly Highland games that will not see my presence this year since my Scottish heritage has been trampled on by the very smallminded people in your government.
You have just lost two visitors to your country.
I am very disappointed at your parliament erasing our Canadian history and then slapping all Canadians in the face.
I strongly feel your country owes all Canadians an apology for the happenings so long ago that the present had no connection with, except our history that we cannot – and refuse to – erase.
I always thought that the Scots were more sensible than this.
RON WHITEHORNE
Mill Street Almonte, Ontario
Canada