Dies at 61.
Keep it civil please. The mans politics might be anathema to most everyone here but a family did lose a a father and husband.
Edit: Due to the inability of some to prove that they aren’t anything better than Muslims celebrating 9/11, I’ve decided to lock this thread. Go elsewhere to express your vitriol.
It’s too bad Jack didn’t live long enough to recant his unethical political philosophy.
My deepest sympathies to his family.
Didn’t like his politics, but liked the man himself. Can’t fault someone who follows his passion.
Seemed like a guy you could discuss (or in my case argue) politics with over a few beers, and then agree to disagree.
Only one of my four grandparents made it to 70. Only two made it to 60. I know from personal experience how hard that is on the family – my condolences them.
The early loss of life to a terrible disease is sad and it transcends politics. I didn’t like Jack’s politics but this is a tragedy for the people that loved him.
My sincere condolences to his family.
I couldn’t stomach the man’s politics but the man was the best orator I’ve heard in many years. There was no denying his passion and I think that he’ll be a tough act to follow.
While I did not agree with his politics, I admired Jack Layton for his perseverance and personal dedication to what he believed in. We have lost a worthy opponent who literally gave his life to his political beliefs.
Jack never stooped to personal insults, and those who would personally denigrate him at this time are only demonstrating their inadequacies as human beings.
Live by the crotch, die by the crotch.
Enough said.
There is something so horrifying about basically seeing someone die of cancer before our eyes… from a reasonably well Jack on election night, to a gaunt and sick Jack a couple months later, then gone for good one month after that. Life is so fragile… here one minute, gone the next.
Farewell Jack. R.I.P. I salute a brave fallen foe. I fear, however, by campaigning so hard when you did, you did yourself in for a doomed cause. We have seen the highwater mark. BLOCNDP is going to self-destruct now.
“And that, I think, was the handle – that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of old and evil. Not in any mean or military sense; we didn’t need that. Our energy would simply prevail. We had all the momentum; we were riding the crest of a high and beautiful wave. So now, less than five years later, you can go up on a steep hill in Las Vegas and look west, and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water mark – that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back.” – Hunter S. Thompson
Whenever someone like this- that is a man who may well have been repected but not terrible well liked- dies, I like to think what Voltaire said on the subject…
“He was a great patriot, a humanitarian, a loyal friend – provided, of course, that he really is dead.”
Let the insincere postumohous accolades begin!
I’ll say this for him – he was MP for Toronto-Danforth or somewhere and noone can take that away from him.
Well, now they can, I suppose.
As one who is battling cancer mysely, I feel no reason to use this a justification for an unproductive lifetime.
I do have to say, however, that some of the comments over at the CBC are enough to make you bring up your lunch. Some going so far as to say this is the greatest tragedy in Canadian history.
Simply put, Jack is another cancer statistic. No better or worse than the 200,000 or so each year who fight the disease.
Right you are John Lewis: de mortuis nihil nisi bonum
Something nice to say? He did blast Count Iggy in the last leaders debate.
“You know, most Canadians, if they don’t show up for work, they don’t get a promotion,” Layton said. “You missed 70% of the votes.”
I respect him for that.
Oops, looks like my spellcheck is also dead… that’s posthumous, not postumohous…
“Every country needs a good lefty.” From the SDA archives
http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/001085.html
Totally disagreed with his politics but he worked hard for his party and his constituents. He had my respect.
May he rest in peace.
I’ll give Jack Layton credit for the zinger he put into Iggy, for his attendance record in The House, during the election debate….’twas priceless.
” ….Thomas Mulcair, probably the most electable both inside and outside Quebec, a moderate with substantial government experience.”
And easily one of the nastiest and most boorish men on Parliament Hill. He may have played the role of attack dog to allow Jack to walk the high road, but that role comes easily to Mulcair.
“TJ. No one cares what you have to say so it isn’t important that you share your dislike. Thumper principle.” lance.
Doesn’t really matter, because others have pretty much said what I said and their posts have not been deleted.
“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.” ~ Jack Layton, 20 August 2011
I don’t care if his politics weren’t my politics, I watched my Mom die of cancer, and no one deserves to die of the Big C.
R.I.P., Jack.
I would add that if you extract all the faux sentimental statements in the above posts, what remains is nothing but very harsh criticism of the man.
No one here would purposely wish ill on Layton or his family. But to suddenly pretend he is a saint because he died of cancer is simply ridiculous.
The conclusion Jack Layton’s last letter to Canadians:
My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.
All my very best,
Jack Layton