Loose Teeth at the U.N.




Image via Wikipedia

United Nations Security Council Chamber


I was outside supervising the school playground one day many years ago. I spotted a young girl running towards me, waving her arms and shouting frantically.


"Teacher! Teacher!" she screamed.

"What is it? What's wrong?" my voice rose in alarm.

Quivering with excitement she gave me a bloody grin and squealed, "My loose is tooth!"



I think of her sometimes when I hear or read something confusing.


Recently I have been trying to make sense of the fact that for the first time, Canada did not get a seat on the UN's Security Council .

Every Canadian journalist that I have read has blamed somebody or some group, from Islamic extremists to Hilary Clinton to the Liberal Party to our main man himself, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper.

Each is adamant that he or she has the one and only correct explanation for the Security Council debacle.

And most think that Canadains should be ashamed.

For me, sitting here in North Pelham trying to figure out why we didn't get the seat is to get lost in a quagmire of 'loose is tooth', (confusing), journalism.


But in my fruitless search for an explanation I learned that Canada has a record to be proud of at the UN, often being the only country to take a stand and vote against repressive Islamic countries and their allies, (China, Russia, Cuba, Nicaragua and South Africa) .

UN Watch, a Geneva based non-governmental organization gave Canada the highest marks of all UN members for its work in the field of human rights.


I can hold my head up.  And so can you.


Even without a seat on the Security Council.