Only On The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

Lately, we have seen a lot of statues toppled, monuments defaced, and books pulled from classrooms, all because some say they represent the wrong things. The latest act, vandalizing the National Holocaust Monument in downtown Ottawa with hateful graffiti, feels like another reminder of how some people want to erase or rewrite what once was. In saying that, though, I think it is only a select few causing this destruction.

The thing is yes, many of these statues or books remind us of times that were wrong, unfair, and harsh, but tearing them down or hiding them away does not fix the past. In fact, it risks losing the very lessons those things were meant to teach. Just like the books we remember from school, these monuments and statues stand as markers of history …. sometimes painful, sometimes uncomfortable, but always important.

Another point, I believe, is that our powers that be should also not be the ones deciding to erase these reminders. Instead, they should stand firm, ensuring these pieces of history stay where they belong in public view as reminders of what was and warnings for what must never be again.

We do not have to celebrate the wrongs of the past, but we do have to remember them.

Because forgetting history is the surest way to repeat it. That’s my take on the subject!

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

Only On The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

So Carney’s planning to hit that NATO spending target this year, two percent of GDP. Or at least, that’s what the sources are saying. Now, I’m still leery of the man for a few reasons, but I’ll admit this could be a step in the right direction if he follows through and if the money actually goes where it’s needed most.

Truth is, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do, especially when it comes to our Armed Forces. Our air force has been working with jets that are older than most of the folks flying them, and that’s not just a figure of speech, it’s the plain truth. We even bought eighteen used F-18s from Australia not long ago, and some of them weren’t in great shape either. Truth is, half the fleet is often grounded, just waiting on parts or repairs. You can’t protect a country with aircraft that can’t get off the ground.

Now, in saying that, Canada finally did commit to buying eighty-eight brand-new F-35 fighter jets from Lockheed Martin. That deal was made back in 2022, and it’s worth around nineteen billion dollars. The first batch won’t show up until 2026, and even then, it will take time before they’re fully ready. But that’s something, and I know our pilots and the rest of the air force will sure appreciate having real equipment they can count on.

But it doesn’t stop with the air force. Our navy’s been struggling too. We’ve got coastlines on three sides, but our presence on the water has thinned out over the years. Up North especially, where Russia’s been sniffing around the Arctic, we’ve been far too slow to respond. We need more than just talk, we need proper ships that can handle the ice, working radar, and enough trained sailors to run them without burning out.

Then there’s the people themselves. The men and women who signed up to serve. They deserve better. Better pay, better housing, and proper support, not just for them, but for their families too. You can’t build a strong defence on worn-out gear and promises that don’t get kept.

So yes, Carney’s announcement might sound good on paper, but I’ll hold off on the applause until we see where that money actually goes. Two percent is just a number, what matters is what gets done with it.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW

Only On The Walters Post

These are my own thoughts from what I’ve seen and lived through. I’m sharing them to spark some thinking and honest conversation, not because I have all the answers.

You know, when we remove books from schools or libraries….

Well, here is how I see it: Books, and the history they hold, should not be destroyed or hidden from readers. The thing is, what was written years ago carries value, no matter the language used. or how people were portrayed at the time.

Yes, some words and ideas from the past do not match today’s thinking. That is understandable. However, those books reflect the way things were. They teach us about times gone by and help us see how far we have come. Erasing them because they no longer fit modern views is both wrong and short-sighted. Bottom line is, we lose lessons from the past if we pretend it never happened.

Books such as Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, and those written by Laura Ingalls Wilder showed life as the authors witnessed it. There is nothing wrong with keeping these books in our libraries, in fact, it is important that we do.

I also believe that many who push to remove these works are not thinking clearly about what they are doing. Some may be trying to draw attention to themselves rather than serve the greater good.

As someone who has written and published short stories for over 30 years, I can tell you this. Words matter. History matters. Books matter. And if we begin erasing them, we risk losing understanding, insight, and the truth of how life once was.

Until the next time: Keep Your Minds Open & Your Stories Alive. GW