Embracing Our Common Humanity - Bill Clinton - Aug 29
Aug 29, 2009, I sat at Row 46, BMO Field (where the Toronto Fottball Club plays its home games), to listen to the 42nd President of the USA, William Jefferson Clinton speak, and answer questions. Prior to Clinton's speech, the Canadian Tenors (a quartet, like Il Divo, and almost as good) sang a few tunes.
I was surprised at the very low key security, no metal detectors, the usual "not so professionally trained" security guards and several Toronto Police Constables, and any spectator may walk up to the front to take photos of Mr. Clinton.
Mr. Clinton said that regardless of our race, cultural background and religion, we embraced our shared values to make everyone a winner, and where the only losers are on the athletics field.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported as follows:
A hoarse but energetic Bill Clinton told a Toronto audience that Canada is the envy of the world.
"You may want to make fun of yourselves all you want, but there are many people who would kill to live in an environment like this," the former American president said.
The former U.S. president's speech, Embracing Our Common Humanity, praised Canada's health-care system. He also lamented the unequal distribution of wealth and opportunities between rural northern Canadians and those who live in urban centres, calling it "a pattern repeated throughout the world."
The wise-cracking and impassioned Clinton spoke to a crowd at the Canadian National Exhibition on Saturday afternoon, only hours after attending the funeral of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy in Boston.
"I hope that his lifetime dream that America finally will follow Canada and every other advanced nation in the world in providing affordable health care to all of our people will pass," Clinton said of Kennedy.
Clinton expressed hope that his country will adopt a health care system where everyone gets coverage.
Using examples from town hall meetings held across the U.S., Clinton tried to explain why his country was so reluctant to change the way it delivers health care.
Clinton unsuccessfully attempted to reform the nation's healthcare 15 years ago and current U.S. President Barack Obama is trying to bring in reforms.
Clinton said that in the U.S. today, there are "incentives to keep people misinformed and full of fear."
On the issue of poverty, the former president said, "If you live in a poor country and you have no shot, chances are you have no shot because no matter how smart you are, no matter how hard you work, you don't have the systems that we take for granted."
Clinton called on his audience to contribute to fighting global poverty on an individual level, saying donating a dollar a month, or even a year, will make a difference.
Hafeez Ladha — who is completing a master's degree in public health, has seen Clinton several times, and participated in several of Clinton's international AIDS projects — said he was inspired by Clinton's message.
"He discussed how each individual can contribute in their own personal way towards big humanitarian causes, so even though there's certain causes that we may feel are out of our reach, he made that personal and brought it down to our level," said Ladha, 24.
Ladha credited Clinton for inspiring him to study public health.
"He's done so much for domestic society, for international society, for health care for the social benefit of the world, so it's obviously an incredible person to hear from."
Not everyone was smitten
Clinton spoke specifically to young people, telling them "it's better to do something you care about than something you're better at."
[CK: I recalled that Clinton's response to the question of what he would have done if he was not the President of USA, was that he could have been a jazz saxophonist (at age 16, Clinton received 6 academic scholarships, and 9 music scholarships), but even if he practised 40 hours a week, he would not be the best saxophonist. Whereas in the old days, there were no CDs, he would have to play at clubs almost 7 evenings a week, staying awake past midnight, and accordingly, sleeping during the day. He said that a musician has a high potential to join his peers in drinking, smoking, and drugs. He loves to meet people, and making policies. Although no one in his family was a politician, he loves being a politician.]
Tom Woods stood outside the gate, moments before the president took the stage, after driving from Ottawa to see Clinton speak.
"I think he just has a unique personality and he's respected all over the world."
But not all attendees were inspired by Clinton's words.
Adu Raudkivi of Toronto called Clinton's references to Canada and the Kyoto environmental accord vague and said he was unimpressed with the former president's speech.
"He was just making a lot of noise, not really saying anything," he said. "It would be better having a former Canadian prime minister to give their points of view to where Canada is going."
