By: Hon. John Baird
OVER MY POLITICAL CAREER THERE HAVE BEEN MANY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE WHO HAVE THOUGHT MY PRESENCE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS TO BE SOMEHOW BOTHERSOME. IT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT OF AN OPEN SECRET IN OTTAWA THAT I AM A LOUD MAN. I HAVE KNOWN THIS ABOUT MYSELF FOR MANY YEARS, AND STILL STRUGGLE TO FIND ACCEPTANCE. I AM TIRED OF PEOPLE TELLING ME STRAIGHT TO MY FACE TO USE MY INDOOR VOICE. WELL I HAVE NEWS FOR THOSE PEOPLE, THIS IS MY INDOOR VOICE!
I AM HIGHLIGHTING THIS ISSUE TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE THOUSANDS OF OPENLY LOUD CANADIANS WHO ARE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST EVERY DAY BECAUSE OF THE INHERENT VOLUME OF THEIR VOICES. LOUD CANADIANS SHOULD FEEL ACCEPTED AND PROUD TO BE WHO THEY ARE, FREE FROM THE JEERS AND TAUNTS THEY CAN’T FULLY HEAR OVER THE SOUND OF THEIR OWN VOICE.
AS A CHILD, I WAS BULLIED, LIKE MANY LOUD CHILDREN, AND THE NAMES THAT I WAS CALLED STILL HURT AS MUCH TODAY, AS THEY DID IN THE SCHOOL YARD. LOUDMOUTH, BOOM-FACE, WINDOW BREAKER, THE 200-DECIBEL BOY, THESE WORDS HURT, REGARDLESS OF THE VOLUME AT WHICH THEY ARE SAID.
EVEN WHEN I ENTERED POLITICS I HAD TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE ACCUSING ME OF EMOTIONALLY SCREAMING OVER EVERY ISSUE. NO CAROLYN BENNETT, I’M NOT YELLING AT YOU OVER THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC ACT, I’M JUST TALKING ABOUT UNSAFE LANE CHANGES THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW!
UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER, WE HAVE TABLED ANTI-BULLYING LEGISLATION AND STOOD UP FOR THE RIGHTS OF VICTIMS EVERYWHERE. CANADIANS NEED TO REALIZE THAT LOUD PEOPLE COME IN EVERY SHAPE, SIZE AND COLOUR AND CREED. MANY OF WHOM HAD MADE HISTORY. WHAT WOULD THE WORLD BE LIKE WITHOUT THE ABSURD VOLUME OF CELINE DION? LOUIS RIEL WAS KNOWN FOR HIS LEADERSHIP IN THE RED RIVER REBELLION, BUT THAT WAS ONLY POSSIBLE FROM HIS NOTORIOUSLY CACOPHONIC CRIES. AND OF COURSE THERE IS ME, AN OPENLY LOUD MAN WHO NEEDS TO CREDIT HIS POSITION TO THE LOVE AND SUPPORT OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED ME YELL MY WAY TO WHERE AM TODAY.
AND TO THOSE FEELING HUSHED BY WIDER SOCIETY – WHETHER YOU’RE STILL IN SCHOOL OR HAVE REACHED YOUR GOLDEN YEARS WITHOUT THE FREEDOM TO EXPRESS YOURSELF OPENLY AND HONESTLY AT THE VOLUME THAT GOD GAVE YOU – I HAVE THREE WORDS FOR YOU: IT GETS LOUDER!
