Boan Cuts Through the Bozone

Jack Boan retired from the University of Regina’s economics department before I began studying there. Although I never had the privilege of taking a class from him, I received a medal named in his honour.

Recently, I was pleased to see Dr. Boan zing the Harper government with a couple of letters to the editor. He had one in Friday’s Globe and Mail (the same day as my census letter) and another in Saturday’s Regina Leader-Post.

Resisting justice
The Globe and Mail, August 6, 2010

What’s going on? It seems that the federal government is determined to persecute U.S. war resisters, such as Jeremy Hinzman, whose case is headed for a new hearing after the Federal Court of Appeal ruled in his favour (Federal Directive Toughens Stand On U.S. Deserters Living In Canada Aug. 4). This despite the fact that two motions, on June 3, 2008 and March 30, 2009, calling on the government to cease deportation proceedings against U.S. Iraq war resisters, were passed by the House of Commons, to no avail. It is to be hoped that Bill C-440, which has been introduced by Liberal MP Gerard Kennedy to give those two motions legal weight, will get through the House and make a difference.

At least one poll, taken by Angus Reid in June, 2008, found that 64 per cent of Canadians favoured allowing war resisters to stay in Canada. Of course, the House could be prorogued again, thereby killing the bill and thwarting the will of the majority of Canadians. The whole sad story is a disgrace of gigantic proportions.

The government is turning its back on the Christian tradition we inherited from Britain of welcoming refugees of all kinds.

Jack Boan, Regina

Thinking clouded by ‘Bozone’
The Leader-Post, August 7, 2010

Are politicians stupid? Or do they say stupid things to make us think they are, and thereby curry favour as being “one of us”, namely, “a good old boy”? What made me wonder was Stockwell Day’s reported statement that we need more jails because of the increase in unreported crimes. The absence of logic in the statement beggars description. (How can unreported crimes increase or decrease?)

The Washington Post may have the answer. According to columnist Jack Knox, (In Palin English, Aug. 4 Leader-Post), that newspaper runs a contest each year, in which readers are asked to take a word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting or replacing one letter, and provide a definition.

The one that seems to fit our purpose is Bozone – the substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. It fits if you think of the substance Bozone as being ideology. The latter even prevents facts from penetrating. Thus we have the answer: politicians are not stupid at all. The ones that appear to be stupid are merely surrounded by Bozone.

Jack Boan, Regina