Canada lost a dedicated and honest politician yesterday. In a day and age when partisanship and getting reelected seem to get in the way of what is good for the people, I was saddened to learn of the New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton’s passing of cancer. Everyone was aware he had it, but no-one thought he would go this quickly.

While I disagree with many of the NDP’s policies, I admired Jack Layton as a charistmatic leader and someone who really loved his country and who tried desperately to do what he thought to be the right thing for the nation.

In his final note to Canadians, he said, “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.

Words to live by.

R.I.P. Jack Layton!