That's the Book!

I'm going to start by saying that I don't throw around the word hero. It's not a word I use to describe my favorite actors, singers or other pop celebrity, they are not heroes they are more often than not poor role models for the world today. That's not to say they are all that way, we have few that are making a mark on the world that many in those professions don't do, but that statement is true for the majority. And that is very sad, it's almost enough to make a person weep. I don't want to sully this post (sorry John) with the Canadian Book Challenge Eh! logo or links to the site. But the book I am going to discuss was read for said challenge. The issues dealt with in this particular book require all those trivialities to be set aside, and if this has offended anyone you have every right to go to the next blog you want to read and leave this one - I'm not going apologize for it.

    I want to introduce you to my hero, and this great person truly deserves the title of hero. The man is outspoken, and for good reason, and is willing to tell any politician off that deserves it. He was himself a politician in Canada and people have wanted him to enter the fray again, I hope he doesn't because he cannot be as vocal as he has been if he does. Without further rambling here he is....Stephen Lewis:


    That was a minor introduction to the man that was the head of the UN special envoi for AIDS in Africa. He no longer has that role, and the world is who are going to loose out because of it. I hope that because he doesn't hold that post anymore that he will go into hiding.

    The CBC plays the Massy Lecture serious on the radio every year. Lewis was the lecturer in 2005 and his series was entitled Race Against Time. In this book/lecture series he talks about the short fall that will happen with the Millennium Development Goals, and the other travesties that the world has allowed to befall African nations.

    Lewis is so passionate about what he talks about you feel for the people as much as he does. It's hard to hear him speak, I first heard a few of these lectures on CBC, and not be moved almost to tears, if not weeping. It is his passion and drive to bring about change for the people of Africa that make me look up to this man. He does this selflessly, which doesn't happen often. When he took the role for the UN he was asked how much he wanted, he declined any payment because he was already getting paid for his role as Canadian ambassador to the UN. I applaud Lewis for that.

    It makes me very angry when people speak out against this man. I recall the last federal election that took place in Canada. I was in Winkler MB one of the few ridings that has only ever been Conservative, and I was at a debate one night and one man stood up and had me writhing in my chair for the majority of the night because of what he said. He made this statement, "what does the panel have to say about people like Stephen Lewis who spend their time out in the world propagating sexual intercourse outside of marriage and hand out condoms as if they were candy. Men and women like him need to be stopped, I want to know what the various members have to say about Lewis." And I'm not sure if it was his comments that angered me the most or if it was the lack of response to defend this man by every single person running that riding.

    I was moved so many times reading Race Against Time and I enjoy hearing Lewis speak. I hope to one day meet this man. He is a great among greatness, and I hope he still speaks out for those that aren't being heard by anyone else. I'm going to close by leaving you with the final words he gave at the AIDS conference in Toronto, his last speech as UN envoi for Aids in Africa. Contribute to the Lewis fund and keep your eyes and ears open to what he has to say. I hope one day I can speak as openly and free about issues of the day as he does.


    The world owes Lewis a great deal of gratitude and I know Lewis will get what he deserves. I'm going end with more Lewis, I cannot help it!