In the last week or so much kerfuffle has arisen form the controversial decision by Surrey Cit Council ( Read Surrey First and their wanna be Mayor Linda Hepner) to refuse to fly the Pride flag on a pole outside Surrey City hall.
Instead in what they think is a movement of political correctness they allowed the Pride folks to set up an exhibit inside the new City hall in the back of the foyer away from the elevators here it would be hard to see.
In case you have never been to New Surrey City hall it is an expensive white elephant everybody has been talking about lately with respect to the huge waste of money that could have been better spent elsewhere.
How hard would it have been to take the flag and fly it on the flag pole underneath the Surrey City flag.
For those folks in the Pride group which is comprised of people that are Gay,Lesbian,Bi-sexual and Transgender ( GLBT) this must seem like a step back.
After all it has taken them quite awhile to get out of the closet without being persecuted so to speak and now be asked to step back in . ( metaphorically speaking the new city hall represents in a way an expensive closet).
A little planning and foresight at the beginning would have allowed for a forth flag pole so that all community activities could have been represented out in front of the city hall.
That for me would be inclusion and a way to connect with the people.
What a wasted opportunity!
Which now brings us to Ferris wheels and back to wanna be Mayor Hepner.
About the same time this was going on she announced her intention to run for Mayor.
She also announced she wanted to put in a Ferris wheel.
This on the heels of the Surrey First/Hepner argument that a fourth flag pole would have been too expensive. ( Full disclaimer here folks : I haven’t shopped for either but I would bet the farm and the farmer that a Ferris wheel costs a tad more than a flag pole!)
Part of her reasoning would be that it would get children a fair like experience in an area known as Bridgeview.
News flash for Linda and her crew ; There are a large number of those same children in the lower mainland, part of which is Surrey that includes kids in The GLBT group who would have been served exponentially had a Pride flag been flown out in full view where they could have seen it.
Sure a Ferris wheel would give a kid a bit of instant gratification but a flag flown shows a victory earned and a colossal sign of strength.
Just ask any Vimy Ridge veteran.
It would have made these kids feel an important part of the community.
It would have said to them, you matter.
To me they do and that is why the flag flies on my blog.