excerpt
The media fell on the story and Ken found himself besieged. Rocco was
horrified. Ken laughed. “Finally, I have a reaction!” he crowed.
People called the local radio stations to complain. “It’s shameful!” they
said. “It’s inappropriate!”
Ken called the talk shows and offered to go on the air, not to rebut the
callers so much as to take them to task. Diane and Rocco urged him to
run from the confrontation. Ken said he would meet it head on with a
paintbrush in one hand and a sword in the other. Only Joseph Carrier
was pleased. “You go, young man,” he said with his impish smile.
Ken drew his line in the sand with the first caller on the first talk show,
who accused him of using patriotism and being a scoundrel.
“If you’re going to quote others,” he said, “At least have the decency to
get it right. The quote is, ‘Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel’. Now,
you remember that so you can impress the folks down at the janitorial
company where you no doubt work.”
Another caller accused him of wrapping himself in the flag. “Who do
you think you are – an American?”
“The last time I looked it was the Canadian flag, not the American
flag” he said. “So why don’t you do yourself and all of us a favour and buy
yourself some glasses?”
Another said, “It’s disgraceful – absolutely disgraceful – using the flag.
It’s a sacred thing. No one should be allowed to do this! You should be
charged! And that thing you put in front of the flag – it’s disgraceful.
What is it? A pile of rocks?”
“That thing you call a pile of rocks actually has a name,” Ken replied.
“And it’s Canadian. It’s called an Inukshuk. Can you say Inukshuk? Come
on. Say it! Do you know that even if you were to offer me a million dollars,
I wouldn’t sell it to you? And do you know why I wouldn’t sell it to
you? Because you’re an ignoramus – an idiot!”
Another caller: “I’m a patriot and I love my country and I think your
painting is shameful.”
“Sir,” Ken sneered into the mike. “From the sound of your voice and
the echoing chatter, there is no doubt that what passes for a brain in you
is actually prefabricated crap. If you had a brain, you would know the
meaning of love and patriotism. Let me enlighten you. Maybe you’ll even
learn something. ‘Love’ means using the time and the energy of your life
to help others. ‘Patriotism’ is about working every day and night relentlessly
for the protection and the betterment of your own country, no
matter what the personal cost.”
The caller tried to interrupt.
“Shut up!” Ken barked. “I’m not finished. So far as patriotism goes,
you haven’t even been to the Arctic, have you? No, of course not. It’s forty…
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