We have lost our way as civilized individuals, whose only purpose is to smear those that have the courage to put themselves forward in an effort to better their community

Kamloops City Councillor Tina Lange

Greetings friends ...

This is one of those rare occasions, when I post more than one commentary on the blog site.  Recently, Kamloops City Councillor Tina Lange announced that she will not be seeking re-election this Fall.  There were a large number of congrats sent her way, regrettably however, some people felt the need for character assassination.

Fellow Kamloops City Councillor Dieter Dudy took exception, and wrote what I felt to be an excellent opinion piece on it.  With his permission, I am delighted to present it to you now.

... Alan

This morning I read the column that Dale Bass had written on Tina Lange’s decision to not seek re-election this fall. After thirteen years on council, she felt it was time to hang up her skates. 

I must admit that I have some mixed emotions regarding this decision. On the one hand, I’m truly happy that Tina will be able to spend time with her family and also continue to travel to the far reaches of the world. On the other hand, Tina’s presence will be missed at the horseshoe because regardless of whether you agreed with her stand on any given issue you could always count on it to be forthright and not encumbered with ambiguity. Tina has given of herself selflessly over the last thirteen years and I fully believe she will remain a determined presence in our community for the many years to come. I believe her engaging smile, her wit, her commitment to community and its people will be missed at the council level and her fire will be hard to replace.

All that said I do, however, feel a great deal of sadness regarding the level of vitriol and hatefulness that followed the column in the comments section. The degree of hatefulness that is exhibited by some members of our society is truly gut-wrenching. Here you have an individual that gave up thirteen years of her life to offer service to her community. She may not have always taken the popular position but she remained true to herself and always considered the needs of the people of Kamloops. When she decides it’s time to make way for new ideas and approaches she is faced with a litany of demeaning, hurtful remarks.

The truth of the matter is that this has become all too prevalent. We, unfortunately, are constantly exposed to the cowardly, uninformed and truly venomous spew of the Snuffy the Seals of this world. People that don’t have the fortitude to actually back up their ignorant swill with their actual identities nor the courage to put themselves forth as candidates to address the needs of the city. They would rather hide behind their made up monikers and slither back under their rocks once they’ve completed their derisive comments.

One has to wonder as to what motivates individuals to express such hate for other members of society. Were they not hugged enough as youngsters? Were they bullied in school and this is pay-back time? Were they the bullies and have been exposed for what they truly are? There are many counseling services both public and private that can help these individuals deal with these all too obvious rage issues that they are plagued with. Get the help you need.

Not one member on council has an issue with criticism. It is healthy and helps to either solidify your position or makes you aware that there are other ways of approaching an issue. Personal, disparaging, mean-spirited attacks offer absolutely nothing to the welfare of a community. If anything they diminish your position and ultimately fall on deaf ears.

I am truly embarrassed and ashamed that our society has sunk to these depths of disrespect.  We have lost our way as civilized individuals, whose only purpose is to smear those that have the courage to put themselves forward in an effort to better their community. Shame on you, and shame on those who allow it to continue.

I for one wish Tina the best in her life. I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to work with her and to receive her sage counsel. I love and respect her and will always consider her to be a very special friend. 

Cheers, Tina…all the best, and in the words of Harry Belafonte at Carnegie Hall, ”Hold your head high and don’t let the masses get you down.”

ABOUT Kamloops City Councillor Dieter Dudy:
Dieter was born in Germany, raised in Kitimat, and met his Kamloops born wife Deb in Victoria.   Dieter has had a diverse work history, having been employed in the industrial sector, a number of years in retail and wholesale management , and 13 years in the financial services industry, both in sales and management, and lastly with the local Greyhound agency as Operations Manager.

His passion for sustainability led him to purchase and develop 10 acres in Westsyde in 1998 where he and Deb have successfully established an organic vegetable farm and business. He has since become involved with agriculture and food security.

Dieter is a former Director with the Kamloops Voter’s Society, one of the original members of the steering committee that founded Gardengate (a therapeutic centre for individuals with mental health issues), and was also a committee member on the Agricultural Advisory Committee which helped to develop the Kamloops Agricultural Plan.