The Lie I told Widlene for her Birthday

December 25, 2017

“Daddy, please promise me that I won’t have to be in this country for my next birthday.”

“I promise you will be out of here long before that.”

I think we all know that there will be times in our lives when we will be lied to. Certainly, we have come to expect the odd misrepresentation from the politicians that we see on TV every day. In all fairness, I understand that not all campaign promises can be kept. I also understand that things change and often, there are circumstances that are out of our control. I actually have come to the place where I vote for people knowing that there is no way that they will do everything that they have set out to do. I know that is sad but I believe it is prudent.

With this mentality, it is a wonder that I was so surprised when Prime Minister Trudeau did not keep his promise to me. I guess I see a difference between a sweeping general promise to the electorate and a face to face “handshake” promise from one father to another. I mean, it isn’t like I went a bought a house in Canada based on a promise from the Prime Minister, right? Oh, I guess I did.

Even if I can justify the Prime Minister’s lies to me (which I cannot), I would have a hard time imagining him making the jump from simple incompetence to total malevolence with regard to Widlene’s case. I guess what I am trying to say, is that it is easy to see how a leader makes and breaks a promise, but hard to conceive that they would go out and put real effort into making someone’s life difficult. Right?

It is no secret that I have been critical of Ahmed Hussen and Justin Trudeau for the way they have handled, and more appropriately, mishandled, Widlene’s immigration file. That said, I have met them both on multiple occasions and have been very respectful and polite. I shook both of their hands and looked them in the eyes as I plead Widlene’s case. Both of them responded in kind with promises that have never been kept. Call me crazy, but I think that is news. I believe that the public needs to be aware of an elected official that is lying to a family who are doing nothing more than trying to protect their daughter. I believe that this is even more newsworthy when the politicians involved continually tout their own efforts in compasion, inclusion and diversity to the public but privately live an entirely different narrative.

Fast forward to today.

We now have irrefutable proof that Ahmed Hussen has been breaking the law to deliberately sabotage Widlene’s case. Even now, as a team of lawyers and investigators comb through the evidence, we know for sure that he put a premeditated effort into keeping Widlene out of Canada and in harm’s way. What kind of human does that? I guess we will get that answer soon enough.

Tonight I will go to bed and embark on yet another sleepless night. A night in a country far removed from where my daughter is. I will have to ponder the fact that I have broken my promise to my little girl. My heart breaks as I type these words as her’s did this morning when I told her, yet again, that no visa was awarded.

I trusted an elected leader to have integrity. Well, that is even a bit of a stretch. I trusted him to not act like an animal. Well, even the vilest of animals would not deliberately endanger the innocent. I guess all I did was trust that he would not act like a deranged terrorist solely bent on inflicting pain and suffering. Again, I guess when it comes to Ahmed Hussen, I was asking too much.