Islanders should remember their manners when they are away from home

It’s hard to imagine being in a crowd of 50,000 happy people, among more than 300 people with disabilities in the hot summer sun listening to music and waiting for Paul McCartney and having a borish, bad mannered threesome from Prince Edward Island try to spoil the day.

But that is exactly what happened when Myrtle Jenkins Smith, her accountant husband and partner Mark Rollett-Carr made their way into the disabled area at the concert to harass me.

I guess they are not satisfied with their patronage filled bank accounts and with assisting the Province in closing rural schools and denying seniors the wheelchairs they need.

They ought to know better. Their bad manners and ignorant behavior are a poor reflection on their boss the Premier Robert Ghiz. Vaughn Smith is a senior government employee and Chartered Accountant. He ought to have his head examined.

I follow a few simple rules. I tell the truth and fight for the underdog. However, in public I am always polite and respectful. I have never heckled a politician. Robert Ghiz,  Pat Binns and I always act respectful to each other when we meet.

Politics is a blood sport but manners are not optional. Here is my favourite story on how to act when away.

Back in the 1990’s Tom McMillan was our Progressive Conservative federal MP in Charlottetown. I worked for the Liberal Party back then as a volunteer and helped George Proud in the election when Tom lost to George.

In Charlottetown, I was high-profile back then. I got quoted on Compass with some regularity on politics, business and computers. Tom knew who I was and who I worked for. I knew his brother. It’s Charlottetown, the world’s smallest city.

A year later on a Saturday I was going through the Boston Airport on my way to Washington, DC. Tom McMillan had been appointed Consul General to Boston. I was proudly wearing my Montreal Canadians jacket. I spied Tom and he walked right up to me.

Reaching out his hand to shake mine, he beamed a big smile and said “Stephen, how are you? What are you doing in Boston?”

After we exchanged small talk, he told me he was waiting for one of his children. Without a pause, he invited me to his home for supper since I was laid over for several hours.

Tom McMillan, like him or love him in politics, is a gentleman and an Islander. He knows his manners. Islanders are Islanders first. We look out for each other and want to be together wherever we meet each other.

Bob Dylan You Gotta Serve Somebody

So what gives with MJS and her truculent honey and partner? Bad manners, rude behavior and greed might be getting the better of their up-bringing.

The only words to describe Vaughn Smith is jerk. You don’t come into the disabled or any area of a public place looking for a fight unless you are a jerk. Smith actually taunted me to get out of my wheelchair and fight him. I warned him if he came back, I’d call security and have them ejected.

Vaughn was putting on the “you’ve offended my wife’s honor.” Why, I never accused her of being more than a hired-gun for Robert Ghiz. I have direct and personal evidence she conspired with the Premier’s Office and Minister of Seniors Currie to derail the Disability Review which was instigated by yours truly.

Did we have a review? Yes, we have two large reports, the consensus of all the government funded non-government-organizations on PEI. And seniors still don’t get coverage under the PEI Disability Support Program.

Thanks Myrtle, you’re the best friend the disabled could have on PEI or off PEI. God, yes. you even come to the disabled section at Nova Scotia concerts to harass this disabililty advocate.

Bob Dylan sang “You got to serve somebody. It may be the devil or it may be the Lord but you got to serve somebody.”