Captain Serious Gets More Serious

I try my best not to wade into American politics on any venue. Whether it be Twitter, Facebook, or here, I find that making comments on the state of the American political system only ends up in a war of words between people, and that's not my intention for this site. It seems, though, that another proud Canadian and a guy from my hometown has stood up and written a very thoughtful opinion piece on his Instagram account. Jonathan Toews, captain of the Chicago Blackhawks and pictured above, has a few thoughts on America's plan to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord.

Toews has always been one to let his play speak for his actions, but his words on his Instagram post on Thursday after the American government's announcement seem to reflect a thoughtfulness in bringing people together with one goal in mind. In other words, the captain of the Blackhawks is now rallying America to come together an achieve some incredible goals. Toews wrote,

"Do you believe in climate change? Whether you're super pumped that we are putting 'Americans first' or you are absolutely outraged at the idea that we are taking yet another step backwards in dealing with a major global problem, the only way to solve this argument is to try and set your own agenda aside and see how this affects everybody. The only lie we tell ourselves is that we are more special than other life forms on the planet. Well, we're not. Even if we weren't responsible for any major climate catastrophes heading our way, shouldn't we still do our part to preserve what we have left? The same way that we shouldn't wait till our bodies break down completely to start doing the right things to stay healthy, let's not wait till it's too late to do something. I am not saying I am perfectly 'green', but the first step is to keep an open mind and try to learn what you don't already know."

Well said, Mr. Toews. His statement doesn't point fingers at either side and it's hardly accusatory with regards to the language he's chosen. He is asking that people stop pushing their political agendas and to start looking around with respect to the planet we live on. The planet we ALL live on. Is that unreasonable? Not at all.

His post has received over 20,000 likes already, and it seems the number is still climbing. There are some comments on the post that are derogatory in nature and certainly deny climate change as one would expect, but he's received a ton of support regarding this post as well. I, for one, wholeheartedly support Jonathan Toews' stance on this matter, and I stand with him when it comes to doing all we can to preserve our natural world.

I'm not here to debate the validity of climate change. I am of the belief that not only has it happened, but we are willfully and blissfully ignoring the major warning signs that our planet is delivering in an effort to strip mine the world of natural resources for economic benefit. You may disagree with this belief, and you're entitled to your opinion. I cast no judgment on you. But like Toews, I only ask that you keep an open mind when it comes to learning about what is happening in your world and in your life.

O Captain. MY Captain.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!