Children are the Future but Beer is now.

Like so many Canadians I was appalled by Scott Reid’s comment about the proposed Conservative child care plan. In case you have been living under a rock and missed it, Scott recently quipped that under the plan parents could choose to spend their 25 dollar a week child care allowance on beer instead of child care. Clearly Scott is wrong. We all know that in this country it would be impossible to find a parent who would spend 25 bucks a week on beer. For starters a case of beer costs more than 25 bucks. A case of domestic is about 35 bucks and the trendier imports cost even more. I happen to know this because I drink beer. I don’t have kids so I have no idea what child care costs. I admit I’m surprised that 25 bucks a week will pay for daycare but what do I know.

While we all recognize and agree that Scott is an enemy of all that is holy, I feel there is a bigger issue at hand here.

In the stampede to condemn Scott and his comments about child care policy I have noticed a very real and very ugly sentiment sneaking into the national discourse. I am talking of course, about an anti-beer agenda.

I ask you Canada, since when is it okay to beat up beer drinkers?

I do not believe that just because someone said something stupid it should suddenly be open season on lovers of ale and lager.

We all have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable in society and believe it or not this week the most vulnerable are the people you have a few pints with.

So I ask you: who will stand up for the beer drinker?

Not the Conservative party that’s for sure. In fact the Conservative party has made statements about beer this week that I believe are hurtful and in fact verge on hateful.

Conservative Child Care Critic Rona Ambrose called a press conference this week to condemn Scott Reid. That’s fine, but did she stop there? No. Rona Ambrose placed a warm case of Blue on a table and openly mocked both the product and those who consume it. She held a case of Blue up for ridicule! Is this a Canada you recognize? Imagine if she did this with a Jewish person or a homosexual or a midget? Shame Rona Shame.

And now I hear that an “anti-beer special interest group” has created a website to promote this anti-beer pro-child agenda. They are collecting names for a petition at a website located at www.kidsnotbeer.com

Well I for one am not prepared to let the Kids Not Beer people win this one. I know they have a healthy head start but I know that beer drinkers are out there and if I can get to them before 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening they can be organized. Together we can stand up and say “My Canada includes having a few pops.”

Please sign my BEER NOT KIDS petition located at www.Beernotkids.com

Let’s stop the hate and let the beer drinking begin.

Remember: children may be our greatest resource but beer is our greatest beverage.

And besides if it wasn’t for beer most of these kids wouldn’t have been born anyway.

Good luck Canada.