Dear Mr. Harper, I'm "ordinary"

I like to think of myself as a pretty "ordinary" Canadian. My little brother plays hockey and Tim Horton's regular coffee is my drink of choice before an early morning lecture. At my home in Waterloo, Ontario, I live down the street from a farm where we get our maple syrup, firewood and corn when it's in season. A summer's day at my family cottage in Tobermory, Ontario could easily be a Molson Canadian beer commercial. This year I even celebrated Canada Day in our nation's capital.

According to Mr. Stephen Harper, as an "ordinary" Canadian, I shouldn't care about the arts. I do. And I would have to argue that other "ordinary" Canadians do too.

The arts encompass so much of what we do as regular people. We go to movies and concerts, we read books, we take photographs, we buy paintings and sculptures. Art isn't just about going to galas to support people who splattered some paint on a canvas.

A couple of weeks ago I rushed out to buy the sophomore album of one of my favourite Canadian bands, Mother Mother. Opening up the CD case, printed on the inside cover was: "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada". Without government assistance, this album might not have been made. I have listened to this album for two weeks straight. Mother Mother is touring Canada in October. I hope to go to one of their shows. All of their concerts are at small bars, where I expect to buy a couple drinks. Each bar is a business that is part of our Canadian economy. When I buy drinks, the bar makes money. What Harper doesn't seem to acknowledge is that it is impossible to separate the arts from our everyday life.

I think the biggest misconception about artists is that they should get a "real" job if they want to make money. What is a "real" job? Is it a job where you get to wear a suit and meet clients over fancy lunches? Is it having a job where you get to leave work in time to make it home for dinner? Is it having a job that makes you lots of money, but doesn't make you happy? Is it being a politician? We need artists just like we need teachers, plumbers and construction workers.

In Harper's campaign commercials, he tells us that he sees movies with his kids and plays the piano while his son plays guitar. He is sending us mixed messages. Doesn't he want us to think he's an "ordinary" Canadian just like us?

Artists are ordinary people who pay taxes. They are also ordinary people who are going to be voting in the election.