Maybe I missed something during our last federal election. Was mixed martial arts (MMA) on the election platform?
Honestly, I can’t recall that topic being a priority for Yukon. I remember seeing Ryan and his election crew on top of Two Mile Hill with their election signs held high and not one of them said, “Legalize MMA - Vote for Ryan Leef.” I do recall the gun registry being a hot topic and Ryan Leef rode that one right to Parliament Hill. Now that the registry has been quashed, he’s setting his sights on a project that he thinks must be a top priority for all Yukon residents: the MMA. Really?
Is anybody else out there feeling a little embarrassed about the fact that our lone MP is doing this on our behalf? Funny thing is, I just can’t shake the feeling that we’ve sent this man to Ottawa with a mandate to legalize MMA and we didn’t even know it. Does it not seem that Ryan is using his position as an MP to leverage his own agenda? If he was just a regular citizen, like you and me, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to found his MMA caucus in Ottawa. He wouldn’t be stirring the pot to the point where the Canadian Medical Association is taking notice and weighing in, and we wouldn’t be reading about it in our local newspapers and listening about it on our radios.
In a world where women and children face regular abuse, homeless people grudgingly prepare for another cold night, and children are being increasingly bullied through social media, our MP has chosen to champion the MMA cause. Gee, thanks Ryan—thanks a bunch. Once you’re done with your MMA project, would you please come back to reality and spend some time with the real issues that affect real people.
You can cross “Increase popularity in MMA circles” off your bucket list.
Matt Power
Whitehorse