Justin Trudeau: the political hunk and political hero

On Wednesday, October 18th, I took a little informal survey on a couple of Sartell high school fourth block classes. I showed them the images below of Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, and asked the following questions:

“Do you know/recognize who this is?”

“If you don’t know who he is, what do you think he does for a living?”

Of the four classes I interviewed, five students knew or recognized who he was. The responses I got for what they thought he did for a living was, model, hockey player, movie star, and famous athlete. Not one student had political figure cross their mind.

I also did an experiment within the community.

I am currently employed as a barista at Caribou Coffee in St. Cloud, MN and have the opportunity of writing the trivia for the following day. One day I asked the question, “What is the first name of the prime minister of Canada?” and another I asked was “On what holiday was Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau born?” All of them were multiple choice.

In the very busy Caribou, of the people who attempted to answer, only 21 customers knew who he was, and 14 knew what holiday he was born on. Little do they know that they have just been introduced to a political hunk and political hero.

Justin Trudeau is Canada’s 23rd and current prime minister. At 45-years-old, he is the second-youngest Prime Minister of Canada, after Joe Clark. He is the leader of the Liberal party and his acts in politics have truly reflected that. His father, Pierre Trudeau, was Prime Minister from 1980-1984—so he truly had a lineage he was stepping into.

Born on December 25th, 1971, he was the first Canadian Prime Minister born in Ottowa, Ontario, Canada. He is the son of Pierre and Margaret Trudeau and the brother to Alexandre and Michel Trudeau. His youngest brother, Michel, was pronounced dead on November 13th, 1998, after being swept by an avalanche, on a ski trip, into a lake, and drowned. Shortly after, Pierre Trudeau died from distraught of his deceased son. Justin delivered the eulogy at his own brother’s funeral.

In his nearly two years in office, he has become a liberal icon: passing legislation such as having an equal number of men and women in the cabinet, provided $100 million dollars in April of 2016 to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and made 2017 the year where visitors could visit Canadian national parks with free admission. His policy has reflected equality and inclusion for all entering Canada. Trudeau has also participated in activist activities, such as gay pride festivals and parades all over Canada.

Not only is his policy intriguing, but have you seen his face?

Most of the customers at Caribou who answered either of the Justin Trudeau themed questions, followed with a comment regarding his appearance. My favorite was a man who said, “Whoo, he is a hotty!” He is featured in many “hottest politicians” rankings. One article I came across had the title, “Justin Trudeau and other hot politicians.” It is no lie that he is easy on the eyes.

Just before becoming a lawmaker in 2008, Trudeau tried his hand at several professions, including teaching, engineering, bungee-jump coaching and environmental geography, according to the Guardian. He even starred in the 2007 film “The Great War,” about Canada’s involvement in World War I, playing a war hero named Talbot Papineau who died at the Battle of Passchendaele. However, he is often known for his hand in the ring as a professional boxer. It was a match between himself and conservative senator, Patrick Brazeau, in a fight for charity. Trudeau won all three rounds. Additionally, a surprising event he participated in was a partial striptease for charity. The What a Girl Wants gala raised nearly $1,500 for liver disease research just because Justin Trudeau was in a tank top.

If you think it can’t get any better than this, he is a family man. Justin Trudeau is married to Sophie Gregoire. The couple met when they were just children and reconnected when they were adults. After about one year of dating, the couple was engaged to be married. 12 years later they have had three lovely children. They could be an example of a perfect family.

Trudeau wants to keep Canada a place for all:  “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada”  Justin tweeted this on January 28th, 2017, in response to Trump’s travel ban.