Centerpiece

Contrast this heinous act with a far less serious act - quickly proven to be a hoax. Where is Justin Trudeau's outrage - not to mention everyone else - who in the hijab hoax case immediately (within a few hours) jumped to conclusions with absolutely no police verification that in fact, a crime had occurred. How quickly and conveniently they all "forget". And - oh yes - the same spin doctor for Faisal Hussain chirped in with his two cents (thanks to that Dog on the Porch). Why is this the case? Link: https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2018/01/12/man-cuts-hijab-off-girl-in-scarborough-police-say.html

The picture is priceless. Look at the kid in the foreground. It looks like someone told him/her to "Run far, run fast"......and is that a look of terror on his/her face? Smart kid.

Toronto Council voted 24-17 to try to find ways to contest Ford's edict to cut Councilors from 47 to 25. I'm pleasantly surprised that 17 councilors were in favour of just accepting the decision and moving on. The Star, in an editorial entitled "The Man who Would be King" had this to say: In response, Toronto council voted overwhelmingly to dispatch the city legal department to try and find some constitutional or legal grounds to challenge Ford's legislation. And this: Giorgio Mammoliti, one of a handful of Toronto councilors on Ford's side....... I regret I do not have free access to the editorial section so I can't provide a link. Here's an amusing side story - The Star - in the same edition - published YES/NO columns in answer to the question "Should Doug Ford Cut City Council". The "NO" column implied that it MIGHT be OK but the timing is wrong and consultation is needed. The "Yes" column fully supported the move with some interesting reasoning. Link: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/thebigdebate/2018/07/31/should-doug-ford-cut-city-council-in-half-right-now-no.html Link: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/thebigdebate/2018/07/31/should-doug-ford-cut-city-council-in-half-right-now-yes.html

Too bad we have to read the New Delhi Times to get an accurate summary. It has become almost undeniable that our Prime Minister does not have the mental acuity to understand complex issues (except maybe quantum mechanics )......so much so that he is likely oblivious to the dangerous path that his backroom idealogues have set Canada on. There are well over a million Muslims in Canada. There is absolutely nothing wrong with courting their votes - as Canadians but this video - and the supporting story behind it - are a shameful example of identity politics at its worst. When so much allegiance is given to obtain votes, you can bet there will be a Quid Pro Quo somewhere down the road. Here's a particularly troubling excerpt from Mohammed Hashim - the Hussain family spin doctor.....this fellow has an activist history that stretches to CAIR US - an organization accused of supporting terrorism. And remember, any Prime Minister naive enough to give a private meeting to Joshua Boyle......well, it just exemplifies how dangerous that could be....... And don't get me started on the Trudeau Channel - CBC...... Link: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-meet-the-spin-doctor-behind-the-hussain-family-statement

Holy batshit? Required reading.

Immigration has for the most part, been handled well over the years - if only because immigrants plan their lives around coming here, are self-supporting, follow the process and are prepared to join our Canadian family. Asylum claimants on the other hand - for the most part - show up in Canada and require the full support of government to acquire the skills they need to live, work and even to survive in Canada. It's a tremendous responsibility for both the refugee and Canada. That is where Trudeau has been such a dismal failure. It takes a lot of planning to develop what should be a 5 year plan for refugees. The Federal government's current responsibility ends after one year - then they become the Provinces' responsibility. Trudeau's reckless open-border policy has been devoid of any such responsible plan - no consultation with the Provinces prior to his "irregular crossing" ignorance. Putting aside those many thousands that are simply economic migrants who should be immediately shooed back to the US - those that genuinely require our help are getting none from Trudeau - no plan - no funding - no support. Meanwhile, real refugees who are trying to escape persecution are left to linger even longer in squalid camps. There is no virtue in Trudeau's actions. He's hurting the people Canada should be helping. He and his backroom idealogues care only about votes. Their grasping of this issue is an attempt to paint Conservatives as heartless and uncaring. If handled properly, it will be the Liberals will be proven heartless. Trouble is, the CBC and The Star will be on the Trudeau bandwagon. Maybe hang some garlic to ward them off?

Trump doesn't fit into the "generally" category. Instead of just looking for a way to disparage Trump - maybe you should reflect on the fact that the removal of tariffs will ultimately be a "win" for both sides - it spurs creativity and productivity. Even Globalists (but not elitists) should be happy - because true free trade cannot be accomplished with protective tariffs.

Surely you understand that the the Germans have to save face with their reporting.The stock market and American dollar will tell you how well Trump is doing - or not doing. So far, he's done pretty darn good. I don't like the guy but you can't argue with results. Your 401K looks pretty safe - unless you've invested in those green energy scams.

I wish I was smart enough to answer that - it would save the world a lot of speculation and heartache. I'm pretty sure that the term non-believer might have something to do with it.....but hey - the thread is drifting so let's keep on with evaluating the Faisal Hussain facts as they emerge.

There's that pomposity again. I was responding to Eyeball's contention which went beyond our Danforth debacle and encircled the Muslim "society" as a whole. You're saying that the 911 gang, the Toronto 18, and all the countless "cells" that have been indiscriminately killing hordes of innocents throughout the world - all are mentally ill - in the traditional sense? That's pretty far-fetched Michael - but if that's your thinking, I hope you find comfort in it.

Not really. If that were the case, you'd have Israelis/Jews doing the same thing. Talk about a whole society being marginalized and discriminated against. And look no farther than our own indiginous people - but you don't see them shooting people up and down the street Even the remnants of slavery in the US has not caused Blacks to regularly carry out such heinous acts. Islam is the common thread - and the "enabler" for these acts.

Ford's doing the right thing. The timing and execution remain to be seen. Toronto Council at "work" reminds me what Stephen Harper said to an aide in his consulting firm. He said "You're not in government anymore where it takes forever to accomplish nothing". If you've watched Council over the last 25 years or so, that's what's been going on. It's so blatantly obvious that the current setup does not work. Other big cities get by - and thrive - with smaller councils. If it doesn't run up against interminable injunctions - I agree - throw a grenade in there and get Council back to their basic roles and responsibilities - not pet projects. I'm looking forward to a refreshed and renewed council - hopefully with term limits for councilors.

There are a couple/number of contrarians on the board who never seem to have thoughtful opinions that further a rational discussion. Throwing out straw man arguments is annoying. Just thought I'd mention it.

You're a curmudgeon - absolutely no fun at all.....and perhaps just a wee bit pompous.

Canada altready has a reasonable balance on gun laws. Before curtailing responsible ownership further, step ONE should be to make penalties for use of a gun in a crime severe - and if you shoot someone, the book should be thrown at you. Let's not mince words, nowadays, slap on the wrist sentencing is watered down even more with early parole and almost mandatory release after serving two-thirds of any sentence (Statutory Release). To criminals, this is simply the "cost of doing business". We need to send a message - loud and clear - that criminal gun use is totally, totally unacceptable.....we should teach it in schools, make it clear at our borders, and hammer it home in the citizenship process. There should be no room for excuses. Do the crime - do the time. That's step one - curtailing more rights is a last resort.

You're engaging in the same "confirmation bias" that you accuse others of. This CBS report uses the term "Law enforcement sources". Please don't run off and move the goalposts by splitting hairs on something else. Until we get the full story, we can only try and put the pieces together - because that's what us amateur sleuths do! The fact that there is a reasonable chance that this is a terrorism related crime doesn't make us all racists. Contrast the recent "walk on eggshells" reporting on Faisal Hussain with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and all the questionably biased reporting (to put it mildly)......... Link: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/faisal-hussain-toronto-shooting-rampage-new-details-emerge-about-gunman-2018-07-24/?setDevice=amp

You've made a small point - but almost all of the references have clear motivations or are gang related. The Dawson College one was troubling - as was the Mosque killings - so going completely nuts for reasons other than Islamic extremism does happen. That doesn't change the fact that Canadians are rightly very wary of the potential for extremist violence. How could they not? Europe has had countless mass killings in the name of Islam - and those were only the "successful" ones. We've had the Toronto 18. the Yonge Street massacre, Ottawa Parliaments, St. Jean sur Richelieu, the 2017 Edmonton attacks - all of these were at least inspired by some twisted interpretation of Islam. So forgive us all for trying to rationalize all the tidbits of information to understand the motives behind this particular attack. Being force-fed the convenient and sole explanation of being mentally ill is a tough sell. Showing pity for the perpetrator and literally showering sympathy on the family at this stage is an injustice to the victims and their families. One last word with a bit of a wink and a nudge. Isn't that what this board is all about? Get our frustrations out in the open for banter back and forth? By the way - I still like Eyeball - love the name. His middle name is Hairy.

Still don't know what you mean by "no story" - but yes, please do give me a Canadian cite that shows a "crazy person" exploding and randomly killing/shooting a bunch of people.

Being mentally ill or mentally unstable is only one part of the puzzle and quite frankly, I don't care if he was - or wasn't. Sadly, there are too many people in Canada who are burdened with mental illness - but they don't go on killing sprees. So the other piece is why Faisal Hussain did so. His apparent advanced skills with the gun is also troubling - as is the possible targeting of white people - as is his visiting of ISIS sites - as is his possible/likely living in Afghanistan and/or Pakistan. And you can't discount the still-fresh impact of the Yonge street Jihadist episode. Even the Ottawa Parliament killing was "Isis inspired". People have the right to think "what now?". Of lesser concern at this time is the claim by ISIS that he was one of their "soldiers" - because they've been known for unproven bluster. In summary, there's lots more than idle speculation in play. To say there is "no story here" is an ostrich-worthy comment.

Almost as bad to completely ignore that elephant in the room. Here's a simple recap. The perpetrator is Muslim. The question is whether he killed people because he was mentally ill or was it a Jihadi act. Keep in mind that to carry out a despicable, mass murder act, one pretty well has to be mentally unstable to begin with. With everything that has gone on in Europe - and our own Yonge street debacle, it's pretty easy - if not pragmatic - to think that this might be a "Jihadist" act. I haven't detected the "anger" that you're accusing posters of. When facts are either not reported or are marginalized, people like me suspect something is afoot. Still to be determined....results of the investigation into the belief that he may have lived for awhile in Afghanistan or Pakistan. Also, two law enforcement people have indicated that he was very, very good with a gun. One said he was the best that he had seen. So where and why was he trained. Much more to peel back on this. No anger yet - but there may be some when all the facts are in.

Here's the summary of the brother - Fahad Hussain.......I think we could say there's a "specter" of criminality with this guy. Here's a snippet but it's worth reading the whole story. Another layer of the onion. Link: https://globalnews.ca/news/4353028/danforth-shooter-older-brother-coma-charges/

Betsy - my apologies - I had suggested that it was because he was targeting women. I was mistaken - 8 were male, 8 were female. The information I came across was related to the Yonge street carnage - which was targeted at women. So it does seem that Mr. Singh's "speculation" was likely correct.

Thanks for repeating what I said. I have since confirmed that in fact 16 people were shot - 8 were male, 8 were female. Link: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/article-one-dead-13-injured-gunman-killed-in-toronto-mass-shooting/

More likely, he didn't shoot him because he was a man. Although it's not widely publicized, it's been said he was targeting women - who apparently should not be out having a good time without a male escort. I'd like to hear this tidbit verified - did he or din't he specifically target females? There's a lot of conjecture out there but I see nothing wrong with posting the facts as they emerge and let people make up their minds.

The apologists (CBC and The Star) have been working overtime - jumping on the "family issued" statement given by Muslim activist Mohammed Hashim who acted as spokesperson for the family (a separate link is provided below on Hashim). I thought I'd raise a separate topic on Faisal as the onion of truth begins to be peeled back. Tarek Fatah has already provided some interesting tidbits on Faisal - and I'm sure more will be forthcoming as the ramparts of political correctness are breached: Link: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/fatah-mentally-ill-the-media-or-the-murderer?video_autoplay=true Story on the spokesperson: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/furey-meet-the-spin-doctor-behind-the-hussain-family-statement?video_autoplay=true