MightyAC

Exactly. I can't think of a famous Israeli that is not a politician but what if a famous Israeli was asked to denounce the excessive violence and aggression perpetrated by his/her government? They'd be in a similar position and the best response would be to promote peace. Another example would be American reporters asking Yao Ming to condemn China for its human rights record and lack of freedoms.

I'm now fairly certain you're both...except your Bunker bit isn't an act.

Wow. Yeah I guess it really is true. There is a war against Chritianity by the left. I never believed it but it reall is true. I attended a Christian high-school and wore a uniform. These schools are very large institutions almost exactly the same as a public school. The diffrence being the unions have less control and never strike. The schools are also rurn more efficiently. I believe in this system. If you don't want Christian schools as they currently are, then you are giving into Islam and other minorities in Canada who are out to destroy our way of life. Why is it only now that people have these viewpoints? This was never a problem in the past. I don't know why I am responding to your foolishness but here goes. I'm not opposed to Christian schools; I'm opposed to publicly funding one and only one sect of one religion while excluding all others. Since we cannot afford to fund all separate schools fairly and equally it's time to end the unfair advantage the Catholic system receives.War against Christianity? Unions have less control? Denouncing unequal separate school funding is giving into Islam and other minorities? You are either an absolute idiot or you are playing some sort of Archie Bunker bit...an ignorant, anachronistic, bumbling, racist, boob that is tolerated because he always proves to be the fool.

Where do you come up with this crap? Are you perpetually baked? Dude, put down the spliff and give your head a shake. The room may take a minute or two to stop moving but when it does eat some Doritos, take a nap and reread your post. If it still makes sense to you talk to these people http://www.toronto.cmha.ca/index.htm “Where I’ll be happy to see the nice young men in their clean white coats and they’re coming to take me away ha ha” anyone else remember the Dr. Demento tune?

Reminds me of the Corner Gas episode where a former resident of Toronto wanted to teach a Pilates class. Nobody showed up because they didn't want to support a class named after the guy that killed Jesus. They had no problem attending the same thing when it was called mat class. Sad when reality almost mimicks something meant to be over-the-top stupid.

I agree somewhat.. that's why I'm in favour of only a partial tax break. A refund of 50 to 75 percent of the education portion of property tax seems fair to me. Those with kids in a private school would still be contributing in part to the public system and then when their kids are finished school they contribute 100% again. Considering my plan also axes the Catholic system it would see the public system receive more money per student than it does now. I see your point though. Public money is spent on many things that segments of the population do not use or benefit from yet they still help pay for them. Libraries, hockey arenas, museums, art galleries, grants to pro sports teams, etc.

In Ontario, the Public and Catholic board use the same core curriculum. I'm not sure about private schools. I'm sure there is some regulation, just as there is for home schooling, but I don't know for sure. I do know that people do not have to attend teachers college in order to teach at private schools. Although teachers college really is a joke anyway. I have no problem with private schools of any type, religious or otherwise. I only have a problem with picking and choosing which separate school systems receive public funding. In Ontario our tax dollars can be directed to either the public school system or the Catholic school system. Those who want to send their children anywhere else must pay the entire cost of tuition while still sending their tax money to either the public of Catholic system. I think it's time to treat the Catholic system like any other separate school and cut off the public funding. It seems unfair to favour one religious sect over another. I propose put all our eggs or dollars in one basket and make the best public system we can for everybody…those who choose to opt out for reasons of religion or status can receive a partial tax break to ease the pain of tuition.

I agree in part. I am also bothered that GHG emissions have become the only environmental issue discussed. However, I disagree that our current obsession with climate change is preventing the current government from stopping toxic chemicals from being released willy nilly. Rona had, and Baird has the power to ban the use of toxic chemicals right now. The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) already gives the government the power to do so. Full Text

The provinces should have one publicly funded school system with zero public money sent to any other separate school. Anyone choosing to send their child to private school of any type should get part of the education portion of their property taxes refunded. I think a 50 to 75 percent refund is a reasonable amount. It's just plain wrong to fund one separate, religious school and not all others and we obviously cannot fund all others and keep a healthy public system. Plus I believe segregation leads to intolerance. A policy that encourages most people to attend the same school system would help to keep the separation to a minimum. So basically I agree with the Harris/Eaves plan in Ontario but I'd go one step further and kill the Catholic board.

Justin is a smart kid, an excellent speaker and he knows how to handle himself in front of the press. I think he'll spend sometime paying his dues and then he will become leader and PM one day.

I am 100% behind electoral reform but not secretive research that will likely be skewed to suit Con wishes and may or may not even see the light of day. Why not spend the money on a citizens committee with one person from every riding in the country to study electoral reform and propose solutions? The people research the problem, ask the people for imput and come to a consesus on the best solution for the people. Their solutions could then be put to referendum at the next election. It's open, transparent, honest and democratic. What the Harper government is doing may turn out to be a step in the right direction but I'm skeptical...hopefully it turns out for the best.

Good ol' Ezra Levant, Canada's Rush Limbaugh... What an absolute fool. How is a bumper sticker commenting on the price of gas political or partisan? Was it CBC employees that stuck the sticker to his Hummer or did some environmentalists like the phrase and take a bunch of free stickers to assault gas guzzlers? As usual Ezra is light on facts and heavy on paranoia. I think Ezra should drive his Hummer downtown, south of the Auclair market, pay for a hummer and chill. Hey Ezra just like most of the world doesn’t think about Canada very often, most of Canada doesn’t give a shit about Alberta…especially in Toronto and Montreal. The east isn’t anti-Alberta, stop inflating your own importance.

Solid response Geoff. Poll numbers routinely show the Green party has the support of around 8 or 9 percent of the country. At election time our flawed electoral system forces many Canadians to vote strategically and their numbers drop some...usually to around 5 percent. Still under a system that actually treats all votes equally that would equate to about 15 seats. Despite not having any seats they are a national party and have some very good ideas. In this case I agree with their idea that the Cons should proceed with the bio-fuel initiative separately instead of bundling it with the very flawed clean air plan. Is it alright for me to criticize governments and propose ideas Geoff or do I have to win a seat first too?

My dad currently has lung cancer. He beat it twice in the past. Each time he was clear for a couple years and then another tumor would appear in a different location near the previous one. This time the tumor isn’t going away. It is currently dormant so my dad is happy that it’s not spreading and happy not to be going through chemo. I have no problem talking to him about it but I know him pretty well. When I first read this post I almost replied and said that of course it is best to ask about how they are doing. Then just the other day I ran into the mother of a friend of mine at the grocery store. She just had a mastectomy a week before Christmas and will start chemo this week. I saw her at the end of the aisle I was walking down and I almost turned around before she noticed me. What a strange sensation. I hadn’t talked to her in quite sometime so we exchanged questions about each other’s families for a minute or two. As the conversation went on I kept wondering if I should ask her how she was feeling but it just felt too awkward. I didn’t know if she wanted to talk about it or just stick to the catching up. Anyway, out of the blue another old acquaintance came over to say hi, then immediately asked her how her treatment was going. As it turns out she had no problem talking about it. So I was left looking like an uncaring idiot for not asking despite knowing about her condition. Anyway, next time I run into someone with a medical condition I hope I have the courage to ask them about it…but who knows I may just freeze up again and be left feeling like a coward. I think if someone really doesn’t want to discuss their health they’ll make it known. So for now on my new policy will be to ask questions first and be told to shut up later.

Thanks for proving a point mike.

Whether or not you agree with the content you have to admit that the format of the post was creative and clever. The post actually makes the reader want to follow the links which is rare in an environment where most don't read entire posts let alone the cited articles. In this case a simple example gets readers to at least glance at 4 sites that enforce Saturn's point of view...and has a humorous finish.

A very clever post, two thumbs up...way up.

I agree with this comment by the Green party....hopefully now that the CPC is responding to public opinion polls on the environment and taking it more seriously they will follow this advice. Full Media Release

Anyone else sick of partisanship? I am. I hate the posturing by Ricki Bobbi, Scribblet, hiti, gerry, etc. Most of us lean left or right but we can still debate issues outside of party lines. Every PM makes mistakes but lets debate issues honestly. Despite the fact that I disagree with many of the posts made by guys like Figleaf, bobbin, August, CharlesA, etc they make actual points when they post, they don’t simply trumpet a party slogan. I think we can all learn from their example and avoid the simple troll type posts.. C’mon, lets makes this place interesting, not just a propaganda outlet. please..pretty please, with sugar on it. Not that lossing my attendance is any big loss...but I imagine many feel the same.

As far as a sense of entitlement goes I'm not sure who is worse....seniors over 65 or the bulk of the boomer generation, or as I refer to them (thanks to the band by the same name) 'The Me First and the Gimme Gmmes'..

Props to Cybercoma and Figleaf... There is an old phrase that says a camel is a horse created by committee... An obvious jab at committees, debate and consensus, but what about religions created by committee, debate and consensus; wasn’t the direction and meaning of Christianity determined by debate between feuding cults? Maybe we’d be far better off today if one of the other sides that would not have connected Christianity with the old testament…Still one has to wonder about those that devote their lives to a story decided upon by cults, kings, emperors and scribes over a millennia ago.

Happy Festivas...the holiday for the rest of us... What do you mean lost its meaning?? Don't you celebrate Christmas...the day Santa was born so we could all have presents? Every year in the Bavarian pagan tradition we hack down a tree and drag it indoors so it can dry out and die. I usually partake in a pint or two also a Bavarian tradition. Then we decorate it with sentimental knickknacks...I have yet to find the light up dollar sign tree topper I've been looking for though... Then a big fat old guy whose current image was invented by a multi-national soft drink company but borrowed heavily from Dutch, English and Spanish versions of St. Nicolas and Father Christmas, breaks into our house via a chimney and gives us some stuff. I don’t have a chimney so I guess he stuffs his fat ass through the direct venting of my gas fireplace. He then flies away in a pimped out sled powered by Siberian invented flying reindeer.... Then family gets together consumes the equivalent of the annual Caloric intake of an entire African village in one meal...half drink too much wine and a few argue and vow not to speak to each other until next Christmas... It's a beautiful tradition. Anyway, all kidding aside happy holidays to everyone not matter what it is you celebrate.

Are ideas like this supported by the public in Alberta? If so Alberta shouldn't just be its own nation it should be its own planet. What's next? death penalty, prohibition, state religion, mandatory bedroom cameras so the government can ensure all sex is with an opposite sex spouse, in the missionary position, stricly for procreation purposes only... Albertan license plates should read..."Welcome to Canada's Utah"

I believe some Americans post here. I imagine they would side with 'merica over Canada. Higgly, this thread has shown you to be deceitful. If you want to improve the quality of this forum try cleaning up your own act.

I am an atheist and my family considers themselves Christian. Like an increasing number of people that consider themselves Christian they don't go to church, say prayers, etc. I imagine they'd disagree with me but I think Christianinty has become like a superstition for them. Nobody really believes that something bad will happen if they open an umberella indoors but we avoid it anyway. Anway as I was a product of religious-lite family I think I was more free to make up my own mind. As a kid I asked my parents if I could attend Sunday school because a friend of mine did. I went for about a year before I lost interest. I remember thinking it was pretty cool that they would reward me with candy for memorizing bible passages, "accepting Jesus into my heart", etc. All part of the brainwashing process I suppose. I think it is very important for the survival of religion that they instill the idea of blind faith before children become old enough to use logic. Anyway, I grew up, learned to use common sense and respectfully question authority when ideas didn't make sense. Even at a fairly young age I remember questioning my parents about the fairttale like bible stories. My children won't be raised with religion but they will be free to learn about it at any age. Like myself I hope they learn about all world religions and the history behind them. I always find it humorous that most atheists and agnostics know more about religious history than most that "believe".