Drea

Exactly! LOOK AT WHAT EXPO DID TO THE CITY OF VACOUVER! The entire site was sold to a foriegn investor for a DOLLAR. If you've got enough cash kicking around to buy a 600 sqaure foot condo for $500,000, then your apathy is understandable. Actually I live in the Fraser Valley. 40 mins from Vancouver. Nope don't have enough cash to buy a little condo in the city... wouldn't want to. There are obviously people that can afford it, they certainly sell quickly. Those $500,000 condos are a huge tax base for the city -- the foreign investor only made money once (when he sold the property to the developer who built the tiny, expensive condos), the city, however, will continue to collect taxes from these condos for a very long time. Vancouver was a "nobody" before Expo '86. -- I could understand your frustration if that foreign investor just let the property degrade but they didn't. We now have Canada Place, Science World (where my kid is going on a school outing tomorrow) etc. Was Expo a detriment to Vancouver, to BC? I think not. The Olympics will bring money to our city, new venues (which will be used long after the games are over), new transportation systems, etc. How can this be considered a bad thing?

My heart goes out to all the women in ND. I hope they can just cross a state line and get an abortion -- or else they'll be reduced to using coathangers.

We have a secular (non-believing, non-worshipping) society that keeps our religious nuts in check. Sadly, they don't have a large population of non-believers to keep their religious nuts in check. It's not about Christians are "nicer" (or less savage, or more civilized) than muslims. It's about each given society as a whole. We don't want Catholic "law" crammed down our throats, nor do we want "Sharia law" crammed down our throats. Our society has managed, quite successfully (until lately) seperate politics and religion. Their society has not. Why? Because they are not allowed to be non-believers, they are not allowed to let common sense rule. Thankfully in our civilized, western societies we have many many people who do "question" the religious dogma. If the Renaisance (sp) didn't happen we'd still be burning people at the stake. Thank God for the non-believers! FYI, My friend in Iran -- her entire life revolves around Allah. Everything, literally everything, is done with Allah on the mind -- even peeing probably -- thank Allah for the relief of peeing.

Just like the naysayers before Expo 86. Without Expo we wouldn't have Science World or the waterfront or Canada Place... We need (and will get) new highways, new venues -- plus we get to show off how great we are in front of the entire world. BTW, the CITY of Vancouver is hosting; Not Surrey, not Maple Ridge, NOT the province of BC, not the country of Canada, not the little town in the Peace River. Go Vancouver! Go Mayor Sullivan!

I'm just askin'... Why are people blaming the Liberals? The Federal Liberals? They are not in power anymore. As of Feb 6th the Conservatives took over. Was the ball already rolling? Was Harper unable to stop it? I'm confused. Unless of course people are blaming the BC Liberal party (who are conservatives btw, don't let the name fool you, Gordon Campbell is a conservative through and through).

IPSC Thanks for the response -- I'm at work now but will have more time to read it later. yes, there should be a criminal database. And, anyone who commits a crime (gun or not) should be in a "registry". Cheers!

IPSC STORM, 'cept for the handgun issue, we are on the same page. The current gun registry is a farce. I ask you this. What process (I've never tried to buy a gun) does a person go through to get one? What was the process before this gun registry was implemented? Can (could) anyone without a criminal record buy a gun and ammo and walk out of the store with it with no wait time? Is (was) there a wait time? How long is (was) it? IMO, the (hated) registry is not registering owners, but guns. My car is registered and I am on the paper as the owner. Once I sell my car (or you sell your gun) I am no longer the registered owner. The registration follows the car/gun, not the person. I'm really trying to understand and not being facetious with you at all. I understand your frustration in that the police can come into a gunowners home without a warrant. And I'm not trying to villify gun owners. I just think that we need to be able to track where the criminals are getting them. I know that finding the owner of a stolen gun doesn't necessarily mean the criminal who stole it will be found, but it's a place to start. Even in the US (according to Law and Order LOL) when the detectives find a gun they look for the owner -- therefore there must be some kind of database with gun owner info. It's not a crime to have your gun stolen. If I find a gun on the side of the road, I'd like it to be returned to the rightful owner. How can that be done unless there's a database of owners somewhere? Please don't get mad -- I'm asking these questions honestly and without malice.

Beginning again... on a positive note. IMO the gun registry should be scrapped. Anyone who purchases a rifle should have to submit such information as DL # or SIN#, address, etc. automatically. (I'm sure my father has told me that this has been the process for purchasing a firearm for decades. But I could be wrong, perhaps we've never cared who owns guns -- but we should care IMO) When a gun crime is committed, the police (if they find the weapon) would be able to trace it. No one is saying that gun owners are committing crimes. Criminals are getting their guns from somewhere and we need to find out and stop the flow. Perhaps some are smuggled in from the states, perhaps some are stolen from legitimate gun owners. We need to know. As I've said before, I have no problem with rifles and hunting. I just don't believe in handguns, but hey, whatever floats yer boat, as long as no one gets hurt. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- FYI, Except for abbreviations, when a poster uses all caps it is the equivelent of yelling. YELLING! Like THIS. Bold and italics are used for emphasis.

I sure am glad this was your last post on the subject because it is JUST TOO STUPID!! Handguns or any firearm DO NOTJUST GO OFF!! Computers are used to ROB MORE MONEY than any firarm ever has....... Oh and the registration of rifles STARTED IN 1998!! If you do not know EVEN THAT little tidbit of information on the subject at hand...........then you lack the very basic knowlege to talk about this subject. As such any debate with you is USLESS as you do not have a CLUE!! You say Guns have ONE purpose..............then go on to list THREE possibilities!! LOL!! Yep your logic is sure on the ball!! LOL!! Damn but you ANTI gun nuts are a JOKE!! Nah, I think I'll stay on this thread for a while longer. Looks like this one's blood pressure is so high he might just explode -- and I wouldn't miss that for the world. Mellow out dude. Sheesh. You for one absolutely should not have access to a firearm. You have anger management issues, man. *Drea walks away shaking her head at how some people can get soooo angry over this issue*

This side doesn't respect THAT side's opinion. That side doesn't repect THIS side's opinion. This argument could go on and on and on and on, never to be resolved. Fixer1, you seem to have a hate on for city folk. Too bad. Most city folk have some country roots! Me included. IPSC STORM, your just angry. Why don't I "like" handguns? They serve only one purpose -- the harming of a human being. Comparing computers and guns is simply ridiculous. My computer can't "go off" accidentally and maim me... if I walk into a bank with a laptop, it's not very threatening LOL. Yes, the internet was invented by the military. So was the helicopter, but it has more uses than one. Guns have ONE purpose -- to propel a lead or steal pellet at incredible speeds into something. "Something" could be a living thing, a piece of paper, or a clay plate. Handguns should be banned. Period. Anyone caught with a handgun should receive an automatic 2 year sentence. Period. Would this get the guns out of the hands of criminals? IMO it would. The more difficult firearms are to get, the less likely the gangbanger is going to have one. Simple logic. If there is only 6 of one thing (instead of 60,000) less people would have it. Rifles for hunting? Different story altogether. Like I said before it would be pretty darn difficult to hide a long barrel whilst strolling in the mall. I agree that the gun registry was a stupid idea and it should be scrapped -- we in Canada have always had to register our rifles. THis is my last post on this subject. Cheers!

Re: Iraq -- It's certainly not about "saving" people from a dictator. It's about keeping the dollar as THE currency for trading oil. Re: Iran -- It's certainly not about a rouge nation with nuclear weapons The End of the Dollar Hegemony ...

I agree that violent criminals need to be incarcerated for much longer periods of time. Our current revolving door policy just isn't working. Harper said he'd reform the justice system and I am looking forward to that reform. Reform that means more than just opening 23 more prisons. Reform that keeps violent criminals off the streets for a much longer period of time. Reform that acknowledges that some people will never be rehabilitated. Reform that realizes the difference between selling a joint and selling crack. Reform that realizes the difference between a youngster that steals a car and a youngster who has stolen 50 cars. It's simply ridiculous to think we can "ship" our criminals somewhere else.

By your reasoning here, you would have common citizens shooting blind ("Which person is the criminal?" I don't know Frank! Just keep shootin'!") If the criminals had no choice but to use rifles, they would be pretty easy to spot in a mall carrying a long barrel shotgun or a long bow. BTW I can RUN from a knife, I cannot run from a bullet. If knives are so effective as a killing weapon, perhaps more hunters should use them for bagging next year's moose. Learn to be a doer..... Hmmm what does that mean? Learn to pack a gun and shoot anyone who may or may not be a criminal (aren't ALL people in baggy pants in the city considered criminals?) Don't get me wrong -- I'm certainly not against hunting. I'm against shooting for fun. Yes, I'm against it. Shooting is not supposed to be fun for goodness sake! When you shoot a moose you should be very humbled and thank it for feeding your family. Killing is not FUN no matter WHAT you kill -- it's a living, breathing thing and should be respected as such. Pay homage for the food you recieve by killing. We need to kill to eat but there should be no joy in killing a living thing.

No, that is not what I meant -- I am a proud British Columbian who DOES NOT believe that I am "better" than the rest of the people in the country by virtue of where I popped out of my mother's womb. Or that I'm "better" because I found a job somewhere. Does the Quebecker whose working in the oilfields think of himself as an chest puffed-out Albertan? Or perhaps he's just socking money away to send to his family in Quebec (and thus not benefitting Alberta at all!) LOL People in Canada build houses with wood from BC. People drive cars built in Ontario, with fuel made from crude found in Alberta. We all share in our resources. We all live in a country called Canada (Albera is NOT a seperate country btw). Heck I buy Altantic salmon for my dinner table too! I, by virtue of my birth, live in BC -- that certainly does not make me better than anyone else. Just lucky!

This is a good forum -- voices from the right, the left and the middle pretty much get equal time.

Poor kid! I don't believe in medicating children. Each child is going to be different -- teachers need to know this and structure their curiculum appropriately. Perhaps this child would benefit from some physical activity and very strict structure. IE: Very clear time for rough and tumble, very clear time for quiet reading time. Make it the same every day so the child knows exacty what to expect each day. Hyperactive (I'd never call them ADD) children need to know what to expect. Surprises can really throw them off. I'm not an expert, I had a roommate whose daughter was diagnosed with ADD. Mom was low income and couldn't afford the medication (didn't want her daughter on it anyway) so we used the techniques as above. Didn't always work -- there were some really bad days, but she's now 11 and doing very well (as long as she has her structure).

oops! double post

I don't watch Opera or Dr. Phil. I don't see a therapist or counsellor. My Sunday ususally consists of laundry and housecleaning, getting prepared for the week ahead. (After I'm done here of course LOL) Why is it that the religious people say "Your atheism has become a religion" (oxymoron btw) or "You are brainwashed by Oprah!" or "you MUST have SOMETHING that replaces religion". Nope, nada, nothin'. Sorry. I'm not dissin' those who believe -- go ahead believe with all your heart if that's what you need to do to get through this wonderful, beautiful, incredible, too short, life on earth.

Sorry Drea. The law is the law. And how many Albertans are really "Albertans" and how many have moved to Alberta from the rest of the country? I'm a true-blue BC'er born and bred (and will never move) -- yet I don't believe every tree felled benefits only BCers, but the country as a whole. I guess BCers aren't as "hoggish" with their resource, eh. And Sask's grain and corn sales, benefit the whole country. Geez, funny how Albertans are the only ones who come across as so greedy "It's OUR oil! Not one drop will benefit an eeeevil Ontarian!"

My computer was not built with the express purpose of expelling a piece of lead or metal at unbelieveable speeds into someone's body. Your gun was built with this express purpose. Or was the very first gun invented for a purpose other than killing -- if it was, by all means tell us. "It's a decorative accessory" (Like my earrings, 'cause earrings don't kill people, people do ) I'm glad you had fun at the shooting club. I'm also glad to hear that hunting with a handgun is illegal. My dad hunted moose evey year as we were growing up. Us kids (or our friends) never touched those rifles. It's not 1970 anymore though. My sister had a foster kid a couple of years ago... we found a handgun (don't know what kind, it was a big, silver thing) in her backpack. We called the police, they came and took it away. The kid had NO consequences whatsoever. Wonder where she got it? One of her "friends" perhaps? Perhaps one of her friends father bought it for her as a gift LOL. "Here you go honey, but don't use it unless you really need to!". Couple weeks goes by..... "Hey, honey where's your gun?" "Oh Dad, I dunno, my friend Cindy was here the other day, and now my gun is gone, I just wanted to show it to her!" Putting guns in the hands of children. I shake my head. If you want your kid to learn to shoot why not put them in army, air or sea cadets? That way they get to learn the "tool" not the "cool". PLUS the rifle (they use rifles in the army -- go figure) would stay at the armoury, not in the home. Margrace: Lovely to see you here!

I like it. But prepare for liberal flaming. Even better--ban all violent criminals from the country. You get caught, you get banished--for life. Leave jails for those that may be able to be rehabilitated. We'd have to include a 3 strikes plan for all others so if they get caught 3 times they're gone. Hyuk Hyuk! Yah, let's shoot 'em out into space! Where the heck else we gonna "banish" them to? California? Iran? Cuba? Russia? Timbukfreakintwo? WHERE? Knee jerk reaction -- send all violent criminals out of the country; then they'll be someone else's problem. editted to add: and THIS is why our federal prison guards need to negotiate a new contract -- if the new conservative gov't DOESN'T provide safer working environments (and better pay) for them then they are perfectly legal in striking.

you a prison guard? Friend of hubby's is. And he is set to go on strike IF NEGOTIATIONS DON'T GO WELL. Just bad timing on the part of the government -- perhaps they oughta fix the system we have instead of just adding to it. I repeat -- I agree that our justice and prison systems need an overhaul -- right at union negotiations is NOT the right time to be doing it!

I agree rbacon. I want the US to buy our oil. Better to buy it from us than from the middle east. BTW, it's not ALBERTA'S oil -- we live in a country, all together -- it's called Canada May the Annunaki bless Canada, Alberta and the Americans that buy our oil and help keep our economy strong!

fixer1, do you own rifles or handguns? If one is living rurally and need to shoot "varmints" one will usually use a rifle, not a handgun. Handguns and automatic weapons serve only one purpose -- killing humans. Ever try to go hunting with a handgun? (If handguns were efficient tools for hunting game, rifles would've been "outdated" many many years ago. They are quite cumbersome to handle with that looong barrel...) Handguns should be banned -- and there should be no grandfather clause. Evey handgun should be rounded up and melted down. The only people that should carry one are the police, security guards and border agents. No one else needs one. Rifles on the other hand are a perfecly legitimate tool. Imagine a gangster trying to hide his long barrel shotgun in his baggy pants!

Well the Federal Prison system has been without a contract since (I believe) June of 2004. They will be negotiating this spring... Guards are demanding safer work environments and better pay... How will the Cons handle it? Could be we'll see our entire federal prison system shut down for a couple of months if negotiations don't go well... Not a good time to be opening new prisons and incarcerating people by the truckload. (I agree that our justice system needs an entire overhaul -- just typing the facts folks.)