Rue

Yah and she also used to get beaten by him. Its not a secret to those who lived in the Coop and witnessed the screaming and yelling. Interesting. I wonder if you would give such a pat answer if you realized he used to beat the snot out of her. Here is my point. I do not judge him for being in a rub and tug parlour. I could care less. I do not judge people on their sex activities. I think though he is prize two face portraying himself as a feminist. I judge his smacking her around which was known to many of us. Yah that I cast negative judgement on. I hate violence. Its not his politics or his rub and tug-its that. I have seen nothing to convince me he ever got help. Maybe he did. Just don't ask me to trust the guy. I don't trust violent people. As for Ms. Chow, all I know is she was my alderman and a good one. I hate some of her leftist politics but she represented the elderly very well and she cared about her constituents. As for Jack his former students have referred to him as an arrogant narcissist. I tend to sympathize with them. He did win his seat and many others though. People bought into his message. Now they can see in the next 4 years what this man is about. Sadly I do not predict he will see the 4 years through. I think he's self destructive. I think Harper will easily handle him and a loose bunch of inexperienced mp's. It will be like watching a pimp manhandle some young runaways.

Actually the press here in Canada avoided the above references and so they should have. This has nothing to do with either's religious beliefs and everything to do with sexual assault. If this man raped her, her being Muslim or his being Jewish is not the reason for the crime-his decision to use sex as a violent weapon against a woman who did not consent to it is. To put it bluntly-whether he's Jewish, Christian, Muslim if he raped her he is a criminal. If that is the case her religious or ethnic status is not the issue, her being a victim of a crime is. I trust the press not to miss the above point so far they haven't. From what I gather this man has had a sexual violence problem for some time. As a general rule a man who rapes has not just done it once when he gets caught. Its very rare he gets caught the first time. Then again I suppose he is innocent until proven guilty. Interestingly in France he would be considered guilty until proven innocent.

Uh yah and that is why you felt the need to state Lefty is providing balance. Lol. Come on. No you don't engage in what Lefty does of course not, but you are trying to defend it. That is what I am challenging. Not you. What you are now trying to defend as balance. Ignorance is ignorance. You can't balance ignorance with more ignorance you can only escalate the ignorance. Once you start flinging the poo like an angry primate, saying the poo flinging needs to be balanced is a tad absurd. The point is it smells no matter who throws it.

Lol..and you feel the above plug was layed down delicately do you? Lol, more like an elephant taking a crap in my opinion. Lol. What was your point for the plug? Oh do share. Kerplop.

How about you? How many followers do you think you have? Who do you answer to? From the soubndsof it not only is the above absolutely pointless but it proves again but one thing-you are on this forum to hear yourself pontificate. Do you have any actual position on anything? Look Gost Hacked may think your baiting and flaming balances a conspiracy of Zionist flamers on this forum but now see me, I call it for what it is, you flapping your gums with nothing to say. Tell me other then smeering all Jews which you have miserably tried to do in a very transparent and pointless matter what have you achieved. You baited. Now what? Do you want me to say nyah nyah? What is it you want? Do you even know? I would suggest people put you on ignore. I would also suggest you and Gost continue to provide balance if that is what Gost thinks irrational flame baiting is. Lol. Boo! You remind me of a Jack Rusell terrier. Go find out what a Canaan dog is and keep your distance from it. Lol.

No let's just call it you trying to justify flame baiting with a very lame excuse shall we. What if someone says something extremist against Muslims you think its balanced to do the same about Jews. Brilliant logic. I guess that is why a buttox has two cheeks though not one.

Your rhetorical questions designed to bait and incite prove what? How long do you think this will go on?

I would contend this poster is engaged in baiting and has so far made a litany of accusations and has an agenda to make political statements not debate any issues.

that's the best you have under this Post To The left name? Same old exercise with a new name? That's it? For you to engage in the exercise of inferring by inneuendo as you do that ultra-orthodox Jews represent the majority opinion of all Israelis AND Jews is nothing more then the exercise of a group anti-semitic smeer. It is blatantly anti-semitic for you assign a negative characteristic to ALL JEWS not just Israelis by deliberately inferring because ultra-orthodox Jews who are a minority of Jews may harbour such the beliefs all Jews and Israelis do as well and its state sanctioned and approved. To me that is a pathetic, transparent, negative group smeer of all Jews trying to suggest we all think the same and using debate as to Israeli policy as your pretext to negatively stereotype Jews and Israelis. The attempt to pass of the New York publication as an Israeli one speaks for itself as well. You want to discuss a political issue please do so. So far you have not. By the way when you claim you are only criticizing Israeli policies read back what you stated word for word. Your reference to all Jews and all Israelis with your negative group descriptions is loud and clear.

Well now let's see you quoted these words: "I am standing down. I have no intention of walking in your woods. I do not trespass." "I am standing down". Sounds very offensive. " I have no intenion of walking in your woods." Again how rude. "I do not trespass." Oh yes that sounds out of control. You know you are right JBG those are probably the most offensive, over the top, adversarial, in your face, insulting words probably ever written on this forum.

Really? Will you be going to the United Kingdom soon to protest the Anglican Church's affinity to the Queen and state? Will you be travelling to the Vatican to demand its closure? Oh wait, will you tell Dalton McGuinty he must stop funding Catholic Schools? Oh now wait now, will you travel to the Quebec National Assembly and tell them to take the crucifix off the assembly wall? Oh wait, when do you travel to India to tell the government to stop engaging in all those references to Hinduism? Then its on to Thailand. Those damn Bhuddists. Oh now wait. None of them have state institutional ties to religion. Er... well they do but they are "different" right Black Dog? Well of course they are different. They are not JUH HUH JUH dare we say it Jews right Black Dog? After all this is about Jews not knowing their place and insisting on a state organ protecting their collective identity. Now of another state that is democratic has religious ties between the state and religion we just ignore that right Black Dog? Quick get some vasoline words and slip and slide your way out of that one Black Dog. Can't wait..oh no Rue...those states are different because....... Oh now wait, you know I seem to remember there being a whole lot of Sharia law states that escape your selective review as well. Oh but wait, they aren't "democratic". Let's not forget that escape clause Black Dog uses so he doesn't have to deal with Muslim states. How convenient we just skip them all since they are not democratic and ignore them and the discrimination they practice against Jews which caused Jews to be ethnically cleansed and forced to flee to Israel for protection. Poof begone with such detail. Poof begone with the Christian state nations that mixed their state with religion to define Jews as unworthy of owning land or attaining equal rights of citzenship culminating in the holocaust. Poof begone to all that! Poof Black Dog says. Oh but wait why stop their with the poofing. How about the 170 nations with laws of return no different then Israel's designed just like Israel's to recognize and protect from extinction a particular identified collective identity just like Israel does with Jews... what's this other countries have the same law of return Israel does..no get out...no really....for example, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, The Ukraine, Japan, Taiwan, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, now really...but are they democratic? Ooopsy now what Black Dog? No problem, everyone now join me as I say poof begone with these nations and any comparison to them-POOF! You see when an Irish nation wants to protect and guarantee Irish people citizenship, well that's groovy. If Israel does it with Jews, look out yegads. In fact using Black Dog's rules for determining how to morally Judge Israel he can simply make up the criteria of selectivity as he goes along so we can ignore 90% of the world's nations democratic or not. Oh but wait...in Israel's case,Black Dog also seem to conveniently ignore the actual rights of non Jews in this country. Poof begone to that too. We can skip over their land rights, right to vote in the Knesset, religious and family courts, legal and human rights protection in the court system-no none of that exists. Presto poof all the rights afforded Christians and Muslims no they don't exist. The Bahaiis and Druze in Israel oh poof to their equal treatment as well. Poof I say to the atheists and communists too. Pooof pooof and more pooooof. We just say poof begone and that is it they disappear from our selective consideration right Black Dog? Oh but wait that's o.k. because when we compare Israel and its policies to the Black Dog standards of morality we just make it up as we go along and ignore reality. We just create this moral vaccum in which Jews and Israel alone exist. Israel is to be defined with a standard that allows us to ignore most of the world with the escape clause its not democratic right black dog and oh how wonderful that is. It avoids having to explain the real world Israel lives in and how its policies often are constructed in reaction to threats against it. No no no. Israel operates in an arbitrary vacuum. It was not created as an existential statement of preservation-no it just appeared from under a cabbage leaf for no reason. Say now Black Dog know where I heard that script before? Your need to constantly reinvent and set the moral standard against Jews oh its pretty stale. Its called the Passion Play. Been sung my many a Christian fundamentalist preacher. The Muslim fundamentalists have their version too. Its stale Black Dog. In fact I know the script off by heart. Over the years its been repeated by many preachers and missionaries. Now instead of wearing black and white, the latest preachers like you wear trendy black and red checker kerchiefs right Black Dog? Lol. Doesn't matter to me how much of a tan you know have Black Dog, I still see a presumptions holier then thou presumptious self righteous preacher holding a torch and screaming out that Frankenstein the Jew savage that I am needs to be torched. Oh come now BlackDog. Just look at me. SUCH a savage Jew in need of your morally presumptious lectures. What next Black Dog, do I sing something from Oliver or Fidler on the Roof or maybe say a few words from Merchant of Venice? Lol, the presumption you are in the position to lecture Jews on moral standards is hilarious Black Dog. why Black Dog me thinks thine need to lecture is the result of being conditioned for thousands of years that thou is superior to moi. Lol. You have the chutzbah to think your need to lecture Jews is unique and based on unique political standards? Oh come now, repeat after me-Jews killed Jesus! Jews are infidel! Say it Black Dog.... why hold back. It aint new Black Dog. Its a rancid old tune. No Black dog you are not my Bwana coming to lecture the Jew savage. You are not my massuh. No you are not the missionary come to tell the murderous Jew he must attone or he will not be saved and will go to hell. No Black Dog. All you do is attempt to proseltyze. Y ou just updated the language to delete the references to Jesus or infidel ignoring Muhammed. Lol. Yer just another wanna be trying to make himself feel morally superior trying to play the role of Jew confronter. Yer about as effective as Mel Gibson or Yasser Arafat.

Yer welcome. I give you and Black Dog and Ghost some others blasts and fire and wrath in many debates but I do so out of respect in most cases. Most of the people I have blasted over Israel issues I do so with great respect. May not sound that way but it is. I blast JBG a lot because I think he baits extremists into commenting. There's a way to preface remarks. If we preface them staring off with extremist comments, that is what we will invite back in responses. I get frustrated sometimes at the double standard used by certain posters over Israel's conduct yes. That is though I concede a seperate issue then the issue as to whether the force Israel uses in particular situations was excessive or not. I get frustrated because I see both JBG and people on the other side of the debate, BOTH for their own political agenda reasons appropriating her death as the pretext to justify their views. Here is my point which I know we all agree. No one wants to see any young person die. None of us. It is a sad day and time whenever someone dies. I just don't see how using this girl's death to justify extreme political views is meaningful however pollyanna that sounds. As usual American Women spoke the words I would have other then the above but that said, no I do not wish anyone to die fighting over political issues. This is not what Zionism taught us contrary to what some would believe. We did not set out to bulldoze girls no. No we don't sit around planning to bulldoze girls. Then again I don't see how using this girl's death to complain about a moral double standard is relevant. The same point could have been made without exploiting her death to make that point.

Chippewa since you acknowledged I exist I will stand down from my previous comments. That is why I was challenging you. There is a reason Jews left the Middle East and were not citizens of equal status in the Christian and Muslim world. There is also a reason why this led to our repeated persecution and genocide. This is not the thread for that. What you now make reference to are the origins of Jews, what happened to us in the Muslim and Christian worlds, and why we started a liberation movement called Zionism. This thread is not for that. The easiest way to find out why we Jews could not turn Germany into a Jewish state or would have wanted to is to simply find out-go on your own if you want and read about our history as I did of yours. Its there. Its not that complex to figure out. Like you we were treated as second class and targetted. We have many stories and legends in common and others that are different. The point I am making to you is that our struggle for self-determination is no different then yours and our people were targetted no different then yours only in your case governments entered into promises and treaties with your peoples' representatives then broke them-with my people they never even acknowledged us as a people to speak to. We share a legacy most closely related to the treatment afforded Roma (gypsy) peoples. We have certain things in common with what happened to Armenians. Many people have been targetted for mass murder and in the case of Jews in Europe deliberate, repetitive attacks culminating in an organized genocide with citizens of many nations assisting in the deed. My people did not come to Canada to spit on your ancestors' graves. My people did not set out to hurt Palestinians then called Arabs until a portion of them became displaced and then later self identified as Palestinian. No one set out to deliberately kill or seize or steal in my peoples' world. We struggled for self-determination to liberate ourselves from slavery and persecution. No more, no less. Now we find ourselves in a war of attrition with Palestinians but no we do not sit around wanting them to be homeless or die. Israelis do not fight and do what they do because they have nothing better to do. The irony of Israelis and Jews is, we have a warrior history-the origins of our religion are ripe with stories of tribal and territorial wars between us and other tribes. Our way of life is supposed to shape shift from violence and war to peace and enlightenment. We are trying. No we are not perfect. We have made mistakes. We continue to make them but no we didn't set out to kill Arabs and steal land. No. That is not what self-determination was about or is about. We would prefer to sit and talk then fire back. All you have to do is sit and talk with us to find that out. Many of us are ignorant of your history as you are of ours. It does not make us enemies-just ignorant. Stand down. I know better then to walk on your ground without your permission. Give me some credit to feel the flow of life outside Israel. I do not live in Israel. I live in Canada. I prefer forests and lakes to sand. I prefer coyotes to hyenas. I prefer the puma to the lion. We have a dog in Israel called the Canaan dog. To understand an Israeli is to understand this dog. Instead of me saying anything else try find one, one day and you will understand. You will also understand why it has a familiar sound when it barks. Its soul comes from the same place as yours. I am standing down. I have no intention of walking in your woods. I do not trespass.

Yes that surprised me a bit. Then again Mr. Mammoliti is a bit of a titty. That rhymes. He likes to get his name in the news for any reason. I am sure he just said that to titilate people. Its what he does-he's starved for attention. You can be sure if Ford is Mayor that would never happen. Now me I am for legalized prostitution. How can I not be? After all I make it a point to vote in every election. Seriously I doubt George Mammory Glands was being serious but the double standard about prosititution is ludicrous. It in fact thrives as the escort business. Time to tax it like good socialists! Onwords ! Tax and regulate sex acts! Sorry I got carried away. I was about to have a fiscal orgasm over that concept of taxing sex acts.

Not if Mr. Ford of Shwa wear thongs and join in any parade. In Mr. Ford's case it would cause shock and awe. In Mr. Shwa's case it would cause him to catch cold. I go back to my original point and that is if a city was to fund events so that every Tom, Dick, and I mean Dick, and Harry can vent their political views, they would soon run out of money. Shwa tries to suggest I am trying to censor a particular opinion. I am not. I am stating the city can't afford to fund one particular opinion and be fair to all-it either treats all political opinions equally or acknowledges its limitation not to be able to fund the expression of them because the demands would never end. Shwa of course skirted around that issue and I do mean SKIRTED around the issue. He's also thong. I mean wrong. I mean dong. I mean oh never mind.

Spoken like a true skunk. Lots of smell when you get defensive yes? Arabs, Jews, Druze, Berbers, Assyrians, Kurds, and many others we all came and we come and go like the desert sand. Nothing is permanent in the face of the wind and the shifting sands. Nothing. Stay out of this desert Chippewa until you learn to shut your mouth. You'll drown swallowing all the sand. There are many people Chippewa with many histories and ties to the land. None own it, all have legacy to it. Your attempt to ignore all but one people and revise history speaks for but one thing-your own political bias and ignorance of not just the origins of Jews, but Muslims, Christians, Druze, Berbers, Kurds, Assyrians, Bahaiis, Zoroastreans, and so many others. You are nothing but a mocking bird Chippewa and your imitation of the people that spew hatred at you turned back onto Jews is absurd. Its a pale imitation of that which you seek to mimmick. By the way before you call my ancestors immigrant peasants who got off a banana boat...lol... I think it hilarious you find that an insult. You think yours came from under a cabbage leaf? Ahahah. Look carefully fool, we are all descended from bastards-sorry to break that to you. What you think if you try act like a mocking bird and sing some racist's song it makes you tough? Lol. Banana boat. Hah. Had far worse then you call me Jewboy or my grandparents or me f..cking or dirty Jews. Far worse. You are darn right my grandparents were immigrants. They were fortunate to be able to come to Canada. The stories it took for them to survive so I could be born here are my legacy. Go on fool. Try remove the spirit and see what happens. Go on fool. Mock the spirit and see what happens. Lol. Chippewa that was one lousy imitation of a white man. You want to try again? Ahahah. Banana boat... try freighter. Hahah. Banana boat. No. It was no canoe that's for sure. Had lots of rats Chippewa. Some got off and mixed with the native ones. Might explain your desire to wallow in the refuse now. What's the matter Chippewa. You scared of a Golem? Boo!

Lol. I knew that was you Pink. (as in the singer no stop that not as in pinko) Concur 100% with all your comments.

There are militants in the native community no different than in the non native world. However I know native peoples who are spiritually well connected to the Jewish community and Israel and worked hard to have respctful relations with us and vice versa. In fact many native elders and spiritual leaders and Jewish spiritual leaders are well connected. Many of the native spiritual practices are identical to principles taught in the Talmud or that originate from the Kabala. For example their protocols for settling disputes or teaching ethics are very similiar to the ones in Judaism. Its tempting to think extremists or militants are mainstream but they are not in anyone's culture. As well Chippewa speaks for himself as I do myself. The fact I am a Jew or JBG is a Jew does not automatically confer on us automatic status to speak for other Jews. We speak only four ourselves. More to the point, why would you expect the average native Canadian to know much about Israel? They probably would not have learned too much about Jewish history in school. Sure they were taught Canadian history, but that Canadian history curriculum focuses on the British and French and is just beginning to acknowledge native Canadians, so don't hold your breath expecting any coverage of European history to go too thoroughly into Jewish history or what Zionism is. If you were native Canadian, why would you differentiate Jews from other Europeans or people that came here after them? In their experience one would think it wouldn't be too important because it certainly wouldn't be relevant to the present day issues they are emersed in and the unresolved conflicts they have with the Canadian government. To put it bluntly-they probably have their own issues to deal with. Nwo don't get me wrong, I do not speak for them, nor do I condone or agree with Chippewa's comments, I am simply saying he is not necessarily a mainstream indication of the relations between Jews and native peoples in Canada. For the most part we have been deeply respectful of one another and the native communities have welcomed us as friends and spiritual brothers/sisters. Chippewa speaks for himself as I do. He no more represents all native peoples then I do Jews. We are but two people with opinions. Period. I would say to Chippewa when Zionism is restated or represented to you as a colonial imposition of Jewish rule on Arabs, of course I would expect you to reject it. I would also say to Chippewa when Israel and Jews are represented as being brought up sucking the breast milk of Americans and causing all others to become runts, I would expect you to think Jews are too fat. However I would then also say, the representations you base your assumptions on might not be accurate. Maybe one day someone will have the opportunity to explain to you Zionism is not about colonialism- but escaping from it. Maybe one day I can explain to you why I don't suck or have ever sucked American breasts and grown fat from it. Chippewa is a warrior-wolf. he's been told all kinds of things about me. I am a weasel, a fisher, a muskrat, a blue jay, a rat. No no Chippewa none of the above. The people who have described me are confused. Everytime they hear a bump in the dark they think its me. And so I take on infinite shapes and sizes. Why Chippewa you would think I am a shapeshifter the way they assign me all these different forms. Uh no. I am no crow either. Closet analogy I can give you is wolverine. No I am not a skunk although of course I am related to them and weasels and fishers. We all have questionable relatives. As for you, I expect you to change from wolf to red tailed hawk and shriek at me before you leave. A lot of birds shriek when they see me come waddling by. Wolverines have quite the reputation you know. Most of us would be quite happy if you remain distant rather then have to bite you. We are no different then wolves in that respect. We interestingly don't believe we chose our destiny but it was imposed upon us by the creator and now we must do the honourable thing, i.e. honour that destiny. Now me I must admit I have been influenced by otters. I am inclined to believe I did in fact choose the destiny I was given as a test to see if I can co-exist with the beaver. Its not easy living down stream of a beaver Never sure if you are crying for joy or sorrow Chippewa. But I hear it yes. Then again I also hear the sound of beer cans being crushed and people pissing and swearing in the woods and I do not like that. Its the same voices that tell you to bite me. They think you are a pit bull. I am no cock in their arena Chippewa. I am no gladiator to amuse them by turning on you. Their cages can't hold me. Don't mistake my choosing to leave ou standing alone in the arena. You'll find me in the stands going after the sob who organized the event.

Oh well then. Political patronage can't be stopped so let's just allow it and fund it and encourage it and condone it and promote it? Yah. O.k. so since people have been driving drunk and that is inevitable we should condone that too? Sorry me no buy your arguement that if you can't stop something you may as well encourage it. To me that is not how you construct social policy. Though mind you I do get your point. As much as I disagree with your point about looking the other way on patronage when it comes to other forms of prostitution I think prostitution should be legalized-but that is another story with what I believe are other salient points that differentiate the sexual form of prostitution from political prostitution. No Shwa with due respect, that one won't fly. The fact that governments are corupt or engaged in kickbacks or the fact that Stephen Harper is as large a huh-orr as Chretien doesn't justify taxpayers having to fund events that allow specific political groups to engage in hate displays at otherwise positive celebrations of culture. There's a time and place for government funding and we all have a right to say enough is enough no we don't have to fund anyone with our taxpayer's money who wants to have a thong tantrum and we as taxpayers have a right to expect all our governments not to waste our money on partisan purposes and fight them when they do. No the fact that all politicians pay off their buddies with appointments doesn't mean my taxpayers money should be spent so some angry anti Zionists can scream at gay pride that hey ho Israel has to go. I want that money spent on roads, and most importantly sewers. After all without sewers where would QUIAA send their message? I mean please I only want to accommodate the substance of their comments. Like heaven forbid it could not be dispatched accordingly. You see Shwa I am a live and let live kind of faux fag hag. Lol. Also I know it was you who put that picture of Bobby Ford on the cover of Now Magazine. I had no idea Bobby Ford had such large breasts. For heaven's sake the man needs a bra. The orca whale has landed. O.k. that is not nice. Fat jokes are uncalled for. Oh by the way that was not an earthquake. Just Mayfor Ford sitting down. Oh sorry. You hear they are expanding city hall? Mr. Ford was having difficulty fitting in. Ooops it just slipped. What's the difference between Rob Ford and Rita McNeil? Not much. Ooops I can't stop myself.

Now wait. I am the first to give Bloodyminded the hardest of times on this forum but fair is fair and he would expect me to defend him even though he knows I have no problems battling him too-fair is fair. He is not a supporter of terrorism, supports Israel's right to exist, and I must agree with him and American Woman on this precisely for they both said. I am not sure if I agree with Bloody on Hamas distancing itself from the latest death, etc., but I will leave that one. Its just too muddled at this point to know. However I contend the situations are not the same. Each has unique features to them. Playing one off the other does not make your point JBG- you spun this trying to take two different political situations to spin your own partisan agenda again. You are using Israel as your pretense for your agenda. I am inclined to agree with what Bob said about Rachel Corrie being manipulated. I personally believe (without trying to sound deliberately patronizing to Rachel Corrie because she was an adult entitled to her own political opinions and I believe Rachel Corrie was well meaning) she was a privileged, idealist who came from a sheltered environment and so her naivite was easily manipulated-she was no different then thousands of other middle class children who suddenly leave their homes and enter a world ull of hostility and they find themselves overhwlemed by all the smells.I don'd doubt she suddenly experienced a world away from her suburban upbringing full of new smells-and in particular the smell of depravity and so suddenly the world looked very unfair to her. So I believe she could be easily manipulated not just by Hamas but by the Western press. Hey now what better way to advance your 10 second news bite back home then with a blonde haired blue eyed Alice from Wonderland. I mean please, you ever try send back a story of protesting Palestinians? At that time who did they have-Yasir Arafat. Not exactly a beauty was he? Love his nose and five o'clock shadow. And his lips. So kissable. Please people expected him to play the drums and sing yellow submarine. Other than lok Ringo Starr he wasn't the greatest way to sell a story now was he. Think I am being absurd? Wish I was. That is exactly what an editorial desk knows when it has 10 seconds to sell is story. Put Alice in Wonderland out there in front of a tractor, now that sells far better then Yasir standing there or better still far better then any Palestinian. Oh come let's be honest, they look swarthy not cuddly. Sorry but I lay it out as cynically as possible. It aint rocket science how the media works and how they need to sell a story to the West with a heroine who looks as caucasian and aryan Barbie doll like as possible. Think of the irony. The Western Press needed an Alice in Wonderland before they could be assured they could sell their story because a swarthy Palestinian would not sell as well. I guess some Palestinian girl was not aryan looking enough to stand in front of tractors-quick someone get be the Barbie Doll. See for me I see 2 double standards. One against Israel and one against Palestinians. I think the Western media that may have felt it was running a pro Palestinian series of stories about Rachel Corrie in fact epitomized its own subconscious racist attitudes towards Paletsinians and needing Alice in Wonderland to report the conflict before they felt it could have impact. But then that is just me. You see for me I think the press simply reflects the prejudices of its audience and plays to them and in so doing helps reinforce these prejudices. The press runs stories it thinks will sell. It doesn't give a hoot about either side. It exploits either side to sell its stories and if it needs a Barbie Doll to sell the story it will find one. This notion the press cares about Palestinians any more then it does Israelis sorry I don't buy. I find them contemptuous of both for different reasons. The press handles the Middle East no different then a WWF wrestling script. Reminds me of nothing more then a match between Abdullah the Butcher and Goldberg. Both Palestinians and Israels are characterized equally as absurdly I would contend. Oh I will take the time to point out double standards directed at Israel but no I do not need to piss on Rachel Corrie to do that. Once again JBG you have tried to use Israel as a pretense to incite negative feelings. Why? Is it possible for you to present any comment without a negative incitement thrown into the words? Since when does the defence of Israel against terrorism need you to piss on Rachel Corrie to prove its point? She was manipulated as much as any Palestinian or Israeli has in this never ending idiocy. I again argue we can do a far better job of pointing out the conflict and underlying issues in the conflictwithout demonizing anyone. Rachel Corrie was not and is not the issue getting the world to understand that conflicts are generated by people demonizing each other-is.

You would have to have someone declared legally incompetent before you could prevent them from voting. There's a fine line between what you and I think is demented behaviour and what others think is not. Look I just went through and continue to go through this situation where a quetionable lawyer tried to have someone with severe alzheimer's appoint him her new exective-I can tell you stories of all kinds of people trying to take advantage of people with dementia. I can tell you stories of a clearly mentally ill, violent, demented man who abusinghis wife who had alzheimer's and being released by a hospital to live in deplorable conditions with her because no one in the hospital wanted to force a psychiatric assessment on the man saying he was old and they would just wait for him to die-it would be less trouble. We all have stories of the demented we feel should be hospitalized but systems of law and medicine that say you can't force psychiatric assessments on people until in effect they have killed someone or seriously hurt someone or themselves. In one situation I could not help people until a senior collapsed on the street. Until then the law said the senior's husband who was demented but not declared legally incompetent could not be told what to do with her. Unfortunately the system moves slowly and often needs a crisis before it can do anything. No it doesn't always protect the demented and when it moves it does so slowly. I share your frustration. However it moves slowly because the alternative would be using the pretense of dementia to prevent legitimate people from voting. We have many countries that have used the pretense of accusing someone with being mentally ill or demented to prevent them from expressing their legitimate political views. You just need ask someone from Eastern Europe, or other countries where there is no democracy how that works. So I share your frustration but caution you sometimes there is a fine line between abusing demented people to get votes and unfairly not allowing someone to vote. Its a tough call. If someone truly believes another to have dementia and they are a danger to themselves and won't get help you can do something. As futile as it sounds if you believe they are about to burn themselves or they are starving themselves or being beaten, you can call the police-don't underestimate the police. They may not a lot of times do anything but their presence at the door can often be the first set of neutral eyes that can go on to notify the appropriate social agency or at least have someone taken in to hospital for observation. Police are over worked but they have helped in many situations where a crime of neglect was happening and where they could see physical signs of abuse. They have the power to call in help for example when they see cruelty to animals, vermin infestations, apartments overwhelmed with filth and decay or people with visible bruises, bleeding or inability to be coherent. If you know someone has a doctor report in writing your concerns to the doctor and then the doctor has a practice obligation to investigate what you sent in to them. The moment you put something in writing there is a paper trail to that doctor at least obliging him or her to investigate. Things move slowly but they do work. If you suspect someone of dementia is being abused and you know they are a member of a church or other house of religion, report it to their clergy person because clergy know who to notify in the event they think one of their seniors is in distress. Most clergy today you would be surprised have up to date training in crisis intervention with seniors. If you suspect someone in a seniors home with dementia is being abused you can report it to the provincial Ministry of Health. Also if you suspect seniors being abused for political votes, report it to the local news media. They take such allegations very seriously. Local news media has been active in exposing voting abuse or irregularities with seniors but I can also tell you this-as many problems as we have in Canada, Elections Canada and the political parties are all trying their best to see seniors get out and vote and are not abused or taken advantage of. If you suspect partisan political activies exploiting a senior during an election you can report it to Elections Canada as well. There are several medical charities you can also notify including the Alzheimer's Society, If you really do not know where to start you can even go to your own family doctor if you have one and ask or phone the city where you live general information line and they will refer you to the appropriate local community centre or entity to help that senior. If you ever suspect a senior living alone could start a fire, go tell the fire department in the neighbourhood they live in. They also have the right to check them out. Fire departments doing routine fire inspections on calls from concerned neighbours have been able to have isolated seniors removed or helped. Many seniors with dementia light themselves on fire by accident with their stoves or get serious burns. Fire departments know this. They can help too.

For what its worth Bob my bone to pick is with using gay pride events for politically partisan purposes and expecting governments to fund partisan political activities not gay pride events. I believe gay pride events should be funded by the city for a couple of reasons. One is I believe gays are a vital cultural-ethical-social group that helped build the city of Toronto and has a vibrant and unique community that has contributed to the entire city not just gays in the city. Gay pride is there one chance to celebrate their culture and history and sure cities fund cultural events all the time. I think most people in Toronto are gay friendly. We may not fully understand what gays go through but we see them as a people with a distinct culture and identity and we support their wanting once a year to be positive about themselves and share that positive feeling. They do bring in revenue to our hotels and tourism and you have to understand gay community activities were not just for gays. They have been pioners in hospice care, funding city hospitals, rebuilding decaying buildings, education, and counseling for rape and sex assault among many other things that have benefitted straight and gay. People don't have that religious hang up of yester-year-at least not the majority any more and particularly the next generation who simply see gays as an ethnic-cultural group and do not make the big deal of it earlier generations still do. Gays should be entitled to the same funding other ethnic groups get-since gays are of every political opinion no different then straights, no I don't think we should fund only Tory gays or Liberal gays or NDP gays for their partisan political events using gay as the pretense for it but instead stressing only non gay political partisan views which is what QUIAA is-a hate group that promotes violence and terror against Israel-but QUIAA is not the gay community or anything about what gay pride is. Let's be fair. We either treat all cultural displays fairly or not at all. If you don't want to fund gay pride, fine, then do not fund ANY cultural event in the city-but you can't fund some cultural events but not others. Its a slippery slope. If all the city wants to fund are Chinese cultural events but no one else's of course that would be unfair. Also rumours that I am seeking funding for a massive nudist rally to celebrate our messianic leader, Oleg Bach are false. I have been and will continue to be a Lindsay Lohan groupy.

Shwa doth thou accuse me of being a censor? Now come good Sir. Listen seriously Shwa, I don't care what the political opinion is-I just think government funding should be used for non patronage events for the obvious reason. The moment you start using taxpayers money for specific political views you know the slippery slope. The attempt to accuse me of only wanting to censor QUIAA because of their particular views misses the point. If they had beens upporters of Ghaddafi, the IRA, Shining Path, the KKK, yegards the NDP, (dare I say it), the Conservatives, Liberals, Christian Heritage Party (oh come on please they must have closeted members) I'd also have a problem for the exact same reason. I hope they have settled the problem. The gay orhanizers claim this group has agreed not to march at the pride event and QUIAA says they won't. Lol, I personally think they will and knowing members in that organization, lying and being smug about it would be par for what they believe in. So I doubt any funding will get cleared until someone signs an agreement. The city is not going to be made a fool of twice. They have already been lied to once by Kyle Rae who quite frankly was an elitist snit snot if I may use such harsh words. That said there are far bigger issues to fry. I am not interested in bashing the gay community. This is really an internal problem for them and they have to work it out and they should for the sake of their community. Having divisive groups at their event is something they have to deal with. They can't expect taxpayers like me though who are fully supportive of their community to want to fund politically partisan a-holes. I treat the gay community as I would any other. If they want city support of course they should get it. Use their culture though to start promoting hateful partisan politics, and expect opposition-they don't get a free ride simply re-naming such activities gay. They aint gay. The people in QUIAA may be gay but their agenda has nothing to do with promoting gay culture. Now if you think I want the QUIAA censored you are wrong. Bring the fools out in public where they belong. No one is saying censor them-but what many are saying is no we will not pay to have them use taxpayers money to scream. We have roads, subways and infrastructure to worry about.

Not sure the debates will influence anyone in Quebec. It might have some effect in terms of whether Ignatieff can get some old time federalist Quebecers to come back to the Libs from both the Tories and Bloc but that is about it. Anyway you slice it the Bloc is going to sweep Quebec again. It is a direct backlash to the Murloney patronage years. I think both Harper and Duceppe trying to resurrect hatred of Trudeau to get votes won't work. I think the kind of voters that attracts already would have voted for them. Maybe Ignatieff did enough to convince some Quebecers last night to come back to the Liberals, but I think probably not. Harper is screwed in Quebec. He used them to get elected and then when he did not need them, poof. If I was a Canadian whether I am from Quebec or Newfoundland I would say he is a two faced user and tries to use patronage to divide and conquer. Its Harper's decision to play rural off of urban and all of Canada against the GTA and English against French, as a winning strategy that creates this minority stalemate. Its a joke for Harper to say he wants a majority when his message is to deliberately create resentment between regions and different groups to try split the votes and get himself elected. The Block will sweep Quebec with a few Montreal seats staying Liberal. If I were the GTA I would vividly remember the G-8 fiasco and how Harper has absolutely screwed Toronto small businesses who were ruined by the G-8 and instead took money he said he would give them to pay back for the business interuption and vandalism and instead handed out out in Huntsville. Pure classical Harper. Hand out the money as patronage to rural areas and make it clear he hates Toronto then he has the nerve to show up in my riding in Mississauga looking for votes. He didn't shake my hand. I said its clear he screws Torontonians every chance he gets so don't touch my hand with his phony corupt patronage hands that are no different then the patronage he allegedly came to Ottawa to fight. Harper is everything he claimed he was challenging as a Reformist. He is identical to Chretien in how he hands out patronage to get votes. He plays on the complacency and stupidity of Canadians. He gets caught red handed lying and exposed by Layton and Duceppe and he simply keeps lying and the average Canadian goes along with the lies and the patronage and the fact that he keeps claiming to have a personal hand in resurrecting the Canadian economy. he had nothing to do with the global market conditions that dictate the recovery and if anythings screwed Ontarians abandoning them when car plants shut down. He made sure other regions of Canada continue to get more UIC then Ontarians. What a two faced whore. I will reluctantly vote for Ignatieff. I find some of the Liberal platform pie in the sky and I prefer Harper's foreign policy but Harper is a two faced liar whose government has mis-spent money, engaged in corpution and contempt and sheer arrogance not to mention given the finger to our representatives in parliament by using the very crony Senate he was dead against to destroy bills created by popularily elected mp's. He is an arrogant and anti democratic fat head. Ignatieff is an annoying out of touch elitist academic but at this point who else is there-elizabeth Ray human snot rag or Jack Layton the flying monkey from the Wizard of Oz? Give me a break. As for Gilles Duceppe, if he was not a traitor sob seperatist two faced whore hypocrite and running in Ontario I would be tempted to vote for him.

O.k. fine Rob Ford can march in his thongs and the City of Toronto will fund it. This is a very emotional topic for me.