jennie

And so ... we still have two schools of thought on this ... no three ... status quo stop funding Catholic schools extend funding to all religious schools that implement the Ontario Curriculum and educational policies.

It is not a question of more ... more in our control is the reason. Better than the addictions of some making the streets dangerous for everyone, I say

BRILLIANT!!! Sign me up for that campaign!!! Let's put out a media release ! Fabulous ... absolutely right. We do have a reason, a right and even a responsibility to speak up on this. King of Canada, eh? COOL!!

Has my vote too ... legalize poppies from Afghanistan for medical use, provide access to a market, provide security for the industry. I think that is essentially what our soldiers are trying to do now - provide security for the countryside so people can farm safely and make an honest living. Legalize pot and all street drugs, use profits for services and treatment. Yes. To be very strictly controlled and publicly accountable ... because drugs and drug money are both addictive and highly corruption prone. I would love to see this happen. It would cut a great deal of crime off at the neck. We would need to be very alert to backlash ... other kinds of crime popping up to victimize other people. We would eventually, I wouldn't say quickly, need less law enforcement but there would be a whole new public industry needing security and employees for services of various kinds, so there is a balance there. If drugs are legal, those that can be grown here could perhaps give a new lease on life to our farmers. And if we can get over this stupid "growing hemp is illegal" prohibition era idiocy, we could switch to hemp based paper products (fabrics, waxes, etc. etc.) and save the trees too!! -edit to add - Multinationals threaten us all in many ways, imo. I heard a woman from the opium industry in India interviewed and she dismissed the idea of Afghanistan going 'legal' due to security and markets. However I have also heard there are unfilled markets, so I think she was trying to avoid competition.

Great post Rue. Well thought out. I agree with you about Harper being short-sighted, but I will go a step further and say ALL of our governments act that way. They only see as far as the next election ... the next budget ... the next profits from our resource industries. Our 4yr cycle of 'democracy' does not work to protect our environment for our future and that of our families. Here we are, our standard of living second to none, but our means of accomplishing that is reprehensible: We rape and plunder the earth for its natural resources, leaving behind contamination and desecration. The Indigenous people living on the land who have an interest and rights on the land are ignored, PAID NO SHARE OF THE PROFITS, while their livelihoods are destroyed as water and land and air become polluted, toxins cause illnesses, learning disabilities, psychiatric illness and sometimes death. In most cases they do not benefit from the presence of the industry as they are not trained for those jobs. Our governments' obsessions with money I can understand, if not totally support. However, their willingness to let Indigenous people die and try to cover up information about the industrial toxins that are causing their deaths is horrific. Health Canada muzzles oilsands whistleblower Note: I believe this problem was found to come from a uranium mine, not from the oilsands ... yet. http://www.nationalreviewofmedicine.com/is...olitics1_6.html http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/200...r-fortchip.html http://www.cbc.ca/canada/north/story/2007/...ip-oconnor.html Canada is truly a two faced country: We present a friendly, compassionate face to the world while we destroy the earth and its original peoples. I don't know the answer ... but I no longer believe that the answers lie with governments or politicians. The answers lie with people ... democratic action ... civil action ... perhaps direct action.

If Tory gets in all of those are possible, and maybe even if he doesn't!

Tory has made a mess of what could have been a good thing. As for building schools ... who is talking about building schools? The schools already exist. It is just talk of funding them.

That is not the issue at all. The immigrants who come ARE qualified ... as doctors, teachers, pharmacists, etc. The problem is Canada lets them in because of their education and qualifications, but then turns around and DOES NOT ACCEPT THEIR QUALIFICATIONS for work, so they are not employed in their professions. I must say I do not agree with your second idea, because you mean ONLY WHITE PEOPLE, right? (Let's be clear.)

It is pretty clear what his agenda is: IT'S IS ALL ABOUT THE MONEY I wish I could say it was different where the Liberals are in power, but it isn't. McGuinty has failed to "consult and accommodate" Aboriginal people regarding development on their traditional and treaty land too, failed to respect Aboriginal peoples or the law of Canada. By his actions, he does not support the Un Declaration either, as he is already willing to violate the laws of Canada FOR ONTARIO'S DIRTY MONEY FROM STOLEN INDIGENOUS RESOURCES. It is disgusting right across the country.

Canada ripped for opposing UN declaration Sep 06, 2007 05:59 PM Canadian Press OTTAWA – Canada was cast today as a bad actor that aggressively campaigned alongside countries with tarnished human-rights records in its failed bid to derail the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The non-binding declaration is expected to be adopted Sept. 13 by the UN General Assembly. ... http://www.thestar.com/News/article/253959 They stress that the declaration is a non-binding document that is specifically required to be interpreted in balance with other laws, standards and the rights of non-native citizens. "Their argument that it undermines treaties and agreements ... is just not correct," says Malezer. "I think they're making it up. It's not a legal opinion." The Canadian government not only supported but was a leader of the process toward drafting the declaration before the Liberals were defeated in January 2006, Malezer said from New York. The Liberals pushed for clarifications – especially on land and resource issues – but were clear proponents, he added. Ottawa's position under the Conservatives changed so drastically that by June 2006, only Canada and Russia voted against the declaration at the UN Human Rights Council. "Clearly it was a political flip," says Malezer. "And that's just bad behaviour. It's not good faith. It's not about human rights." Ole Simel, of Kenya, suspects the real root of opposition can be traced to the lucrative timber, minerals and other deposits that lay on or beneath disputed lands. Jennifer Preston, program co-ordinator with the Quaker aboriginal affairs committee, has watched the process unfold for the last six years. "I think a lot of states were deeply disappointed by Canada's behaviour," she said from Toronto. "I think they expect better from Canada at the UN. "The fact that Canada chose to team up with the Russian Federation and Colombia on this – it's not what one would hope for on a human rights issue."

Well at least you have the decency to recognize that it is offensive.

Our Story: Uranium Prospecting in our Backyard Tuesday June 12, 2007 05:38 PM By Gloria Morrison This past January, I was interviewed on CBC’s national radio program As It Happens. Journalist Carol Off asked what I had learned since I discovered that our land had been staked for uranium mining exploration. I want to share the heart-wrenching questions that my husband and I are left to ponder as we await the bulldozers, chain saws and earth moving equipment to begin their destruction of our much beloved paradise. During the first week of October 2006 my husband Frank was out collecting firewood to top up our winter supply. We own 100 acres of land, of which 80 acres is mixed woodlot and 20 acres is rolling meadow. He came upon an area where several of our trees had been severed, and the four feet of trunk that was still protruding from the ground where the trees once were had been squared into posts, were tagged and had notes made on the newly razed trunks. The steel tags had numbers and the emblem for the province of Ontario. The pen writing included a date from the previous week and a man’s name. Besides the several severed posts there were about 30 trees that had been ‘blazed’ along approximately a 1200 foot line of pink marking tape. At that time, Frank correctly guessed that our land had been staked for mining. We had not received any notification or warning that this was going to happen. ... http://www.miningwatch.ca/index.php?/free_...ranium_morrison

anyone who says their book tells them to kill others who don't follow their book should be neutralized period It is actually both an insult and a threat.

Future generations are our number one responsibility. We ALL contribute. This argument has been done to death over the decades. One family's tax contribution does not cover the cost of educating a student.

It is not the issue of faith-based school funding, which I think has fairly broad support. Rather it is this: “They teach evolution in the Ontario curriculum, but they also could teach the fact to the children that there are other theories that people have out there that are part of some Christian beliefs,” Mr. Tory said at the Kamin Education Centre. But Education Minister Kathleen Wynne – who is running against Mr. Tory for her Toronto seat – said teaching creationism alongside evolution would be a violation of the curriculum. She said Catholic schools are allowed to explore creationism but only in religion – not science – classes. Ms. Wynne says Mr. Tory's comments show that he has not really thought out his policy and is just distracting from the real need to invest more in the existing public-education system. Unfortunately, Mr Tory does not grasp the fact that people whose kids attend public schools are specifically NOT interested in having ANY religious proselytizing in the schools. They will see 'teaching' Creationism as an alternative to evolution is not acceptable to public school parents. In fact, it is specifically forbidden by curriculum policy, as was pointed out above. Tory does not understand the difference, obviously does not respect people's freedom of religion. This makes people think his real agenda is to put Christian doctrine in the schools. People will not, therefore, trust him to implement faith-based schools. Unfortunately, he just lost any vote he might have pulled from the Liberals in this issue. Too bad. It was a worthwhile policy, but I am afraid he has sunk it due to his own lack of understanding of the policy himself.

We are fighting the Taliban to protect the farmers and villagers, correct? The Taliban are not Afghani. Interesting that they are paid less than for legal medical poppies. So there is a possibility of a legal industry. l think you insult the Muslim religion, of which you appear to know little. Is that necessary? Are you not inviting religious persecution in return? It bothers me to see any religion denigrated, though I am not religious myself.

I am sorry you feel that way. There is no intention to "repudiate" anything or anyone's religion; just an attempt to practice freedom of (or from) religion; feeling that one is being imposed on you is very uncomfortable.

My meaning was ... Canada admits more immigrants than it can employ adequately.

That's my understanding too: In their law they have collective responsibility for the land, different than our concept of ownership. They knew, and know, where their land was/is, what was exclusive and what was shared with other communities - travel routes, etc.

Tory wouldn't allow aboriginal occupations Friday, 2:00 a.m. Zero tolerance if he's premier By Sun Media KINGSTON, Ont. — As premier, John Tory says he would enforce a “one law for all” legal system and apply it to aboriginals who occupy lands as a form of protest against proposed developments. The Progressive Conservative leader suggested Thursday he would establish a zero-tolerance policy on aboriginal land occupations if he is elected premier of Ontario on Oct. 10. “We can’t have even legitimate complaints settled by people taking the law into their own hands,” Tory said. Algonquins have set up a campsite on private property in eastern Ontario near Sharbot Lake, where Oakville-based Frontenac Ventures has staked several uranium mining claims. The Algonquins say they are protecting their land, which is a disputed territory subject to ongoing land claim negotiations, from environmental harm. Tory said he would have “firm but friendly” conversations with aboriginal leaders to tell them his government would not stand for such tactics. (Well, McGuinty has never talked to them ... so that at least would be an improvement.) He didn’t elaborate on what that meant. (He never has elaborated on what he means.) Late last month, Superior Court Justice Gordon Thomson issued an injunction against the Algonquins, ordering the blockade to end. It has been ignored to date. (The police are wisely seeking advice from their lawyers. They don't want to be sued or vilified.) The Sharbot Lake blockade is one of several ongoing aboriginal occupations in the province. Tory said he wouldn’t “just sit back” and allow occupations to “go on in place after place after place.” He also admonished Premier Dalton McGuinty for not using the courts or the “moral authority” of the premier’s office to end land disputes. ................. Ah! There it is ... the "moral authority". Well at least he has an idea. Tory doesn't understand, though, that the feds cannot take aboriginal communities to court. If the feds EVER stuck their nose in a courtroom on this issue, they'd be ordered to do the Crown's duty and "consult and accommodate" to uphold the honour of the Crown, according to the law that governments have ignored again and again. If Tory got in, he would quickly learn that the governments' supply of "moral authority" is a bit thin ... and their legal authority too.

Actually, Harper said he does not support the Charter at all, but prefers the "old Bill of Rights". He said that when asked why he didn't go to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Charter, though he was found unoccupied with anything else. I thought that was quite revealing, esp re aboriginal rights.

This map and article gives some of that information... but it does not account for the earlier evidence of habitation by Haudenosaunee, found in the archeological studies. It does, however, show 'Iroquois' on the north shore at a time when they would have been seen by the French. However, it appears that the French had decided they were 'Huron'. http://counterweights.ca/cms/content/view/153// http://www.counterweights.ca/cms/images/stories/ztg08.jpg

I think he was asked whether it should be taught along with evolution - i.e., in science class. There is no problem at all with the Creation story in religion classes, whether as doctrine (RC, faith based) or part of academic study of world religions (public). McGuinty is correct that we must maintain secular public schools that do not deliver religious doctrine, as that is what most parents want and choose. However, I think we can also have Catholic and other faith-based schools.

This is the only thread in this forum. Can I help it if people keep replying? If you read the first post, it is about what the politicians have to say about current blockade issues ... a new perspective. Then there is the current update from the Six Nations negotiating table. Is that not of interest? I will delete it if you insist, as I am tired of these snide remarks.

You missed the first part of the discussion. You might want to read back because posit gave some interesting information about the archeological evidence found on the north shore - evidence the Six Nations Confederacy (Iroquois) people lived there historically, while the Wendat were further north. It appears that the French and then the English accounts do not reflect this, apparently because they mistakenly called all of the Iroquoian people above the lake "Huron", not distinguishing between Confederacy and Wendat, who are all Iroquoian peoples. Another interesting thing in a link I posted somewhere ... will find it ... the Hurons did not 'scatter' but rather different clans joined different groups to whom they were related by clan ... The Bear Clan Wendat joined Six Nations (Iroquois), etc., one clan went to Quebec, one to the US, one clan to the Objibwa, to whom that clan was related. The link is just a few posts up this thread.