tango

I agree. I believe the greatest advances for humankind are made by people who 'think outside the box'. I don't believe that devotion to the tenets of a fundamentalist religion - to sameness and status quo, as I see it - will produce the kind of thinking needed for us to meet the challenges of environmental destruction and economic terrorism by the megacorps. In fact, this is exactly what I see in Harper - no vision, no creativity, nothing but slavish devotion to trying to drag us backwards to the 1950's, when the rules of 'social acceptability' demanded religious obedience aligned with obedience to the money and power that really run the country. I think that's what Harper's looking for from us ... obedience (!not!). I just don't see that as reasonable anymore. There are too many skeletons (literally) in the closet of organized religions, for one thing. But I think the main issue for me is that the constraints on independent thinking that religion imposes are inconsistent with the demands of leadership in the 21st century. I don't begrudge anyone their freedom of religion, so long as they respect my freedom from religion. I just don't think they make good leaders. For one thing, I don't think they are up to the task of taking back control of our country from the megacorps. That's a struggle we have to prepare to fight right now, I think. I don't think religion can offer any help, and will most likely be one of the forces we have to fight against. One major issue: Organized religions will not bite the hand that feeds them their huge tax breaks. They will never fight the status quo, the economic establishment that caters to them in this way to ensure their obedience.

It's true. He is 'Wild Bill', whose opinion is proudly never confounded by the facts. I'm just thankful that the bombing has stopped, for now. I hope Iran's ships with supplies will be able to dock now, for they are desperately needed. I can't blame people here too much for not knowing the truth: I was one of them not so long ago. We are fed the US canned propaganda. You have to dig around or talk to people to learn that our governments and media are hiding the truth from us. I think this horrible attack on Gaza has finally opened a lot of Canadian eyes. Unfortunately, our politicians are still pandering to the war indu$try.

http://www.canadianchristianity.com/nation...71213state.html The State of the Canadian Church -- Part II: Shifting Traditions Here's the answer for Mr. Canada: Evangelical church attendance is increasing, while mainstream protestant ones are declining.

Ok ... he's more intolerant than any Liberal I've ever known. I believe a public inquiry is in order, and stated that above: An inquiry will, once again, inform Canadians how our governments are totally fucking up. Frankly, this petition is rather poorly written, for the most part, betraying a juvenile personal vendetta with no evidence to support it. Petition request 1 cannot be granted because of that - it is personal. Public inquiries are not personal. However, Petition request 2 is written in a more professional way and I do support the second request: A public inquiry into OPP actions and decisions over the entire 3 years. That will include inquiring into government actions, or lack of action, that put the OPP in the picture in the first place. It will also include a full inquiry into the court actions ('injunction' and contempt convictions - Justice Marshall) and the infamous OPP attack on people on the site on April 20 2006 that violated human rights laws and caused barricades to be erected. I most definitely do support a broad based public inquiry into these matters. It is regrettable, however, that the petition was not better prepared. It does sound vindictive and unprofessional, not a good thing for a petition one wants to go to Parliament. Perhaps Toby barrett will agree to take only Petition item 2, since, like me, that is the only one he signed for.

Fault-line between Jews over Gaza By Robert Pigott Religious Affairs Correspondent 'Jews for justice for Palestinians' banner British Jews have held demonstrations in support of Palestinians As the bloodshed has continued in Gaza, public opinion in Israel has remained firmly supportive of the offensive against Hamas. But the harrowing pictures of the aftermath of the conflict have raised a clamour of criticism elsewhere in the world and divided Jewish opinion overseas. On Thursday, the Council of Jewish Communities in Morocco declared itself "in solidarity with the innocent victims who are suffering in Gaza". It described the residents of Gaza as "sitting targets... suffering under the bombs, the widespread destruction, the lack of food and water..." and added: "The pictures of Palestinian children torn from life are unbearable." The director of the Foundation of Judeo-Moroccan Cultural Heritage, Simon Levy, described the killing in Gaza as unjustified and "more than deplorable". "It is not like that, that I see Judaism," he said. 'Exploiting guilt' The idea that the assault in Gaza is tarnishing the image of Judaism internationally has been echoed by Jewish protesters in non-Arab countries. Last week, a group of eight Canadian-Jewish women occupied the Israeli consulate in Toronto. One of the organisers Judy Rebick, a lecturer at Ryerson University, said: "There are many Jews across the world who are ashamed and don't want this massacre to take place in our name." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7834700.stm

Rights groups to ask world court to probe Israel 'war crimes' 3 hours ago GENEVA (AFP) — An international group of lawyers and jurists said Saturday they would ask the International Criminal Court to probe alleged "war crimes" committed by Israel during its offensive in the Gaza Strip. "The request for an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity would be placed by Wednesday at The Hague," Haytham Manna, Arab Commission for Human Rights spokesman, told AFP. The commission is among 300 human rights groups planning to submit a 37-page dossier to the ICC based in the Netherlands. International lawyers and jurists met Saturday in Geneva to finalise details of the dossier, which documents several violations against international human rights committed by the Israeli army during the Gaza offensive, said Manna. The ICC is competent to adjudicate war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed after 2002. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/artic...GYdnLPvL40D0X_Q

UN chief blasts Israel strike on UN school, calls for Gaza ceasefire 4 hours ago BEIRUT (AFP) — UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Saturday condemned as "outrageous" an Israeli strike on a UN-run school in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave, saying the violence there was unprecedented. "Both sides must stop the fighting now," Ban said in Lebanon, his latest stop in a regional tour to push for a truce in Israel's 22-day-old war on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. "The level of violence in Gaza is unprecedented in recent decades," he told reporters in Beirut, even as Israel's powerful security cabinet was poised to announce a unilateral ceasefire in Gaza, where more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed since the offensive was launched on December 27. Ban urged Israel to pull its troops out of Gaza and said the embattled territory's Islamist Hamas rulers must stop firing rockets into Israel. Israel launched Operation Cast Lead with the declared aim of halting the rocket attacks. The offensive has killed 1,205 Palestinians, including 41 children, wounded 5,300 and inflicted massive damage to Gaza infrastructure totalling some 476 million dollars, medics and Palestinian officials have said. At least four UN-run schools have been hit in Israeli strikes, including one on Saturday in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya in which some 1,600 people were sheltering. Two brothers, five and seven years old, were killed and a dozen people wounded in the attack, including the mother of the boys, Gaza medics and UN officials said. "I condemn in the strongest terms this outrageous attack," Ban said, adding that this was not the first time a UN-run establishment was hit by Israeli fire since the offensive was launched. In the deadliest such strike, 43 people were killed when an Israeli tank shell hit a school run by the Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA in the northern Gaza town of Jabaliya on January 6. Israel at first alleged that Hamas militants had fired at troops from within the building, but eventually backed off the claim that was firmly denied by the United Nations. "Top Israeli leaders had given me their assurances two days ago when I was visiting Israel that UN premises would be fully respected. I strongly demand a thorough investigation," Ban told the media conference. He urged Israel's security cabinet to adopt a unilateral ceasefire but stressed that it "should also be accompanied by a time table for Israeli troop withdrawal... (and) have the corresponding response from Hamas militants." An Israeli defence official has told AFP ground forces will remain in Gaza for several days, even after a unilateral ceasefire has been declared by the Jewish state. Ban also said he will attend a summit of world leaders on the Gaza crisis in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on Sunday, after visiting Syria. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is set to co-chair the summit with his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak, who has sent out invitations to leaders of Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey and Jordan. Ban also voiced concern about rocket attacks on Israel from south Lebanon, saying such incidents could escalate the situation and called for restraint on both side of the tense border. No one has claimed responsibility for the January 8 and January 14 salvo of rockets fired into Israel from southern Lebanon, where UN peacekeepers are deployed. Ban said that Lebanese leaders are "well aware of the risk that Lebanon might be dragged into a new conflict with Israel" which waged a devastating 34-day war against Lebanon in summer 2006. More than 1,200 people, most of them civilians, were killed during the conflict, which was brought to an end by an UN resolution. More than 160 Israelis also died, most of them soldiers. Israel launched the operation after militants from Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah movement seized two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid.

Perhaps ... and perhaps we'll make an exception for you.

I think c.r is saying McHale wrote the petition. However, the author online is listed as Ken Hewitt. Hmm ... I like the part where the Chronicle reporter says ... "What threw Hewitt over the edge ... " hahaha Everyone knows the guy has lost it ... and there it is right in the paper! hahaha He's been pretty quiet since he LOST the Liberal nomination. The guy is not a friggen Liberal! hahaha

I agree. Toby Barrett signed a petition that he cannot present in the legislature, because it does not conform to requirements. This will an interesting side issue! lol

Petition asks for inquiry into Fantino and OPP Posted By KAREN BEST, CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER Posted 17 hours ago On Wednesday afternoon, a man came into The Chronicle office to sign a petition that asks for an inquiry into the actions and decisions of OPP Commissioner Julian Fantino and into the OPP actions in Caledonia over the past three years. His signature will be one of 10,000 collected by April when the petition will be taken to the Ontario legislature. Launched last week by Caledonia residents Dave Brown and Ken Hewitt, the petition had about 2,500 supporters by Jan. 14. Through the petition, they are asking for an immediate and unpaid suspension for Fantino while the inquiry into his actions is underway. In the petition's background statement, organizers said police violations of the Criminal Code and the Police Services Act have been documented. They also say the people of Ontario have the right to know the true costs of policing in Caledonia. Anyone who has signed the petition on the internet will have to sign a hard copy which is the legally accepted document to have their voices heard. Copies are available at The Chronicle office and at the Dunnville Chamber of Commerce office. If the petition is not available at the chamber's front desk, people are encouraged to ask as it may be in Haldimand Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett's office. This week Brown delivered copies to stores and restaurants in Cayuga, Hagersville, Jarvis and Dunnville. Hewitt said he had requests for copies from Ottawa, Barrie, London, Thorold, Niagara Falls, Toronto and Hamilton. "It's exploding," said Brown. "I can't believe how powerful it's getting...It's overwhelming the amount of people who support this." "We just need law enforcement," he added. PLEASE SEE "REQUESTS" To pack the biggest wallop with politicians and media, Hewitt planned to deliver the petition to Queens Park during the week of April 12. He wanted 1,000 people to come with him. Progressive Conservative leader John Tory will sign the petition before presenting it in the legislature, he added. Anticipating a large gathering, Hewitt said the timing will coincide with the third anniversary of the April 20 OPP raid on Douglas Creek Estates. Continued After Advertisement Below Advertisement In February 2006, several persons from Six Nations moved into the subdivision construction site claiming it as part of their people's territory. The Caledonia property is within the Haldimand Tract that extends six miles from both sides of the Grand River. Granted in 1784 to Six Nations by Sir Frederick Haldimand, the land replaced territory lost when they fought with the British in the American War of Independence. What threw Hewitt over the edge was Fantino's endorsement of Clyde Powless, a Six Nations resident. He faced mischief charges for allegedly pulling a hydro tower across Argyle Street South on Dec. 1 during a smoke shop protest. In his letter, Fantino said Powless has acted as a negotiator and a go-between for his people and OPP. Reporters and politicians have seen Powless acting in that capacity at a few incidents over the past three years. Fantino crossed the line in submitting that letter of support and is no longer unbiased or neutral, said Hewitt. "I think he needs to go," said Dunnville resident Dennis James. "We need someone who can abide by the rules...Breaking the law is breaking the law no matter what race you are." He believed political influence was the biggest problem in the immediate area. Hamilton police officer David Hartless signed the petition as did other officers including some OPP members, he said. Eager to see an inquiry into what was really going on, the Caledonia resident will ask more officers and friends to sign. This is being done professionally without blocking any roads or burning not even one tire, said Hartless. Ultimately an inquiry will make sure no one else has to endure what Caledonia residents have, he pointed out. OPP are following flawed recommendations from the Ipperwash Inquiry, stated Hewitt. Five years ago, Premier Dalton McGuinty ordered the inquiry to look into the death of Dudley George and to determine how to avoid a fatality can be prevented in future land claim disputes. In Sept. 1995, George was one of the natives who moved into the Ipperwash Provincial Park. In a confrontation between protesters and police, a shot was fired and mortally wounded him. "It will bring a lot of things out in the open," said James of a Caledonia inquiry. "This is going to open up coast to coast." Failure is not an option according to South Cayuga resident Donna Pitcher. "We will be relentless with this...and we will accept nothing but an inquiry being done," she said. Barrett signed the petition. An attempt to confirm reports that MP Diane Finley only signed for the OPP inquiry was not successful. Her communication director Julie Vaux replied by email saying policing is a provincial matter. "What I can say is that Minister Finley supports her constituents and shares their frustrations as we approach the third anniversary of the Caledonia occupation," stated Vaux. Calling from an agricultural meeting in Canfield, Barrett said he suggested that Hewitt bring the petition to his New Year levee on Jan. 11 in Caledonia. The MPP only signed in support of the public inquiry into OPP actions. As a publicly elected servant, he said he could not stick his nose into court issues so he did not sign for the Fantino inquiry. In June 2006, Tory formally tabled a call for an inquiry and it was passed in the legislature but no action has been taken on it. Now Barrett was in full support of this new campaign for an inquiry as it will reveal solid factual evidence and hopefully will come up with a better approach to dealing with land claims. Barrett gave petition organizers credit for their responsible approach in seeking answers. This conscious effort also takes off the pressure as the third anniversary of Feb. 28 is looming, he added. After the petition was launched, Gary McHale who founded the Caledonia Wake Up Call web site challenged Haldimand County council members to show their support for residents by signing the petition. Councillors Craig Grice, Buck Sloat and Leroy Bartlett did. Mayor Marie Trainer did not. Even though she agreed with an inquiry, she felt she could not sign since she had testified about two-tier policing in McHale's bail condition hearings. She is also a member of the county's police services board and soon council will be asked to enter into another contract with OPP. "I thought it just wasn't appropriate (to sign for an inquiry into Fantino)," said Trainer. "He might think I was picking on him." The mayor hoped the general inquiry will look into the handling of the entire situation, the change in OPP policing on Sixth Line and damage to and blockage of county roads. Caledonia's councillor Craig Grice, who signed for both questions, said an inquiry was needed so residents can regain power over their daily life. This petition is a quiet form of protest without commotion on the streets, he added "Every time a skirmish happens, OPP say the peace was kept but the peace should not have broken down," he said. As a result, many Caledonia residents no longer have respect for OPP, he added. Some people have asked him to bring them a copy of the petition to sign. "There are a lot of residents who are afraid to sign the petition (in a public place) for fear of repercussions," said Grice who will not vote in favour of a new OPP contract. According to Pitcher, the petition holds a lot of weight for people because it was launched by county residents. In the same way people rallied in opposition of the proposed sale of Haldimand County Hydro, people are putting their differences aside to work for the common goal of an inquiry, she added. When $100 million in taxpayers' money is spent as it has been in Haldimand County, an inquiry should automatically be done, said Pitcher of making the government accountable. Mary Lou LaPratte said an inquiry was essential because the situation in Caledonia has gone beyond the bounds of ethics and beyond Fantino. She hoped the inquiry will be successful with all interested parties allowed to testify. This inquiry will not be about how someone was killed but will be about the actual actions of police and their failure to follow the Police Services Act, she pointed out. "There is a real scandal about to unfold," said LaPratte. Two tier justice started in 1992 in her community, West Ipperwash and 17 years later it continues in some ways, said LaPratte who has moved to another community. Race-based policing was adopted more widely after the inquiry and resulted in decreased protection from extremists, she p>At an informal session with the Ipperwash inquiry commissioner, residents voiced their concerns and provided recommendations on how to better take non-native interests into consideration during land claim disputes. None were added into the final report, said LaPratte. Also disturbing was the OPP's approach of arresting people to prevent them from getting hurt by extremists, said LaPratte. This is comparable to a dictatorship in a Third World country, she added. At least one supporter of Six Nations has signed the petition. Hamilton resident Connie Kidd only agreed to an inquiry into the actions and decisions of the OPP. This will be a follow up on how the OPP are implementing Ipperwash Inquiry recommendations and if they are doing it right and if it worked, she added. The findings would be very useful as a public information item for Canada, said Kidd. She also expected the inquiry would address laws and court precedents requiring government to consult and accommodate First Nations when their rights or lands were affected. Kidd said the local dispute is the result of government failure to consult and accommodate Six Nations prior to development. Michael Corrado, who is completing a residential development in Cayuga, said Haldimand County is no further ahead on the land dispute than three years ago. Now provincial taxpayers are facing tens of millions of dollars in expenses for policing, negotiator wages and court hearings. He pointed out that this bill continues to grow when every tax dollar counts and the province is considering cutting social programs and going into deficit spending. The extraordinary costs for OPP is staggering, he noted. "The residents of Haldimand County have taken the direct hit but so have the taxpayers of Ontario," added Corrado, who has not signed the petition. Article ID# 1390271 I think the authors of this petition want to presume the outcome of a public inquiry, and are unnecessarily focusing a personal vendetta on Julian Fantino. Hewitt's nose is out of joint that he can't have Fantino's cell number. hahaha However, we all know that Hewitt would just harass Fantino, whereas Clyde Powless actually accomplishes something. Ok, that's my personal opinion of the author(s). However, I do think a public inquiry into the entire OPP operation will show how the governments, local, provincial and federal, have hung the OPP out to dry, left them to deal with 200 year old problems, while the governments duck and weave and evade the law. So I guess I presume the outcome of an inquiry too, but then ... I know what the law is. [48] Where a requested injunction is intended to create “a protest-free zone” for contentious private activity that affects asserted aboriginal or treaty rights, the court must be very careful to ensure that, in the context of the dispute before it, the Crown has fully and faithfully discharged its duty to consult with the affected First Nations: see Julia E. Lawn, “The John Doe Injunction in Mass Protest Cases” (1998) 56 U.T. Fac. L. Rev. 101. The court must further be satisfied that every effort has been exhausted to obtain a negotiated or legislated solution to the dispute before it. Good faith on both sides is required in this process: Haida Nation, p. 532. The federal, provincial and municipal government had not done that in 2005 or 2006 ... had not consulted with Six Nations about the developments they approved for disputed land... AND THEY STILL HAVEN'T. An inquiry will, once again, inform Canadians how our governments are totally fucking up. -sigh-

That's disgusting.

We deport soldiers with the courage to stand up for what is right (The war in Iraq is WRONG.) because Harper is in power with his brownnose up the US butt. Nuff said.

Being an atheist is not going "against the state".

They have a duty to tell the British Muslim community publicly and in terms they understand that they have swallowed decades of lies and libels about Israel Betsy ... It isn't libel and it isn't lies. Israel wants to destroy the Palestinian state, and continually violates the borders with illegal aggression to do it. It's their 'manifest destiny' belief, just like we are to the Americans. They have the collaboration of the US military and media to do it, and to spread the lies. It serves American aggression-for-oil purposes to have control of Israel. Israel could not stand on its own, and certainly could not commit these atrocities ... war crimes ... without the complicity of the US government.

Israel is in an illegal war of aggression, violating the borders of Palestine agreed upon in 1967. There are no excuses for what Israel is doing. Israel is committing war crimes and will be brought to justice. It isn't about "joooooooos". Many of them in Canada are protesting Israel. It's about one country illegally invading the territory of another . .. for decades ... and getting away with it because it serves US aggression-for-oil purposes. Don't be naive.

PROOF: War in Gaza: UN aid compound set alight ‘by phosphorus shells’ Sheera Frenkel in Jerusalem Graphic: white phosphorus | How The Times broke the story | Photographic evidence | Spent shells prove use | The burn victims | War in Gaza photojournalism Israeli forces shelled the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency with phosphorus bombs and artillery rounds yesterday, setting fire to the compound and destroying food and humanitarian supplies, officials said. Thick smoke was still billowing from the building in Gaza City last night as UNRWA workers and firefighters struggled to salvage the food worth millions of pounds. The compound had been used to shelter hundreds of people fleeing Israel’s 20-day offensive in Gaza. Israeli officials said that an end to the fighting was in sight despite the recent escala-tion of the ground offensive. Chris Gunness, of the UN agency, said: “What more powerful symbol can there be than pallets used for aid being set alight by the fighting? With white phosphorus you cannot put out the flames with water. You need sand, and there is too much fighting for our staff to get sand.” The Israeli military denies using white phosphorus shells, although an investigation by The Timeshas revealed that dozens of Palestinians in Gaza have sustained serious injuries from the substance, which burns at extremely high temperatures. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/worl...icle5526929.ece Use of white phosphorus is NOT legal where there are people, soldiers or civilians. It's only legal to use for light or smokescreen purposes. Israel is using it as an incendiary to light medical supplies, food and people on fire. This is a war crime, and will be treated as such by the International Court. Israel is also lying about it.

Well, if it is then it should be. People who think teaching is a 'cushy' job have never tried it, and would not last one hour in a room with 30 teenagers, let alone teach them anything! (Ask Mike Harris!) I truly think there should be job exchanges between the private sector and public to educate both. And those who whine about people on welfare should have to try that too ... or should be required to hire them if they think they are so employable! But first, of course, you should be required to go through their childhood and see how intact you are then! Be thankful for what you have. Not everyone is able to achieve what some can.

Oh please! No more majorities! I don't care what ideology they are, one ideology does not suit all Canadians. We like our minorities. Makes them remember what they learned in kindergarten about "sharing". It's the least we can expect of politicians - that they behave at least as well as 5 year olds and cooperate with each other! It was a funny video, though, and Ignatieff at least has a sense of humour.

Ignarper, Hartieff, two talking heads, one ideology. It makes no difference. They are just juvenile thinkers stealing each other's marbles. It has nothing to do with the real world of human beings.

Problem with that is ... they are human too and they bulldoze back! Gee ... I guess we will have to have some 'rules of engagement', eh?

Canadians are Canadians. We support the law and due process. Good soldiers do too. Otherwise, if there are no laws of engagement, they are all vulnerable.

Your thinking makes you an animal, wulf. Inciting and advocating murder is pretty lowlife.

Ditto what Chuck said!

An 'evangelical Christian' is not 'a Joe everyman' in Canada! What religious enclave do you live in? Come to the real world and have a look! About 22% of Canadians voted for Harper. That's not much of a 'trend'. hahaha About 80% of Canadians purport to believe in a God, but only about ... hark! ... 20% believe in churches. The rest - 80% of Canadians - do not attend nor belong to an organized church. I am one of them. IMO, organized religions are just money-grubbing capitalist propaganda corporations without principles, and they are dangerous to democracy and to humanity, and organized religions do not speak for God! Harper has a solid core of right wing support. However, it is not growing. Harper has learned that he has to appeal to the moderates to grow his support any further, but then he starts losing his core. Too bad. (NOT!) Right wing extremism of the organized religion variety is self-limiting. imo, of course. Now get off my damn street corner and away from my damned door! Religious proselytizing is just genocidal ambitions dressed up in the garb of a God to which no one has exclusive rights. Wanting to convert-or-destroy everyone who does not follow your party/church/corporate line is vile aggression against freedom of thought, freedom of/from religion and a festering black spot on humanity. imo of course. God please free us from religious zealots, for they are too chicken to think for themselves and they use your name in vain! Perhaps the religious zealotry currently massacring children in Gaza is currently affecting my thinking. It should give us all pause for thought on these issues. But of course there is no national democratic debate on the issue, because Herr Harper has declared a dictatorship! That's the danger of religious zealotry: When you convince yourself you are the voice of God, you suppress and deny your own humanity and that of others. What's that saying ... 'Neurotics build castles in the sky, psychotics live in them.' Religious zealotry is psychosis. The sooner we diagnose it and treat it as such, the safer humanity will be.