Bryan

Where is this database that I can look up the guards by badge number?

I find it terrifying that there are people in this country that would actually justify letting this monster ever walk in society again. If you really think he's better, can he come and live with you?

If they can potentially cause trouble for me, I absolutely have a reason to know who they are.

Speedy, keep in mind every province has it's own distinct system. Despite what the US media might tell you, there is no national healthcare system. I can only tell you my experience in Manitoba, others in different provinces may have different experiences. Almost none. Occasionally, they catch the odd person going to multiple doctors for the same condition just to get more drugs prescribed. That they'll try to put as much of a lid on as they can, especially for addictive drugs like oxy. Many do take care of things on their own, but far too many clog up the system for very minor things, and they're almost never turned away. The worst abuses are the ones who go to the emergency room for the aforementioned colds, stubbed toes, etc. We really SHOULD be turning these people away, or at least sending them to some other less urgent facility, but it rarely happens. I've had similar health issues to yours, and I've never had problems seeing specialists, getting diagnostics, or getting meds. Cortizone shots were by appointment, but usually within the week, and always without any cost to me. I've had MRI's and x-rays the same day, and never with more than a week's wait. I can almost always get in to see my family doctor the same day. The only waiting I've ever experienced was to see a surgeon for a consult on an annoying, but non-urgent matter. That did take a few months. General medications are only covered for certain income brackets, seniors, or if your drug expenses exceed a certain level. Most Canadians have some sort of supplemental insurance for medications and other expenses (often through work). No idea.

If they have the right to my personal information, to track my movements, and to arbitrary search and seizure, I should at least have the right to know who it is that is doing that.

Can I use a pseudonym when crossing the border? How do you ensure my safety and privacy?

That's not entirely fair, unions do provide higher unemployment. It you're into that sort of thing.

I can't recall... do our border guards have anything like a badge number on their uniform?

All non-unionized jobs in this country have those same protections. They are the law of the land. There's nothing about joining or not joining a union today that has any bearing on whether I still have those protections or not.

Why are you opposed to freedom?

Sounds like a great idea to me. Why are you opposed to personal freedom?

The front runners for the Liberal leadership seem to have figured out that moving ever further left as the Conservatives occupy the middle is not going to get them anywhere. It looks like they are at least kicking the tires on the concept of moving to the right.

Union sympathizers like to trot that myth out a lot, but it's simply not true. Most private companies negotiate your salary when you're hired. The bigger the company, the more room you have to negotiate.

Of course you can negotiate. In most private sector jobs, that's absolutely the case. Everyone at my work negotiated their own salaries when they were hired -- there is NO set wage at any position.

It would work the same as any non union shop, many separate contracts.

Absolutely. If the employer makes an offer, and some people decide to take it, the union should have no right to reject it on their behalf.

Public sector unions should be banned outright. They reward incompetence, and set wage and compensation packages that few of the people who actually PAY for it (the taxpayers) can afford for themselves. Sure, they can form an association if they want, but the terms of employment should be take-it-or-leave-it, and under no circumstances should they be allowed to strike.

It was a stupid stunt that backfired. It didn't put a stop to anything, Harper is still the PM, even more people voted for him, and now he's got a majority. Yeah, they sure showed him!

If you're going to claim that men can't change sexual orientation....bullshit! I've seen it, I know several who have done it -- in both directions.

Harper is the worst Prime Minister we've ever had, with the exception of all the others who came before him. I'm half joking, but the truth is, for all his faults, he still measures up a lot better than anyone we've had in at least 40 years. I know the others set the bar pretty low, and we should expect more, but better is still better. When I think of who the opposition has run against him, I shudder to think how bad things would be if Harper had not won.

It's needing to have it, and the time and effort required to get it that is the nuisance. People who really know you often can't be guarantors on the application, but "official" people who don't know you from Adam usually can. You also have to plan in advance, pay the fee, stand in line, wait for it in the mail, etc. Up until very recently, we could just go back and forth across the border on a whim. You didn't have to plan weeks in advance, and you didn't have to have a reason. People literally used to decide on the spur of moment to head down to the states, and you'd just go, no worrying about who did or didn't have their passport with them (or if they even had one at all).

Exactly. Some people act as if removing redundancy is a bad thing. Simplifying a process is not the same thing as removing it.

I certainly understand some people's distrust of a church-based conversion organization. I'm also seeing quite clearly that some of the posters here have argued with Betsy so often that they now have a type of oppositional defiance disorder when it comes to topics she discusses. It's really manifesting itself strongly in this thread, where we have several intelligent posters claiming that orientation cannot be changed. It's a ridiculous position, people changing is an absolute fact. I know several people who have changed (in both directions). In one case a lesbian woman I know who was as out as it comes, in a long term live-in relationship with another woman, left that woman to go and marry a man.

That would be awesome!

Did you ever watch 20/20? Look at the topics he discussed: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/