kimmy

Brilliant response. Canada was very good to this family for a very long time, and their response has been utter contempt. That won't change when little Omar returns home. -k

Why do you think it would? The track record suggests otherwise. -k

Based on what I'm reading here, the Korean kid got in trouble not because he hit back, but because he hit back really well: It seems to me that if somebody picks a fight with you, you're entitled to stand up for yourself, period. What is this, some kind of "proportional response" type horse crap? Translation: when this story appeared in the media, we suddenly realized that we looked very very stupid and are attempting to do whatever it takes to save our asses. -k

Since when have people ever needed race as an excuse for bullying? If there wasn't an Asian kid to pick on, he'd have sought out a fat kid, a skinny kid, a kid who was bad at sports, a kid whose parents can't afford trendy clothes, a kid that other kids suspect might be gay, a kid whose dad is unemployed ... Has a lack of racial diversity ever been a source of harmony? Societies without racism had to invent other "isms" to fill the void. -k

Mama Khadr has been a Canadian since the 1970s. This country provided medical care for her sick baby, and for the son who was crippled while fighting in another country. This country got her husband freed from Pakistani custody. That seems like quite a bit of good will. Yet what's her view of Canadians? Homosexuals and drug addicts. -k

Has exposure to Canadian good will done anything to change the Khadrs? -k

Indeed. I had thought that awareness of bullying was supposed to be at an all-time high. And yet, at its heart, this is a bullying story. My little brother was often a target for bullies. (not for racial reasons, unless blond is a race. I suspect his twig-like physique, complete lack of athletic ability, and dismal social-skills were the reason.) At one particular school, the situation became so bad that he cried every day after school and often feigned illness to try to stay home. He was afraid every day. My parents spoke to the school several times and were assured that the offenders would be "spoken to". Nothing changed. Being who I am (over-protective, fearless, irrational, ballistic temper, verrrrry good at judo...) I simply could not let that stand. I watched near by my little brother's locker one afternoon, and when I saw a kid harrassing him, I intervened. I tripped the kid to the ground, mounted him, and pummelled his face while a large crowd of kids stood around and watched. After a couple of minutes, a teacher arrived and pulled me off of the kid. He apparently was taken to hospital. I got in a lot of trouble... the police became involved due to the seriousness of the kid's injuries... The principal was extremely upset. He was apparently shocked that the situation had escalated to such a degree. He kept asking why we didn't tell him things had gone to that level. My parents told him "We did." I did homework on a desk in a storage-room for 2 weeks... but nobody at that school bullied my brother anymore. -k

Just curious why you don't think her answer was genuine. Do you really think there's a lot of liberal, broad-minded people who go into the beauty-pageant business in the first place? Her all-about-the-Bible attitude strikes me as exactly the sort of thing that beauty-pageant people would think. (it's what always makes it so shocking when the photos of the contestants licking sambuca off of their roommates' breasts come out.) -k

So.... just to summarize, the numbers show that since 2006 the funds going into Western Economic Diversification have remained steady... and this becomes "Tories Pour Cash into West!"? -k {ok.}

The claim being made is that people would be somehow more sympathetic if Omar were a white person. I offer the perception of Walker-Lindh as Exhibit A in addressing how sympathetic people have been to white people who take up the cause of the other side. I offer the response to Beverly Giesbrecht/Khadija Abdul Qahaar as Exhibit B. -k

I said that if a 14 year old is too dangerous to be out on the street, then he should absolutely be held in custody. Since I repeatedly said that I did not support the "without parole" part of the sentence given to that person, your attempt to put those words in my mouth makes you look like something of a douchebag. As for the Khadr family, I think discussion of immigration standards is legitimate (if terribly late) to see if there were some way that these imbeciles could have been screened out before they ever got to our country. Considering the same questions can (and have) been asked in regard to gangsters from Russia and Italy and apply equally to undesirables from European countries, I don't think trying to spin it as racism works. As for Omar, what do you anticipate happens when he returns to our country? It will be quickly ruled that Canada has no legal means of putting him on trial and no legal means of holding him in custody, so what then? Is he just going to go work at a McDonalds or something? -k

Everyone hates him so much... and he's not even really a terrorist? Clearly this is racism! Clearly he's in prison due to pure bigotry and racism! If his name were ... "Johnson" instead of Walker, he'd be home by now! -k

After Napolitano's comments, I heard an analyst on CBC make the argument that this is all about image for the new administration. They have always perceived that being tough on security is a weak spot for them, and it will become weaker as they scale back their involvement in overseas conflicts. They want to do something to deflect this criticism, and border security looks like it will be the talking point. Of course, voters will only take that as Big Action on national security if they believe that lax border security is a Big Threat. Napolitano explaining why Americans will be able to breathe easier once the savage Canadians are held in check makes political sense for the Obama administration. However, I don't really see a political motive for McCain to be into it. -k

The attempt to make this about race is pathetic. And if there is bigotry involved, it is bigotry against families of admitted terrorists and extremists. I would hope that most Canadians share that bigotry. -k

Kind of like how that Johnny Walker-Lindh fellow received such a warm welcome? (oh, sure, he's back on US soil... but he won't be "home" for about 20 years.) -k

That wasn't an airhead answer. He asked her opinion, and she gave it to him. You think her answer was disengenuous? I doubt it. I think most of these beauty pageant girls come from traditionalist families. (Because who else would get their daughter into the beauty pageant business?) She later said of her response: "It's not about being politically correct. For me it was being biblically correct." For Perez Hilton to say he'd have grabbed the tiara off her head if she won, or for the director of the Miss California pageant to feel that her answer reflected badly on the pageant is retarded. She has nothing at all to be ashamed of. Hilton, on the other hand, ...I think he would be embarrassed, if it were even possible for a guy who makes a living by spreading lurid rumors about celebrity to feel embarrassment. -k

They did take off from nearby. Boston is 200 miles away from New York. The planes that hit the towers were carrying enough fuel to make a 3000 mile flight to Los Angeles, plus reserve fuel. A Boeing 767 carry a lot more fuel than that, but if they'd taken a flight to another country their travel documents would have been subject to more scrutiny. The Boston to LA flights gave the hijackers about as much fuel as they could take on a flight within the United States. What? Literally explosive? What? If I, for example, brew a pot of coffee, and no explosion results, does that mean I don't actually have any coffee? So, uh, "they" had to destroy WTC7 to destroy incriminating paper documents? Why not just use a paper-shredder like corrupt corporations do? I mean, if they can get demolitions crews in to plant explosives, surely they could have just taken the alleged documents? -k

Throwing around the word "fascist" and referencing 1930s Germany in an inane manner makes you sound like a juvenile. The Khadrs living their own little Krystalnacht? That's rich. I strongly doubt that the dislike of the Khadrs is limited to Conservatives. As somebody said elsewhere, let's see what Ignatieff has to say about it. Remember, a Liberal leader got burned sticking his neck out for this family once before. Scared? Why would I be? If I lived in the greater Toronto area maybe I'd be more concerned... As for the possibility of holding him... the article says it's extremely unlikely Canada will have any legal means to put Omar Khadr on trial. How can he be held? -k

"Political suicide"? That's a laugh. I just don't sense any outcry from any significant number of Canadians to plunk Omar Khadr back onto Canadian streets. There would be more political mileage in fighting this than in giving in. There'd be more yet in finding a way to get the whole Khadr family out of Canada once and for all. -k

There was only one officer (Millington) who employed a taser. But other than that, I completely agree. Here's what I find troubling: http://www.thestar.com/comment/columnists/article/596526 Their reports all contain consistent description of events that never happened. Riiiiight. I heard Sgt Shields on an interview this morning. The host said that many people tell her that without the video tape, this event would have been brushed under the rug. He insisted that even without the video tape, the truth would have come out. An investigation is mandatory for a death in police custody, he said, and the witnesses would have exposed the RCMP officers. The truth always comes out, he said. I say, bull. Without the video tape, it would have been the word of these officers, and their police reports that are all so consistent in describing events that never even happened, against the word of a couple of tired travellers who watched stuff unfold from a different room. We're not stupid, we all know how that would have turned out. Without the video, these guys are laughing about this over beers by now. How can we trust the RCMP version of events in situations when there *isn't* a video made to make sure the truth-- the real truth-- comes out? When we've seen officer Millington and his buddies get together to cook up false police reports, and repeat their lies about it to the Braidwood inquiry?! It's disgusting, and it makes me furious. These imbeciles simply can't be allowed to escape criminal charges. I don't know if lying to a public inquiry is technically perjury, but at the minimum there has to be some kind of disciplinary action for police officers who lie in their reports. That's the other aspect of this that's appalling: the speed with which the RCMP decided these chumps would not receive any disciplinary action. -k

Did that happen? Since when do Montreal fans need an excuse to boo something? Montreal fans boo everything. They boo their own players. Booing their 21 year old goaltender and throwing garbage on the ice. Embarrassing performance by the team, but equally embarrassing by the fans. What a bunch of crybabies. I wouldn't be surprised if they riot tonight. Happy Centennial, crybabies. Hope you enjoyed the All-Star Game. In 2006, San Jose Sharks fans booed the Canadian anthem during their series against Edmonton. When the series returned to Edmonton, the Oiler fans responded by singing along and cheering the American anthem. Well, you look like quite the fool now, don't you. 5 All-Stars and they couldn't even win a game in the opening round? Looooo-sers. -k

Yes, Chretien was a fine representative for our country. And how fine a representative Dion would have been. He could have shattered stereotypes around the world. -k {"I thought Canadians wore flannel shirts and say Eh a lot, but now that I have seen Mr Dion, I know that there are many Canadians who are retarded, as well."}

That was a terrific response to Coren's editorial, Army Guy! It does nothing of the sort. It illustrates the nonsense of applying a boxing metaphor (weight classes) to combat in which combatants are equipped with firearms. Equality at the hand of a rifle? WTF does that mean? The participation of women in the trades is extremely small. The participation of women in scientific and technical fields is extremely small. Has that also been a failure? Should we stop telling girls they could be mechanics or engineers when they grow up? As long as Canada has entirely voluntary military service, participation in the military is a personal choice, just like any other career choice. Most people understand that the low participation of women in fields like engineering is not a result of aptitude, but of social factors... surely we can recognize the same in regard to women in the military. BTW my dad and my longtime boyfriend, both engineers, have told me that the few women who do enter the field are invariably excellent. Women who are just average think "this is hard, why would I want to hang out with all those nerds, etc" and move on to something that average women do for a living. The only ones who stick through it are ones with it are ones with a genuine passion for it. While I can't vouch for the military, I suspect the same may apply. While sad, is her death any sadder than the death of a father, son, or brother? -k

Perhaps you've confused "Flash Mob dances" with "Flash Dance mobs"? Indeed, these appear to have taken a lot of rehearsal and planning, which is anathema to the concept of "flash mob", which is to be spontaneous and random. -k

I'm not exactly sure what a handful of atheists discovering Jesus is supposed to prove, particularly given the multitudes of Christians that have left the church for other religions or no religion at all. -k