CANADIEN

Idiot (ignored)

Actually, there were too many of them in his view. After all, First Nations should have ceased to exist a long long time ago and the "Indians" should have disappeared.

Nope. I am saying Quebec language laws bad, and what you propose (which is exaclty the same), bad. Not surprisingly, you are clueless about ti. No surprise, you also are clueless to the difference between the two. BTW, Quebec should have language legislation similar to that of Ontario, not the other way around as you propose. Of course... French-speaking Ontarians do not pay taxes (where do I apply for my tax rebate? ) and besides Ontario is not their province. Clueless, I say, clueless. In other words, you want for Ontario the same type of law you denounced as Nazi-like. And using the same type of arguments used by those who defend Quebec language laws. Last time I checked, private businessees in Ontario, including restaurants, were free to hire whoever they wanted, and to offer their services in whatever language(s) they wanted. Once again, you want to do in Ontario what has been done in Quebec. The American Revolution does not make me proud or envious, or the opposite fot that matter. But it is funny to read you prove, once again, how clueless you here. Not nearly as astounding as how little of it you grasp. (WARNING: What follows is sarcasm)I MUST be emotionally unstable... after all, I am French and refuse to accept the fact that I am not Canadian enough.(end of sarcasm). More seriously, this is a real riot coming from someone who has delusions of being discriminated because some Ottawa restaurants have "patatate frites" besides "fries" on their menus, who uses epithet like "nazis" against anyone who dares making some sense, who denounces in one posting the same type of policies he advocates in another. Well, with you gone, I'll have to find another source for good laughs.

See everyone... there was something good about the Opening Ceremony after all.

I have read disgusting statements here, and many have come from you. But calling human beings vermins AND suggesting their extermination... :angry: ignored

I for one found the First Nations part of the show cliched, when their was a good opportunity to showcase roday's Aboriginal cultures. But what should have we done? Hide them as to not sound hypocritical?

Well said.

Nobody in their right mind would have got that impression from the opening ceremony.

About 12000 people carried the torch through its journey across Canada. The Royal Bank even sponsored a program to encourage ordinary people to apply to be torchbearers. Many of the torchbearers were non-Olympians, but I wonder how many were non-Canadians.

Thanks for reminding us that dumb people in this country are not all of the redneck variety.

People won't remember what woeked, but what didn't. Still embarassing.

That's true, except for the fact she's far more talented than Newton. First Nation cultures is more than dancing. There are talented First Nation artisits and performers today that could have been ut to contribution. Susan Aglukark is a good example, and her song Osiem would have been a great choice to complete that first portion of the show. Or how about Buffy Ste.Marie? There is an argument that could be made regarding athletes vs non-athletes as Olympic flag bearers. Yet, there is a precedent for non-athletes as flag-bearers... Can't remember if it was in Atlanta or Athens (I think Athens), but they once had the flag carried in the stadium by Mandela and Pele, amongs others. I have no problem whatsoever with non-athletes being part of it. Which brings to Dallaire... As long as they were going with non-athletes, Dallaire was a good choice, as someone who has seen the worst than humanity can offer, has been scarred by it and has risen back.

I most have been one of the few people not noticing the Chiefs being late. A glitch, and not major in my opinion. As for the national anthem... No denying the singer has great talent. But is a type of music where the performer should service the tune, not the other way around. I often cringe when I hear the American anthem at sporting events, not because of some dark feelings of anti-Americanism, but because the performers too often treat it as if it were any other song. It is not. Neither is the O Canada and last night's rendition of it failed.

OH the horror... There were Indians... And a lesbian singer... And people speaking French... And a Black woman officially opened the Games... Anything else I'm missing here? Wouldn't want for any whiner to feel left out.

On the French-language side, there were less irrelevant and innacurate comments during the parade of the athletes, which is an improvement already. As for CTV, they won't have Don Cherry... a HUGE improvement.

Not a great ceremony, but very good. Not as fambloyant as Beijing, but that's not a bad thing. Great - the welcome by the four First Nations *up to the dance) - the bear - the Prairie scene - the entrance of the Olympic flag (great choice of flag bearers, with one exception, more on that later) - the singing of the Olympic anthem (gives me chills every time, and I am sorry for those who didn't like the interpretation, but this is how this kind of music is meant to be sung) - most musical performances (KD Lang in particular) So-so - the singing of the national anthem (great voice, but a national anthem calls for a more subdued interpretation) - the First Nations dancing (too long, and too cliched, a pity considering the welcoming by the four First Nations was a great idea and well done) - the monologue at the end of the artistic portion (liked the text, but a bit out of place) - the lighting of the torch (yes, the lighting of the torch - the technical snafu was embarassing, and spoiled what was a truly original idea, the cauldron lit from more than one torch) - Gretzky's trek through the streets of Vancouver (idea for the next city thinking about lighting more than one cauldron - do it at the same time) Bad: - the speech by the head of the organizing committee (I applauded when it was over, because it was over) - Garou's butchering of one of the most beautiful French-language songs ever written in Canada (especially considering that the song was at the right moment in the ceremony) My two pet peeves: - I was not expecting a lot of French apart from the official stuff, and that did not bother me particularly, but the reading from Quebec author François-Xavier Garneau should have been in its original language (or English and French, at least) - Where was Gaetan Boucher? He's our first male Winter Olympics gold medalist in singles competition, , and was the inspiration for a generation of Canadian Winter Olympians, With all due respect to Jacques Villeneuve and Steve Nash, the place of one of them should have been taken by Boucher.

Which is why the government went hiding.

Sentionalizing that series was just too tempting to a press that is now used to going for sensationalism because it means less work and more readers.

My line of thinkng is that that you are clueless and deluded, as in... You are not a second class citizen and you are not discriminated against because there are stickers with "Entrez" on the doors of post office or because Government of Ontario Websites have a French version. You got one thing right though (yes, it happens) - you have the right to object to things that actually do not exist. (WARNING: What follows is sarcasm)I must admit though that I a little disappointed. I expected you to come with something non-sensical like "I pay taxes, you don't". (end of sarcasm). No surprise here, you are cluless to the fact I do not like Quebec-style language laws...and you are clueless to the fact that, if one was to change the word French to English and Quebec to Ontario, we would have to a large extent what YOU want in Ontario. Like in: Quebec recognizes only on e Canadian language as its official language... You want one official language in Ontario Quebec severely limits access to provincial government services in English... You want the end to provincial AND federal government services in French Quebec prohibits municipalities from offering services in English in most cases... You don't want munuicpal services to be available in French, period. Quebec limits the size of commercial signs in languages other than French... You have called for English to be the "sole official language of business" in Ontario, hinting that there would be no need to have the government enforce it...as long as business operated in English. Unfortunately, there are people insecure and deluded enough to support what happens in Quebec or your non-sense. (WARNING: What follows is sarcasm) Looks to me like YOU advocating a nationlistic dictature for Ontario. Don't shave the moustache, it may come handy). Actually, I forgot to remove it from my reply, which in retrospect is a good thing as it allowed you to make a fool of yourself AGAIN. French is the mother tongue of more than 20% of Canadians. Not all of us speak English. Strrrrrrrrrrike one. British colonization of the United States was so successful King George was dumped, violently, by the Colonisists. Most of American territorial expension, immigration, economic and scientifc advances, etc., etc., etc. occured AFTER the US Revolution. Stiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiikes two, three, four, five, six... French is the mother tongue of more than one-fifth of Canadians, French-speaking communities in this country have developed their own culture(s), their own Litterature(s) (note the plural, btw0 and their own institutions, which are different from those of France. These communities have developed and endured even when their language was forbidden and their institutions marginalized. Like it or not, Fremch IS a Canadian language, something YOU have admitted before (but then, you being cluekess even about what you say is nothing new).

As real as Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and the Little Mermaid. what I understand, and will always escapes you, is that a truely free society respects minority rights. Nice by the way how willing you are to adopt Quebec's model on how to deal with minority languages. Because I don't like that model one bit. It is definitely my business. Oh really? Tell me, are you God? Or the Premier? Or the PM? Or the Queen? Must be someone very important if you have the power to make for me a decision that only belongs to me. Please tell me, tell us what supreme authority you have - I need the laugh. And to think I always thought it was the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France.

Back to the initial topic I do not know about others, but as a Canadian my allegience goes to one country... CANADA. And nothing in our membership in the Commonwealth prevents us from belonging to any other international or multinational organizations. Most Commonwealth countries, including the United Kingdom, belong to more than one organization - nowhere do we hear "but but but, we belong to the Commonwealth, we can't belong to any other group.

They would, but then it is a known fact that this type of law exists only ib your imagination. If people do not want to learn something, that's their choice. You won't hear me whine because I didn't study medecine and I can't get a job as a doctor. I have no kids, and I have to support schools. I do not swim, and my money goes to public pools. You do not hear me whine like a clueless loser. Unless you can prove that services such as the police, ambulances, driver's licence, hospitals, welfare payment, etc., etc. etc. are not available in English - and yourself have admitted you can't - you have no point, and no clue, as always. I would point out that Ontario's French Language Services Act was voted UNANYMOUSLY by the ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES of the people, but then you have no clue on how a parliamentary democracy works. Too bad I cannot find it this morning, but about 1 year and a half ago me and others were making references to polls indicating that over half of Ontarians were in favour of government services being available in English and French. That is a totally false statement and you know it, activist. Let me rephrase it in a way that even you might understand (although I doubt it). What Canadian language I decide to use when dealing with the government of my province and my country is none of your business And you wonder why people know that you are clueless. (WARNING: SARCASM FOLLOWS) Of course I know it. I also know as a fact that Burkina Faso will win the Olympic Gold medal in women's hockey (END OF SARCASM) Now, rejoice because I am done for the time being with demonstrsting how ridiculously clueless you about the rights of Canadians, Canadian history, Canadian languages, Ontario laws, parliamentary democracy, etc., etc., etc. Let me know when you find a novel way to show you don't have a clue.

He has a right to a humane treatment, and a fair trial and sentencing. Avoiding responscibilty for his acts is not a right he does or should enjoy.

Next time criminals engage in terrorist acts, let's not do anything to them. Let's not stop them, let's not go after them, let's not prosecute them if we catch them. After all, it's not their fault, they were raised that way. By that logic, we shouldn't go after Khadr's mother either... that's how she was raised.

Save me oh wise One