jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 (edited) http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national...c8e&k=58596 A Conservative official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the mailing lists the Prime Minister's Office uses are drawn from community directories, free publications available to the general public or word of mouth from friends and relatives, but not government records. Congratulatory messages for religious or cultural holidays are routinely sent out, the official said.But Ms. Kofman said she is not a member of any Jewish organizations and, to her knowledge, isn't listed in any directories catering to the Jewish community. "I don't belong to a synagogue and I don't give to Israel," said Ms. Kofman, who notes she is not a Conservative party supporter. "I'm not a card-carrying member of the tribe. I just happen to be from a Jewish family." She feels the Rosh Hashanah card is an attempt to exploit her religion for political gain. "I think he's just out to get the Jewish vote. But that's not the way to do it. That's so insincere. I know that Jews seem to think Stephen Harper is so pro-Israel. I think he's capitalizing on that." The postcard features a colour picture of Mr. Harper, his wife, Laureen, and their two children with a background image of a honey dripper and apples, the traditional symbols of the two-day holiday. Unsolicited mail that seems to comes from lists people keep makes a lot of people nervous. The fact that the Tories are keeping lists of Jews is rather disturbing. Edited October 11, 2007 by jdobbin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maldon_road Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 She feels the Rosh Hashanah card is an attempt to exploit her religion for political gain. Maybe I should complain when I get a Christmas card from my MP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old_bold&cold Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 (edited) What is it that wishing someone a happy holiday, is something bad? Is it because these people hide their faith and beliefs? I have many jewish friends and I am never ashamed to wish them wish them a happy holiday. Would I complain if a jew wished me a merry Christmas. How does he know I am christian, are jews keeping track of all of us christians for some evil plot to take over the world economies? HHHMMM better not trust them. See how just plain assinine this is. If the government of the day can not wish people of differing faith happy holiday, then maybe we need to make sure that nobody does. We may have to stamp out this facious practice immediately. How dare they know I am of another faith, and to wish me a happy holiday, well that is just wrong now isn't it. I wonder what would happen if Harper said shalom to a rabbi, would he be punished for it? This thread is stupid in the extreme and is nothing but a liberal tactic to start shit. It is dumb and mean spirited and an insult to everyone who thinks for themselves. As for how addresses got to be given, hell I am sure that I have had my address given to all kinds of differing religiuos organizations, and I do not complain at Christmas that I receive unsolicited Chirstmas cards from jewish store owners or from the MP for my area. If I did not want it I can throw it out. I would not run to the opposition party and claim that these people are keeping track of christians. That only happens in the dirty liberal tactics room now doesn't it. Scarey, scarey liberal backroomers, you know the guys who taught Chretien all the dirty tricks, still there trying to suck the tit of the tax payers, ready to again screw them over if given half the chance. Edited October 8, 2007 by old_bold&cold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter F Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 When my last name incites some politico to send me a 'Happy Robbie Burns Day' message I will know that politician will have just lost my potential vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefferiah Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 I think you and perhaps Mrs. Kofman, are over-analyzing a little here, JDobbin. Of course it has to do with politics, but its also a nice thing to do. Would you suggest that, instead of sending out Christmas and Rosh Hashannah cards, politicians should periodically send out cards which say "Bite me". Yeesh I wrote an email to the Democrat party once to ask the a question about something I cannot even remember now. The question was never answered. But since then I have apparently been added to Howard Dean's mailing list, and he is always sending me Happy this-and-that letters, complete with reasons why I should vote democrat. I am not American though. Businesses do the same type of thing with clients. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Maybe I should complain when I get a Christmas card from my MP. Maybe you should. Do you celebrate Christmas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leafless Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 (edited) jdobbin, you wrote, "Unsolicited mail that seems to comes from lists people keep makes a lot of people nervous. The fact that the Tories are keeping lists of Jews is rather disturbing." Prpobably an error, so what. Any similar type mail I get like that, it is simply popped into the waste paper basket rather than contact the media, who then as with the case of the 'Ottawa Citizen' then promptly prints this as a main story on page #1, in order to try to embarrass Mr. Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada. Edited October 8, 2007 by Leafless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 What is it that wishing someone a happy holiday, is something bad? Is it because these people hide their faith and beliefs? I have many jewish friends and I am never ashamed to wish them wish them a happy holiday. Would I complain if a jew wished me a merry Christmas. How does he know I am christian, are jews keeping track of all of us christians for some evil plot to take over the world economies? HHHMMM better not trust them. See how just plain assinine this is. Unsolicited mail that appears to have information on your religion would appear to be a violation of the privacy act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefferiah Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 When my last name incites some politico to send me a 'Happy Robbie Burns Day' message I will know that politician will have just lost my potential vote. I don't think that is a suitable parallel at all. If your MP sent you a Christmas card would you blow your top? How many Scotch Canadians actually celebrate Bobby Burns. You don't necessarily have to be a card carrying Christian to appreciate a Christmas card, because it is a holiday even atheists celebrate, I am sure (atheists of Christian background). I don't think it is so out of line to send a Jewish person a Rosh Hashannah card. Maybe aside from Mrs. Kofman, alot of other recipients thought it was a nice gesture. Old, Bold and Cold's rant is not far off the mark. This inflated complaint is completely reminiscent of Dion flipping his lid over the fact that the day after the Virginia Tech shootings, Harper failed to acknowledge the anniversary of the sacred holy Charter!! Or the time that the Liberals raised a huge to-do over the fact that the Tories held a conference in the same room as Lester B Pearson's most holy sacred idol, and put a backdrop in front of it, which was, in the minds of the Liberals, an attempt to hide from view the glorious history of Liberal achievement, even though Liberals held conferences in the exact same room with a backdrop in the exact same place. Given the choice between a party which turns every little thing into a huge crime and one which sends out greeting cards, the excessive whiners lose my vote. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 I think you and perhaps Mrs. Kofman, are over-analyzing a little here, JDobbin. Of course it has to do with politics, but its also a nice thing to do. Would you suggest that, instead of sending out Christmas and Rosh Hashannah cards, politicians should periodically send out cards which say "Bite me". Yeesh I wrote an email to the Democrat party once to ask the a question about something I cannot even remember now. The question was never answered. But since then I have apparently been added to Howard Dean's mailing list, and he is always sending me Happy this-and-that letters, complete with reasons why I should vote democrat. I am not American though. Businesses do the same type of thing with clients. Unsolicited mail that appears to have information based on your religion is probably a violation of the privacy act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefferiah Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Maybe you should. Do you celebrate Christmas? lol.....you are out of this world J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 jdobbin, you wrote, "Unsolicited mail that seems to comes from lists people keep makes a lot of people nervous. The fact that the Tories are keeping lists of Jews is rather disturbing." Prpobably an error, so what. Any similar type mail I get like that, it is simply popped into the waste paper basket rather than contact the media, who then as with the case of the 'Ottawa Citizen' then promptly prints this as a main story on page #1, in order to try to embarrass Mr. Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada. If it is an error, it is a large one. Keeping lists of names by religion and sending them unsolicited, personally addressed mail is the type of thing that can earn companies a court date. It violates a person's privacy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 lol.....you are out of this world J. Some people get quite offended by Christmas mail that comes unsolicited and personally addressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefferiah Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 If it is an error, it is a large one. Keeping lists of names by religion and sending them unsolicited, personally addressed mail is the type of thing that can earn companies a court date. It violates a person's privacy. Ah, but J, if Mrs. Kofman does not keep the holiday and is not Jewish aside from the family, maybe then your idea of such a list is out the window as well. See because apparently the Tories did not know her religion. So they can't be spying on her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefferiah Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Some people get quite offended by Christmas mail that comes unsolicited and personally addressed. Some people (Liberals) get quite offended by just about everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Maybe aside from Mrs. Kofman, alot of other recipients thought it was a nice gesture. So you don't think organizations that collect your data on religion to use for whatever purpose is a violation of the privacy act? What do you think a violation of the privacy act entails? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maldon_road Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 This is from the news story. She said it was possible she was listed in a Jewish directory at one time, but she wasn't certain. At least we know now where the Tories found her religion from and it wasn't going through confidential tax records. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Ah, but J, if Mrs. Kofman does not keep the holiday and is not Jewish aside from the family, maybe then your idea of such a list is out the window as well. See because apparently the Tories did not know her religion. So they can't be spying on her. How did she end up getting mail on a Jewish holiday though if he name did not appear on a party list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maldon_road Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 So you don't think organizations that collect your data on religion to use for whatever purpose is a violation of the privacy act? Not if the information comes from a public source. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 (edited) This is from the news story.At least we know now where the Tories found her religion from and it wasn't going through confidential tax records. Use of that type of information though is a violation of the privacy act. Whoever let that information out and whoever uses it without permission is in violation of that act. Edited October 8, 2007 by jdobbin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefferiah Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 So you don't think organizations that collect your data on religion to use for whatever purpose is a violation of the privacy act?What do you think a violation of the privacy act entails? Once again, they did not collect religious data on her. Because had they done so, they would have known that as she herself says, she is not religious!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maldon_road Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Maybe you should. Do you celebrate Christmas? No. But I'm not going to kick up a fuss about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdobbin Posted October 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Not if the information comes from a public source. Actually, according to the act, it is. If you have not consented to the sharing of the information, it violates the act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leafless Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 If it is an error, it is a large one. Keeping lists of names by religion and sending them unsolicited, personally addressed mail is the type of thing that can earn companies a court date. It violates a person's privacy. I thought Jews wanted their religion to be normalized like the Christian religion according to the articles I have read around the time of Christian Christmas. I think they simply picked Jewish sounding names off of the voters list and mailed out some cards. It could be they confused the name 'Kofman' with the more Jewish name 'Kaufman'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maldon_road Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 Use of that type of information though is a violation of the privacy act. Whoever let that information out and whoever uses it without permission is in violation of that act. There is no privacy violation if the source is a publicly available directory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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