Some People Need Thicker Skin - Senator Jacques

[jbg]

The two articles below demonstrate that there needs to be some leeway for humor. Every ethnic joke, even dumb ones, should not be fodder for "hate crime" prosecutions. Even where a Senator is involved.

As I've probably posted before, Jews are by and large a successful people and we don't offend easily. There are groups that are professional victims, and seek their succor in "language laws" and support for "multiculturalism" since they are not, by and large, culturally or economically or educationally winners.

I do NOT support Holocaust denial or hate-crimes laws, and if I were admitted in Canada I would have submitted a friend of the court brief for Ahenekaw, even though I am proudly Jewish. Article excerpts below.

Ex-Hockey Coach Makes Anti-Semitic Gaffe

(link)

There are many things you can do while visiting Montreal: you could barhop the world famous nightlife, you could try poutine, you could try speaking French, or you could make anti-Semitic gaffes about noses on national TV.

*************

Demers advises the married Landsberg to avoid temptation by staying in his hotel room, then tells him that the famous Moishe's Jewish steakhouse would be happy to see him and his "nose" as soon as he walked in the door.

Landsberg not offended by Senator's remark

(link)

Michael Landsberg is concerned. The host of TSN's Off The Record has had a long friendship with former NHL coach (now senator) Jacques Demers.

“He's not just another guest on the show,” Landsberg said. “He's gone out of his way to help my family. The other day my dad Ronald sent him an e-mail saying, ‘When you coming to have Passover?' It will make me sad if other people use this to go after Jacques because he's not that kind of person.”

Edited April 26, 2010 by jbg

[normanchateau]

It's a good that this attempt at humour came from a Conservative Senator. Had it been a Liberal Senator, today there'd be CPC 10% flyers in Jewish mailboxes accusing the Liberal Party of anti-Semitism:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/727885--pm-s-jewish-pitch-hits-a-new-low-critics-say

[jbg]

It's a good that this attempt at humour came from a Conservative Senator. Had it been a Liberal Senator, today there'd be CPC 10% flyers in Jewish mailboxes accusing the Liberal Party of anti-Semitism:

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/727885--pm-s-jewish-pitch-hits-a-new-low-critics-say

That article is a good thread-starter; in fact I may start one. That being said there's no question that the Liberals waffled on Israel. Then again they waffled on just about every issue.

[punked]

Another reason to get rid of the Senate.

[Smallc]

Another reason to get rid of the Senate.

I suppose any excuse will do for members of a party that never has to worry about gaining power.

[punked]

I suppose any excuse will do for members of a party that never has to worry about gaining power.

No any excuse for a party that knows no third party can win when the other two parties would hold up the will of the people in the Senate for partisan points.

[normanchateau]

That being said there's no question that the Liberals waffled on Israel. Then again they waffled on just about every issue.

Does this mean that Stephen Harper would never resort to waffling or political expediency, and that waffling or political expediency is the exclusive domain of the Liberals? Judge for yourself:

"In 1988, as chief policy architect for Manning's Reform party, Harper authored a document calling on Ottawa to withdraw from all universal social programs and leave them to the provinces. In 1993, as a Reform MP, he supported a caucus statement committing the party to "restore to the provinces the administrative jurisdiction (in health) that the federal government has usurped." In 2001, he co-authored an open letter to Alberta Premier Ralph Klein urging him to drop out of medicare. In a 2003 newspaper article, he wrote that the Canada Health Act should be scrapped and replaced with 10 separate agreements between Ottawa and each province. As late as 2004, he wrote in the Star that one of his guiding principles in health care was that it must remain in provincial jurisdiction."

Finally, in 2005, Stephen Harper embraced the Canada Health Act, a complete flip flop from 20 years opposing it:

http://www.vivelecan...ks-medicare-law

I'm sure you don't believe that Harper's flip flop on health care reflects anything more than political expediency. Harper has been a politician all of his life. He's a professional politician. It's the only career that he's ever had since leaving university. Yet it took him more than 20 years to figure out that if he wanted to be Prime Minister of Canada, he must pretend that he now believes in the Canada Health Act. And if he's not pretending, and now sincerely believes in the Canada Health Act, he must be one of the slowest learners in Canadian political history.

[Bob]

Hi there jbg,

I have another example of some oversensitive Jews that occurred recently, here's the article. To make a long story short, a national security advisor told a joke at the 25th anniversary of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Here's the joke:

A Taliban militant gets lost and is wandering around the desert looking for water. He finally arrives at a store run by a Jew and asks for water.

The Jewish vendor tells him he doesn't have any water but can gladly sell him a tie. The Taliban begins to curse and yell at the Jewish storeowner. The Jew, unmoved, offers the rude militant an idea: Beyond the hill, there is a restaurant; they can sell you water.

The Taliban keeps cursing and finally leaves toward the hill. An hour later he's back at the tie store. He walks in and tells the merchant: "Your brother tells me I need a tie to get into the restaurant

I think it's actually pretty funny. I'm Jewish myself, and I like to think that we've got a good sense of humour! Some of us are alarmists, though. Even I'm guilty of using the metaphorical microscope to seek out anti-semitism, on occasion!

On a serious note, it's too bad he was compelled to apologize, I'm certain the joke came from a good place in his heart and was meant to be taken in a somewhat-endearing manner. We (Jews) need to be better at discerning malice from good-natured humour in situations like these.

Edited May 1, 2010 by Bob

[jbg]

On a serious note, it's too bad he was compelled to apologize, I'm certain the joke came from a good place in his heart and was meant to be taken in a somewhat-endearing manner. We (Jews) need to be better at discerning malice from good-natured humour in situations like these.

I agree fully.

[madmax]

It's a good that this attempt at humour came from a Conservative Senator. Had it been a Liberal Senator, today there'd be CPC 10% flyers in Jewish mailboxes accusing the Liberal Party of anti-Semitism:

Absolutely Correct. The CPC have turned into a Petty Party focussing on the Lowest common denominator of attack politics if an opposition member dare do or say anything.

If it hadn't been Jaques and it had been a Liberal Senator, the CPC would make sure the crap hit the fan.

[madmax]

I agree fully.

Ditto BIG NOSE!!!

http://www.skepticfiles.org/en001/bignose.htm

One of my favourites from Life Of Brian.