Harper ATV, Day Jet Ski, Trudeau Dive, Chretien Bicycle

[Radsickle]

But that's not Canada.

----

Radsickle, my OP has a broader issue, of interest to people who understand Canadian federal politics.

Yes, please enlighten us with your definition of Canada... what could be more broad than the chasm between Capitalist and Socialist Ideologies?!

I guess I left myself open for attack so... be my guest...Define Canada for me, please...

Edited August 27, 2010 by Radsickle

[August1991]

Yea, he wasn't trying to connect with all the gun-toting ATV enthusiasts out there. Nah, it wasn't planned; it was nothing but a joke.

Nothing wrong with ATV's and law-abiding gun owners. But when our own PM is trying to dismantle something that helps our own police officers do their job, something IS wrong.

Radsickle, do you live in the same Canada as I do?

Canada is large, and accepts people as they are. (Did I just post that?)

Edited August 27, 2010 by August1991

[Radsickle]

Radsickle, do you live in the same Canada as I do?

My Canada is large, and accepts people as they are.

See above.

[August1991]

Yes, please enlighten us with your definition of Canada... what could be more broad than the chasm between Capitalist and Socialist Ideologies?!

I guess I left myself open for attack so... be my guest...Define Canada for me, please...

Canadians are French and English, Catholic and protestant. We have managed to live together, more or less, in peace.

We compromise.

-----

Quebec may become a new country but if it happens, we Canadians will do this in a civilized manner. We are a civilized people.

Edited August 27, 2010 by August1991

[msdogfood]

No, I don't.

The registered Harper Haters (read the comments) will jump on Harper for riding around in an ATV. "ATVs harm the environment, they're dangerous, did he have a license, what example is he offering to young people... "

In fact though, ATVs are a way of life in large parts of Canada. They are like long guns.

----

Smallc, Canada is a large country with few people. Surely we can find a civilized way to live together.

What an ASS the PM can BE he never lerins ever!.

[Wild Bill]

Well watch this video are Harper dancing. Can you imagine him doing that in the Commons if he didn't want to answer a question? lol!

Did you watch the faces of the dancers? After a few moments I realized that they were pleased and happy that the PM was dancing with them!

I think that Harper danced with them out of respect and down to earth friendliness. At least, that was certainly the way it appears the dancers took it!

If some folks in the big cities want to make jokes about it then screw them and the horses they rode in on!

[Shakeyhands]

Canadians are French and English, Catholic and protestant. We have managed to live together, more or less, in peace.

We compromise.

Canada is made up of a lot more diverse people than the old Catholic/Protestant English/French divide. Perhaps you believe that it is still 1950?

[M.Dancer]

oh Yay. Let's all cheer him trying to look cool in a photoshoot on the edge of an iceburg or having fun on an ATV and making semi-serious yet revealingly fascist statements like `I make the rules'.

Truedeau wins

[Shakeyhands]

Truedeau wins

Hardly the same thing Morris.

[M.Dancer]

Hardly the same thing Morris.

Of course not. One was serious. The other joking. Of course Raqdsikle thinks it was:

making semi-serious yet revealingly fascist statements

I merely show someone not joking so he can tell the difference.

[Jack Weber]

Truedeau wins

And Trudeau was right!!!

[Argus]

the only reason things like riding an ATV, dancing with natives or playing a piano gets much attention is because Harper is normally so stiff and controlled around the media. He is not an extrovert and doesn't like the media, and he rarely relaxes around them. Its probably his biggest failing in terms of garnering popularity. People want to see their leader as tough and competent, yes, but they also want to see something they can relate to about the person, and Harper rarely puts much out there for them. I was reading Ibbitson earlier, and he seems to think Harper has a real love for the north, and that he gets a lot more relaxed far away from the big cities. I agree. I think despite the fact there was some media there (no doubt kept well back) Harper really enjoys himself among people in less urban settings. I don't think, from what I've seen, that the ATV stunt or the dancing were scripted. Those are not the kinds of things his staff has Harper do - probably because he generally refuses to do them. I think he was just in his happy place and gave in to temptation. I'm sure he had a thought for how things would look to the media, too, but I don't think it was the overriding concern, any more than doing the piano stint for his wife was.

[PIK]

oh Yay. Let's all cheer him trying to look cool in a photoshoot on the edge of an iceburg or having fun on an ATV and making semi-serious yet revealingly fascist statements like `I make the rules'. Oh, I feel so much closer to this rebel. He's just one of us. One of us who are paranoid of our own government having a record of our rifles... Let's regress into something closer to the US, where we can all be like Charlton Heston and his gun-worshipping ways. Who cares if the RCMP and every chief of police say that the registry is a good thing. Harper will fix them!

It is fools like this guy that just does not get it.The police chief ass is a political group, what they say has no bearing on real life , but lets talk front line police officers and 92% say the registry is useless, 92% people.If I remember correctly the head police chief who issued this statement could be the one that screwed up and caused the life of 4 RCMPs in alberta ,he is just trying to cover his incomptence ,if he is the one I am thinking about. The letters to editors is filled with letters from former police saying what I am saying, the doctor ass, said the same thing but go ask a doctor if the registry makes life easier on them and they will laugh. Harper is growing into a great leader respected by leaders all over the world. Was chretien one of us not even close how about silver spoon martin not even close. Saying harper is showing off driving a ATV up north is like saying chretien was showing off driving a car thru a city, how stupid are the people of the 416, stupid or just petty?

[Smallc]

but lets talk front line police officers and 92% say the registry is useless, 92% people.

There is no scientific poll that says that.

[Wild Bill]

There is no scientific poll that says that.

Well, there's this one:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/08/23/15116956.html

"OTTAWA -- Conservative MPs are pointing to a straw poll of 2,631 frontline police officers as proof the long-gun registry is worthless.

In Edmonton, Const. Randy Kuntz's survey, which was included in a police magazine recently, 92% of the officers who responded said the registry was a useless crime-fighting tool."

The police magazine in question is called 'Blue Line', if you care to delve further. However, I'm sure that you will believe that the poll is not sufficiently scientific but merely anecdotal. 92% of 2631 is about 2420 officers. I'd expect that you would find the anecdotal opinion of 2420 front line officers to be far less worthy than that of a few police chiefs.

[PIK]

And when toronto's mayor says it is good, then that pretty well proves that it is not.

[PIK]

What an ASS the PM can BE he never lerins ever!.

But I imangine he can spell better then you,(and me)lol But one more thing, the 8% of police that said it works are probably bucking for a chief's position.

[Smallc]

Well, there's this one:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/08/23/15116956.html

OTTAWA -- Conservative MPs are pointing to a straw poll

As I said, there's no scientific poll. I, BTW, support eliminating the long gun registry, simply on principle. Ther eis now a great deal of evidence that it does work.

[Keepitsimple]

There's such a mish-mash of disinformation out there. The Registry was built as a "front end" to almost all inquiries....so if you just want a name, or an address, it counts as a "hit" on the registry......and the front-line officers say they almost NEVER use it to actually check for guns.

But as for its effectiveness in fighting crime - one only need to look at handguns. Handguns have been legally required to be registered since 1934.....yet handguns are being fired left and right in every Canadian city. If the handgun registry doesn't work - why on earth would the long gun registry be any different?

[waldo]

Well, there's this one:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Politics/2010/08/23/15116956.html

"OTTAWA -- Conservative MPs are pointing to a straw poll of 2,631 frontline police officers as proof the long-gun registry is worthless.

In Edmonton, Const. Randy Kuntz's survey, which was included in a police magazine recently, 92% of the officers who responded said the registry was a useless crime-fighting tool."

The police magazine in question is called 'Blue Line', if you care to delve further. However, I'm sure that you will believe that the poll is not sufficiently scientific but merely anecdotal. 92% of 2631 is about 2420 officers. I'd expect that you would find the anecdotal opinion of 2420 front line officers to be far less worthy than that of a few police chiefs.

survey says... "anecdotal... at best"... authenticity of survey participants in question. Publisher of 'Blue Line' distances publication from survey and rebukes Edmonton Police constable Randy Kuntz for disseminating details/discussion from within the private section of the 'Blue Line' forum... publisher of 'Blue Line' offers no support for dissolution of gun registry.

Blue Line publisher hits out at gun registry straw poll

Statement as issued by 'Blue Line' publisher to members:

Randy Kuntz went on national news to support his anti firearms registry position by pointing to me and "Blue Line Magazine". His attempt to damage the magazine's neutral position is out of line along with semi-breaching the sanctity of this section of the Forum.

So he has forced my hand to take a position on the issue:

Here it is and I have shared it with others as far as it can go:

1. BLUE LINE MAGAZINE DID NOT PUBLISH NOR DID IT ENDEAVOUR TO WRITE A STORY ABOUT A SURVEY AS SUGGESTED BY KUNTZ. OUR POSITION HAS BEEN NEUTRAL UP TO NOW.

2. THE PRIVATE POLICE ONLY SECTION OF THE BLUE LINE FORUM IS CLOSED AND NOT TO BE DISCUSSED PUBLICLY.

3. THE OPINIONS FROM THE PRIVATE SECTION ARE MIXED AND INCONCLUSIVE IN THAT ONLY THOSE WITH STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT IT WOULD POST. THE POSTS WERE FROM APRIL TO MAY 2009. THERE WERE FEW POSTS BUT HE DID ASK PEOPLE WITH OPINIONS TO SEND HIM A PRIVATE MESSAGE.

4. MEDIA AND POLITICAL HYPE IS BACKWARDS. THE REGISTRY IS ABOUT RESPONSIBLE FIREARMS OWNERSHIP NOT POLICE USE. POLICE ARE CALLED UPON TO REFER TO IT FOR MANY REASONS BUT JUST LIKE RESPONSIBLE CAR OWNERS, RESPONSIBLE BOAT OWNERS AND RESPONSIBLE HOME OWNERS HAVE A REGISTRY, FIREARMS SHOULD BE NO DIFFERENT.POLICE INTEREST IS REALLY ONLY WHEN THEY ARE STOLEN, STORED, REGISTERED OR USED IMPROPERLY.

5. REGISTRY IS A FORM OF INSURANCE FOR OWNERS IN THAT IF THEY ARE STOLEN RECOVERY IS ENHANCED.

6. THE MONEY HAS BEEN BLOWN (RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY) AND IF SO WE MUST SALVAGE WHAT WE CAN. IF WE NEED TO THROW OUT PORTIONS THEN DO SO. BUT NOT THE WHOLE THING. THAT WOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT. (IF A HOUSE IS EXTRAVAGANTLY BUILT THE WRONG WAY WE DO NOT PUT THE ENTIRE HOUSE IN THE DUMPSTER.)7. WE DID PUBLISH A STORY FROM THE CANADIAN FIREARMS ASSN A FEW YEARS AGO (NOT SURE RIGHT NOW BUT ABOUT 8 YEARS AGO) WHERE THEY ESPOUSED A REGISTRY OF THEIR OWN. WHY NOT HAVE GOVT AND ASSOCIATION GET TOGETHER ON THIS.I THINK THAT IS ABOUT ALL FOR NOW.

--Morley S. Lymburner

Publisher

Blue Line Magazine Inc.

Police chiefs endorse gun registry over Tories' plan

Toronto police Chief Bill Blair, meanwhile, countered Const. Kuntz's claims outright.

"Quite frankly I don't believe the results of that survey.... We have already seen that the gun lobby organizes itself very well to promote false information about how this information is in fact used by the police community," Mr. Blair told the CBC.

[scribblet]

There are times to be prudent about certain actions. This is not one of them. I would not worry about people who would criticize him over a trifle like this. With such people, Harper is either damned if he does or damned if he doesn't.

Exactly !!

Some people, however, have way too much time on their hands. LOL

[Moonlight Graham]

1. Outside of Toronto, and maybe Montreal, Canadians don't choose politicians based on coolness.

Where did this come from??? Why these cities? Have any stats or polls to back this up in any way whatsoever??? What an odd, sweepingly generalized statement.

[Argus]

There is no scientific poll that says that.

According to you no poll undertaken without threat of imprisonment is ever scientifically valid anyway.

[Argus]

survey says... "anecdotal... at best"... authenticity of survey participants in question.

Trust Waldo to be on the wrong side of EVERY issue.

So Waldo, stop telling us what the bureaucrats in the police departments say. Tell us why you think the gun registry should be retained.

And don't give us any crap about 11,000 hits a day. I want the direct usefulness of this expensive system.

[Smallc]

According to you no poll undertaken without threat of imprisonment is ever scientifically valid anyway.

Ummm, no. Scientific polls are useful, just not as useful as a mandatory census. Unscientific polls, like the one cited, aren't useful in any way.