Laureen Harper - Shameful reporting by The Star

[Wilber]

I never said they couldn't. I love cats. I'm simply saying that I would rather have my PM's spouse be a little deeper in substance than homeless cats.

I like the idea of dealing with homeless cats, not because I'm much of a cat lover but because of the damage feral cats do to song bird populations and other wildlife.

I think this is a tempest in a teapot and if it helps give the plight of aboriginal women a little more attention, that's OK to.

[Shady]

Seriously, why are we having this argument? It is truly a no brainer.

What's a no brainer?

[Shady]

I never said they couldn't. I love cats. I'm simply saying that I would rather have my PM's spouse be a little deeper in substance than homeless cats.

Perhaps she wanted to steer clear of politics or any issue that may be divisive or controversial. But it's come to this now, we have people that now feel the need to criticize the charitable actions of a political leaders spouse. Stay classy.

[Smallc]

I never said they couldn't. I love cats. I'm simply saying that I would rather have my PM's spouse be a little deeper in substance than homeless cats.

How do you know that this is all she does? It wouldn't even have gotten any press if not for a disrespectful protester.

[On Guard for Thee]

And your point?

[Shady]

And your point?

That this is all absurd.

[cybercoma]

Like they haven't? Like there hasn't been umpteen stories about it?

somebody think of the kittens!

[On Guard for Thee]

It wasn't any point you made, if there were any, that I was referring to. But I bet you worry more over cats than people as well.

[cybercoma]

It addresses nothing. Protesting a woman who, as far as our system is concerned, is nothing but a private citizen does nothing. Protesting at a well intentioned charity event does nothing positive for your cause. This woman was rude and out of place, and nothing more than that. Further to that, her entire world view is simply wrong. It seems that aboriginal woman, adults are not, are not responsible for themselves, and that somehow they mean more than women of other ethnicities....at least, according to her and so many others.

And before you start, I have an aboriginal fiancée.

they mean more than women of other ethnicities? Holy crap. You better chck your white privilege. What an asinine thing to say.

[cybercoma]

I never said they couldn't. I love cats. I'm simply saying that I would rather have my PM's spouse be a little deeper in substance than homeless cats.

Harper was accused of killing kittens.

[Shady]

they mean more than women of other ethnicities? Holy crap. You better chck your white privilege. What an asinine thing to say.

I guess you missed the 'according to her part'? Anyways, white privilege is just a new leftwing tool in order to try to silence people's opinions. It's quite unbecoming, but not surprising.

[cybercoma]

I guess you missed the 'according to her part'? Anyways, white privilege is just a new leftwing tool in order to try to silence people's opinions. It's quite unbecoming, but not surprising.

it's not to silence anything. Maybe if you had any knowledge about the topic at all you would understand what I'm saying. Nobody is saying aboriginal women are "mean more." The entire f'ing point is that they quite clearly don't mean as much as other missing and murdered women, who would have been treated to proper and full investigations. White privilege here is not having to even consider how racist the system is because white people don't face those problems, Edited April 20, 2014 by cybercoma

[Shady]

it's not to silence anything. Maybe if you had any knowledge about the topic at all you would understand what I'm saying. Nobody is saying aboriginal women are "mean more." The entire f'ing point is that they quite clearly don't mean as much as other missing and murdered women, who would have been treated to proper and full investigations. White privilege here is not having to even consider how racist the system is because white people don't face those problems,

Complete nonsense. There are reasons why its more difficult to conduct proper investigations of missing and murdered aboriginal women. Perhaps if you have any knowledge of the topic, you'd realize that. But nah, just pretend everybody's racist. It's the usual leftwing fall back position. No surprise.

[Smallc]

I'm a racist because I don't think that Laureen Harper should be heckled at a charity event?

Seriously, cases need to be examined on an individual basis, regardless of race, but that had nothing to do with the evening in question. I don't like when races are singled out with issues like this. All women are equal and should be treated as such, and if they're not being treated as such, that should be addressed....but this was not the pace or the time, and IMO, not the approach.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Smallc

[gunrutz]

I dont really have a problem with the heckler, don't really have a problem with Mrs. Harpers response either. The reality for many aboroginal women is a difficult one, but at some point it isn't my responsibility to fix it, no more than it is for the many other people who suffer for whatever reason that aren't aboriginal. But the heckler got what she wanted, and ok, she has an important cause, i don't see the huge deal with what she did. I do however think this instant negative reaction to the pm's wife is ridiculous, so maybe she is shallow, maybe she doesn't take on any serous cuases, i don't know, but I also don't care, she has the right to support what she wants. Turning this into a kind of 'see, she is mean, a bad person, just like her husband' is just incredibly pathetic. I am sure there are many more well qualified people who have and are looking into the more serious problems of our society, let the heckler get the attention she was looking for, but stop attacking the pm's wife for no reason.

Missing and murdered women would be a great cause for the wife of the PM. But I guess homeless cats is a bit easier...and wouldn't cause any uncomfortable conversations at home.

What uncomfortable conversation? Maybe the one about how most of these women went missing long before the current pm has been in office? That is just another ridiculous and meaningless thing to say, just like attacking the pm's wife for liking cats while not being the champion of all causes to all people.

[WWWTT]

Missing and murdered women would be a great cause for the wife of the PM. But I guess homeless cats is a bit easier...and wouldn't cause any uncomfortable conversations at home.

Maybe she rather help cats instead of people from a different heritage?

This is probably what she believes, not her husband.

WWWTT

[WWWTT]

I never said they couldn't. I love cats. I'm simply saying that I would rather have my PM's spouse be a little deeper in substance than homeless cats.

I wouldn't belittle a living sentient being as a cat!

Felines are incredibly strong, successful, agile and intelligent creatures!

But that's all I found on her

http://ri.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LEVjZ0xFNT0RMAjgsXFwx.;_ylu=X3oDMTByZHI5MXByBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDNgRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkAw--/RV=2/RE=1398027509/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fLaureen_Harper/RK=0/RS=Fe6QRct.6pGYvmvp279XCM0WVWQ-

WWWTT

[WWWTT]

Perhaps she wanted to steer clear of politics or any issue that may be divisive or controversial. But it's come to this now, we have people that now feel the need to criticize the charitable actions of a political leaders spouse. Stay classy.

Sounds like a good reasonable point in staying away from controversy.

Ironic that the controversy is now that she is shallow in the limited charities she helps.

As far as the protester goes, you live by the sword, you die by the sword!

Since assuming her role in 2006, as spouse of the Prime Minister she has played an active role in campaigning alongside her husband. She is frequently seen at the podium on behalf of and with her husband. Within the Conservative Party of Canada, she is nicknamed the "secret weapon".^[2]

^{Above quote taken from link I previously provided.}

If she wants to get right in there and campaign, then she too is open for criticism! She is not "off limits" to scrutiny!

The protester did a good job in her selection of events to stage her focus on awareness!

WWWTT

[WWWTT]

How do you know that this is all she does? It wouldn't even have gotten any press if not for a disrespectful protester.

I couldn't find anything significant beyond animals or cats.

WWWTT

[WWWTT]

I guess you missed the 'according to her part'? Anyways, white privilege is just a new leftwing tool in order to try to silence people's opinions. It's quite unbecoming, but not surprising.

Wouldn't think that from all the "Heritage" rhetoric coming from the former reform party hey?

WWWTT

[cybercoma]

I'm a racist because I don't think that Laureen Harper should be heckled at a charity event?

I didn't call you a racist. I said you needed to check your white privilege, which is blinding you to the systemic racism and sexism faced by aboriginal women, regardless of your romantic involvement with one (congratulations on the engagement just the same).

[WWWTT]

Complete nonsense. There are reasons why its more difficult to conduct proper investigations of missing and murdered aboriginal women. Perhaps if you have any knowledge of the topic, you'd realize that. But nah, just pretend everybody's racist. It's the usual leftwing fall back position. No surprise.

I guess that's why the police apologized and paid out millions in this case hey?

http://ri.search.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0LEVvU3ylNTPjUAY0cXFwx.;_ylu=X3oDMTBybnV2cXQwBHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA2JmMQR2dGlkAw--/RV=2/RE=1398028984/RO=10/RU=http%3a%2f%2fwww.edmontonjournal.com%2fnews%2fRCMP%2bapologize%2bvictims%2bRobert%2bPickton%2bdoing%2bmore%2f6062816%2fstory.html%3fid%3d6062816%26fb_xd_fragment/RK=0/RS=Q_0cvgMm2xJ_Wy3WT_.Vr.KLUb4-

WWWTT

[cybercoma]

But nah, just pretend everybody's racist.

Your ignorance is continuing to show. I never said anyone was racist. Perhaps take a few minutes to read about privilege, so you can understand what I'm saying before you get on your horse of feigned indignation and conservative victimhood. In the post to which I was replying from Smallc, before you jumped in to whine about your own victimhood, he was saying that the protester thought aboriginal women were more important than others. The fact of the matter is that they're quite clearly less important, which is why, as WWWTT posted above, apologies have been issued. To even think that this whole entire protest is about raising them to some higher place is beyond ludicrous. It's white privileged thinking because it presumes that by bringing attention to aboriginal women, it takes away from others (namely white women, even though Smallc was careful enough to say 'other ethnicities'). Whiteness is the reference group in societies where whites are privileged and most people, nearly everyone, understands them as the 'norm'. It's this kind of thinking that results in the view that it's some sort of "special" attention when someone is trying to raise awareness of the discrimination faced by aboriginal women, when the point is that the protester just wants them given the same kind of attention that many missing women would be given if they were white.

Edited April 20, 2014 by cybercoma

[Smallc]

I didn't call you a racist. I said you needed to check your white privilege, which is blinding you to the systemic racism and sexism faced by aboriginal women, regardless of your romantic involvement with one (congratulations on the engagement just the same).

I know far more about the issues facing aboriginal people than you'll ever imagine to. Attitudes like this though:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/looking-for-first-nations-love-indigenous-dating-life-complex-1.2615016

They kind of make the point of what I was trying to say.

Edited April 20, 2014 by Smallc

[Topaz]

The disappearance of FN women has been brought up in QP and as always the feds saying they are looking into but nothing seems to be getting done and even Brazeau brought up in the senator when he was in there and nothing IS being done. Laureen Harper is involved in politics, that's how she met the PM and he says she's his top advisor....so did she tell him to say "I didn't know" about the Wright-Duffy scheme?