April Reign

Speak your mind even if your voice shakes

Debra

Criticism of Israel is legitimate. Michael Ignatieff told me so

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Apparently both the Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star refused to publish the following statement. I’m joining other bloggers who don’t think that should be allowed to stand.

Over 150 Jewish Canadians signed a statement expressing their concerns about the campaign to suppress criticism of Israel that is being carried on within Canada. The signatories include many prominent Canadians, including Ursula Franklin O.C., Anton Kuerti O.C., Naomi Klein, Dr. Gabor Mate, and professors Meyer Brownstone (recipient of Pearson Peace Medal), Natalie Zemon Davis, Michael Neumann, and Judy Rebick.

The signatories are particularly concerned that unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism deflect attention from Israel’s accountability for what many have called war crimes in Gaza. They state that B’nai Brith and the Canadian Jewish Congress have led campaigns to silence criticism of Israel on university campuses, in labor unions and in other groups. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff unquestioningly echo the views of these particular Jewish organizations.

They strongly state that they are against all expressions of racism. While firmly committed to resisting any form of prejudice against Jewish people, their statement explicitly states that these spurious allegations of anti-Semitism bring the anti-Communist terror of the 1950s vividly to mind. The statement underlines the immeasurable suffering and injustice to the Palestinian people due to the severe poverty, daily humiliations, and military invasions inflicted by the State of Israel.

Statement: Jewish Canadians Concerned about Suppression of Criticism of Israel

We are Jewish Canadians concerned about all expressions of racism, anti-Semitism, and social injustice. We believe that the Holocaust legacy “Never again” means never again for all peoples. It is a tragic turn of history that the State of Israel, with its ideals of democracy and its dream of being a safe haven for Jewish people, causes immeasurable suffering and injustice to the Palestinian people.

We are appalled by recent attempts of prominent Jewish organizations and leading Canadian politicians to silence protest against the State of Israel. We are alarmed by the escalation of fear tactics. Charges that those organizing Israel Apartheid Week or supporting an academic boycott of Israel are anti-Semites promoting hatred bring the anti-Communist terror of the 1950s vividly to mind. We believe this serves to deflect attention from Israel’s flagrant violations of international humanitarian law.

B’nai Brith and the Canadian Jewish Congress have pressured university presidents and administrations to silence debate and discussion specifically regarding Palestine/Israel. In a full-page ad in a national newspaper, B’nai Brith urged donors to withhold funds from universities because “anti-Semitic hate fests” were being allowed on campuses. Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff have echoed these arguments. While university administrators have resisted demands to shut down Israel Apartheid week, some Ontario university presidents have bowed to this disinformation campaign by suspending and fining students, confiscating posters, and infringing on free speech.

We do not believe that Israel acts in self-defense. Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign aid, receiving $3 million/day. It has the fourth strongest army in the world. Before the invasion of Gaza on 27 December 2008, Israel’s siege had already created a humanitarian catastrophe there, with severe impoverishment, malnutrition, and destroyed infrastructure. It is crucial that forums for discussion of Israel’s accountability to the international community for what many have called war crimes be allowed to proceed unrestricted by specious claims of anti-Semitism.

We recognize that anti-Semitism is a reality in Canada as elsewhere, and we are fully committed to resisting any act of hatred against Jews. At the same time, we condemn false charges of anti-Semitism against student organizations, unions, and other groups and people exercising their democratic right to freedom of speech and association regarding legitimate criticism of the State of Israel.

Signatories:

Abigail Bakan
Adam Balsam
Sharon Baltman
Julia Barnett
Lainie Basman
Jody Berland
Sam Blatt
Geri Blinik
Anita Block
Elizabeth Block
Sheila Block
Hannah Briemberg
Mark Brill
Stephen Brot
Meyer Brownstone
Eliza Burroughs
Smadar Carmon
Gyda Chud
Charles P. Cohen
Nathalie Cohen
David Copeland
Natalie Zemon Davis
Eliza Deutsch
James Deutsch
Judith Deutsch
Abbe Edelson
Jack Etkin
Elle Flanders
Danielle Frank
Ursula Franklin
Dan Freeman-Maloy
Miriam Garfinkle
Alisa Gayle
Jack Gegenberg
Mark Golden
Brenda Goldstein
Sue Goldstein
Cy Gonick
Marnina Gonick
Rachel Gotthilf
Amy Gottleib
Kevin A. Gould
Daina Green
Lisa Frances Greenspoon
Ricardo Grinspun
Cathy Gulkin
Rachel Gurofsky
Deboran Guterman
Yesse Gutman
Freda Guttman
Judy Haiven
Michael Hanna-Fein
Jean Hanson
Jan Heynen
Maria Heynen
Adam Hofmann
Jake Javanshir
Jeannie Kamins
Marylin Kanee
Howard S. Kaplan
Gilda Katz
Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta
Mira Khazzam
Bonnie Sher Klein
Mark Klein
Martin Klein
Naomi Klein
Joshua Katz-Rosene
Ryan Katz-Rosene
Judy Koch
Anton Kuerti
Jason Kunin
Aaron Lakoff
Michael Lambek
Natalie LaRoche
Richard Borshay Lee
Andy Lehrer
Gabriel Levin
Gabriel Levine
Joel Lexchin
Kim Linekin
Abby Lippman
Lee Lorch
Martin Lukacs
Audrey Macklin
Elise Maltin
Richard Marcuse
Wayne Mark
Gabor Mate
Arthur Milner
Anna Miransky
Dorit Naaman
Joanne Naiman
Neil Naiman
Michael Neumann
David-Marc Newman
David Noble
Clare O’Connor
Robin Ostow
Andre W. Payant
Jenny Peto
Simone Powell
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Fabienne Presentey
Yacov Rabkin
Diana Ralph
Naomi Rankin
Judy Rebick
Ester Reiter
Jillian Rogin
Richard Roman
Joseph Rosen
Herman Rosenfeld
Martha Roth
Marty Roth
Ruben Roth
E.Natalie Rothman
B. Sack
Ben Saifer
Miriam Sampaio
Jacob Scheir
Fred Schloessinger
Alan Sears
Shlomit Segal
Edward H. Shaffer
Noa Shaindlinger
Ray Shankman
Eva Sharell
Elliot Shek
Sid Shniad
Max Silverman
Samuel Singer
Elizabeth Solloway
Susan Starkman
Greg Starr
Jonathan Sterne
Jeremy Stolow
Rhonda Sussman
Vera Szoke
Joe Tannenbaum
Howard Tessler
Marion Traub-Werner
Ceyda Turan
Sandra Tychsen
Cheryl Wagner
Jon McPhedran Waitzer
David Wall
Naomi Binder Wall
Kathy Wazana
Karen Weisberg
Barry Weisleder
Paul Weinberg
Judith Weisman
Suzanne Weiss
Abraham Weizfeld
Ernie Yacub
B.H. Yael
Yedida Zalik
Melvin Zimmerman

SnitchTube

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canada_revenue

The Canada Revenue Agency is getting all 2.0 on us, and they’ve decided to launch a contest that smacks of a Big Brother snitch-on-your-neighbour deal. CRA wants Canadians to make videos and post them on You Tube, explaining why the underground economy is a bad thing. And why Canadians should be wary of people and things that are part of it.

Contestants are asked to post something that either explains why barter and paying under-the-counter for things is bad or, what the risks are. It’s worth checking out at http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/contest/index.html.

hmm isn’t it ironic that they are using unpaid, no contract, non-production people to create their spots against using unpaid, no contract, non-production people?

Source

h/t Toe Dancer @ breadnroses

“Give her a Pill”

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This is why I didn’t not blog on IWD. I wanted to. I felt I was letting people down by not blogging. That I was not showing solidarity. And yet there comes a point when one is so satruated with all injustice, ridiculousness and governmental opposition to equality it just seems too big. Unfortunately it isn’t getting any smaller.

of the 9 year old impregnanted by her step father the church proclaims

The accused stepfather is not being excommunicated from the Church. Said ArchbishopJose Cardoso Sobrinho, although the man allegedly committed “a heinous crime … the abortion – the elimination of an innocent life – was more serious.”

Shorter church; stealing a young girls innocence YAWN, saving her life criminal

This disgust and hatred of all things female is not something in which only the catholic church indulges. Our government is pretty good at it too.

I print this in it’s entirety

On March 9th, 2009, the President of the Treasury Board, Vic Toews, mocked me in the House of Commons during question period stating that I was “whining and whining and yelling” while he was answering a question on pay equity.

I was in fact objecting to a statement that the Conservative government’s pay equity legislation reflects the recommendations of the Liberal Task Force report when, in fact, there is absolutely no resemblance between the two.

Later in that same question period, Minister Toews looked directly at my colleague and seatmate, Dr. Hedy Fry, MP, and said “Please give her a pill.”

This kind of chauvinist attitude should not be accepted anywhere in our society, let alone, where we debate the laws of this country. The fact that this was done only one day after International Women’s Day shows this government’s lack of respect for women and women Parliamentarians.

I watched as the entire front bench of the Conservative government could not control their laughter as the Minister told me to take a pill.

The Minister went on to say, “I do not know what the problem is. Maybe someone with other expertise might be able to determine what the problem is.”

Attempting to hold the government to account should not be reason for degrading another Member of Parliament and saying that she is only whining and that she should take a pill.

Over and over again, women MPs have had to listen as this Conservative government has shown a complete lack of respect. I say enough is enough. Why would more women want to be Members of Parliament if this is the kind of behaviour waiting for them in the House of Commons.

I say to this Conservative government, argue policies against policies – do not insult Members of Parliament simply because they are doing their job and holding you to account.

The Minister’s behaviour showed no respect for Parliament or for women.

Hon. Maria Minna, P.C., M.P.
Beaches-East York
Official Opposition Critic for Labour
Chair, National Liberal Women’s Caucus

I urge everyone to contact Vic Toews, Harper and their member of Parliament and demand an apology not only to Ms. Minna and Ms. Fry but also to the women of Canada.

Parliament once erupted in laughter over the issue of violence against women. It appears those sorry days may be returning.

Congratulations to Andrea Horwath

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andrea_horwathAndrea Horwath is the new leader of the provincial NDP having been elected with 60% of the vote.

She is the second woman elected as a provincial party leader and her election comes at a time of crisis especially for those in the steel industry who provided major support.

The next leadership race will be for the Conservatives now that John Tory has stepped down. It will be interesting [or perhaps scary] to see how that turns out.

Tories Preparing Attack Ads

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“We poll better on offence,” said one government official. “That’s always sort of guided us.”

Well isn’t that special? Nice to know they have the bully and arsehole voter demographic sewn up.
Personally I fail to see the point in targeting Ignatieff. He already is allowing Harper to govern unopposed.

Apparently the ads will focus among other things as branding Ignatieff as a flip flopper. Really? They want to go there. With a leader who breaks his own election date laws. Who appoints a record number of senators after a career of working against the senate. Who signed a declaration in support of women’s rights and equality and then gutted SWC and brought forward legislation in the budget that would end pay equality. These are but a few among the many other ways he has proved his disregard for Canadians especially female Canadians.

Though he did not win his pined for majority, Harper is still unfortunately PM. For him to constantly belittle the opposition, in effect belittling the citizens of this country who choose those members as their representatives, shows that Harper is a bully both politically and personally and is not fit for office.

O Canada We Hardly Knew Ye

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I’m having a hard time blogging these days. Not because there isn’t plenty to be outraged about. Too much in fact!

It is more that I see so many of my fellow Canadians falling for the bullying, obfuscation and downright deceitful practises of the Right Wing Coalition Party. Rove/Cheney politics is alive and well and living in Canada. While Obama may be no saviour in the United States, Ignatieff is even less so in Canada.

Fed on a diet of Faux “News” and Amercian “reality” tv we end up with such ignoble quips as this
“First we lost saying the Lord’s Prayer in school, then the Pledge of Allegiance, and now the singing of O Canada…”
See Alison at the Galloping Beaver

And while “Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon will not even return phone calls from lawyers for Canadian Omar Khadr, the last Western detainee in Guantanamo Bay.” the Right Wing Coaltion Party does have time to decide that elementary school students should be required to be indoctrinated with jingoism patriotism through the forced listening of canned O Canada music because

“We have soldiers in Afghanistan on a continuous basis rotating in and out and the least we can do is show pride for our country and our flag,”

Yes it is the absolute least we can do. No doubt they want the kids to be rabidly partisan..er patriotic so they can support a war that most of their parents [and the rest of the country] don’t. Gotchya
[Helps to have rabid jingoist when you need cannon fodder.]

When Canadians are losing their jobs, 129,000 in January alone, calls for changes to EI and other social safety nets are met with “We do not want to make it lucrative for them to stay home and get paid for it” However, there is no problem using taxpayers dollars, the same soon to be jobless taxpayers, to make it lucrative for their corporate buddies to keep cutting jobs and moving plants offshore.