Wildroses in Alberta – but the grass is not always greener on the other side

Danielle Smith and the Wildrose Caucus, (R to L) Guy Boutilier, Heather Forsyth, Danielle Smith, Paul hinman, Rob Anderson (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In an interesting twist of fate Alberta, long a stronghold for the Conservatives, is going through some family issues. Till death do us part is not the motto for conservatives today. Alberta is going through growing pains. With an influx of Canadians, of all stripes, change seems to be affecting the province as a whole. The Wildrose party has surged in popularity, but will it last? Cracks in the foundation are already apparent; with Wildrose members sounding both intolerant of immigrants and out of step with Canadian values. In some sense we can draw a comparison to the Republican Party in the United States. With forces split between what is seen as moderates, like Mitt Romney and The Tea Party elements of the Republicans. I sense that this is more of a protest vote; similar to the ADQ in Quebec. The Progressive Conservatives are holding true to the name “progressive”, but will the residents of Alberta give them another chance. With the election near Wildrose party members are under close scrutiny. Can the Wildrose Party grow into a sustainable political force? Or will they continue to bloom and show their true colours?

http://www.thestar.com/mobile/news/canada/politics/article/1164711–tim-harper-alberta-s-wildrose-leader-danielle-smith-s-bumpy-road-to-history

Related articles

• What’s behind the Wildrose rising in Alberta? (cbc.ca)
• YouTube video takes aim at Alberta’s Wildrose party as election looms (vancouversun.com)
• Alberta Tory tinkering ruining oil industry, says Wildrose (cbc.ca)
• Alberta election poll shows Wildrose Party ahead (cbc.ca)
• Alison Redford condemns Wildrose party for having ‘small Alberta’ vision (calgaryherald.com)
• ATA angry with Smith’s comments about teachers (cbc.ca)
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Charges laid in Trayvon Martin case

Charges laid in Trayvon Martin case

After over a month of waiting and wondering Florida neighbourhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman was formally charged with the murder of teenager Trayvon Martin. What will happen now? The bigger issue is the law and Zimmerman. With over 6 weeks of passing and constant media involvement will justice actually be served? No matter what you think, Mr. Zimmerman still is owed a fair trial, even though he offered none to Trayvon. He admitted to shooting and killing Trayvon, but will he use an outdated law as his defence?

Supporters let their racist roots show; tainting what is supposed to be Christianity. Does Ignorance = American?

By David Neiwert Thursday Oct 16, 2008.

It was kind of strange … that John McCain came to the defense of his supporters last night after Barack Obama pointed out that people at McCain/Palin rallies were shouting out “terrorist” and “kill him!” in reference to Obama.

Now an Al Jazeera camera crew caught the honest sentiments of McCain/Palin supporters at an Ohio rally:

Racism In America

“I’m afraid if he wins, the blacks will take over. He’s not a Christian! This is a Christian nation! What is our country gonna end up like?”

“When you got a Negra running for president, you need a first stringer. He’s definitely a second stringer.”

“He seems like a sheep – or a wolf in sheep’s clothing to be honest with you. And I believe Palin – she’s filled with the Holy Spirit, and I believe she’s gonna bring honesty and integrity to the White House.”

“He’s related to a known terrorist, for one.”

“He is friends with a terrorist of this country!”

“He must support terrorists! You know, uh, if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck. And that to me is Obama.”

“Just the whole, Muslim thing, and everything, and everybody’s still kinda – a lot of people have forgotten about 9/11, but… I dunno, it’s just kinda… a little unnerving.”

“Obama and his wife, I’m concerned that they could be anti-white. That he might hide that.”

“I don’t like the fact that he thinks us white people are trash… because we’re not!”

Yep, McCain must be so proud.

The rest of us, well … let’s just say those polls should tell the story.

“You know racism exist in this country, you’ve experienced it but this race has brought everything out all at once. When they make race an issue, they’re not just attacking Obama but every single African American whose back this country was built on. They might as well be telling us all over again that we’re not human.”

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Hatred and Racism still alive and well in America

Fear, Hate, Rage, violence and aggression from McCain camp. A sad day when Americans try to turn back the clock to ignorance.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Now, it’s personal.

John McCain and Sarah Palin were backstage, and Lehigh County GOP Chairman Bill Platt was warming up the crowd of 6,000 at a rally here for the Republican ticket.

“Think about how you’ll feel on November 5 if you wake up in the morning and see the news, that Barack Obama — that Barack Hussein Obama — is the president-elect of the United States,” Platt said. The audience at the Lehigh University arena booed at the thought of it. The ignorance of believing that the only real people look and think like them.

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That One? Obama — is not like the rest I guess?

The expression represented something sinister: a suggestion that that one — Obama — is not like the rest. He refused to look at Obama. He refused to shake Obama’s extended hand after the debate, the arrogance and lack of respect. If he wants to avoid rumors of racism he needs to show more respect. The ironic part is McCain has probably given Obama supporters and people in general a new reason to support him. By disrespecting Obama in this fashion, he has essentially provided a new avenue for people.

By Andy Sullivan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – What a difference a word makes. Republican John McCain‘s presidential campaign has nicknamed rival Barack Obama “The One” to ridicule what they see as the Democratic candidate’s messianic tendencies.

For McCain himself, Obama is simply “that one.”

Referring to an energy bill during Tuesday’s debate, McCain said: “You know who voted for it? You might never know.”

“That one,” he said, pointing to Obama.

McCain was criticized after the first presidential debate on September 26 for refusing to look at Obama.

The Obama campaign seized on Tuesday’s remark as further evidence of McCain’s contempt for his opponent in the November 4 election.

“Last time he couldn’t look at Senator Obama, this time he couldn’t say his name,” Obama campaign manager David Plouffe said after the debate. McCain did refer to his opponent as Senator Obama at other times in the debate.

Obama’s vice presidential running mate, Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, was more forgiving.  Continued…

That One

That One Obama

Conservative suggests immigrants are to blame for much of the crime in Canada

Calgary Tory offers no apology for immigrant-crime comment

by Jason Fekete; Thursday, September 25, 2008 – Canwest News Service
http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/story.html?id=0add4a8…

CALGARY – Local Conservative incumbent Lee Richardson expressed regret Thursday – but offered no apology or resignation – for controversial comments he made suggesting immigrants are to blame for much of the crime in Canada.

But opposition parties and leaders representing minority groups are demanding the Calgary Centre Tory candidate – whose riding population is almost one-quarter recent immigrants – immediately apologize and either resign or be turfed for his “disgraceful” remarks.

“(Stephen) Harper must fire this man right away,” Liberal Leader Stephane Dion told reporters on the campaign trail, suggesting the comments reek of “intolerance” he attributed to the former Reform party.

“He cannot be a candidate anymore.”

The remarks were denounced by police officials, criminologists and immigrant aid groups, who noted there’s no data suggesting immigrants are to blame for a disproportionate amount of crime either in Calgary or across Canada.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper – who already has been knocked off-message a few times this campaign by candidates making inappropriate comments – could face the fallout at a campaign event Friday in Calgary.

“Mr. Richardson has clarified his remarks, and from our perspective the matter is over,” said Kory Teneycke, Harper’s chief spokesman.

The political firestorm stems from an interview with a Calgary weekly newspaper published Thursday, in which Richardson is quoted as saying many crimes aren’t committed by people who “grew up next door” and that immigrants aren’t as law-abiding as the rest of the population.

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The Segregation of Native People in Canada: Voluntary or Compulsory?

Originally posted by Michèle DuCharme

Canadian Natives listening to the Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper during an official apology

The history of the Indian people for the last century has been the history of the impingement of white civilization upon the Indian: the Indian was virtually powerless to resist the white civilization; the white community of B.C. adopted a policy of apartheid. This, of course, has already been done in eastern Canada and on the Prairies, but the apartheid policy adopted in B.C. was of a particularly cruel and degrading kind. They began by taking the Indians’ land without any surrender and without their consent. Then they herded the Indian people onto Indian reserves. This was nothing more nor less than apartheid, and that is what it still is today(1).

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Update: For those who are interested you can also read an entire series by the Globe and Mail called Canada’s Aparteid.

LPGA and accusations of racism – what were they thinking? Just have the best players, play! Unless they want an English only club?

LPGA seems to have created public relations mess

Mark Herrmann
August 27, 2008

It is hard to say which ideal gets trampled more by the LPGA’s new speak-English-or-you’re-out policy, the spirit of golf or the spirit of America. Either way, the women’s professional golf tour has turned a no-win situation into a big loss.

A little hint that this was going to be trouble was the way it came out. The LPGA didn’t hold a news conference. Instead, it leaked in a hard-hitting story on Golfweek magazine’s Web site. The gist is this: The LPGA, worried about losing interest among fans and sponsors, said it will suspend players who can’t pass an English oral exam after two years on tour.

This appears aimed directly at South Koreans, who represent 45 of the 121 international players on the tour and who – British Women’s Open champion Ji-Yai Shin and U.S. Women’s Open champion Inbee Park, to name two – are dominating. The rule is not mean-spirited, but it sure does head the tour down an awfully icy slope without brakes.

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Fledgling party targets John Tory detractors – Reform Party?

The fledgling Reform Party of Ontario is appealing to Progressive Conservatives disillusioned with party leader John Tory to join their right-wing ranks. In an email appeal apparently sent to thousands of Tories in recent days, the new party claims Reform is “the new home” for people who support the policies of former premier Mike Harris.

“Mike Harris brought sanity to Ontario with two majority governments. Sadly, since Iron Mike retired, we’ve seen Ontario slide badly,” says the missive, which invites people to a June 21 meeting in London.

“The Liberals, bolstered by the ineffectual opposition of John Tory and (NDP Leader) Howard Hampton, will continue to bring Ontario more of the same,” it continues.

“There is an alternative. The Common Sense Revolution didn’t die. It just has a new home … the Reform Party of Ontario.”

A source close to Harris emphasized the former premier has nothing to do with the group and did not give permission for his name to be used.

“During the early 1990s, when Reform was growing federally, Mike Harris was successful in keeping Reform out of provincial politics,” noted the Harris confidant.

Reform takes its name from the defunct Western-based party that splintered from the federal Progressive Conservatives and enabled the Liberals to govern for 13 years until Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s reunited Conservatives took power in 2006.

Andrew Long, the party’s chief financial officer, said he is not worried about the same thing happening in Ontario. Long said the party is home to former federal Reformers as well as provincial Tories and Liberals, and members of the radical rural group, the Ontario Landowners Association.

“I am not happy with John Tory whatsoever,” he said, noting Tory “single-handedly lost the election” last Oct. 10 with the controversial pledge to expand funding of faith-based schools.

While Reform ran two candidates in that election, the party hopes to field a larger slate in the 2011 vote.

Party leader Brad Harness, a former federal Reform member, said yesterday word of the burgeoning movement has spread through the Internet.

“We’re really pleased by the response,” said Harness.

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Xenophobic: Racism, prejudice and utter ignorance in Herouxville Quebec

Is Herouville simply a town stuck in another time? People in Canada like to say that American is more racist, however I beg to differ. America has a checkered past, but they have at least tried to “deal” with the issues to racism and prejudice. America has a constitution that promotes Liberty and Freedom. Someone would say that only in America can someone named Obama run for President. In Canada like to pride ourselves in being better than everyone else, but are we really? In another instance of either sheer ignorance, total fear or stupidity; lets remind you about Herouxville Quebec, in Canada. With the minority report out in Quebec, nothing has really changed in the small town of Herouxville. The town’s people, still seem to be stuck in another world and want to stay this way. Although it is not reflective of the entire population, I would dare to say that this is not an uncommon attitude amongst individuals in Canada. People who do not take time to understand and simply keep a one track mind on what they think a minority group is like is simply ignorant. There is the slight possibility that the people of Herouxville do not have the needed intelligence to understand what they have done, however I would be making a “generalization”? Right? By: Andy MJ / a.k.a The GTA Patriot / Toronto, Ontario

Quebecers no more racist than others
Commission says Quebec must do more for immigrants
Quebec’s minority report released
Quebecers urged to be more open toward immigrants

———

The town of Herouxville is white, French-speaking and Catholic. But that didn’t stop local officials from adopting a rule of conduct for immigrants. Included in the code: women should be able to show their faces in public (aside from costumes worn on Halloween), and they should also be permitted to drive and write cheques. Women should also not be killed in public beatings or burned alive.

Critics call the code ridiculous and xenophobic, but Town Councilor Andre Drouin says he has received about 2,000 e-mails of support — 700 more than Herouxville’s population.

“We have just published a small document saying who we are and what’s our standard,” he told CTV News.
But some Muslim leaders have called the code a thinly-veiled example of xenophobia. “Racism is coming out of the woodwork now, and it’s not being obscure or subtle,” said Salaam Elmenyawi of the Muslim Council of Montreal.

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Girl Refused Employment Because Of Dreadlocks

Jessica Devnani was excited about the prospect of starting her first summer job at Canada’s Wonderland, but in the end, she found no amusement in the park’s request that she cut her dreadlocks, or find work elsewhere.

“I went in for my interview and they hired me on the spot so a week later I went for my first day of training,” she explained.

When she showed up she was given the bad news — the hair had to go.

“I was angry they didn’t tell me at the interview when they saw my hair,” she adds.

As a private company Canada’s Wonderland is entitled to a hiring policy and they have a rule of no extreme hairstyles.

A spokesperson for the company declined an interview.

“They got my hopes up with the job and then telling me I had to resign,” Devnani complains.

Canada’s Wonderland says it will look into better communicating its hiring policies and Jessica doesn’t plan to take any action against them, but she just hopes it doesn’t happen to somebody else.

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