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 He admitted to shooting and killing Trayvon, but will he use an outdated law as his defence?

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Skinheads Supressmiss held over Obama death plot

By Deborah Charles

KKK and the US election

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two white supremacist skinheads were arrested in Tennessee over plans to go on a killing spree and eventually shoot Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, court documents showed on Monday.

Daniel Cowart and Paul Schlesselman were charged in a criminal complaint with making threats against a presidential candidate, illegal possession of a sawed-off shotgun and conspiracy to rob a gun dealer.

The plot did not appear to be very advanced or sophisticated, the court documents showed.

“We’re unsure of their ability or if they have the wherewithal to carry out any of their threats,” said a source close to the investigation.

Obama would be the first black president in U.S. history if he defeats Republican John McCain in the November 4 election. Concerns about Obama’s safety led the Secret Service to provide round-the-clock protection from early in his campaign.

The suspects met over the Internet about a month ago, said an affidavit filed by Brian Weaks, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

“The individuals began discussing going on a ‘killing spree’ that included killing 88 people and beheading 14 African Americans,” Weaks said in the affidavit.

The men stole guns from family members and also had a sawed-off shotgun. They planned to target a predominately black school, going state to state while robbing individuals and continuing to kill people, Weaks said in the affidavit.  Read More…

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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Republicans – McCain campaign launches new low-blow attacks in hopes of deflecting attention from America’s Economic problems

Palin smears Obama an old discredited attack

The Republican vice presidential nominee told supporters in the city of Englewood that Obama “is someone who sees America, it seems, as being so imperfect that he’s palling around with terrorists who would target their own country”.

The Alaska Governor was referring to William Ayers, a member of the radical 1960s group the Weathermen who placed bombs at the Pentagon and the Capitol, who supported Obama’s first run for public office in 1995.

The Obama campaign described Palin’s guilt-by-association attack as “desperate and false”.

Republicans have promised to ramp up the rhetoric ahead of the November 4 election in a bid to arrest Senator McCain‘s recent dip in the polls following his role in delays to the $700bn economic bail-out.

On Friday, his top adviser Greg Strimple promised a “very aggressive last 30 days” of campaigning.

“We are looking forward to turning a page on this financial crisis and getting back to discussing Mr Obama’s aggressively liberal record and how he will be too risky for Americans,” he told reporters.

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Seeing that Obama was a child at the time of the existence of the Weatherman, and for the “sake” of education, see below some information on who they were. No we are NOT talking about the Taliban, which I am sure Palin would love to link him to. BTW – Who is running for president McCain or Palin? What if we said “John McCain is a terrorist”, he name is similar to Timothy McVeigh (OKC bomber). Let’s round up all those people that look like McCain and McVeigh and send them to Gitmo Bay. Do you see how ignorant you can be? This comment is directed at the core Republican base which believe the innuendo (not all). The hope to attract new voters? I don’t know if it will work. I would hope that the voters would be more thoughtful. I am certain Palin never heard of Ayers before being provided the talking point of the day since she doesn’t read newspapers. There is another high-ranking republican that doesn’t read much. It is obvious that the McCain campaign is desperate and will do or say anything to take away attention from the fact that they do not have any plans to get Americans out of the mess their party has created. Americans want to know who plans to help them stay in or get a home, put food on the table, save their jobs and stop the warmongering.

The Weathermen: Background and formation

The group emerged from the campus-based opposition to the Vietnam War, as well as the Civil Rights Movements of the late 1960s. During this time, United States military action in Southeast Asia, especially in Vietnam, escalated. In the U.S., the anti-war sentiment was particularly pronounced during the 1968 U.S. presidential election.

The origins of the Weathermen can be traced to the collapse and fragmentation of the Students for a Democratic Society. We petitioned, we demonstrated, we sat in!

Indian Residential School Apology from Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mr. Poilievre

Area Tory’s ‘racist’ remarks cloud apology

Poilievre says he regrets questioning merits of settlement with aboriginals

Juliet O’Neill, with files from Tim Shufelt, The Ottawa Citizen

Prime Minister Stephen Harper was on the defensive yesterday over the remarks of a Conservative MP who undermined his historic apology to aboriginal peoples by questioning “the value for all this money” survivors of residential schools are eligible to receive under a compensation settlement.

Pierre Poilievre, the Nepean-Carleton MP who serves as parliamentary secretary, expressed regret for his “hurtful and wrong” comments in the House of Commons just moments before question period. But his brief apology had little impact on Liberal MPs, who branded his remarks disgraceful and racist and demanded he step down as parliamentary secretary to the president of the treasury board.

Assembly of First Nations Chief Phil Fontaine said in an interview the remarks were “just really unfortunate” distractions from Mr. Harper’s apology, which was, in part, “about casting aside old attitudes and old stereotypes” like the ones Mr. Poilievre expressed. Chief Fontaine, who praised the apology during an appearance in the Senate with other aboriginal leaders, said the government apology remains “the important moment,” despite the MP’s remarks.

Mr. Poilievre also suggested aboriginals need to work harder rather than receive more money. He appeared unaware the $1.9-billion compensation settlement is the result of years of negotiations by government, churches and aboriginal representatives. The talks are aimed at reducing and containing a growing number of lawsuits over the mistreatment, including widespread physical and sexual assaults, of several generations of aboriginal children.

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Intolerant Faith Obama Effigy hung at George Fox University

A cardboard cutout of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama was hung from a tree in effigy at the George Fox University outside Portland Oregon. This college, founded by Quakers, claims to promote diversity(including forcing all faculty and staff to sign a statement professing faith in Christian doctrine) to reflect the character of God…

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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.

NBA Toronto Raptor Jose Calderon defends photo of Spanish players

“We felt it was something appropriate, and that it would be interpreted as an affectionate gesture,” Calderon, who plays for NBA’s Toronto Raptors, wrote on his El Mundo.es blog. “Without a doubt, some … press didn’t see it that way.”

It’s not the first time Spanish sports has encountered questions over racist attitudes, and the photo comes at a time when Madrid is vying to host the Olympics. Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton was subjected to abuse at a Barcelona circuit in February, while former Spain coach Luis Aragones also used a racist remark about France striker Thierry Henry to motivate one of his players. Monkey chants rained down on England’s black players during an international friendly against Spain in a match played in Madrid in 2004, soon after Aragones’ outburst.

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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

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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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