think for yourself - question authority

Immigration and Ignorance.

2005-09-19T21:22:00.000-07:00

Recently someone sent me this e-mail and asked me to respond.

Will we still be the Country of choice and still be Canada if we
continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other
countries that came to live in Canada because it is the Country of
Choice??????
Think about it!
All we have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS?
I celebrate Christmas...........but because it isn't celebrated by
everyone..............we can no longer say Merry Christmas. Now it
has to be Season's Greetings.
It's not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break. Isn't it amazing
how this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday?
We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend
anyone, that I am now being offended. But it seems that no one has
a problem with that.
This says it all!
This is an editorial written by an Toronto newspaper. He did
quite a job; didn't he? Read on, please!
IMMIGRANTS, NOT Canadians MUST ADAPT.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending
some individual or their culture. Since the terrorist attacks on
Sept. 11, we have experienced a surg in patriotism by the majority
of Canadians. However..... the dust from the attacks had barely
settled when the "politically correct! " crowd began complaining
about the possibility that our patriotism was offending others.
I am not against immigration, nor do I hold a grudge against anyone
who is seeking a better life by coming to Canada Our population is
almost entirely made up of descendants of immigrants
However, there are a few things that those who have recently come
to our country, and apparently some born here, need to understand.
This idea of Canada being a multicultural
community has served only to dilute our sovereignty and our
national identity. As Canadians.......we have our own culture, our
own society, our own language and our own lifestyle. This culture
has been developed over centuries of struggles, trials, and
victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom.
We speak ENGLISH/FRENCH, not Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese,
Japanese, Russian, or any other language.
Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society, learn the
language!

"We Stand On Guard For Thee" is our national motto. This is not
some Christian, right wing, political slogan.. We adopted this
motto because Christian men and women.......on Christian
principles.............founded this nation..... and this is clearly
documented.

It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our
schools.
If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the
world as
your new home.........because God is part of our culture.

We are happy with our culture and have no desire to change, and we
really don't care how you did things
where you came from.
This is OUR COUNTRY, our land, and our lifestyle. But once you are
done complaining....... whining...... and griping....... about our
flag.......our pledge...... our national motto........or our
way of life....I highly encourage you to take advantage of one
other Great Canadian Freedom.......

THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

It is Time for Canada to Speak up If you agree -- pass this along;
if you don't agree -- delete it!

I figure if we all keep passing this to our friends
(and enemies) it will also, sooner or later
get back to the complainers, lets all try, please

...

This was a ridiculous e-mail and I’m only responding to it because I was asked to. The fact that I was asked to respond suprises me because I can’t believe that anyone would give this kind of redneck, Christian extremist crap a second glance. I’m sick of people preaching intolerance. “I’m not racist but…” is starting to really get old. Walk up Robson Street in Vancouver and take a look at the restaurants and stores and try and tell me that diversity is a bad thing. And if the “Season’s Greetings” sign in the post office is really that offensive, maybe it’s those people that should exercise their right to leave. Move to Kansas. I hear they're all about "the Lord" there. This is not just a "Christian" country. This is a beautiful country that supports the beliefs of everyone. If we all followed the beliefs of those who actually “founded” the country, we'd all be convinced that we're walking around on a turtle's back. I have my own beliefs that I would like to pass on to my children someday, should they accept them. However, just as I don't want the school system to take it upon themselves to preach politics, I don't want them preaching religion. Spirituality is a very individual and private subject and the state has no place in it. The majority of immigrants do want to be able to communicate with the rest of the country. I've met so many new immigrants since I started living here. The building that I work in also houses the Consulate of Uganda, The Ethno Business council of BC and countless other organizations that deal with helping new Canadians settle into the country and I can guarantee you that for most, learning English is a huge priority. These people want to live comfortably in this country. They want the same things that everyone else wants - to improve their lives and the lives of their children and none of that can be accomplished if you can't get a job or an education. I'm living in the most multicultural city in the country and I feel blessed. I can eat a different ethnic food every day of the week. I can go to ethnic fairs and festivals and learn about other cultures. Speaking with people about the ways of life of other societies has opened my mind and given me a better understanding of the rest of the world. Contrary to the point of view of this editorial, some of us DO care about how things are done in other countries. Some of us want to learn about and even visit these countries, cultures, and people. I don't think that the problem is with the immigrants. Western society could use a tune-up of it's own. We are all aware of the raping and looting and violence that occured in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina. Recently I had a conversation with my uncle who is living in Japan. Japan is a country that experiences at least 15 typhoons, tsunamis or earthquakes per year, and although the damage is rarely as extensive as that in New Orleans (partially because the proper precautions are taken) you never hear of looting or violence. And although there wasn't much to loot, when we saw images of people in Indonesia and Thailand after a much larger catastrophe, what we saw was nothing but compassion and people helping one another. The point that I'm trying to raise is that maybe we should take a look at what we are asking people to conform to. There are some wonderful aspects to our society. Freedom to speak your mind, practice your religion, love whomever you want to love. Democracy. Platinum Blonde. (Did you know they’re releasing a DVD? Honestly, who is going to buy that? Other than me, I mean.) But there are some things that we still have to iron out. Maybe we should spend less time bitching about immigrants and a little more time learning from them. Frankly, I find the narrow point of view of the writer ignorant and a little embarassing. I would like to think that compassion and tolerance are values that most Canadians feel are their own because it is those qualities that the rest of the world finds attractive about this country. These people have left the only life they've ever known in order to become part of this society. Take that into consideration before you start passing judgement over a little broken English.

The Many Faces of the $50 Bill.

2005-02-12T19:53:00.000-08:00

On November 17th, 2004, the Canadian mint issued a new $50 bill. Portrayed on this bill are the "Famous Five". This term should ring a bell if you are a Canadian citizen. If not, let me explain.

Emily Murphy was born into a wealthy family with strong political ties in 1868. Her family was quite prominent in Canadian business and Canadian law at this time. She was married to an Anglican minister in 1887 and it was then that she moved from eastern Canada, where she was born, west to Alberta. She was a very strong advocate of women's rights and in Alberta she gained a lot of respect and support from the rural women living there. It was because of the pressure that she put on the Alberta government that the Dower act of1911 was pushed through, entitling women to one third of their husband's property.

Emily Murphy was a leader. Along with Nellie McClung, she organized the women of this country and pushed for their right to vote, which was granted in 1919. Earlier in 1916 she had been appointed as the police magistrate for the city of Edmonton. This was historic as she was the first female magistrate in the British Empire. In 1929, her and four other women by the names of Louise McKinney, Nellie McClung, Irene Parlby, and Henrietta Edwards carried the Persons Case to the Privy Council in England. It was here and then that it was decided that women were persons qualified to become members of the Senate of Canada. These women are now known as "The Famous Five".

And I believe that Emily Murphy is one of the LAST figures in Canadian history that should be honored on our $50 bill.

While Mrs. Murphy was promoting feminism she was also promoting racism and even eugenics.

Emily Murphy wrote under the pen name of "Janey Canuck" and her publication The Black Candle was very popular. What our $50 bill doesn't portray is the hatred this woman spread while she thought she was saving the world. Through this publication and the articles she had published in newspapers and magazines across the country, she attacked Asians, blacks, and Jews and she believed that multiculturalism would eventually lead to the moral decay of Canadian society. She believed that the social problems that were plaguing the country such as prostitution, alcoholism and poverty were a result of this multiculturalism and the white race should maintain it's "purity".

As a Judge, Emily Murphy supported the Indian Act and The Residential School Act which, in short, pulled tens of thousands of Native children from their families and forced them to be raised by white, Christian educators. I can't even go into the horrible cases of sexual and physical abuse that have been brought forward by so many of the victims of this legislation, not to mention that an attempt to remove these people from their culture is a terrible crime in itself. Her hatred for Asians was very apparent in her support for Chinese exclusion acts and her actions contributed to the deportation and unfair imprisonment of thousands of Asian immigrants. If all of this wasn't bad enough, Emily Murphy traveled through the western provinces giving speeches as an advocate for sterilization. This eventually led to the forced sterilization of almost 5000 Albertans, mostly women. Some of these women were as young as 14 and 25 % of those sterilized were Native or Metis.

Should this woman whose views on multiculturalism are comparable to those of Hitler be a symbol of Canadian feminism? As a Canadian and a feminist, I think not.

Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.

2005-02-07T16:33:00.000-08:00

I'm teaching English to a woman from Saudi Arabia. Her and her husband and two children are living in the hotel right now while he's here learning English. Her English is very broken and her husband asked me if I would be interested in helping her improve on it. She is obviously quite alone while he is at school and she doesn't know anyone else in the city. So for several hours almost every day I visit her in her room and we practice her conversational English. So far it's been a really great experience. I've learned a lot from her too, actually. They're very strict Muslim so when she's out in public she covers everything but her hands and her eyes, but when she's just with myself and her family, she is a very open person and she's very intelligent. She has 4 years of university and a bachelors degree in biology. It almost seems like a waste when you consider that now she will spend her life taking care of a home and her children. But she speaks fondly of her way of life. It doesn't seem to bother her that certain things that I would consider as basic freedoms for myself have been deemed as strictly masculine activities in her culture. She enjoys watching soccer on television but laughed at the idea of playing it. She's never driven a car. She enjoys buying nice clothing and jewelry, although the only people that will see it are her family and a few close friends and only in the privacy of her home. They are very warm and hospitable people. I am constantly being offered gifts of food by both her and her husband and they smile a lot when they speak. I think I'm probably getting more out of this than she is.

::clouded::

2005-01-16T20:51:00.000-08:00

She carried herself with the air of a Grecian statue. Nothing is more inspiring than a beautiful woman who knows that's she's beautiful. Complete confidence in the fact that all eyes follow her when she walks into a room makes her radiant instead of simply pretty. It's funny how awkward you can feel just by looking at someone else.

When I have a house of my own, it's going to have bathrooms with class. Striking, dark coloured walls with contrasting picture rails. Ornate light and faucet fixtures. Contemporary art on the walls and plants, real plants... not the silk plants my mother insisted that we have in our house. She was a florist for over 20 years and she couldn't keep a plant alive to save herself.

hunger hurts, but starving works, when it costs too much to love...

2005-01-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

I really wish I could make things better for the people I love.

My aunt and her boyfriend are splitting up. They've been together for a few years and I can't say that nobody saw this coming. She's an exciting, bubbly person, and he's, well, fucking boring. And he got her a toaster and an electric grill for Christmas. I know you all think that last thing was my attempt at humor, but I'm serious! Men, don't EVER buy a woman something she has to use in the kitchen, or to clean with and consider it a gift. That would be like us buying you a cheque book so you can give us money and expecting you to thank us for it. Once my grandfather forgot to get my grandmother an anniversary present because they were so busy with harvest at the time. ( I come from simple farming folk) Anyway, that same day they were having a new granary dropped off so he told her that was her present. She didn't speak to him for a week. Then he took her to Hawaii. Hawaii is the reason they were still married. Are you guys taking notes?

I'm not saying that every woman needs a trip to Hawaii. We just want to know that part of you still thinks of us as the goddess you thought we were when we first met. We'll gladly do your laundry (or at least help you with it), cook your spaghetti (or at least keep a close eye on you so you don't burn the garlic toast), gently prod you when you keep us awake with your snoring (or elbow eventually... SOME of us have to work in the morning), watch THREE consecutive games of football on Sundays (I'd like to see you sit through a Trading Spaces marathon), and for the most part, we won't complain. Most of us like knowing that you'd be screwed without us (not to mention stuck with shrunken t-shirts and eating cold pizza for breakfast). But every once in a while we want to be appreciated for the other things that we are; creative, intelligent, romantic and sexual beings. "Domestic" and "Goddess" are not words that go well together and any woman that tells you otherwise has inhaled too much oven cleaner. I bake good cookies and I can sew like a bat out of Hell (ha ha, I'm so lame.), and I might even enjoy doing these things, but I don't identify myself with how clean my bathroom is.

Anyway, I so didn't intend for this to turn into a man-hating rant. My point was, that it feels like lately a lot of bad things are happening to good people in my life, and I really hate feeling helpless. I can't help but believe in Karma. If it doesn't exist, then I'm not too sure what the point is. Society does a lousy job of keeping things fair, so I have to have faith that something else will eventually.

I hope, when they die, cartoon characters have to answer for their sins.

2004-12-31T16:44:00.000-08:00

You know, my life is pretty fucking great.

I'm unhappy a lot of the time.

My life is pretty fucking great and I'm unhappy a lot of the time. There really is something wrong with me. I have amazing people who love me. I live in what I consider the greatest country in the world. I live in what a lot of people consider one of the greatest cities in the world. I'm reasonably healthy. I have a good, although somewhat disfunctional, relationship with my family. I've never even really experienced any huge loss in my life. Even my cat is awesome. (I'm not too sure if that's relevent, but honestly, it's hard to find a cool cat. She's not bitchy, she's affectionate, she doesn't claw my couch or try to kill my plants...)

I've become one of those people I hate. One of those people that complain about life when they've had everything handed to them. Except I don't usually complain, well, at least not to the general public. (There are a few special people that I do nothing but complain to, you know who you are.) Internally, though, I'm screaming sometimes. And I hate it because I can't think of one valid reason why. I guess I DO have the flu...

Anyway, my New Years Resolution is to grow up. I have more than anyone needs.

I hope this works out better than last years resolution to start jogging. And if it doesn't, so what, I hate this stupid party.

Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now.

2004-12-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

Yeah, so remember how they were predicting that big flu epidemic and they told all of us to wait until the elderly and high at risk had their flu shots before the rest of us got ours? Well, being the decent citizen that I am, I waited. I was there at the clinic, ready to get it, but I waited. And then I completely forgot until this guy that I work with got sick a few weeks ago, but honestly, who has time to go get a flu shot a week before Christmas? So of course I didn't go then to get one and now guess who has the flu?

So here I sit at work, freezing my ass off wanting nothing more than a cup of hot tea and loads of blankets and pillows and a lame feel good movie to fall asleep to. Well, I guess I could make myself some tea, but it hardly seems sufficient without everything else. Come to think of it, I don't think I'd be happy if I had everything else either. I'm one of those people that makes everyone else hate when they're sick. I know right now that even those that love me most loathe me. Hell, I loathe me.

God, I'm miserable. It's a great day to work in a service job. Speaking of jobs, how the hell did I get stuck working Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve AND New Years Day?

SEE! I told you this was going to turn into me bitching about my landlord.

I think I'll come back later and write something with purpose.
Right now I just need someone to hold me...

...Or something.

..the moment you've all been waiting for...

2004-12-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is.

After a lot of inner struggle I've decided to join the masses and start a blog.

I can't say that I have any idea where this is going. I don't really see the point in putting ones personal thoughts about ones personal life down into words unless one can be brutally honest, and to be frank, I really don't think I trust the reader enough to be quite that candid. I suppose that at this point nobody knows this page exists or that it is myself that is writing these words so that kind of sincerity is possible. Or maybe this will just be an outlet for my political views. Or maybe I'll just go on and on about how mad I am at my landlord and how much I love this great new song I heard. Maybe I'll mix it up every once in a while.

I'm so creative.