Another Failure of the Press

I had an experience yesterday that served only to deepen my cynicism about the mainstream press (The Toronto Star being the sole exception). I called The Hamilton Spectator's Stephanie Crozier to suggest that her story about Friday's protest at the constituency office of my Conservative M.P., David Sweet, had overlooked an important element, the fact that a No Trespass sign had been erected at the entrance to the strip mall housing Mr. Sweet's office.

She told me that she didn't see how that was newsworthy. I tried to point out to her that it was a violation of our fundamental rights as citizens of a democracy, and that the kind of gated community mentality represented by the sign was perhaps also indicative of a deeper problem with what is happening in this country under Harper.

Her response was that the interdiction seemed reasonable, given that the owner's property had allegedly suffered some damage to plants some time ago. She had not pressed him on whether this damage had been caused by an individual or a group. As well, she had spoken to Sweet's office manager, who had stayed behind a locked constituency door during the protest, despite the fact that it was supposed to be open to constituents. Again, she saw this as perfectly reasonable.

While she was pleasant and cordial enough in our telephone discussion, I got the distinct impression as we ended our conversation that she had pegged me as some sort of crank.

Why am I even bothering to write about this? Is my ego so fragile that I cannot accept that my view did not hold sway over her? Not at all. It's just that when one remembers that a free press used to be regarded as a mainstay in protecting our democracy, it is yet another reminder of how debased our fragile democracy has become, and that the press has done little to mitigate that slide.

Who Is The Real Enemy?

I strongly encourage you to watch this deeply cynical but powerfully trenchant indictment of, well, of all of us.

Another List of Targeted Tory M.P.s

Yesterday I posted a list sent to me of seven Conservative M.P.s to try to convince to 'call in sick' the day of the omnibus vote. Here is the next seven:

Action #23: Here are the next seven Conservative MPs. Please email them and ask that they "call in sick" on the day of the final budget vote. It will only take a few minutes of your time. By reporting back in a comment we will all be able to keep track of the campaign's progress. It will also encourage others to participate.

1. Dave MacKenzie: dave.mackenzie@parl.gc.ca

2. Phil McColeman: phil.mccoleman@parl.gc.ca

3. Costas Menegakis: Costas.Menegakis@parl.gc.ca

4. Rob Nicholson: rob.nicholson@parl.gc.ca

5. Rick Norlock: rick.norlock@parl.gc.ca

6. Gordon O'Connor: gordon.oconnor@parl.gc.ca

7. Joe Preston: joe.preston@parl.gc.ca

Be sure to email them all separately!

Another Way To Fight Omnibus Bill C-38

I received the following from one of the people I was protesting with the other day near Conservative M.P. David Sweet's constituency office. It offers yet another tool in the fight against Haper's undemocratic push to remake Canada in his image:

I know many of you are upset and outraged about the 2012 Budget Bill that Harper is trying to slam through parliament with his majority. Here is one quick little step you can take to help stop the Bill being passed - take away his majority! There were 7 Conservative MPs who missed the final budget vote earlier this year for a number of reasons, let's convince them again!

Action #20: Here is the set of seven Conservative MPs. Please email them and ask that they "call in sick" on the day of the final budget vote. It will only take a few minutes of your time. Please feel free to pass this along to encourage others to participate.

1. Michael Chong: michael.chong@parl.gc.ca

2. Joe Daniel: Joe.Daniel@parl.gc.ca

3. Barry Devolin: barry.devolin@parl.gc.ca

4. John Duncan: john.duncan@parl.gc.ca

5. Rick Dykstra: rick.dykstra@parl.gc.ca

6. Kerry-Lynne Findlay: Kerry-Lynne.Findlay@parl.gc.ca

7. Diane Finley: diane.finley@parl.gc.ca

Here are two possibilities for the text of the email:

Dear Honourable XXX,

I am emailing you to respectfully ask that you not participate in the upcoming budget vote -- call in sick instead. The process of including legislation in the budget bill circumvents our democratic process and makes a farce of our democracy. The erosion of democracy and citizens rights bit by bit leads ultimately to a dictatorial system. If the changes to environmental legislation are legitimate and have merit, then they will be able to withstand scrutiny in the house, in the press and in the minds of the people. Please defend our democracy and insist that this budget bill be divided up appropriately.

'Lest we forget' Hundreds of thousands of Canadian men and women have lost their lives in two world wars to protect our democracy. Think of their sacrifice.

Sincerely,

OR

Dear Honourable XXX,

I am emailing you to respectfully ask that you not participate in the upcoming budget vote -- call in sick instead. The gutting of 50 years of environmental legislation will have profound implications for the health and safety of Canadians, who are growing increasingly concerned about Budget 2012. If the changes to environmental legislation are legitimate and have merit, then they will be able to withstand scrutiny in a bill of their own. Please defend our democracy and insist that this budget be broken up into manageable bills.

Sincerely,

An Eloquent Denunciation of Harper

I am taking a blogging break today, but thanks to Kev over at Trapped in a Whirlpool, I can pass this along. Please watch it, and circulate as widely as possible:

Gated Democracy? - Protesting The Harper Omnibus Budget Bill - Part 2

Yesterday I got a glimpse of the kind of democratic expression that is considered acceptable under the Harper regime. It is one that I found profoundly disturbing.

Almost a week ago I wrote a post describing a march organized by Leadnow.ca to the constituency office of my Conservative M.P., David Sweet. Yesterday, another demonstration to protest Bill C-38, the Harper budget omnibus bill, took place, this one organized by the local chapter of the Council of Canadians and joined by a variety of groups and individuals.

Despite the short notice, this march from downtown Dundas up to Mr. Sweet's office in Greensville was well-attended, and I was very pleased by the healthy presence of young Canadians, each participant bound by a deep concern for the dark road Stephen Harper and his acolytes are leading us down.

However, young and old alike were in for an unpleasant surprise upon arrival at our destination. We were met with a No Trespassing sign at the entrance to the strip mall housing Sweet's constituency office, an interdiction authorized by the property owner, IPC Investments, we were told.

Not one to be satisfied with such an expedient and un-Canadian dismissal of democracy, I ventured onto the property to ask for the owner. Flanked by four Hamilton police officers (all of whom, I must say, discharged their perceived duties in a very professional and non-confrontational manner), I spoke to the owner, who refused to give his name. (I later learned his identity, but it seems pointless to give it here, as I suspect his is an attitude endemic in Harperland.)

I asked him why we were being denied access to the office of our M.P., and he told me it was private property. When I persisted in my questions, he said there had been an incident of property destruction a couple of months ago, at which point the officer told him he didn't have to answer my questions. Interestingly, a lawyer who was in attendance later contacted the property owner who "alleged that people in the past had caused damage by breaking foliage and walking on plants," none of which was in evidence in this concreted and rather sterile-looking strip mall.

Thus literally relegated to the street (also an apt metaphor for where this battle must be fought), many of the attendees spoke eloquently about their concerns over the omnibus bill. Representatives from labour, the environment, poverty and political action groups, as well as former politicians and individuals, all united by their love of this country and their compassion for its members, offered moving perspectives on the dangers inherent in the Harper push to fundamentally alter the values and traditions that I would like to think the majority of Canadians hold dear.

Many of yesterday's attendees were veterans of the battles to safeguard those values, maintain our democratic rights, and hold our politicians accountable to those they were elected to represent and serve. Many others were young and just beginning to take up those battles, but all were united in their passion and their determination to fight for the things truly worth fighting for in this life.

It is this spirit that the Harper regime can never really understand. It is this spirit that Harper and his followers would love to crush. But it is also this spirit that, as both history and contemporary world events amply demonstrate, is the one aspect of humanity that is truly invincible, and will never die.

Another Post Praising The Star

Most days, there is no dearth of topics upon which I could comment, but because I don't spend the entire day at the computer, I try to be selective. And although I have written many posts that involve praise for the Toronto Star, here goes another one.

Unlike any other paper I can think of, The Star's investigations get results, the latest arising from an investigative series they began last September on the Ontario College of Teachers, the body that regulates teachers in this province. That series uncovered the fact that teachers found guilty of some very serious offences were often still in the classroom, had not had their teaching certificates pulled, and their identities were being protected from public knowledge.

As a result of the legwork done by the newspaper, a review was conducted under retired justice Patrick LeSage. It was released yesterday,with the following results:

Both the provincial Education Ministry and the college have vowed to move quickly on the recommendations. Education Minister Laurel Broten is expected to introduce legislation that will, among other fixes, ensure teachers guilty of sexual misconduct lose their licences.

You can read the entire story here.

Although I am retired from the profession, I cringe every time I hear of misconduct by teachers, as it casts all educators in a very unfavorable light.

And so I rest a little easier, knowing The Star is on the job.