What is an Abusive Relationship Like?

A Commentary on abuse

In planning a blog about spousal abuse, I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) asked a friend to tell me in writing her experience with an abusive boyfriend. This is what she wrote (paraphrased):

My boyfriend won’t let me visit my friends and family. He has made me stop all contact with them except on the phone, but then the other week, he told me to go out for a meal with my friends. When I did, I was punished for it. I know he’ll tell me to do it again though, so I’m confused. He keeps doing this. He makes me feel like I’m going crazy for thinking he’s controlling, saying, I’m being ungrateful because he cares about me. He didn’t want me going to the gym anymore, so I don’t go anymore. He also doesn’t let me go to work, instead, telling me to rely on him for income because he will look after me. I’m not allowed to go out, unless it’s for necessities, but when I do, I need to share my location with him no matter where I go. If I don’t check in with him when I get to the store, I get in trouble. I miss my Mom so much, so last week I snuck off to see her, he caught me, and I was punished for it. My Grandma is dying in a nursing home, but I’m forbidden to see her. I’m not allowed to do anything unless he says so. I want to book a holiday to go visit relatives, but he said no. I wanted to go back to school, but I wasn’t allowed to do that either. I can’t wait until I’m allowed to do these things. I know the time will come soon, and he will change. I know he’s only doing this because he loves me. He’s doing all of this for my own good.

Okay, I’ll be honest. I didn’t get that from a friend. I saw it on a meme, but I bet it got your attention. Perhaps you believed me, illustrating how easily we can be manipulated to think something. I suspect some of you thought the above narrative was about an abusive relationship between a girl living with her abusive boyfriend, but it’s not that at all. At the end of the meme, it said, “Oh wait, did I say boyfriend? I meant the government.” Are we in an abusive relationship with our governments? Is our relationship with health officials and the mainstream media healthy? Let’s explore.

Edmonton Police Services defines abuse as an attempt to control the behaviour of another person. I call this bullying (#bullying #antibullying). Psychology Today’s article, 10 Red Flag Warning Signs of Abuse, lists warning signs of an unhealthy, one-sided relationship. It lists signs such as, attempt to control all aspects of a partner’s life, attempt to isolate the partner from family and friends, being disrespectful by blaming, shaming, and putting the partner down, and threatening with harm if you don’t do what they want. Would authorities do that?

I urge you to watch the video OH CANADA. WAKE UP! (Source: Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms), and you’ll see all the warning signs listed above are all checked off. Shaming is real, as shown in the article Shaming of the unvaccinated intensifies. Ontario gives police new powers to enforce stay-home order and ban on outdoor gatherings is yet more evidence of bullying by government.  Even our police forces are abusive as Ontario police officer pushes child to the ground at park. Mandy Hale says, “A healthy relationship will never require you to sacrifice your friends, your dreams, or your dignity.” This is so true, so my conclusion is we are in an unhealthy relationship with our governments, police, and health officials. Yet, people like Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, told CNN “…it was very very clear that he was talking about liberties that were being restricted. This has nothing to do with liberties…” (see Dr. Fauci).

Speaking of the mainstream media (MM): Are we in an abusive relationship with them? One of the warning signs of abuse mentioned above is the attempt to control. Is the MM attempting to manipulate us by controlling the narrative and trying to persuade us to think a certain way? Sky News Australia, itself considered MM, says Mainstream media is ‘deliberately engaging in propaganda’ to control ‘the way you think’.  Listen to its video to find out why. Another video titled, CNN Director ADMITS Network Engaged in ‘Propaganda’ to Remove Trump from Presidency, has recently gone viral. Check it out. The CNN Director admits it delivers propaganda and uses fear right on camera.

Here is The Federalist’s story about the video. Perhaps this is why CNN has shed more than half its viewers since Biden took office, down staggering 60%.  Then there’s MM’s Globe and Mail paid £27,776 by U.K. government for coverage.

Seems like control to me.  The latest media lie being revealed is The Brian Sicknick Case Shows How the Media Make Their Own Reality and Greenwald blasts New York Times, media for initial reports on Sicknick’s death: ‘Complete fiction.’ Journalist Glenn Greenwald divulges The New York Times “published an emotionally gut-wrenching but complete fiction that never had any evidence” by initially reporting that Sicknick’s “skull was savagely bashed in with a fire extinguisher by a pro-Trump mob until he died.” Washington’s top medical examiner recently debunked this media narrative announcing U.S. Capital Police officer Brian Sicknick suffered two strokes and died of natural causes the day after he was confronted during the January 6 US Capitol riots. Just another example of how we’ve been abused—or shall we say bullied—by the MM.

NBC News Digital, also part of the MM, has an article, U.S. commander: Intel still hasn’t established Russia paid Taliban ‘bounties’ to kill U.S. troops. Here is CNN’s June 2020 story: Washington Post: Russian bounties to Taliban fighters believed to result in deaths of US troops, intelligence assessments show. The credibility of the Taliban report by MM alleged the Russian government was paying bounties to Taliban fighters to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan to make people think negatively about the Trump Administration. Now it is shown to be yet another lie to manipulate our thinking about Trump. It is abundantly clear to me that we are in an abusive relationship with the MM. Joss Whedon, in Astonishing X-Men, Volume 2: Dangerous says, “The news isn’t there to tell you what happened. It’s there to tell you what it wants you to hear or what it thinks you want to hear.” For me, MM has no credibility.

How do you solve abusive relations? Jonathan Mead says, ‘Sometimes the easiest way to solve a problem is to stop participating in the problem.’ That means we must start thinking for ourselves and stop blindly believing what we are told by governments, health officials, and MM. I remind you of what Adolf Hitler once said, “What good fortune for those in power that people do not think.” Or as Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, said, “If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it, and you will even come to believe it yourself.” Could this be what MM is doing?  Could they be telling lies about the alleged pandemic? I’m merely asking the question. Goebbels also said, “A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth.” It is time to do your own thinking!

Goebbels’ best quote, however, is, “There will come a day, when all the lies will collapse under their own weight, and truth will again triumph.”  W. Clement Stone once said, “Truth will always be truth, regardless of lack of understanding, disbelief or ignorance.” Or, as Flannery O’Connor says, “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.” I believe the truth will triumph, we will eventually know the truth. In Phaedrus, a dialogue written by Plato, it says:

“Things are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden.”

What has been carefully hidden from us?

The Whole World’s Goin’ Crazy

A commentary on the state of the world

Back when I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) was in college, I used to listen to the Canadian rock band April Wine, and even attended a few of their concerts. In 1976, they released the song, ‘The Whole World’s Goin’ Crazy.’ If you’ve never heard the song, have a listen.

One of the lines in the song is, “The whole world’s goin’ crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy.” That is the way I feel these days. Here’s why.

Canada is not the same country that I grew up in. Spencer Fernando says “Canada no longer feels like a free country.” That is how I feel. Even the mainstream media (MM) in the US are talking about Canada, and not in a positive way. Tucker Carlson of Fox News recently gave this commentary.

According to True North’s article, Tucker Carlson isn’t the only one speaking out about Trudeau’s internment camps, the reactions on Twitter compared the “hotels” to gulags and concentration camps. Back in October, the CBC assured Canadians that any talk of “internment camps” was false, saying in its headline, “Disinformation campaign falsely suggests Canadians will be forcibly sent to quarantine sites.”  Another lie told by our MM. This explains why Half of Canadians believe journalists mislead the public: poll. Even censorship is flaunted and thought acceptable, as The head of YouTube brags about how brutal they’ve made their censorship. Florida governor Ron DeSantis calls out 60 Minutes for “smear” alleging pay-to-play vaccine distribution plan. This is another blatant lie by the MM as it was shown false by the Democratic mayor of Palm Beach County, who worked with the governor’s office. It’s crazy! MM is untrustworthy, and freedom of speech is guaranteed by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but now Trudeau’s Liberals say they will legally censor anyone who “taunts” them — so, it was nice knowing you! This is all pure craziness.

I used to feel pride in being Canadian, and proud of Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The RCMP is stereotypically considered one of Canada’s most cherished institutions, with its brave Mounties courageously keeping our country safe. I will admit, I once believed that, but I have lost all respect for our RCMP, and other police forces, because of their bullying (#bullying #antibullying), most especially their bullying of churches. The stories of Alberta police raid and close GraceLife churchPastor kicked Calgary cops from church, and Warrantless cops, public health kicked out of Calgary church by pastor clearly show the craziness of police bullying when our Charter guarantees religious freedom. This is not the same RCMP who policed my home town growing up.

It is crazy how the people we elect to serve us are now bullies. They allow police harrassment for protesting lockdowns when the Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees Canadian’s right to protest. Yet, we see articles saying, “Stop treating us like we’re walking viruses”: protesters risk $1,200 fines in Whitecourt, Alberta, and Government troops occupy a church in Alberta. Where’s the outcry — even from other churches? Governments acting ‘out of character’ is crazy as Trudeau gov’t gives itself permission to borrow $635 billion this year. Governments typically claim they must balance their budgets to justify cutting programs. It’s wild how members of governments are disagreeing with their political party as in 15 UCP MLAs push back against latest Alberta lockdown. According to Global News, there are now 18 dissenting back benchers and Premier Kenney has warned United Conservative legislature members that flouting the rules means disciplinary action that includes getting kicked out of caucus. Now even the government is acting crazy because people are not listening to their dictating leaders.

The craziest idea our governments are now toying with are COVID passports. That means no freedom without the jab. It’s crazy because it’s like China’s social credit system. As explained in An Introduction to the China Social Credit System, the goal of China’s social credit system, which is still in development, is to provide a holistic assessment of an individual or a company’s trustworthiness, based on a numerical score. The consequences of a poor social credit score could be serious. It may affect travel prospects, employment, access to finance, and the ability to enter into contracts. Yet, Concerns grow regarding use of vaccine passports in United Kingdom. Ontario is the first province to introduce such a thing, as indicated in the articles, Ontario’s “digital ID plan” sure sounds like a vaccine passport, and in Vaccine passports are coming, aren’t they? Yes, the world is going crazy, crazy, crazy!

It is a crazy world when ordinary people act crazy. A School threatens mask-exempt father with Trespass charge for picking up his kids. When parents are prevented from taking their children with them, that’s insanity. When a parent is jailed for advocating for their children, we live in a ridiculous world. Parents have a right, as primary caregivers, to object to their underage child getting a sex change. (see Jailed B.C. father offered plea bargain after speaking out against trans teen’s medical transition and Jailed BC father fighting child’s hormone therapy reaches plea agreement.) It is a crazy world when books once cherished for generations suddenly become offensive, but that is what happened with the beloved Dr. Seuss books (see These are the “offensive” drawings that got Dr. Seuss books banned?)

It is a crazy world with all the COVID confusion and misinformation provided by MM, social media, and health professionals. The latest is New South African mutant Covid strain ‘evades testing and could be more rampant than we know’ and A new coronavirus variant found in France can hide from COVID-19 nasal-swab tests.

US Dr. Fauci is considered the top infectious disease expert. In an article titled, This is Dr. Fauci’s most important coronavirus warning right now, he agrees:

The UK, South African, and Brazilian mutations were detailed in December and January, and many countries have already confirmed infections with the new strains. The South African variation is the most dangerous of the three because it can evade neutralizing antibodies in some cases.

Then in Everything Dr. Fauci Has Said About Coronavirus, he says,

“When you look at the level of virus in the nasal pharynx of someone who’s symptomatic versus without symptoms, the level is exactly the same…So you can make the assumption that… without symptoms, you can spread it. We know from pretty good studies that asymptomatic people can drive transmission of this virus.”

If this new variant evades detection, then how do they know it’s a variant? Wouldn’t you have to detect a variant? How can a person who is asymptomatic and one who is symptomatic have exactly the same amount of virus? None of this makes sense to me. It is crazy how “intelligent” this coronavirus is; a virus that can avoid the body’s antibodies, evade detection, and spread asymptomatically. I’m no doctor, but I taught biology for 35 years, including units on immunity, and I have never heard of this. Biology textbooks always taught that the body’s natural immune system fights off any viruses when working efficiently.

The article in Science Magazine, Immunological memory to SARS-CoV-2 assessed for up to 8 months after infection, says:

Substantial immune memory is generated after COVID-19, involving all four major types of immune memory. About 95% of subjects retained immune memory at ~6 months after infection.

Even Scientific American says Your Immune System Evolves to Fight Coronavirus Variants, saying antibodies can change to counter new forms of the shape-shifting virus. Perhaps this is why even MM columnists are questioning what health officials are saying, as in SNOBELEN: When the facts don’t align with public health’s preconceived notions. Then there is the Doctor [who] invites public to tour COVID wards… then backtracks when challenged to do so. There is craziness even in the medical community.

Alberta just implemented tighter COVID restrictions, one of which is you can only eat in restaurant patios outside. A recent meme said:

We can’t eat inside. But we can eat outside. But it’s cold outside. But it’s cold so we set up outside as inside. It’s fine because it’s outside inside.

The world has gotten that crazy. In fact, here is a video of New Yorkers, banned from eating inside, eating outside during a snow storm. If that isn’t crazy, I don’t know what is. You can’t make this stuff up.

As said in a meme:

In a world where it is normal to raise your child without a gender, quarantine yourself while healthy, cower at the sight of someone breathing fresh air, and snitch on your neighbours for celebrating the holidays…I’m okay with being called crazy.

Yes, as the song says, “The whole world’s goin’ crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy.” The truth is, this craziness stops when people think for yourselves, do their your own research, and stop blindly listening to the media, politicians, and health officials. Craziness ends when we say, “Enough is enough!”

The Wisdom of Spock

A commentary on the wisdom of Spock

I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) grew up watching Star Trek. In college, our entire dorm used to watch whatever Star Trek episode was on TV before going to eat dinner at the cafeteria. My favourite character has always been Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy. There is a scene in the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, where Spock says, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.” To me, it makes sense to do what is best for the majority of people. Really what Spock is talking about is utilitarianism, which holds that the most ethical choice is the one that will produce the greatest good for the greatest number. 

Spock played by Leonard Nimoy

French philosopher, Voltaire, believed that the purpose of government was to protect religious liberty, freedom of the press, and the liberties of the people. Most people believe the governments we elect will protect us and make decisions that benefit the majority of people. That doesn’t seem to hold true at present. There has been a meme going around with a quote by Nathan Fraser which says, “There are two types of people in the world. People who think the government is looking out for their best interest, and people who think.” Ronald Reagan once said, “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” U S President Reagan was right!

The story, Alberta NDP leader has coughing fit during press conference, won’t address COVID questions, indicates that politicians are not upfront with us, or at the very least fail to practice what they preach. They clearly have shown a lack of integrity and are untrustworthy.

If governments were here to help, why are they continuing to lock us down? They claim they’re protecting us from the deadly COVID virus, but are they? I find that difficult to believe when I read news articles such as, Lockdowns have no significant benefits: international study. If governments and health officials truly cared about our heath, they would be more concerned about the mental health crisis (see FUREY: The psychological toll of the COVID-19 lockdowns) and other issues created by the lockdowns. Sexual exploitation of children is on the rise reported in Online sexual exploitation of children up 88% during pandemic. The Economy is suffering as described in FUREY: It’s not just ‘business’ that’s hurting — it’s all of society, it’s life itself. Suicides are increasing as stated in Youth suicide attempts increase due to lockdowns: study. People with food allergies, forced to quarantine in COVID jails, are being fed foods that cause them harm as outlined in DENIED: Delivering pizza to a quarantine hotel. I haven’t even got into the bullying (#bullying #antibullying) promoted by our leaders in the name of “COVID protection.” The article, Cops PRESSURED by health authority to ticket Full Gospel Outreach Church in Saskatchewan, discusses the bullying towards Christian churches. This is not protecting the liberties of the people, or religious freedom. This is bullying by the very people who were supposed to be protecting us.

Spock in Star Trek’s season 1, episode 24 (“Space Seed,” 1968) said, “Insufficient facts always invite danger.” Are governments, media, and health officials giving us accurate information regarding the alleged pandemic?  Mainstream Media’s (MM) CTV News says COVID hospitalizations surging among ages 30 to 50, Doctor says, yet according to the ACES monitoring system, the 30 day average of new hospital admissions in Ontario for Pneumonia, Influenza-like illness and infection are all well below the historical (2018, 2019) average. (see Hospital admissions are much lower than historical record despite COVID-19 – ACES monitoring system).

So I have to ask: Is the MM being honest with us? American actor, Denzel Washington, doesn’t think so since he lectures the Media on its dishonesty and ‘Fake News.’ Check out the video.

I’m inclined to believe the American actor since The Washington Post a few months back reported on the call between Donald Trump and an elections investigator in Georgia, claiming Trump asked her to “find the fraud.” Two months after this story, the Washington Post published a retraction, saying, instead, Trump urged the investigator to scrutinize ballots in Fulton County, Georgia, asserting she would find ‘dishonesty’ there.  Many MM outlets such as CNN, ABC News, NBC News and USA Today all claimed that they had “confirmed” The Washington Post’s reporting. If MM lied—lets call it what it is—about this story, how many other stories are false?

Here in Canada, the CBC published feature on business owner who assaulted female journalist. Rebel News, where the reporter involved works, gives their version of the story in CBC Promos Dion Bews, AKA The NDP Thug Who Assaulted Sheila. Why is the CBC promoting someone who is less than honourable? The CBC claims that they were unaware of the man’s assault of a female. Isn’t it their job to get all the facts before publishing a story? I—until recently—always believed that reporters had integrity. I guess I was wrong.

Spock said “Insufficient facts always invite danger,” so I have to ask: Are we being fed “insufficient facts” by media, politicians, and health officials that put us in danger? The story, Conservatives call for emergency meeting over AstraZeneca vaccine concerns, would suggest so. The Toronto Star reports that Alberta joins other provinces in halting use of AstraZeneca shot for people under 55. And then there’s Over 100 Fully Vaccinated People In Washington State Test Positive For COVID-19. There seems to be concerns regarding these shots and one does have to question the effectiveness of the vaccine. Rebel News asks, Why are so many front-line health care workers refusing to take the vaccines? saying frontline healthcare workers are refusing the COVID-19 vaccine en masse. Do they know something that we aren’t being told?

Why are COVID shots being forced upon us? Perhaps Rebel News is right in their article, Worst of times for you, but it’s the best of times for Pfizer! Ask yourself: Who has gained the most from this never-ending pandemic? It is not the small businesses or us regular people. Corporate stores are doing fine. Politicians have never missed a paycheque, and some even got raises (see No April Fool’s Joke). seem to be benefiting. The fear-induced panic driven by politicians, health officials, and mainstream news has sparked a demand for a supposed miracle COVID vaccine, and companies delivered! Who do you suppose is benefiting financially? The story, Bill Gates: Vaccines are ‘phenomenal’ profit makers, concurs with Rebel News’ claim.

Spock in Star Trek’s season 3, episode 5, (“And the Children Shall Lead,” 1968) said, “Without followers, evil cannot spread.”  I do not follow mainstream news any more. I do my own research and thinking, and I refuse to blindly do something because some acclaimed expert, such as a politician, or health official, or news anchor told me to. That way, I know no evil can occur to me. I recently saw this story on Facebook.

An anthropologist showed a game to the children of an African tribe. He placed a basket of delicious fruits near a tree trunk and told them: “The first child to reach the tree will get the basket.” When he gave them the start signal, he was surprised that they were walking together, holding hands until they reached the tree and shared the fruit! When he asked them why they did that, pointing out that each one could have gotten the basket for themselves, they answered with bewilderment: “Ubuntu. That is, how can one of us be happy while the rest are miserable?” Ubuntu in their culture means: I am because we are. The African people know the secret of happiness; a secret that has been lost in all societies that transcend them, yet consider themselves civilized societies.

Sadly, this is what is missing at the present time. Because we allow others to tell us how to think, what to believe, or how to behave, we have become a divided and fearful world. No wonder there is so much unhappiness. How can anyone be happy when others are unhappy? The time has come to follow no more, to think for yourselves, to make informed decisions by doing your own research, and find happiness by standing up for those who are being bullied by the media, politicians, and health officials.