Religion – Sommer Season all year

A Dark History

Another of the Catholic Churches’ dark history—a negative or harmful aspect of the past—is being exposed. The article, Ireland Digs Up 796 Infants’ Remains in Septic Tank Scandal! describes a mass forensic exposure at the site of a former Irish Catholic mother and baby institution where the remains of 796 infants and young children were found in an abandoned septic tank. This is a disturbing discovery tied to an institution who claims it is the “one true church” founded by Jesus Christ.” It was 40 years ago, when National Catholic Reporter (NCR) first exposed the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal. The coverage of this dark past was first revealed in June 1985 on NCR’s front page with an overview of sexual abuse cases of priests in several U.S. dioceses.

CBC has an article written by a Philippine girl titled, I’ve been a Catholic my entire life. But the church’s dark past is making me lose faith. She writes:

My journey of discovery led me to the dark history of the Catholic church in Canada. I learned of the systemic and widespread sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests and the historical genocide of Indigenous people in Canada…I am profoundly disillusioned with the Catholic church. And I can’t be the only one. I can’t be alone in my feelings of betrayal and hurt. How could the church that served as my guiding moral compass to goodness all these years be the same establishment that has caused so much agony and suffering to so many?

I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) can totally relate to this Philippine girl’s feelings. I’ve been disillusioned with the church for many years now for the same reasons. I was raised Catholic and was once a devout Catholic. I recently came across another piece of dark history concerning the Cathars. You’re likely wondering who the Cathars are and why I am bringing them up. Malcolm Barber is a scholar of medieval history and is described as the world’s leading expert on the Knights Templar. He wrote in his book, The Cathars: Dualist Heretics in Languedoc in the High Middle Ages:

Catharism was the greatest heretical challenge faced by the Catholic Church in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The attempt by the Cathars to find an answer to the fundamental religious and philosophical problems posed by the existence of evil, combined with their success in persuading large numbers of Christians in the West that they had solved these problems, shook the Catholic hierarchy to its very core, and provoked a series of reactions more extreme than any previously contemplated.

If you read other accounts about the Cathars, they are said to be heretics. Heretics are those who have controversial opinions, especially ones who publicly dissent from the officially accepted dogma of the Roman Catholic Church. Now I had never heard of the Cathars until a few months ago. I was taught about the crusades, but never the Cathars. Cathars are tied to the crusades and Knight Templar, who I had also never heard about until a few years ago. The World History Encyclopedia says in their article, Crusades, “The Crusades were a series of military campaigns organised by popes and Christian western powers to take Jerusalem and the Holy Land back from Muslim control and then defend those gains.” According to The History of the Knights Templar, From Inception to Downfall there is much mystery surrounding the Knights Templar, as they began as a Catholic military order created to protect pilgrims on their journeys to and from the Holy Land. The article also says their original mission was to carry out “malicide” defined as the killing of evil itself. The connection between the Knights Templar and the Cathars is explained in the articles, Knights Templar links to the Cathar heresy and Templars Were Mortal Enemies of Cathars.

Who were the Cathars? The article, Cathar Beliefs, doctrines, theology and practices, says “Cathars clearly regarded themselves as good Christians, since that is exactly what they called themselves.”

World History Encyclopedia says in their article, Cathars; The Cathars, also known as Cathari, which means “pure ones” in Greek, were a dualist medieval religious sect of Southern France which flourished in the 12th century and challenged the authority of the Catholic Church. Both articles provide much information about their beliefs, practices, etc.

I was horrified while reading the article, Knights Templar links to the Cathar heresy, which says:

In the Middle Ages, France was convulsed by a crusade between the Catholic church and Christians who called themselves Cathars. They rejected many core Catholic beliefs…We think of the Crusades as a Christian versus Muslim thing – but it was also a Christian versus Christian affair. In the Baltics and Russia, Catholic knights fought the eastern Orthodox church. While in modern Turkey, the Fourth Crusade saw crusaders smash up the Christian city of Constantinople. But most terrifying of all, was the pope’s decision to crush the Cathars in southern France.

Now I was always led to believe that the crusades were about freeing the “Holy Land” from the Muslims. I was never taught that the crusade involved destroying those considered heretics. Could that be true?

The World History Edu’s article, History of the Catholic Church: How and When Did Catholicism Begin? says, “Christianity is often described as a religion that emerged from the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth (also known as Jesus Christ).” Does that mean Jesus taught that heretics need to be wiped out? I don’t believe that. That is not the Jesus I learned about and believe in. Something does not make sense. Why would the Catholic Church destroy a community who considered themselves good Christians? Yes, they were considered heretics by the church, but to wipe them out seems extreme. Would a church that emerged from the teachings of Jesus do that and keep that secret? Is the Catholic Church really true to who they say they are?

A response to Did the Church change its position on the punishment of heretics? answered the question of a person described as anti-Catholic and who wanted to know what Catholic Answers, whose mission is sharing, explaining, and defending the Catholic faith, thought. The enquirer claims that the Church at the Fourth Lateran Council said heretics should be exterminated, but then later denied it.

Part of the Catholic Answers response was:

First, the issue Lateran IV (1215) addressed was not the “extermination” of heretics in the sense of killing them. Anti-Catholics have been confused by the use of the Latin extermino in the Council’s decree and have assumed the word means the same as the English verb “exterminate,” saying “the relevant passage of Lateran IV reads, “Catholics who take the cross and gird themselves up for the expulsion [“extermination”] of heretics shall enjoy the same indulgence and be strengthened by the same holy privilege as is granted to those who go to the aid of the holy land.”

That implies, at least from the perspective of the person answering the question, that the church never killed heretics. So, which is it? Did they or didn’t they?

Paul Wallis is a Theological Educator who delivers courses on the History of Christian Thought and Biblical Hermeneutics—the principles of interpreting texts, something I know something about after taking Biblical Theology courses. He has a documentary titled, The Cathars The Untold Story. You can watch the documentary on his website: Paul Anthony Wallis – Researcher, Author, Speaker, on Rumble: The Cathars: The Untold Story (Documentary By Paul Wallis), or watch it below.

Mr. Wallis convincingly shows the killing of the Cathars by the Knights Templar. The article, Holy Horrors: Killing Heretics – Church and State, outlines the history of killing heretics. It says: “Killing heretics was endorsed by popes and saints. They quoted Old Testament mandates such as ‘He who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death.’”

What happens to heretics today? Are they exterminated? The 1983 Code of Canon Law outlines several sins that carry the penalty of automatic excommunication, including heresy. Excommunication does not mean a person is kicked out of the Church. It is when a person or group is prohibited from participating in certain activities and receiving the sacraments until the excommunication is lifted. That would mean heretics are not killed today, or at least that’s the official narrative.

According to Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1563, a Catholic priest represents and embodies Jesus, the high priest, both at Mass and at any other time or place. He acts “in persona Christi capitus,” in the person of Christ the head, and consequently, a priest configures himself to Jesus. Now the Gospels portray, Jesus as a model of virtue and love. His teachings emphasize compassion, forgiveness, humility, and love for one’s neighbor. Catholics are told to strive to emulate Jesus and exhibit Christ-like behavior in their interactions with others. This is where my struggles begin. How can people (priests, bishops, cardinals, popes) who claim to act “in persona Christi capitus,” carry out atrocities like the persecution of the early Christians such as the Cathars, anti-heresy witch hunts during the Grand Inquisition, carry out crusades, priest sexual abuse of children, the papal collaboration with the Nazis during World War II, and more? How can a church said to be founded by Jesus have such a dark history? It appears to have a history of bullying (#bullying, #antibullying). For me, this is unforgivable. The one true church founded by Jesus Christ would never carry out such evils. No one who truly embodies Jesus would carry out evil acts. I am disillusioned.

Let’s Talk about Christmas

In 2017, US President Donald Trump claimed that political correctness had gotten in the way of celebrating Christmas saying, “We’re getting near that beautiful Christmas season that people don’t talk about anymore. They don’t use the word Christmas because it’s not politically correct.” (see Trump: ‘We’re saying merry Christmas again’). It seems every holiday season there is another debate about whether to say “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas.” I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) wrote about this in Christmas Controversies 3.0 and Christmas Controversies 3.1 in 2017.

The ridiculousness has continued this year as the National Post reports that Canada’s Federal commission declares Christmas holiday is ‘religious intolerance’. The Canadian Human Rights Commission — an agency created in 1977 to enforce the Canadian Human Rights Act and is fully funded by the Canadian government—argued that a day off on Christmas is ‘discriminatory.’ Christmas, really? Christmas has been around since at least the 4^th century (more on that later), and suddenly it’s discriminatory?

The commission published a Discussion Paper on Religious Intolerance saying that the Christian holidays of Christmas and Easter get days off, while non-Christians have to “request special accommodations to observe their holy days.” The discussion paper cited the statutory Christmas holidays as a form of “religious intolerance” arguing that this constitutes a “form of discrimination.”

That is a ridiculous argument because polls clearly show that non-Christian Canadians almost universally have no problem with Christian holidays. A Leger poll from 2022 asked non-Christian Canadians whether they were offended by the greeting “Merry Christmas.” Of respondents, 92% said “no.” It also asked Canadians of all religious faiths if Christmas if “religious” holidays should be struck from the country’s official statutory holidays. Only 6% said “yes.” That means potentially, only 6% of Canadians think Christian holidays are discriminatory. Does that warrant removing Christmas as a statutory holiday? Absolutely not.

Then there was the law Student’s request to display a menorah prompting the University of Alberta to remove Christmas trees instead. A University of Alberta law student is frustrated after her request to display a menorah alongside a Christmas tree in a study space led the faculty to remove the Christmas trees. The student says she never took issue with the Christmas trees. The decision to remove the trees and confine any potentially non-secular displays to an out-of-the-way room left her baffled. Now that seems a pretty extreme reaction to me, and borders on bullying (#bullying, #antibullying).

Christmas is the festival that Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. Is Christmas really the day Jesus was born? It seems the birthdate of Jesus is in dispute as indicated in the article, Why scholars disagree with Christmas birth date. The article states that “despite scholarly research regarding Christmas Day, most ‘experts’ are still unsure about the true date” of Jesus’ birth. The article, On what day and month was Jesus born? using scriptural evidence, places Jesus’ birth between September 16 and 29, while other theologians have suggested that Jesus was born sometime in the spring. This is based on the biblical narrative that shepherds were watching over their flocks in the fields on the night of Jesus’ birth. When I studied Biblical Theology, we were taught that the biblical stories were myth, that they were a symbolic narrative, and not historical.

Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? According to Wikipedia the Roman Empire held a festival called the Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (‘birthday of the Invincible Sun’) on 25 December, the date of the winter solstice in the Roman calendar. It was dedicated to the sun god “Sol Invictus” (the Unconquered Sun). Some argue that this was the pagan festival that was Christianized . When I took Biblical Theology courses, we were told Christmas was a pagan festival that was Christianized, so that makes sense.

According to The History of Christmas, the church ‘Christianized’ the Saturnalia festival in the 4th century CE, hoping to take the pagan masses in with it. This holiday was a week-long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. Roman law dictated that no one would be punished for damaging property or injuring people during the weeklong celebration. The festival began when Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule.” Each community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week. At the festival’s conclusion, December 25th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman.

This same article refers to the ancient Greek poet and historian Lucian, who in his dialogue entitled Saturnalia, describes the festival’s observance. He references human sacrifice, widespread intoxication, going house to house singing naked, rape, other sexual activities, and consuming human-shaped biscuits.

According to that article, the DePascha Computus, an anonymous document allegedly written around 243 CE, placed Jesus’ birth on March 28. Clement, a bishop of Alexandria (d. ca. 215 CE), thought Jesus was born on November 18. Joseph B. Fitzmyer, professor of Biblical Studies at the Catholic University of America guesses that Jesus birth occurred on September 11, 3 BCE. He based his guess on historical records.

All of this leaves me with many questions. Why would church fathers choose to Christianize a pagan festival involving such debauchery? Why would church fathers choose December 25^th as the birth date of Jesus when most ‘experts’ are unsure about the true date of Jesus’ birth? Furthermore, wouldn’t it make more sense to base the date on biblical evidence placing the date of Jesus’ birth in September or sometime in the spring? Is there some hidden relevance to the December 25^th date that is being kept from us?

According to The History of Christmas, many of the most popular Christmas traditions, including Christmas trees, mistletoe, Christmas presents, and Santa Claus, are modern embodiments of depraved pagan rituals. The article provides a more detailed explanation of this. I doubt many Christians know that. Why would church fathers allow these traditions to creep into the said birthdate of Christian saviour, and the one that Christians proclaim as the Son of God?

No one can deny that Christmas is a hugely commercialized holiday. Christmas focuses on the buying and selling of gifts, with its advertising to convince people what items they should buy as Christmas gifts. How Did Christmas Become Commercialized? It’s not uncommon to hear slogans like “Keep Christ in Christmas” and “Jesus is the Reason for the Season” because Christmas has become so commercialized. There is even a Keep Christ in Christmas Evangelization Program, a campaign that sends religious Christmas cards throughout the US.

I am not trying to put a downer on the Christmas season. Christmas was my favourite time when I was a kid. As an adult, Christmas doesn’t make sense anymore. December 25^th is likely not the actual birth date of Jesus. Governments and media are now calling Christmas a form of “religious intolerance.” Some universities are removing Christmas decorations for reasons that are unclear, likely because Christmas trees are politically incorrect. Calgary’s mayor, Jyoti Gondek, declined to attend a Hanukkah event at city hall, claiming it had “been repositioned as an event to support Israel” and its invasion of Gaza as shown in the news article, Social media reacts to Calgary mayor’s decision to not attend City Hall menorah lighting. It seems Religious festivals are becoming politicized.

As Andy Williams’ traditional Christmas song, “It’s (Christmas) the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” says, Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. What has changed?

What is Happening in Our Schools? (Part two)

When I wrote (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) What is Happening to Our Schools? I thought our schools couldn’t get any worse, but it turns out I’m wrong. The school insanity continues.

When I began teaching in my first school, I was told there was a dress code for teachers which meant male teachers had to wear a tie. My, how things have changed. In September of 2022 a Canadian school backed trans teacher with giant prosthetic breasts, with the stance they’re protecting “gender rights.” It seems anything goes nowadays, including males wearing prosthetic breasts. I would have been fired, and likely put into a mental institution, if I’d pulled such a stunt. Ironically, now it is being reported that this Trans teacher with Z-size prosthetic breasts dresses as man outside of school. One would think if you sincerely want to be a female, you would dress like one on all occasions. Even more insane is A British Columbia secondary school is promoting a workshop for students between 14-year-olds to 19-year-olds on how to access “gender affirming care. Now we’re teaching kids how to change genders.

We Canadians think we live in a country where there is freedom of speech, but that is an illusion. A Canadian Student was Kicked Out of Catholic School for Expressing Biblical Beliefs on Gender. You can say what you want if it agrees with authorities, but the reality is Big Brother is watching you. In case you don’t know, the phrase ‘Big Brother Is Watching You’ comes from the novel 1984 by George Orwell, a novel I studied in high school. It has since become a phrase that refers to threats of government scrutiny.

Watch the news cast about a High School that Orders Removal Of All Urinals In The Name Of Gender Equity. These school board believes All-gender washrooms are a big sign of inclusion in these Canadian schools. Do students support this? Not all of them as Students protest multiple ‘gender neutral’ bathrooms at Alberta high school. My great niece attends one of these schools with ‘gender neutral’ washrooms, and she avoids going to the washroom all day because of fear of meeting boys there. That signals there’s a problem with ‘gender neutral’ washrooms.

I just read about a Parent furious a transgendered men was allowed into girls’ changing room at Calgary pools. Is this what is happening in our schools? If the school has gender neutral washrooms, it is happening. Watch the video below about a student who leaves woke school board SPEECHLESS. This kid is amazing! He reveals truth. This grade 11 student tells about his experience in school and why he is changing schools.

You can also watch it on Rumble should censorship happen. The censorship going on is not only about gender, but it’s also about racism as Anti-Anglophone “Wokeness” Dominates Canada’s Education System. Being a white (Caucasian) is a bad thing now. Then there is the pronoun confusion. The pronoun thing confuses the hell out of me, so I’m sure our young people are confused too. Watch the video, This Is Really Where the Pronoun Madness Has Led to. The video is about a middle school student in the United States being charged with sexual harassment because he refused to use pronouns. This is bullying (#bullying, #antibullying)! and it’s not only happening in Canada.

I recently read that Dr. Seuss was re-classified as adult fiction, gets “racism” complaints: Ottawa Public Library. The thing about our schools is books are being censored because they are deemed as racist, yet a Canadian dad feels the need to rip school board for sexually explicit book available to young children, gender policies. Watch this 11-year-old SILENCE a School Board as he reads from a sexually explicit book found in his school library. You can also watch it here. If you’re a parent, ask why: Are These 7 LGBT ‘Kids’ Books in Your Child’s Classroom or School Library? A Father exposes child grooming books in Canadian schools. Is this what is happening? Are our children being groomed? The article suggests sexually explicit books are being used as tools by predators to aid them in child grooming. Are people trying to normalize pedophilia? If you’re a parent or grandparent, read this article. It’s alarming to think this may be why these types of books are showing up in school libraries.

As far as I’m concerned, our school system is warping the minds of our children. We are confusing kids about gender and teaching them to be racist. That is what Critical Race Theory does in my view, and many others agree. Is there an agenda? You bet. ‘A lot of reason to be afraid,’ says censured teacher critical of the woke revolution in classrooms. In an Interview with the National Post, this teacher said, “Teaching is now a political act that involves indoctrinating children instead of educating them. There’s a lot of reason to be afraid. We are in a kind of cultural revolution and people really do need to pay attention.”

In a February state of the nation speech, Russia’s President Putin said Western nations are trying to “‘distract people’s attention’ from corruption scandals … from economic-social problems…Look at what they do to their own people: the destruction of families, of cultural and national identities and the perversion that is child abuse all the way up to pedophilia, are advertised as the norm … and priests are forced to bless same-sex marriages.” Mainstream Media (MM) maintains Russia is our enemy, but are they? If you have been reading my blogs in past years, you know what I think of the MM. Is Putin merely trying to warn us about the insanity in our Western world?

Here are some other ridiculous things happening in our schools. A N.S. school fires coach after he makes late team members run exercises. When I was teaching, kids were taught to be responsible to their team, and there were consequences for being late. Is that no longer the case? Seems so. School boards placing equity lens as priority even for tree pruning jobs. Equity means staff should reflect the “diversity of the community.” The article states, “It used to be…that prospective employers were not permitted to ask or discriminate against candidates based on age, sexuality, religion and any other personal details that really have nothing to do with one’s ability to perform a particular job. That was when one’s ability to nab a job was based on merit.” I guess ability to do a job doesn’t matter anymore. Human rights are protected for transgender people, but not for those who belong to a majority ethnic group.

Then there is the Canadian school board who votes to terminate teacher who dared to teach truths about Residential School deaths. You’re not allowed to have an opinion or speak truth anymore. It makes people too uncomfortable. “Truth is only visible to those who are able to question everything that they have been taught to believe.” I don’t know who said that, but he or she is bang on. People don’t want to hear truth. It seems Youngsters are becoming infected with adult climate cult hysteria, govt data shows. Let’s panic our youth more. No wonder teachers don’t want to teach anymore. I personally know of a few. It’s why Ontario school boards are hiring uncertified emergency staff.

Yet another survey shows people think things are broken in Canada. This survey says 65% of Canadians agree it feels like many things in Canada are broken. That means 65% are willing to admit something is wrong in Canada. The fact is, all our institutions—schools, government, judicial system, religious institutions and many others—are broken. Things are broken in Canada, and not just in Canada. All of North America and the Western world are broken. As a veteran teacher of 35 years, I find what is happening in our schools very upsetting. I’m happy I am no longer teaching or have children in school. If you’re a parent, or grandparent, you need to pay attention to what’s happening in our schools. Are our children being indoctrinated to think a certain way? Are you okay with that? As a former teacher, I know how easy it is to influence young people, and persuasion can be used for both good or evil. To quote the Pink Floyd song, Another Brick In the Wall, I bet many kids are saying, “Hey, teacher, leave us kids alone.” I say, “leave them kids alone.”

Speaking Truth to Power

Speaking truth to power is a non-violent political tactic, employed by dissidents against propaganda of governments that are regarded as oppressive or authoritarian. Walter Cronkite, an American anchorman for CBS News said, “In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.” That’s my motto. I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) always told my high school students that “your opinion isn’t worth the paper it’s written on unless you back it up with evidence.” Preparing students for their argumentative essays in Social Studies, I emphasized the importance of presenting both points of view. I always try to write my blogs that way. Yet, it astonishes me how many people I talk to know nothing beyond the narrative presented on television.

I recently saw this in a post:

Why do people refuse to research anything, yet demand we spoon feed “proof?” Then you give them proof and they don’t even read it. They say, “well, that’s not a reliable news source,” or “that’s not a reliable doctor.” They always have an excuse why they stick to their talking points.

That has been my experience. People tell me I’m using unreliable sources, that it’s conspiracy, that I am wrong, or even that I am crazy. Some even infer—not in words—that I might be mentally unstable because my view differs from theirs, or because I differ from the narrative spewed on the TV. Yet, I have never had a single person ask me why I think the way I do. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson said, “I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.” Yet, I have experienced numerous family and friends withdrawing from me because of my differing views.

Cognitive Dissonance is to blame. When presented with evidence that challenges a person’s core beliefs, their brains refuse to accept the new evidence. Cognitive Dissonance creates much distress for people, so many people have a need to protect their core beliefs, t0 rationalize, ignore, and deny anything that fails to support their core belief. Have a look at the article, 7 signs you exhibit cognitive dissonance, for more information.

Informed people MUST know all perspectives of a debate. American politician, Dudley Malone said, “I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me.” Nor have I. Corporal (Cpl.) Daniel Bulford is a specialized RCMP officer who, in November, left his position as the prime minister’s personal sniper detail after speaking out against the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and now works for Mounties For Freedom. He presents a perspective that opposes the official narrative. The story, One of Trudeau’s bodyguards speaks out against COVID jab mandates, calls them ‘authoritarian,’ tells Cpl. Bulford’s story. In case the video is censored, you can watch it on Pandemic Debate: Corporal Daniel Bulford. Here is his perspective.

If you didn’t listen, here are some highlights. Cpl. Bulford emphasizes that “fundamental rights are NOT to be limited…even in a national emergency.” He said as Mounties “everything we do is guided by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” Regarding the RCMP, Cpl. Bulford says they “work to prevent crime and enforce the law knowing the supreme law is the constitution…We are [there] to assist Canadians in emergency situations…In the context of the pandemic, I’ve seen us intimidate and arrest Canadians as opposed to assisting them.” He says, “Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to equal protection and equal benefit of the law.” He says he took an oath to keep Canadians safe and to protect their civil liberties. His most powerful statement was, “If others have NOT sought out both sides of the argument, it’s no wonder what they think and do…It is time to be strong in character. It will require sacrifice and preparation. The sacrifice will be the comfort and security that can be found in remaining silent.”

His talk is compelling! If you’re not sure what CPL. Bulford means regarding policing during COVID, have a look at Policing in the Pandemic from policeonguard.ca. Be warned, it is disturbing to watch.

Dr. Julie Ponesse was a professor in the philosophy department at Ontario’s Huron University College and taught ethics for 20 years. Her workplace implemented mandatory vaccination policies, and when she refused to comply, she was fired. The article, Ont. professor on paid leave after refusing to get vaccine or wear a mask, tells her story. In case her talk is censored, here is her talk on Rumble: Why are so many choosing a life in a cage? Rumble. Listen to her view.

Here are some highlights. Dr. Julie Ponesse shows a picture of a lone German refusing to raise a stiff right arm among Hitler’s presence at a 1936 rally.

She then refers to a study revealing that only 10% of people are likely to be like the man in the picture, saying “our dominant world strategy is compliance.” I find that alarming. In another experiment, researchers used individuals to disrupt lineups. Only 1 in 25 spoke up, asking those disrupting to move to back of the line. The rest of the people were too lazy to be bothered, or too afraid of what others would say or do. She then discusses the atrocities happening in the name of COVID. She says, “In the history of mankind, there has never been a political elite sincerely concerned about the well-being of regular people. What makes any of us think it is different now? We have been instructed by our leaders to hate, divide, shame and dismiss, and we are excelling at these things superbly. This is what it now means to be a Canadian…Why is it so many are choosing life in a cage? We don’t need to comply and agree about everything to have a functioning democracy… A society in which we respect each other’s differences is a true democracy.”

Bulford and Ponesse are just two of many offering perspectives on COVID that differ from the TV narrative. How do we know what or who to believe? My answer is to ‘question everything’ and ‘follow your intuition.’ Doe Zantamata defines institution as:

“Intuition literally means learning from within. Most of us were not taught how to use this sense, but all of us know well that ‘gut’ feeling. Learn to trust your inner feeling and it will become stronger. Avoid going against your better judgment or getting talked into things that just don’t feel right.”

That is what I am talking about. Even Albert Einstein said, “I believe in intuition and inspiration… at times I feel certain I am right while not knowing the reason.”

As a teacher, I dealt with bullying (#bullying, #antibullying) among my students many times. I also saw bullying on television, in the movies, as well as from political leaders, I knew deep down within me that bullying is wrong. That is why I wrote my book, A Shattered New Start. From the very beginning of the COVID narrative, April of 2020, something deep within me said “something is wrong.” I’ve written many blogs explaining why.

Many claim God dwells within us. Growing up Christian, I was taught that God—or Yahweh, Allah, Universe, Creator; the name doesn’t matter—is in heaven, and if you follow the commandments and be good, you will go to heaven and be with God. This is where the image of God sitting on a throne in heaven comes from. Christianity calls this God within the ‘Holy Spirit.’ In Luke 17:21 of the Christian scriptures, Jesus was asked when the kingdom of God would come. His reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Jesus is saying the kingdom of God resides within us. That is what I believe.

There is nothing wrong with listening to others, and getting their thoughts and ideas, but we do not need to rely on that. We have God’s Spirit within us, teaching us and guiding us. I rely on that spirit to determine truth. If it feels true, I trust that.

Energy institutive, Lee Harris, in his December energy update said:

“We’ve lost a lot of critical thinking in the last couple of years, or the ability to stand back and take a very balanced view to things that are going on. We’re encouraged to be in our emotional brain, our emotional reactions, to be in fear, or to worry about things.”

That is what I see. Most people are living in fear because of the propaganda. Psychology Today’s article, The Psychology of Truth: Feeling It, explains what ‘feeling truth’ is. I encourage you to read it and try the activities in it. The article says:

The deepest thing we know about truth is that we feel it. Our consciousness is key to our being able to learn, think about, and use what we feel is the truth.

I trust what I feel. If something feels wrong, I trust that. The COVID narrative has never felt right. What governments, health officials, and corporate media say has never resonated with me. It doesn’t feel like truth. That is why my truth may differ from yours. Most people appear to believe and do what they are being told. I don’t because I trust my gut.

There is Something Wrong in Canada

Former Residential School in Alberta, Canada

In early June, News from Kamloops shook Canada when the remains of 215 children on a former residential school site in Kamloops, British Columbia (BC) were found. A week later, 751 unmarked graves at a former Saskatchewan residential school were located. The Marieval Indian Residential School site was operated by the Roman Catholic Church from 1899 to 1997 (source BBC). On June 30^th, once again, First Nations in Cranbrook, BC reported 182 unmarked gravesites discovered near the location of a former residential school site close to the former St. Eugene’s Mission School (source CBC). I’m sure there will be more remains discovered.

Like most Canadians, I (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors) was outraged by this news, since these deaths resulted from bullying (#bullying #antibullying) by the governments of the day and Christian churches who ran the schools, half of which were Catholic Churches. However, I was surprised by the level of anger. It seems that Canadians either forgot about the revelations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission or didn’t pay much attention to it. In the Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, in a document titled, Canada’s Residential Schools: Missing Children and Unmarked Burials, it was recommended that a study be done to identify the location of cemeteries and gravesites in which students were believed to be buried. The project was to collaborate with communities to identify options for commemoration, ceremony, and further community-based research. In 2009, the Commission requested the government cover the cost of this research, but the request was denied. I have to wonder, was the Canadian government trying to cover this up? The Commission revealed that there were many children buried in unmarked graves on former residential school sites.

Since the discovery of over 1000 unmarked graves, church vandalism in Canada has exploded and “suspicious” burnings of Christian (mostly Catholic) churches became widespread. The US is experiencing similar events (see Catholic churches have been torched and vandalized in the US). From June 21 through June 26, four Catholic churches located on tribal lands in British Columbia burned to the ground. Nova Scotia RCMP report suspicious fire at Catholic church in First Nations community. An Anglican church burned on June 26, but was extinguished with minor damage. In the province of Alberta, a fire was extinguished in the early morning hours of June 28 at the Siksika Nation Catholic Church. One June 30^th, Alberta woke up to the headline, Century-old Catholic church in Morinville, Alta., destroyed by fire, a church I visited years ago. These fires appear to be intentionally set, and these attacks on churches continue. These attacks are hate-crimes directed towards the Christian community, and some even argue this is a war on Christianity (see Rebel News). I have to wonder why it took Canada’s prime minister 11 days to condemn attacks on christian churches (see Trudeau denounces church burnings, vandalism in Canada) when the October defacing of the mosque in Cold Lake, Alberta, provoked Trudeau to denounce it the next day.

Since the discovery of unmarked graves, a debate brewed in June over whether to hold Canada Day celebrations. According to the article, Cancel Canada Day: ‘Nothing to celebrate’ amid unmarked graves, many Indigenous community leaders and advocates have promoted the cancelation of celebrations, instead, asking for the day to be one to reflect on the real history of Canada and to support Indigenous people. Many communities across Canada have heeded to that call (see Timeline).

Another debate also erupted: What should Canada do about the statues that regard the very men who started the schools where these children died? Many institutions and local governments are acting to remove statues of Canada’s first prime minister, and other politicians, plus renaming streets and schools of those directly connected to Canada’s residential school program. Statues, including Religious statues, in Canada are being vandalized like the Six religious statues beheaded at Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Sudbury, Ontario. Vandalization of Catholic churches is rampant with at least 10 Calgary churches defaced with red paint on Canada Day. Not all Indigenous leaders agree with what’s occurring since some Indigenous chiefs and leaders decry church burnings and vandalism.

The level of reaction to discoveries on former residential school sites is unprecedented. Don’t get me wrong, the reaction should be strong. It’s a collective call for justice, and a call for all Canadians to be united with Canada’s First Nations people. The question is: Does justice mean burning churches, removing statues, vandalizing, and dumping Canada’s national day?

Sheila North, the former Grand Chief of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) says;

“These things are perpetuating the racism and perpetuating the hatred towards Indigenous people without even realizing.”

I have to agree! The ways Canadians are directing their anger is only keeping division alive. Such activities do nothing to further reconciliation. They are actions of revenge which divide us by perpetuating hatred towards Indigenous people, catholics, or some other group.

Not everyone thinks residential schools were bad. An Indigenous person once told me that she felt she benefited from residential schools. There are even some who believe residential schools were a good thing as a Priest under fire after sermon on the ‘good done’ by Catholic Church on residential schools. Personally, I fail to see how any good can come from government-sponsored religious schools established to assimilate Indigenous children into Euro-Canadian culture. How can any good come from an estimated 150,000 First Nation, Inuit, and Métis children who were isolated from their culture, and who suffered abuses in the form of excessive physical abuse and sexual predation?

I understand the anger. I stand with the First Nations people and it saddens me the way our European ancestors treated them. There needs to be justice and reconciliation. However, Cancelling Culture—the phenomenon of “canceling” people, brands, shows, and movies due to problematic or offensive remarks, ideologies, and branding—is not the answer. In the article, What is the Cancel Culture Movement, it says:

One of the biggest problems with cancel culture is that people are quick to cancel, but never so quick to forgive…It ignores the idea that people can pay for their mistakes, and insists that we should all be perfect beings who have never – and will never – make a mistake. The problem is that humans aren’t infallible. Who hasn’t made a mistake in the past?

Our history should never be cancelled, instead, it needs to be studied so mistakes of the past are never repeated. We need to forgive past leaders for the damage their decisions caused, and right those wrongs. Statues should not be torn down, but serve as reminders of people who made mistakes. To cancel history doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.

Cambridge Dictionary defines justice as “fairness in the way people are dealt with.” Most Canadians and Americans would agree Indigenous people were treated unfairly. Canada’s prime minister is calling on the Pope to apologize for the Catholic Church’s role in residential schools, and is urging Canadian Catholics to demand action from their church. Churches should take responsibility, but why isn’t our government taking responsibility, since all residential schools were mandated by them? Did the PM forget that Pierre Trudeau, his father, was Prime Minister (PM) of Canada from 1968 to 1979, and during that time, the maintenance of residential schools were run by his government?

Yes, the Catholic church and governments need to apologize, but NOT just words. Apologies require actions to correct the wrongs done to survivors. PM Justin Trudeau promised to end all long-term boil-water advisories within five years during his 2015 campaign. If the PM really felt First Nations people were wronged, then he would keep that promise. Instead, Indigenous Services minister says Trudeau government won’t end boil-water advisories by March 2021. Actions speak louder than words Mr. PM.

Adam Soos from Rebel News says:

Reconciliation is a vital conversation that we must have, but please, for the sake of any progress that we have made on the path towards reconciliation, do not associate these hate crimes with progress or justice for the tragedies of our history. This is not justice. This is just the start of another dark chapter in Canadian history.

I couldn’t agree more. This must be a time to unite with our Indigenous people, to reconcile with our history, and to start acting as one people. Mahatma Gandhi says, “Relationships are based on four principles: respect, understanding, acceptance and appreciation.” It is time to respect and understand First Nations people, their culture, and what they endured. It is time to accept them as equals, and appreciate Indigenous people for who they are. Let’s stop this nonsense that Canadians are inherently racist as Critical Race Theory would have us believe. This theory reasons that racism is systemic, is inherent in much of the American or Canadian way of life, and paints “white” people as racist. Racism is learned, and is designed to divide us. As I said in Does Media Mirror Culture, or Create Culture? “We humans are innately good, naturally cooperative, and instinctively altruistic.” It is time to start being who we truly are.

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=As7Z3ESdY-4

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDIfFb5z7eQ

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 church, Pastor 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.

https://youtu.be/CiZd5_uun20

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.

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.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwnNrr9RO2Y

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.