Protesters – Sommer Season all year

This is Stupid

In the video Pilot Has A Message For Canadians, the pilot speaks of a “disaster averting, lifesaving phrase: ‘this is stupid’” used in the aviation world. He tells of a deadly aviation disaster involving two 747s. He says even though a first officer expressed concern, the disaster still happened because “of complacency, deferring to authority and not wanting to rock the boat by questioning.” The phrase “this is stupid” or “this is dangerous” would have awoke the pilot of danger. He goes on to say that our government presently “has their throttle jammed full forward in a race for totalitarian control,” and the “voice inside you is saying ‘this is stupid,‘ ‘this is dangerous,’ and ‘this is wrong.’” He says, “your voice is useless if you stay silent,” so “you have to summon the courage to say no.” Since 2020, I’ve been saying “something is wrong.” The truth is, Canada and the world are at a critical point. DO WE WANT TO LIVE IN A FREE WORLD OR NOT?

Trudeau has never bothered to speak to the protestors. Instead, he declared an emergency while still debating the Emergencies Act in Parliament. In fact, the House of Commons suspends debate on Emergencies Act ahead of police operation against Freedom Convoy. This act has not received approval of the Canadian Senate or Royal Assent. On February 13, a MSM’s New York Post headline said, Canada PM Justin Trudeau slammed for invoking emergency powers to stop protests.

Multiple Canadian premiers oppose Trudeau invoking Emergencies Act. Trudeau is condemned around the world for moving to crush protests. Some headlines were blunt as in Trudeau Invokes the Emergencies Act (aka Martial Law) in Canada … For a Bunch of Truckers. Independent media says Trudeau is marching Canada down a dark path. Billionaire, Elon Musk draws ire for comparing Trudeau to Hitler. An editorial piece in the NY Times called out Trudeau for backing a protest by farmers in India that clogged major roads in New Delhi while attacking his own citizens for a peaceful protest that has blocked roads in Ottawa. American podcaster, Dan Bongino says “Canada’s Dictator Declares War On Freedom” (see Dan Bongino Show). This is a war on our freedoms. Declaring an emergency when there is no emergency is extreme bullying (#bullying, #antibullying).

Trudeau said when announcing this emergency:

We’re entering the third week of illegal blockades that have been disrupting the lives of too many Canadians. Here in our capital city, families and small businesses have been enduring illegal obstruction of their neighbourhoods. Occupying streets, harassing people, breaking the law: this is not a peaceful protest. At the borders in different places in the country, the blockades are harming our economy and endangering public safety.

Former Prime Minister Steven Harper said in 2005, “When a government start trying to cancel dissent or avoid dissent is when it’s rapidly losing its moral authority to govern.” Trudeau has lost the moral authority to govern.

When the blockade ended in Coutts, Alberta, protestors hugged police. Don’t believe me (#blogger #blog #somseason #YA #authors). Watch Coutts protest ends. Still think Ottawa protestors are “endangering public safety,” and it is “not a peaceful protest?” Watch the videos Canadian Peaceful Protest, and Food, massages offered freely to anyone in need as convoy protest continues in Ottawa. Here’s a video of the Ottawa protestors “endangering public safety.”

The National Post’s Rex Murphy: Trudeau’s monumentally misguided emergency measures are an insult to Canadians says:

Here’s the mother of all questions for Trudeau and it is one that he cannot, and will never, answer: what was so difficult about having a talk with the leaders of a group of Canadians who found some of the government’s COVID regulations to be a grievous burden? When Black Lives Matter [a terrorist organization] flooded the streets, Trudeau not only met with them, he went into the streets and joined in on the their American-inspired protest. He gave them a knee and bowed his head. But he would not meet with the truckers. He would not talk to their representatives. There was certainly no kneeling.

Here is some history around this act. The Canadian Encyclopedia, says, when the First World War began (1914), the Canadian government passed the War Measures Act (WMA), giving the cabinet sweeping emergency powers. This Act gave the government full authority during wartime to censor and suppress communications; to arrest, detain and deport people without charges or trials; to control the economy; and to seize private property. Most controversial is the WMA enabled the government to intern “enemy aliens” on the suspicion they posed a threat to Canada’s safety. About 600 Italian Canadians and 800 German Canadians were interned during the war, along with Jewish refugees and Mennonites .

During the Second World War (1939), the WMA was again invoked resulting in approximately 22,000 Japanese Canadians on the West Coast being interned in remote areas of interior British Columbia. The WMA enabled the government to strip Japanese Canadians of their property and pressure them to accept mass deportation when the war ended. I led many classroom discussions about the Japanese Internment, and students typically felt it was a violation of Japanese Canadian’s civil liberties.

In 1970, the WMA was invoked because of the October Crisis. A state of “apprehended insurrection” was officially declared to exist in Quebec in October of 1970, as a response to two kidnappings by the terrorist group Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ). This emergency enabled police to conduct more than 3,000 searches without a warrant and detain 497 people. The suspension of civil liberties in Quebec was controversial. I remember as a kid being confused about the controversy as many Canadians were angered at their loss of civil liberties.

In 1988, the WMA was amended to the Emergencies Act. This act defines a national emergency as an urgent, temporary and critical situation that seriously endangers the health and safety of Canadians or that seriously threatens the ability of the Government of Canada to preserve the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Canada. When invoked, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Charter) continues to protect individual rights. The Government MUST respect constitutionally protected rights and freedoms (see Emergencies Act).

Canada’s Charter specifically says, “Everyone has the following fundamental freedoms: (a) freedom of conscience and religion; (b) freedom of thought, belief, opinion, and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication; (c) freedom of peaceful assembly; and (d) freedom of association.”

Most Canadians feel the use of Emergencies Act is illegal because a peaceful protest is no emergency. MSM’s National Post headlines, ‘Legal standard not met’: Two court challenges filed over Trudeau’s use of Emergencies Act. Ironically, Canada issued a harsh condemnation of the Cuban government’s sentencing of protesters who participated in anti-government rallies last July.

On February 18, in the once free country of Canada, Ottawa police arrest dozens of protesters, and start towing rigs, and Ottawa Police threaten media with arrest for covering enforcement against peaceful protesters. Independent Media, Rebel News journalist Alexa Lavoie attacked by Ottawa police. Watch how RCMP Trample Elderly Lady With Horses. Watch how police use force. The MSM’s National Post says This must be what Ottawa police meant by methods not usually seen in Canada. Look at the article’s disturbing pictures. Watch police damaging personal property in this video.

Watch the Fox News video: Tucker Carlson’s view of Ottawa events. What occurred is “state sanctioned violence.” CBC reports Emergencies Act directs financial institutions to freeze accounts linked to convoy protests. Trudeau gives BLM money while seizing the bank accounts of peaceful protesters. An Ottawa Bakery is facing threats and harassment over leaked convoy donation. Independent media reports that Ottawa may euthanize truckers’ pets as punishment. Trudeau’s justice minister, David Lametti says Trump supporters should be worried. Why? Trump merely endorsed the Truck Convoy.

Sadly, there are still Canadians who think this is about a virus. As an emotional Calgary police officer said after seeing what happened in Ottawa, “Canada has fallen.” This is about our government wanting totalitarian control over us. This is about the World Economic Forum’s Great Reset. Here is what Alberta’s premier said about the Great Reset.

Are we free when peaceful protestors are ignored, and arrested for demanding freedom, when bank accounts are being frozen for supporting freedom fighters, when threats to harm family pets are made, and businesses supporting freedom are harassed? If you think this is okay, you are NOT thinking for yourself. If you go to your heart, you know this is wrong; that this is stupid. You’d know this is a sad day for Canada.

I am still a proud Canadian, but I am ashamed of my government. Shame on a government who resorts to police action instead of peaceful dialogue with the protesters, and for the parliamentarians who voted to suspend parliament. I am ashamed of those enforcement officers conducting arrests in their riot gear and carrying automatic weapons. Shame on them for breaking the oath to serve and protect. I am ashamed of tow truck operators participating in this police action. Shame on you for wearing neon-green ski masks, with your companies’ decals taped over to conceal your identities. I am ashamed of the MSM. Shame on you for reporting a peaceful protest as a ‘nationwide insurrection” (see Business Insider).

This is NOT the country I grew up in. I no longer live in a free and democratic country. We are now living under a fascist dictatorship. That may make some uncomfortable, but that is because of cognitive dissonance. No matter what you believe, if you listen to your heart, you’d know this is stupid!

Young People Who Inspire Me (Part Two)

A commentary on social activism.

In my last post, Young People Who Inspire Me (Part One), I talked about Greta Thunberg, Áine Peterson, and Malala Yousafzai, three young people who inspire because they are making an impact in our world. I would like to continue with that same theme.

First, an update on 16-year-old Greta Thunberg from Sweden. She is participating in the first ever Youth Climate Action Summit which brings youth climate campaigners together from more than 140 countries and territories to share their solutions to climate change on the global stage, and deliver a message to world leaders that we need to act now.

In her address to the UN Youth Climate Summit, she said, “Yesterday, millions of people across the globe marched and demanded real climate action, especially young people. We showed that we are united and that we, young people, are unstoppable.” (see Greta delivers message). Her phrase, “young people are unstoppable,” caught my attention and I hope she is right since it is the youth that have the most to lose.

CBC’s article, Protest for Climate Action, reported that millions of youth were taking to the streets in roughly 150 countries around the world on September 20, as part of a global strike demanding world leaders gathering at a UN climate summit to adopt urgent measures to avert an environmental catastrophe. This worldwide strike was inspired by Greta, and these were her words to the demonstrators in New York:

“Right now, we are the ones who are making a difference. If no one else will take action, then we will…We demand a safe future. Is that really too much to ask?”

I am excited about what is happening, as it gives me hope for change. I believe the world must change and UN Secretary-General António Guterres who spoke at the UN Youth Climate Summit said it best when he said,

“I have granddaughters. I want them to live in a livable planet. My generation has a huge responsibility. It is your generation that must hold us accountable to make sure we don’t betray the future of humankind.”

I don’t have grandchildren yet, but I want my children and future grandchildren “to live in a livable planet.” I’ve seen many science fiction movies that portrayed an uninhabitable world because we humans left the planet in ruins. The UN Secretary-General is right. The youth must hold my generation accountable. Let’s be honest; my, and previous generations, have exploited planet Earth for profits. American politician, Bernie Sanders, said, “What a disgrace that it takes a 16 year-old to tell world leaders what they won’t acknowledge.” He is right! So, I say, bravo, to Greta. I support your cause and wish you success.

Craig Kielburger, a Canadian human rights activist and social entrepreneur, is another young person who inspires me. I used him as an example of how one person can make a difference when I taught high school Social Studies. He is the co-founder, with his brother Marc Kielburger, of WE Charity, as well as WE Day. In 2008, Kielburger was named a Member of the Order of Canada.

Craig Kielburger’s story starts in 1995, when at age 12 years old, he saw the headline, Battled child labour, boy, 12, murdered, in the Toronto Star newspaper. This was a story about a young Pakistani boy, a child labourer, turned child-rights activist who was killed for speaking out against the carpet industry. Kielburger did research on child labour and asked his grade seven teacher to speak to his classmates on the topic. Several students wanted to help, and the group of pre-teens started “Kids Can Free the Children” (later named WE Charity).

In December that same year, Kielburger travelled to Asia to see for himself the conditions of child labourers. While there, he learnt that then Canadian Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, was travelling to India. He requested to meet with Mr. Chrétien, and was initially denied. Kielburger was granted 15 minutes with Chretien, and he advocated for Canadian action on the issue of child labour, making headlines across Canada and internationally. Kielburger attracted international media attention with features on 60 Minutes and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Remember, this young man was 12 years old when he was inspired to act against injustice. I have taught many 12 year-olds, and don’t recall any of them being that aware of injustice in the world.

Time Magazine’s article, The School Shooting Generation Has Had Enough, tells the story of the Never again MSD movement. The days after the Parkland shooting—On February 14, 2018, a gunman opened fire with a AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, killing 17 people and injuring 17 others—Parkland kids publicly called out the NRA’s influence on national politics, and shamed the leaders they considered responsible for the nation’s slack gun laws.

The Never Again MSD group was co-formed by Cameron Kasky and his high school friends in the first four days after the shooting. After a vigil, Kasky invited Wind and Whitney (the other cofounders) to his house, and they came up with the name “Never Again.” The next three days after the shooting, the group gained over 35,000 followers on Facebook. The group organized a nationwide protest on March 24, 2018, where nearly a million kids across the country left class for the National School Walkout to protest the school-shooting epidemic.

The Never Again group has lost the attention of the media and is no longer making headlines. Since the groups inception, many attempts to discredit the Never Again movement have been attempted in the form of verbal attacks and misinformation by right-wing Republican leaders. Wikipedia provides specifics.

Many have spoken out about school shootings. Here are some of the most noteworthy in my opinion. Richard Patrick, an American musician, singer and songwriter, said:

“We live in a crazy time. Every other week, there’s a school shooting. There’s always some nutty thing and I’ve always wanted to kind of understand the crazy.”

Florence Yared, a Parkland school shooting survivor, spoke in Tallahassee, Florida. This was where five people were shot and wounded at the University Village Shopping Center. She passionately said:

“The right to bear arms … does not and never will overpower the individual’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…We cannot protect our guns before we protect our children.”

Brandon Wolf, Pulse nightclub shooting survivor, also spoke in Tallahassee. He said:

“After first graders were gunned down at Sandy Hook, what did you do? Not a damn thing. After 49 people, including my two brothers, were murdered at Pulse, what did you do? Not a damn thing. You plugged your ears and turned your eyes and hoped that we would stop talking. Now we’re here again. 17 people are dead. 14 of them are children. And what did you do yesterday when given the chance to do something about it? Not a damn thing.”

According to Wikipedia, there have been 28 school shootings in 2019, and that doesn’t include the many that have been thwarted. The young people behind the Never Again MSD movement have just cause.

Young people—high school aged when they started—are leading the way for change and speaking out against injustice. Why? Because they have Didaskaleinophobia, the fear of school or fear of going to school. An American High School student, Jillian French, said, “We shouldn’t have to be scared (when we leave for school) that we are not going back home.” Like Greta Thunberg, high school aged youth have to tell leaders in the U.S. what they won’t acknowledge.

I applaud these young people, support their cause, and wish them success! Thank God for youth! They just might save the world.