Opening Statement



Monday 23 February 2015

Is Canada Under Attack 2?

Is Canada Under Attack Part 1 is @ Here!


Canadian progressives beware: The Harper Conservative's much anticipated Bill C-51, new "Anti-Terrorist" act [C-51], is about to be passed into law! Did you know that it allows the federal government to arbitrary decide what activities "undermine the security of Canada" letting them legally violate our most basic constitutional rights and freedoms? Unfortunately, even Justin Trudeau's Federal Liberals supported the Bill, though Thomas Mulcair's NDP did not. Either way, with a majority government the PC's will inevitably get the Act passed!

My guess would be that Mr. Trudeau doesn't want to play into Harper's hands by seeming to be "soft on terrorism", with a federal election pending. Alas, until the PC's are defeated that gives Harper a horrific, open license to violate the very constitutional rights that PET and our older generation once held most sacred as a cornerstone of Canadian democracy. Nowadays? Seems most folks don't understand, let alone appreciate or care about such matters any more. Tragically, the latest Angus Reid Poll [Here] shows that there's even very strong public support for C-51. The only consolation? Some Canadians still grasp and are worried about the serious, nagging issue of public over sight amongst the current "terrorism" hysteria. 

So how will Canada vote come election time? With Harper's "Year of Fear" gambit, it could be out of fear rather than any sense of reason. Our dollar's tanked! Working and even middle class families can't make ends meet! Most Canadians can't even afford to retire anymore! Meanwhile, our attention is being recklessly diverted from these very real dangers at home. Instead, we're waging war with C-51 and our aging fleet of CF-18 jet fighters against a big, bad, boogie man terrorist threat most of us little understand!

Alas, it only becomes increasingly more hard to tell who the real enemy is now that C-51 is being passed into law! On the home front, any and all Muslim Canadian, First Nation peoples, and protest "misfits" can now fall under the new Bill C-51 definition of a "terrorist threat". That means it's open season on any lefties, and other such n'er do wells! Or for that matter anyone who looks, dresses and acts differently or "weird" in "Our Canada", whatever that is supposed to mean any more! But not so a murderous US Nazi group who recently came to Canada planning to shoot up a crowded shopping mall out east. Indeed, the Harper government now has the arbitrary power to decide as they please who they will go after, and who not with his new Anti Terror Act @ Here's How!

Moreover, Mr. Harper is playing the "Islamaphobia" card [Readto divide and conquer the Canadian electorate. He's stoking public fears of diabolical, cartoon like, Islamic, Jihad extremists apparently set on blowing us all up. Not unlike during the Cold War when there was a commie "red under every bed", now you'd best sleep with one eye wide open watching out for that suspicious looking Muslim family living down the street!

Mr. Harper's "Year of Fear" should come as no surprise! If in doubt, check out my October "Is Canada Under Attack 1" blog! All is not well in Canada, the true north weak and cold! The dollar? Jobs? Our pensions? Nope! These are not a pressing concern, at least according to the Harper government. Not if we are all going to get blown up or shot by a darn terrorist at any time by golly! No matter that our alleged Ottawa terrorist suspect last October was actually a well known crackhead angry because his passport to go abroad for treatment was late arriving at the office. Seems the RCMP has a "secret tape". Mr. Harper can't let us see. It allegedly proves that our deranged terrorism suspect is actually one of those new, recently "radicalized", Muslim extremists now popping up everywhere in Canada these days! 

Why can't you see Mr. Harper's tape? Well because, -just because! Hell, don't you like our brave new world of Canada under Bill C-51? Wait! You'd better not answer that question! Just quietly put that thought in your medical marijuana pipe and smoke it! Whether the mad man in Ottawa last October was a terrorist or not is now up to Mr. Harper to decide, Buster! You'd better hope he doesn't decide that you are actually a "misfit" just for wondering what's really going on! Because maybe it will be your civil rights that's going up in smoke next! 

Meanwhile abroad, our CF 18's are apparently busy blowing up "terrorist bomb factories" and the like in Syria. They are also inadvertently helping protect it's particularly vile dictator as a part of the deal. How do we know what those fields of rubble once really were? Well, that doesn't matter. Mr. Harper knows eh! You can also rest assured knowing that he's planning to help the US fight and win it's Orwellian Iraq War again, after already winning and losing it about 13 years! Hey! With our CF-18's on their side how can the US possibly lose the War Against Terror now? 

By gar, Mr. Harper's "Year of Fear" is surely keeping him a very busy man while he tries to defend your rights and freedoms! Thank God for that! Breathe a sigh of relief Mr. Johnny Canuck! You can still draw funny cartoons of the prophet Mohammad in Canada if you like, no sweat! As for you Ms Candy Canadiana? See that suspicious bleary eyed "misfit" sitting next to you on the crowded subway train? Maybe you're afraid he's actually a terrorist from hell seeking your help, on a whim, to build a ten ton "fertilizer bomb"? Blow up a railway bridge? The CN Tower? Or God forbid to help him go cut off Mr. Harper's head? Sacrebleu! Worry not! That's all Mr. Harper now needs to arrest him but good under our very own, new "Made in Canada" Terrorist Act!

Is Canada under attack? Ironically, the answer is both yes and no! There's a very real, important goal of terrorism that's often overlooked! That's to create a situation where one's opponent makes a misstep by reacting rashly. President Bush excelled at that after 9/11. Now post 10/22, Prime Minister Harper too! 

We don't need to worry anymore about some "hear say" terrorist plot undermining our freedom, democracy and way of life. Mr. Harper's Anti Terrorist Act has accomplished that already. Do the terrorists want Canada to create enemies around the world, killing people and making them hate us? Mr.Harper is very busy doing just that right now thank you, by blindly lashing out at phantom terrorist enemies with our CF-18 jet fighters. 

We have seen the enemy. He is truly from within. Thanks a lot Mr. Harper! If Canada is actually under attack, then by subverting our constitution you've just played right into the "terrorists" hands! If not, perhaps it's because any real enemy of freedom and democracy can see you yourself have accomplished that already! For shame! A poxy on both you and Bill C-51, Canada's new "Anti Terrorist" Act!

Post Script:

Feds conveniently release an edited video of the Ottawa terror suspect at the height of the C-51 New Terror Act debate. Basically any half wit could make up this sort of "political statement". IMHO? It proves little about the need for C-51 Kulture of Narcissism

COMMENTS:

Guide to Ontario's New Sex Education Curriculum!

Updates posted in large typeset!


My Blogsite Acronym Guide is @ Here! 

NEWS UPDATES!

Part 2 of your Teacher Free Speech Guide continues 


SEPTEMBER 2nd

Campaign Life continues it's sex ed protests across the province outside 107 MPP constituency offices as classes are set to resume for the fall @ Campaign Life

The Peel board announces it won't exempt students from learning about gay families and gender issues @ Star

The Ontario government releases a new TV add promoting the new sex ed curriculum that is about to take effect @ CBC

JUNE 30th

Social Conservative Mike Coren explains his controversial change of position on LGBTQ at the Metropolitan Community Church @ Toronto Star

June 18

PC party leader Patrick Brown fought and won his spring leadership race in large part by engaging and inciting the provinces anti-sex ed vote. He's been awfully silent ever since. You can read about his strategy in the "Party Politics" section of my spring "Teacher Free Speech News + Views" blogs. It begs the question, where do the protesters go from here? Or the PC's, who as a caucus, supported the new curriculum?

Anger and resentment, once ignited, continues to burn, now widely out of control. Witness the recent attacks and altercations at the June 7 QP Rally where NDP MPP and ordained United Church Minister Cheri DiNovo was swarmed by protesters who erroneously thought she was "mocking" them Now/ Video andTwitter Also the recent HCDSB Catholic board meet on the new sex ed curriculum where police had to be called in after angry parent protesters started to fight and spit as they lost a vote @ Sparks Fly!

Is this the message that responsible "religious" parents wish to send out? And where is PC Patrick Brown's leadership now that the situation is spinning out of control?

May 19

Ontario's new PC party leader Patrick Brown signed up 41,000 new members to win the leadership race. Many are from the province's multicultural community, opposed to the Wynne government's new sex ed curriculum and support for abortion and gay marriage. Often overlooked, in the great debate, is the fact that the PC's support the new sex ed curriculum. But will Brown stay the social conservative course, now that he has won? @ Brown

Former right wing Catholic columnist Mike Coren claims many extremists in the "Church of Nasty" have turned on him since he came out in support of LGBTQ. The attacks have been very personal, brutal, and none too Christian. Hmmm. Just like his own columns back in the day @ Coran



Mike Coran is on the outs: no longer right?

Multiculturalism, religion, and Ontario's political discourse over sexual intercourse @ Sex Ed?

On favouring a fact based approach to sex ed @ Pros

May 5

Thousands of students were kept home from school in the first day of a parent strike against MOE's new Sex Ed Curriculum. In Toronto, 1350 students were absent at Thorncliffe Public School, 400 at Gateway public and 590 at Valley Park Middle School. More @ Sex Ed?

A Fact Check on criticisms of the new Sex Ed Bill. What does the curriculum actually say @ Sex Ed



April 29th

Premier Wynne refuses to withdraw new Sex Ed Bill despite parents renewed protests @ Wynne

Here's a link to the Parent Strike Facebook page. They are threatening to withdraw their children from classes the week of May 4th to protest the new Sex Ed Bill @ Parents

National Post editorial argues pulling kids from school doesn't make sense. Incorrect claims about the new Sex Ed curriculum explained @ Post

Difference between required "curriculum" and "prompts" may be causing some parent confusion over what new Sex Ed Bill requires to be taught @ Prompts

5000 parents protested the new Sex Ed Bill again on April 15th as part of a renewed second wave of the attack which seemed to die down after somewhat fizzling earlier in the year @ QP


QP: Angry parent protesters are back for another round!

Ontario's long awaited overhaul of the Ontario Ministry of Education's [MOE] Sex Education program Grades 1-12 was finally released today, replacing the last curriculum documents from 1998. Implementation is due in the provinces publicly and Catholic schools this fall. Minister Liz Sandals is adamant that extensive consultation has been completed and that the program will not be withdrawn again, unlike the last time in 2010.

After all is said and done, it will be you our provinces teachers who are on the front lines in the classroom. You are ultimately responsible for properly instructing the students in your care. This is a teacher free speech blogsite. We don't toe any party line here from parents, parish, school boards or union in discussing issues or concerns.  

It's important, though not easy in the course of your busy day, to readily find the information you need. Also to be able to have an intelligent and meaningful self directed discussion on the daunting task at hand. I hope this blog can assist you at least in some small way!

Below you will find a compendium of news and research links for your erudition. There's also a link at the bottom of the blog for an open forum free speech discussion on the issues that arise, should you wish

I support the need for the new updated sex ed curriculum. I have complete faith in our teachers' ability to implement it in a positive, constructive and responsible manner for the good of our youth. Also note, I work on the premise that to be well educated, we need to consider every point of view [POV]. This blog will post complete information as is practical, and not censor news and views links or commentary because I disagree.



Documents:

MOE media release @ Feb 23

MOE Curriculum documents 1998, 2010 and 2015 with parent guides, tip sheets, daily PH Ed info + other support materials @ DOC LINK!

More specifically, for your convenience:

New MOE Curriculum Gr.1-8 @ PDF

Parent Guides to Human Development + Sexual Health Gr 1-12 @ Here including Gr 1-6 and Gr 7-12

MOE Tip sheets for Online and Consent

Equity + Inclusivity 2014 Document @ PDF

MOE cited Supporters of new curriculum @ Pro


EARLIER NEWS LINKS

What's new, grade by grade shown at a quick glance @ Here!

Another good summary of the changes is @ London Free Press

New curriculum is "most up to date" in Canada @ CBC

Critics are ready for a good fight @ PC's 1st

Catholic Archdiocese of Toronto provides Q+A on how new curriculum will be incorporated within the schools Family Life program. They are not protesting the initiative @ Catholic Schools

ICE [Institute of Catholic Education] will provide resources for the provinces publicly funded Catholic schools. Cardinal Thomas Collins explains that the parent's role is always pivotal in inculcating Catholic values @ Collins 

TCDSB will incorporate changes within their existing Family Life program @ Catholic Board



Cardinal Collins: Catholic school support is nuanced but on track

Reality check? Key phrases being used by critics are refuted in an article concerning the 5 big myths about the new sex ed curriculum and what the MOE documents really sayHuffington

It's important to read the documents for yourself rather than be told what they say @ National Post 

Concerns exist about how the program is being implemented, including the parent consultation process @ Toronto Sun

They are not radically different from the proposed 2010 curriculum @ Toronto Sun

The existing 1998 Ontario curriculum does not take into account changes in legislation and policy including same sex marriage and inclusivity @ Toronto Star

New curriculum seeks to bring sex ed into the digital age @ Globe

Online sexting concerns explained @ CBC

School straight talk on sexting, consent, body parts, mental health + other relevant life skills are badly needed by today's youth @ Cohn

The students behind the "Consent" petition comment on the new curriculum. Out dated existing program was written before they were born @ Students

Is new sex ed curriculum reactive rather than written from a sex positive approach? Some critics argue it doesn't go far enough @ Positive?

Contrary to popular misconception, the old Sex Ed program was not better back in the day @ Sex Ed

Arguments on why the new curriculum isn't age inappropriate is @ Global

Parents need to educate themselves and also have an open dialogue about the issues with their children for the program to work @ 610

Parents as First Educators explain their opposition to the new curriculum with numerous news links and a petition to support their point of view @ PFE

Campaign Life petition explains it's concerns about the consulting process @ CPL

Conservative pundit Michael Coren is critical of the critics @ Coren



Criticism of the new curriculum is sometimes fueled and fanned by extreme attacks against Ontario Premier Wynnes sexual orientation and her alleged Liberal sexual deviant agenda @ Vox

Premier Wynne takes aim at PC McNaughton's comments about her qualifications for introducing the new curriculum as Ontario Premier. Is McNaughton homophobic? Video included @ Wynne

Key 2010 protest figures are back for the fight. Some consider it an "indoctrination" on gender identity. Other specific concerns are outlined, including teaching youngsters about masturbation, anal sex, sexual orientation + expression, anal and consent @ Christian College

Rev Terry Burns explains the protesters indoctrination and social engineering concerns @ Right

Concerns are expressed about the new curriculum and Catholic gender theory @ Cambridge RTL

Some PC leadership candidates expected to appear at the Campaign Life QP anti Sex Ed curriculum protest rally. However the party is divide. As official opposition, they are quietly supporting the changes @ Feb 24 Rally



PC leadership candidates McNaughton + Brown appeal to sex ed protesters. Elliot plays coy @ Party Split!

PC Brown, parents + other protesters explain their concerns @ Video

QP Rally turns nasty. 2 PC leadership candidates show up. McNaughton accused of homophobia for comments about Premier Wynne. About 300 anti sex ed protesters apparently attended. Video provides a good cross section of parent concerns @ McNaughton

Fear mongering and politicising the new curriculum changes does not help our youth @ Ottawa Citizen



MOE Liz Sandals presents new curriculum for public hearings

More to be added ....

COMMENTS:

Tuesday 17 February 2015

Thunder!


THUNDER



I remember visiting a dusty village
high up the mountains of Cuba.
Sweat rolls.
Eyes squint.
Under the 
hot dry 
sun.

Da.

Wondering 
what city
lay beyond?

Habana?
Santiago?
Cienfuegos?
Pina Del Rio?

Da.

Do I hear 
cracked ruins?
Suddenly crashing?
Bursting in the 
violent air?

No. 
No se. 
Don’t you know? 
Mati says.
The voice of thunder? 
It must be thunder.
The sun is making 
you crazy.



Quietly 
we walked
the parched streets
to a crumbling 
village school.

Da.

Ask how we can help.
Mati draws back her long black hair.
Tight. Picks up a tiny naked child. 
Mere skin and bones. Crying. 
Reaching desperately for a breast.
She rocks him asleep in her arms.

The locals smile. 
Reach for 
my camera. 
David! 
Matilde! 
Show us 
your baby.

Da.

I look at Mati. 
Tenderly hugging him.
Wondering who’s child is this?
Overhead thunder rumbles.



Da. 

Lightening flashes.

Da. 

We look up. 
No clouds.
No rain.
Unreal.

Hand him back. 
Continuing on our way.
Under the unforgiving sun.

Mati, who walks beside us? 
Who walks ahead?
I count only los dos. 
The two of us. 
You and I.
Together.

Si sez she. 
Is he wrapped 
in hunger? 
Despair?



Datta.                                                                Give

Que? 
What? 
What did you say? 
Que tienes? 
It’s loco.

Da da da

Whats happening here?

Da da da da da

What’s that murmur?
That sad lament?

Da. 

Watch your step. 
The cracked dry earth.

Da. 

I don’t know. No se.

It must be 
the sun. 
It’s loco. 
Too crazy. 
It’s driving 
me nuts!


Damyata.                                                        Control

Hey, where’s the sun?
Thunder rolls.                                  
Lightening flashes.                            
Black clouds.
A damp gust.
Is that a drop 
of rain?

Da Da Da Da Da Da

Drip

Drop

Drip

Drop

Drip

Drop


Da?

Giving water?

Giving life?

Dripping
Dropping
on the rocks?

From over mountains?

Far distant above cities?

The mountain village?



Dayadhvam.                                                  Sympathy

From Beyond?

No. No. Says Mati. 
There’s no hope here.
No hope of rain.
Just dark clouds 
that's all.

Dark clouds
Thunder.
Lightening.

No rain.

Si. I know
No hope.

There’s
no hope
at all.

Remember the sun?
Who’s child was he?

Que? 
You must 
be going 
crazy.



Yes 
but
He
needed
help
and
you
gave
it to
him.

Small comfort.

I wish 
somebody 
beyond
the mountains
the cities
gave a damn.

All I hear
is thunder

Si. 


There’s
No hope 
of rain

Da.


Datta.


Dayadhvan.


Damyata.


No hope
for rain.........................

[DTC]

Communist Girls ARE More Fun!

Communist Girls ARE More Fun!
See below ...

Communist Girls Are More Fun #1

Communist Girls Are More Fun #1

Communist Grrrls are More Fun #2

Communist Grrrls are More Fun #2

Communist Grrrls Are More Fun #3

Communist Grrrls Are More Fun #3

Communist Girls Are More Fun #4

Communist Girls Are More Fun #4

Art at the Paris Louvre: What does it mean?!?

Art at the Paris Louvre: What does it mean?!?
A careful analytical study!

Help! I Have No Arms!

Help! I Have No Arms!
Please scratch my back.

I can't find my underwear!.

I can't find my underwear!.
Have you seen them!

Weee! I can fly!

Weee! I can fly!
Look! I can crawl thru walls!

I have a headache!

I have a headache!
And a broken nose.

I have a square hole in my bum!

I have a square hole in my bum!

Here try this, it's very good!

Here try this, it's very good!
No. You have a bird face.

I have an ugly baby!

I have an ugly baby!
No I'm not!

Let's save all our money + buy pants!

Let's save all our money + buy pants!
OK but I need a new hand too!

Oh no! I got something in my eye!

Oh no! I got something in my eye!

You don't look well.

You don't look well.
No. My head hurts +I have a sore chest.

Would you like a bun?

Would you like a bun?

Chichen-Itza: Lost Maya City of Ruins!

Chichen-Itza: Lost Maya City of Ruins!
The Temple of Kukulkan!

Gotta love it!

Gotta love it!
Truly amazing!

Under Reconstruction!

Under Reconstruction!

Temples + Snakes!

Temples + Snakes!

The Snake!

The Snake!
It runs the length of the ball field!