What's really behind Tucker Carlson's comments about VP Kamala Harris?

Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson of Fox News has a large captive audience.  Unfortunately, his audience is influenced by his bigoted views.  Recently, Carlson made an outrageous comment about Vice President Kamala Harris.  He said that the vice president is "is not from this country" because she went to school in Canada.  Here are his exact words: "There's a lot we don't know about Kamala Harris.  Most people probably don't know she really grew up in Canada.  It's where she went to high school.  She's not from this country in that sense, or she's certainly also from Canada."

That's a real head scratcher.  Carlson's words sound nonsensical because many people are educated in other countries, including Carlson himself.  He told a Swiss magazine that he briefly attended attended a boarding school in school in Switzerland before he "got kicked out."

So, what 's the big deal about Kamala attending school in Canada?  If you scratch beneath the surface, there's a method to Tucker's madness.  Carlson's remarks were simply a dog whistle to his far right audience.  He knows very well that it doesn't matter one iota that Kamala spent some of her high school years in Montreal.  His only intention is to paint Harris as some kind of foreigner or "illegal alien."  Why?.  He can't come right out and say that she isn't a real American because she is of Black and Indian descent.  That would be showing his true racist colours.

Here are some background facts.  Kamala Harris is an American by birth.  She was born in Oakland California on October 20, 1964.     When she was 12, Kamala and her sister moved to Montreal, Quebec.  Kamala spent her middle school and high school years in Montreal because her mother, a biologist and cancer researcher, obtained a job at a hospital in that city.  In 1982, after high school, Kamala returned to the United States to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C..  After graduating from Howard, she returned to her roots in California to attend law school.  In 1990, she was admitted to the California Bar.  From 2004 to 2011, she served as District Attorney of San Francisco.  From 2011 to 2017, she served as Attorney General of California.  She was a U.S. Senator from California from 2017 until 2021.

Vice President Kamala Harris has spent a great deal more than the constitutionally required 14 years of her life in the United States.  The truth is that it's the colour of Kamala's skin, not her palace of birth or where she went to school, that matters more to Carlson and others on the far right of the political spectrum.  Donald Trump tried to use the same tactic to discredit former President Barack Obama.  His claims that Obama was not really born in Hawaii were proven to be completely false.  Trump initiated his "birther" theory because he couldn't say that Obama was a foreigner because he was Black.  He had to make his followers believe that Obama was really from Africa or Indonesia.  

A president or prime minister's place of birth should not be an issue anyway, as long as he or she is a citizen and resident of the country he or she wishes to serve.  Vice President Harris, like any politician, is fair game for reasonable criticism.  She should not have to take flack for where she attended high school.  That is sheer bigotry.

Tucker Carlson has unfairly attacked Kamala Harris in the past.  He has criticized her for her dating history and has repeatedly mispronounced her first name.  Would he have done any of those things if she were a white male?  Somehow, I don't think so.  Senator Ted Cruz, a white Republican, was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  Has Tucker questioned his Americanism?

- Joanne

The politics of COVID-19

It's very sad, in fact it's tragic that COVID-19 is being politicized.  COVID is a matter of public health.  The most important thing is to protect people from the disease.  Unfortunately, those on the far right are using masks and vaccines to express their anti-government political beliefs.  They rail against such protective measures.  "The government can't tell us what to do," they whine.  What about our freedom!"  Oh yes, their precious freedom to infect others is sacrosanct.  Their freedom to cause themselves and others to die must be defended.  

Some anti-vaxxers are so extreme that they would die or have someone else die in order to protect their warped concept of freedom.  Almost nothing can be done to change their minds. So, the rest of us have to suffer because of their delusions.  I could tell a right-wing anti-vaxxer over and over again that freedom is not absolute.  I could tell them ad infinitum that they don't have the right to harm others.  They will seldom listen.  

The right-wing anti-vaxxers are not necessarily uneducated individuals.  Take Senator Ted Cruz for instance.  He's a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School.  So, what has been concerning him lately?  Climate change?  The pandemic?  Inflation?  Homelessness and poverty?  Health care?  Why, of course not!  He's in an a terrible tizzy over that awful Big Bird on Sesame Street.  That yellow Muppet has some nerve!   He's encouraging children to get vaccinated.  The horror!  That dastardly bird actually declared that he had received the COVID-19 vaccine.  He then  remarked, "My wing is feeling a little sore, but it'll give my body an extra protective boost that keeps me and others healthy."  That's when the Texas Republican took immediate action.  "Government propaganda . . . for your 5-year-old!" Cruz tweeted.  

My! My!  What a hero!  What a patriot, that Ted Cruz!  He's protecting children from becoming brain-washed.  Where was Senator Cruz last winter when millions of people in Texas were without water or power due to a storm,  He was on a family vacation in Cancun, Mexico, while his constituents froze in the dark.  He later called it a "mistake.", but such thoughtlessness shouldn't have happened in the first place.  Would he even have acknowledged his "mistake" if he hadn't been caught with his fingers in the cookie jar?  It wasn't a tiny error either.  Ted Cruz abandoned millions of people who were suffering from a disaster.

Football star Aaron Rodgers is another example.  Rodgers is the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers.  He attended Butte College and the University of California, Berkeley.  He was also knowledgeable enough to be a guest host on the popular game show Jeopardy!  You'd think he would have known better than not to protect himself and other from COVID.  Such was not the case.  Rodgers said he had been vaccinated when he hadn't.  Then he tested positive for the virus.  While unvaccinated, he violated COVID protocol and appeared unmasked at postgame press conferences.  

Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers denied that he was an anti-vaxxer. He claimed that he had an "allergy to an ingredient that's in the mRNA vaccines."  Then he said that he did his own research with the assistance of reliable conspiracy-minded podcaster Joe Regan.  He also spouted the usual right-wing rhetoric about "cancel culture" and "the woke mob."         

If it weren't for the anti-vaxxers, the world would certainly b much further ahead in the fight against COVID-19.  What a shame!  It's a good thing they weren't around back when the polio vaccine came out.

- Joanne

Way to go Argos! All the best to the CFL

Remember the Toronto Argonauts.  They are the forgotten team in their home city.  They don't receive much media coverage and they're not talked about too often.  Well, I have to congratulate the Argos for finishing first in the Eastern Division of the Canadian Football League.  They have a great chance of going on to win the CFL's holy grail, the Grey Cup.  Their next game is at home tomorrow against the Edmonton Elks.  

I must admit that I have a soft spot for the CFL and the Grey Cup.  Of course, it's not as glitzy and glittery as the NFL and the Super Bowl.  Yet it has its own charm.  It's more homey and down to earth, and it is far less commercial.  Does anyone out there remember a Grey Cup ad?  

Several years ago (I think it was 2007), when the Grey Cup was held in Toronto, I visited one of the pavillions at the Toronto Convention Centre.  As it turned out, I sat at a table with a group of Americans from Baltimore.  I asked them why they were attending Grey Cup festivities.  They told me that they had been fans of the defunct Baltimore Stallions, who won the Grey Cup in 1995,  In the 1990;s, the CFL expanded into U.S. cities.  The American experiment didn't succeed and the CFL reverted to its Canadian teams only.  However. the Stallions remain  the only American franchise to capture the Canadian football championship.

For the Baltimore gang, the Grey Cup was s different experience than the  Super Bowl.  They still wanted a taste of it years after their CFL team disbanded.  I enjoyed talking to them as they provided me with another perspective.  Oh yes, they enjoyed being entertained by a Newfoundland band.

The Toronto Argonauts have won the Grey Cup a record 17 times.  They have appeared 23 times in the CFL final.  Their victories came in 1914, 1921, 1933, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1950 , 1952, 1983, 1991, 1996, 1997, 2004, 2012 and 2017.  Their record of 17 wins and six losses in those 23 games is quite good (73,9.per cent).  Furthermore, the Argonauts were founded in 1873, making them the oldest existing professional sports franchise in North America still using its original name.  To anyone who has any interest in sports history, that is impressive.  The team has its origins in a version of rugby football that existed in North America in the latter half of the 19th century.

It should be noted that the Argos had a long championship drought from 1952 until 1983.  During those years, they were regarded as loveable losers to their fans in the Toronto region and sad sacks elsewhere in Canada,  The Argos also have the distinction of winning the 100th Grey Cup in 2012 in front of the hometown crowd in Toronto.

This year's Grey Cup will take place on Sunday, December 12, 2012 at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton.  It will be the 108th Grey Cup.  The first Grey Cup was played on December 4, 1909 at Rosedale Field in Toronto.  There was no Grey Cup last year as the entire CFL season was cancelled due to COVID-19.  2020 marked only the 5th time in Grey Cup history that the game was not played.  It was the first time the event was not held since 1919, when it was cancelled due to a rules dispute with the Canadian Rugby Union.  There also was no Grey Cup game from 1916 to 1918 as a result of World War I. 

Fortunately, the Grey Cup is back this year.  It is is a piece of Canadiana and it is uniquely ours.  I ask you, where else can you see scarlet clad Mounties carrying a championship trophy into a stadium?  

- Joanne

Denny Doherty: The Canadian who sang about : "California Dreamin'"

Denny Doherty, circa 1967

The burst of energy that was The Mamas & The Papas was like a sun and Denny a planet orbiting it.  By turns he was obsessed with this great adventure and desperate to escape its gravitational pull . . ."

- Paul Ledoux, Halifax-born playwright and director

The Mamas and the Papas was one of the most popular and well known folk rock bands of the 1960s.  They epitomized the laid-back lifestyle of the California hippies of that decade.  The most recognized members of that legendary quartet were Cass Elliot, known as Mama Cass, and John and Michelle Phillips.  The fourth member, Denny Doherty, was not as well known, although he was the group's lead singer, with a voice that has been described as a "mellow tenor."  His former colleague, California-born Michelle Phillips, once likened his vocals to that of a "psychedelic Franck Sinatra."  As for Michelle's own voice, Time magazine called it "the purest soprano in pop music."  

Unlike the other members of the Mamas and the Papas, Denny was not an American.  Dennis Gerrard Stephen "Denny" Doherty was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on November 29, 1940.  He was raised in the city's gritty north end, the youngest of five children, in a devout Catholic home.  His father was a dock worker and his mother was a homemaker. 

Denny Doherty launched his music career at the age of 15 with the Halifax dance band of Peter Power.  In his teenage years, Denny sang with a succession of pop-folk groups, including the Hepsters, the Colonials and the Halifax Three.  Before reaching the age of 16, he put together a quartet called the Hepsters,  For almost two years, the Hepsters played traditional folk standards at busy local clubs.  

In 1960, when Denny was 19 years old, he and his high school friends, guitarists Pat LaCroix and Richard Byrne, formed the Colonials in Montreal.  The Colonials, Denny's first folk trio, hosted a Halifax CBC TV show and performed across Canada.  After signing a contract with Columbia Records in New York, the group changed their name to the Halifax Three.  The Halifax Three scored a minor hit with a song called "The Man Who Wouldn't Sing Along With Mitch." 1n 1963, they released their second album. San Francisco Bay Blues, inspired by a visit to California.

The Halifax Three added a fourth member, Toronto guitarist Zal Yanovsky, for a U.S. tour with the Journeymen, a group that featured Denny's future bandmates with the Mamas and Papas, John and Michelle Phillips.  The Halifax Three played Carnegie Hall in New York City and became part of New York's Greenwich Village folk scene,  It was there that Denny met singer Cass Elliot, who moved in those circles..  The two became friends while Cass was performing with a group called the Big Three.  When the Halifax Three split up, Denny joined Cass, Tim Rose and Jim Hendricks as a member of the Big Three. (Cass Elliot wed Hendricks in 1963 but the marriage was annulled in 1968).

The Big Three broke up in 1964.  A new group, the Mugwumps, was formed consisting of  Cass and Hendricks, Zal Yanovsky and John Sebastian.  Although regarded as a seminal folk-rock band, the New-York based Mugwumps lasted only eight months and recorded one self-titled album, which was released after the band had dismantled.  John Sebastian and Zal Yanovsky went on to form the Lovin' Spoonful.  Meanwhile, Denny teamed up with fellow folk singers John and Michelle Phillips of the Journeymen to become The New Journeymen.  In 1965, the New Journeymen relocated to Los Angeles where they joined up with Cass Elliot to form the Mamas and the Papas.

The Halifax Three

Below is a photo of the Mugwumps: Left to right - Zal Yanovsky, Jim Hendricks, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty.

The Mamas and the Papas burst on the music scene in 1965 with the release of their smash hit "California Dreamin'."  A string of other hit singles followed, including "Monday, Monday," "I Saw Her Again," "Got a Feelin'," "Creeque Alley" and "Dedicated to the One I Love."  The Mamas and the Papas were unique at the time because the group was made up of both men and women in an era when most singing groups were not.  Although they only stayed together for three years, they produced five albums and ten hit singles.   John Phillips was certainly the principal songwriter for the Mamas and the Papas, but Denny Doherty was also a gifted composer.  Denny co-wrote some of the group's hit songs with John, including "I Saw Her Again" and "Got a Feelin'."

Phillips, along with his wife Michelle and Cass Elliot, combined with Denny to create a beautiful, harmonious sound.  However, it was Denny Doherty who provided the main vocals for the group.  According to Larry Leblanc, Canadian editor of Billboard Magazine, "Everybody used to think that John Phillips, who wrote the songs, was also the main voice of the group, but it wasn't - it was the angelic voice of Denny Doherty.  He was overlooked but it was really his voice that carried the group."

Below is a photo of the Mamas and the Papas on The Ed Sullivan Show on June 11, 1967.  From left to right: Michelle Phillips, Cass Elliot, Denny Doherty and John Phillips.

In the summer of 1968, the breakup of the Mamas and the Papas became imminent.  The members of the group were moving in different directions.  Cass Elliot wanted to launch a solo career, while Michelle decided to pursue acting.  John and Denny both recorded solo albums.  Furthermore, the group was beset by personal problems, including heavy drug use and a web of romantic entanglements.  In the words of British music historian Barney Hoskyns: "An affair began between Michelle and Denny for whom Cass lusted."  In 1966, due to her relationships with Denny and rival musicians, Michelle was removed from the band.  Her replacement, Jill Gibson, was not well received.  She lasted about two month before Michelle returned.

John and Michelle Phillips divorced in 1969.  Cass Elliot enjoyed a successful solo career until her death in London, England on July 29, 1974.  She was only 32 years old when she died in her sleep at her London flat.  Forensic pathologist, Keith Simpson, who conducted her autopsy, concluded that the singer had died of heart failure.  Cass had a hit with "Dream a Little Dream of Me."  The song was originally on a Mamas and Papas album, but she released it as a single under her own name. 

The Mamas and the Papas reunited briefly in 1971, after which Denny Doherty concentrated on a solo recording career and began to act on stage.   In 1974, after the untimely death of Cass Elliot, Denny returned to New York and appeared on Broadway in Man on the Moon, a musical created by John Phillips and Andy Warhol.  The Man on the Moon closed after only five performances.  Not only that, but Denny discovered that he was flat broke.  However, he did recall that he still owned a house in Nova Scotia.

In 1977, Denny returned to Halifax and performed at the 1977 and 1978 Atlantic Folk Festivals. In the summer of  1978, he hosted The Denny Sho', a CBC TV music/variety show produced in the city. Denny also appeared in dramatic roles at Halifax's Neptune Theatre in plays such as The Taming of the Shrew, Much Ado About Nothing and Cabaret.  He collaborated with John Dalton, a former CBC Radio producer, on a Neptune Theatre production of Dream a Little Dream, based on the history of the Mamas and the Papas.  It opened in 1997.

In 2003, Denny produced an off-Broadway production of Dream a Little Dream: The Nearly True Story of the Mamas & the Papas.  It was created largely in response to a John Phillips Broadway musical called Straight Shooter: The True Story of John Phillips and the Mamas and the Papas.  Dream a Little Dream contains the wonderful music of The Mama's and Papas and others of that era.  Its narrative is told from Denny's perspective and it traces the events of the turbulent times between JFK's assassination in 1963 until Cass's death in 1974.

In 1980, Denny Doherty helped to reconfigure the Mamas and the Papas, along with John Phillips, his daughter Mackenzie Phillips (star of the sitcom One Day at a Time), and Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane, of the pop band Spanky and Our Gang.  The new version of the Mamas and the Papas toured until 1986, after which Denny returned to Canada, settling in the Toronto area.

In 1998, Denny appeared in the gospel-rock musical Fire, created by Canadians Paul Ledoux and David Young,  In the late 1990s, he also played the role of  the main storyteller in The Needfire, a Celtic musical performed at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. (A personal aside: I attended a performance of The Needfire).

In addition to his musical and theatrical accomplishments, Denny established himself on Canadian TV.  From 1993 to 2001, he played the role of the Harbour Master and voiced all the characters on the CBC's children's television program Theodore Tugboat.  The show was set in a busy harbour, modelled after the one in Halifax.  

Denny as the Harbour Master

   

In 1999, Denny portrayed Charley McGinnis in 22 episodes of Pit Pony, a CBC TV series. In 2004, Denny performed on a CBC TV special celebrating the 25th anniversary of the career of the children's musical trio, Sharon, Lois and  Bram.  He sang "California Dreamin'" and "Who Put the Bump?" with the trio.

Denny Doherty was the father of three children: A daughter named Jessica Woods from a short-lived first marriage, a daughter, Emberly and son, John, from his 20-year marriage to his second wife,  Jeannette.  Denny meet Jeannette in New York, when she was in the chorus line of Man in the Moon. Before returning to Nova Scotia, Denny and Jeannette lived in an apartment in New York's Hell's Kitchen before moving to Halifax in 1977.  Sadly, Jeannette died of ovarian cancer in 1998.

On January 19, 2007, Denny passed away at his Mississauga, Ontario home, just west of Toronto. He was 66 years old and he died of kidney failure, following surgery on an abdominal aneurysm.  He was survived by his children and his four siblings: Frances, Joe, Denise and Joan.

END NOTES 

* Denny's last TV appearance was on the season finale episode of the Canadian mocumentary series Trailer Park Boys (Season 7, Episode 10), as FBI Special Agent Ryan Shockneck.  Filming was completed just before his death and the episode aired on June 10, 2007.  It was dedicated to his memory.

* Michelle Phillips is the sole surviving member of the original Mama and the Papas.  Her former husband, John Phillips, died of heart failure on March 18, 2001 in Los Angeles at the age of 65.  After years of drug addiction, John's health declined and he underwent a liver transplant in 1992.

* In 2002, Zal Yanovksy, Denny Doherty's friend and fellow Canadian, died of an apparent heart attack near his home in Kingston, Ontario.  He was 58 years old at the time of his passing.  Zal achieved rock stardom as the lead guitarist for the Lovin' Spoonful, a group that had hits such as "Summer in the City" and "Do You Believe In Magic."  In 1966, Zal was arrested in the United States on a drug charge.  He returned to Canada and continued recording.  After retiring as a musician, Zal became a cook and restaurateur in Kingston.

* In 1996, Denny Doherty was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in Calgary, Alberta.  In 1998, the Mamas and the Papas were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

SOURCES: The Guardian obituary, "Denny Doherty: Lead Singer with the Mama and the Papas", January, 2007; Canadian Encyclopedia; Northern Stars website, Denny Doherty - Biography; CBC News obituary, "Doherty, Canadian Singer in the Mamas and the Papas, dies," January 21, 2007;  All Planet website, Denny Doherty Memorial: "'Papa' Denny Doherty: Here I am Documentary Releases 2021; Entertain this Thought website review, "Dream a Little Dream - The nearly true story of the Mamas and the Papas," March 21, 2015; Maclean's magazine; "Papa Denny and his rock 'n' roll adventure," by Brian Bergman, November 17, 1997; Wikipedia; IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base)

- Joanne

Photos of a Thanksgiving Visit to Elora, Ontario

On Monday October 11, 2021 (Canadian Thanksgiving), I visited the community of Elora, Ontario in the township of Wellington Centre,  It is located just north of Guelph, about 117.5 kilometres (73 miles) from Toronto by car via Highway 401.  It was the perfect time to enjoy the fall foliage.

Elora is a great getaway destination.  It is known for its 19th-century limestone architecture and its gorge and conservation area.  It is a popular place for camping and hiking.

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Below is a photo of the 1832 mill, which has been restored to an inn.                                                      

Elora Mill

Below is the Evelyn Restaurant/

- Joanne

Who will play the next James Bond?

If you are a James Bond fan, here is a graphic for you.  It has ben created by Select Car Leasing and it lists the actors who are most likely to succeed Daniel Craig in the role of 007.  I hope you find it informative and entertaining.

- Joanne

007: Richard Ayoade is 65% Likely to Play The Next Bond

Daniel Craig’s time in the 007 tux is coming to an end, following the long anticipated release of No Time To Die.

 

Almost every British actor who has ever played a suit-wearing, crime fighting character has been rumoured to play the spy, but what does data have to say about who should take over?

 

Studying the full series of films and each of the featuring lead actors, Select Car Leasing have created a ‘blueprint’ for a successful Bond actor.

 

The profile has been applied to 50 actors who are each given a percentage match based on age, height, IMDB popularity score and number of acting credits. Using the percentage scores, Select Car Leasing have revealed the actors that best fit the Bond profile.

Top 15 Actor Matches for The Role of James Bond

 

Name	Age	Height	Current No. of Roles	Popularity by IMDB	% Match
Jack Huston	38	6ft 0	47	Top 5,000	80
Matt Smith	38	6ft 0	47	Top 5,000	80
Charlie Cox	38	5ft 10	39	Top 5,000	80
Elyes Gabel	38	6ft 0	29	Top 5,000	80
Harry Lloyd	37	6ft 0	40	Top 5,000	80
James Norton	36	6ft 1	42	Top 5,000	70
Theo James	36	6ft 0	32	Top 5,000	70
Joe Anderson	39	5ft 11	41	Top 5,000	70
Ed Skrein	38	6ft 1	24	Top 5,000	65
Tom Burke	40	6ft 0	64	Top 5,000	65
Toby Kebbell	39	6 ft 0	51	Top 5,000	65
O-T Fagbenle	40	6 ft 0	51	Top 5,000	65
Richard Ayoade	44	6 ft 1	39	Top 5,000	65
Joe Gilgun	37	6 ft	24	Top 5,000	65
Eddie Redmayne	39	5ft 11	33	Top 5,000	65

 

There’s a 65% chance Bond could be played by Richard Ayoade

 

Despite being one of the public’s favourite choices as the next Bond, Jean Page’s youth and lack of acting credits leave him with a 40% Bond match, therefore not even making the top 40. Also rumoured to be taking on the license to kill is quintessentially British Tom Hardy. However, Hardy’s lavish acting credits and popularity give him just a 5% likelihood of being the next Bond.

 

Interestingly, it’s Richard Ayoade that is a better fit to put on the tux, according to Select Car Leasing – listed in the top 15 likely actors to play Bond. The IT Crowd actor is known for his comedy but his filmography, IMDB popularity and ability to wear a suit well leaves him as a 65% match for the next James Bond. 

 

Doctor Who’s Matt Smith is an 80% match for Bond

 

The table is topped by 5 actors all awarded with an 80% match for the Bond title. Amongst them is Elyes Gabel (appearing in World War Z & Game of Thrones), Jack Huston (Boardwalk Empire), Dr. Who’s Matt Smith, Harry Lloyd (from Legion) and Daredevil’s Charlie Cox.

 

Charlie Cox has been relatively absent from the Bond debate – in an interview with The Independent. Cox claims it could be due to being a fairly incognito actor and staying away from social media. Despite this, Select Car Leasing’s data lists Cox would be the perfect actor to pick up the pistol.

 

Former Time Lord Matt Smith is also amongst the top 5 perfect actors to play Bond, but Smith himself disagrees.  Reports say the former Doctor Who star felt he could never be a serious contender to play the British spy – but he would be better placed as one of the villains in the franchise.

Select Car Leasing

Will Justin Trudeau regret this election call?

We are one week away from a Canadian federal election on September 20th.  According to the latest poll on the CBC News website, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberals and Erin O'Toole's Conservatives are running neck and neck, with Jagmeet Singh's NDP in third place.  It is unlikely that any party will form a majority government. It appears that the result will be a Liberal minority or a Conservative minority. The seat count favours the Liberals. So, unless something unforeseen happens before the election, we will be left with another minority government.  We'll go to the polls again in about two years if the Liberals form the government, even sooner if the Conservatives come to power.  The NDP may prop up a Liberal government for a while, but it is doubtful that they will support O'Toole's right wing policies.  The Bloc Quebecois is the wild card.

Many Canadians, including myself, are not pleased about an election during a pandemic,  Frankly, I don't think Trudeau has satisfactorily explained the necessity for this election.  He has been accused by the other parties of being opportunistic, of calling a snap election in the hope of getting away with a majority.  Nevertheless, I still prefer a Liberal or NDP government to a Conservative one led by Erin O'Toole.  For me, the biggest issues are climate change, the pandemic, the economy and economic inequality, health care, poverty. housing and education.  I prefer the Liberal and NDP approach to those issues over the Conservative approach.  I believe that the very wealthy should pay their fair share of taxes, as should Amazon and Facebook.  I don't trust Erin O'Toole or his party to take appropriate measures to combat climate change.  O'Toole is wishy-washy about mask mandates to protect against COVID-19.  He will not do enough to support public health care and gun control either.  In fact, he wanted to reverse the ban on automatic weapons.  He changed course when his view was met by much opposition.   

Erin O'Toole

What concerns me is that Maxime Bernier's People's Party of Canada currently has 6.5 per cent of the popular vote, according to the CBC poll tracker.  That is more than the Green Party, which has 3.6 per cent.  The People's Party is unkely to win any seats in the House of Commons, thank goodness, but I find it disconcerting that a party with such an odious platform has that high a level of support in this country.  Bernier has fashioned himself as some kind of Trump North.  It's scary to think that he almost won the leadership of the formerly "Progressive" Conservative Party of Canada.

I am also disgusted that rocks and gravel were thrown at Justin Trudeau at a London, Ontario campaign stop.  That kind of behaviour has no place in Canadian politics.  It is not surprising that Shane Marshall, 25, a former PPC riding official has been arrested and charged with assault with a weapon.

With a week left until the election of 2021, it doesn't seem that much will change in the Canadian political landscape.  Unfortunately, voter turnout will probably be low, and that could favour the Tories.  I never say never because anything can happen.  As the former prime minister of the United Kingdom, Harold Wilson, once observed, "A week is a long time in politics."  Yet, if Canada ends up with another minority Liberal government, Justin Trudeau may wonder if it was all for naught and that he should have waited longer before sending Canadians to the polls.  He may regret his decision, although the deed has already been done.  He's probably regretting it already.

It's also worth mentioning that minority governments tend to achieve more than majority governments. The prime minister is forced to take into consideration the views and policies of the other parties.  This prevents him or her from becoming too arrogant.

- Joanne

A valuable tip for tree lovers

 I found the following tip on Facebook and I decided to share it with Number 16 readers.  If you are a friend of the environment, this is for you.  Please pass it on if you wish.  It's great advice and I plan to follow it myself.  I hope you do too.

"When you eat fruit, don't throw seeds, dry them, put them in a bag and leave them in the car.  When you're on the road, throw them out of the window in areas where there are no trees.  Nature will take care of germination.

In Asian countries like Thailand and Malaysia, they've been practicing it for years and now they have fruit trees everywhere.  

So, let's throw seeds on the earth, not in the trash."

- Joanne

Why I oppose anti-vaxxers

 

The anti-vaxxers are greatly responsible for the surge of the Delta variant of COVID-19.  There is no excuse for not getting vaccinated unless one has a valid medical reason.  Let me be frank.  I don't have much sympathy or patience for the anti-vaxxer point of view.  The anti-vaxxers are putting other people at risk and they are putting themselves at risk.  

No, I don't think people should be forced to get a vaccine, as they would in some totalitarian countries.  However, they should be required to forego certain privileges if they refuse to be fully vaccinated, such as attending movies, theatrical events, indoor restaurants and sporting matches.  They should also be required to be vaccinated in certain workplaces.  For example, all teachers should be vaccinated.  If a teacher does not wish to be vaccinated, then he or she should be prepared to seek employment elsewhere. Our children should not be exposed to COVID-19 and neither should unvaccinated educators.  

Here in the province of Ontario, where I live, Premier Doug Ford has not approved vaccination passports.  I strongly disagree with Ford on this matter.  The health and safety of the majority can't be jeopardized because of a vocal minority.  Our province can't afford a fourth wave of the virus.  The world can not afford allow this pandemic to linger on.  It must be eradicated as soon as possible.  Vaccinations are the only way to do it.  The longer this pandemic continues, the more people will suffer, physically and mentally.

Anti-vaxxer's will undoubtedly consider my opinion to be harsh and unreasonable.  I don't feel that way.  The longer this pandemic goes on, the more damage there will be to the well-being, health and livelihood of the majority of our citizens. The deaths and losses will continue to mount.  This can only be described as the tyranny of the minority.

Vaccinations and wearing masks are not a matter of politics.  Vaccinations and wearing masks are not a matter of health and welfare.  This is not a matter of freedom.  There can be no absolute freedom.  Your freedom does not allow you to endanger others.  Contrary to what the far-right and Donald Trump supporters believe, vaccines and masks are not a sign of weakness.  They are a sign of strength of character.  Some conservatives and American Republicans argue that the government can't tell them what to do.  However, sometimes government regulation is necessary.  There would be a lot more deaths from automobile accidents if the law didn't enforce the wearing of seatbelts.

Imagine if the anti-vaxxer movement had been around at the time of the polio epidemic in the 1950s.  So many more people would have contracted the debilitating disease.  Due to vaccinations, we have practically eliminated other diseases such as measles, mumps and smallpox.  Unfortunately, there have been some recent cases of those illnesses due to the anti-vaxxer movement.

Some of the most tragic situations are occurring in states with Republican governors and senators, primarily in southern jurisdictions such as Florida.  Under the misguided leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis.  COVID cases have reached record numbers in the Sunshine State, with a seven-day average of more than 20,000 cases each day.  Yet DeSantis has stated, "Many Florida residents have suffered under forced masking policies, and it is prudent to protect the ability of parents to make decisions regarding the wearing of masks by their children."  DeSantis has also been a fierce opponent of vaccine passports.  He adamantly opposes protective measures such as allowing businesses to require customers to show proof of vaccination.  

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden's approval rating has decreased due to the COVID surge.  That's right!  Biden, who reminds everyone over and over again to get vaccinated and to wear masks, is being blamed for the actions of  Republicans and Fox News.  

Let's get real!  The arguments of the anti-vaxxers and right-wingers have been debunked by scientists.  It's time to start supporting measures such a s vaccine passports.  Otherwise, COVID and its deadly variants will plague us for a long time to come.  Nobody in their right mind should want that.

- Joanne

Why I disagree with Eric Clapton on vaccines

 

Eric Clapton is a talented singer, songwriter and musician.  He is an outstanding guitarist.  During this pandemic, however, he has been advocating some dangerous ideas.  I have to disagree strongly with the British musician's position on vaccines.  His stance is not only unhelpful, it is extremely harmful.  Here's why I feel compelled to take him to task.

Clapton has stated that he will not perform at venues where coronavirus vaccine proof is required.  He is a vaccination skeptic and has been very critical of U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that passes would be mandatory before entering nightclubs and other live entertainment sites.  

Clapton issued the following statement on the Telegram account of his fellow vaccination skeptic, film producer and architect Robin Monotti: "Following the PM'S announcement on Monday the 19th of July 2021, I feel honor-bound to make an announcement of my own.  I wish to say that I will not perform on any stage where this is a discriminated audience present.  Unless there is a provision made for all people to attend, I reserve the right to cancel the show."

I am diametrically opposed to Clapton's point of view for many reasons.  First of all, it is unscientific.  Vaccines have been proven to work and they stop the spread of COVID-19.  It is a fact that in the United Stares, there is a higher number of COVID cases in states where fewer people have been vaccinated.  (According to a July 13, 2021 CNBC analysis, more than half of the counties in Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana have low vaccination rates and elevated levels of COVID cases).  Secondly, if all live entertainers agreed with Clapton, there would be many unvaccinated individuals attending live performances.  Live performances, including Clapton's, would quickly become super spreaders.  Thirdly, prohibiting unvaccinated people from attending live concerts is not intended to punish them or discriminate against them.  It is meant to protect the unvaccinated from contracting COVID-19.  It is also meant to stop those who have the virus from spreading it to others.

Wearing a mask and getting vaccinated is not a matter of freedom.  Freedom is not absolute and no one has the right or the freedom to infect others with a potentially lethal virus.  This pandemic is not over.  We are not out of the woods yet.  Much of the progress made has been due to lockdowns, masks and  vaccines.  Unfortunately, the Delta variant has reared its ugly head and is threatening to undo some of the progress that has been made.  We can't afford to let that happen.

Some young people are reluctant to get vaccinated.  They think that COVID=19 is not a serious threat to their well.  Because they are young and healthy, they feel invincible.  Those who think it is not much worse than an ordinary flu should speak to the families who have lost loved ones under 30 years of age to COVID.

As a popular musician, Eric Clapton has a great deal of influence over his fans and admirers.  They will take into account what he says, and his words will cause many people to refuse vaccinations.  I am not a famous musician, but I do not hesitate to challenge Eric Clapton on his point of view.  His opinion on vaccinations is wrong wrong wrong.  It is dangerous.

According to The Guardian, Clapton has actually received the AstraZeneca vaccine and has complained about "severe" reactions after receiving his shot.  The fact is that most people do experience some side effects from vaccines, but isn't that preferable to being hooked up to a ventilator and dying in an intensive care unit?

Eric Clapton recently collaborated with Van Morrison in an anti-lockdown song called "Stand and Deliiver"  The song is is is critical of COVD-19 restrictions such as face masks. It contains the following lyrics.  "Do you want to be a free man/Or do you want to be a slave?/Do you wanna wear these chains/Until you're lying in the grave?"  All I can say to that is that you may very well be lying i a grave if you don't wear a mask and you don't get vaccinated.

Eric Clapton has some North American concert dates set for this September.  If vaccination is not a requirement, you will be vulnerable to the virus if you attend any of his performances or the performances of entertainers who share his sentiments about vaccines.

- Joanne

Eye care at risk in Ontario

An open letter to the citizens of the province of Ontario

Are you aware that all seniors', children's and OHIP eye exams will end September 1, 2021?  On that day, optometrists will stop providing eye care to all patients covered by OHIP.

It is illegal for optometrists in Ontario to accept private insurance or direct payment for eye exams.  As a result, there will be no exams available for children, seniors, or adults with vision-threatening conditions.

In 1989, the Ontario government paid $39.15 for an eye exam.  In 2021, they pay an average of $44.65.  Unfortunately, this amount does not nearly cover the costs of rent, utilities, equipment, taxes and supplies needed to provide eye exams. 

If  OHIP coverage is taken away, many Ontarians will skip eye exams that would detect vision-threatening conditions.  In the end, they will require surgeries and more expensive procedures.  This is penny-wise and pound foolish. It will eventually cost much more in health terms, as well as in financial terms.  Prevention is the way to go!  Your eyesight is precious.

You can stop this.  Please let the Ford government know that this is unacceptable.  Notify your MPP.  Go to www.SaveEyeCare.ca  The next Ontario provincial election will be held  on or before June 2, 2022.  Let your voices be heard.  Please don't let this happen!

- Joanne