Bloomberg Poll: 41% of Americans want to build wall along Canadian border

News Item (September 25, 2005): Four in ten Americans now agree erecting a wall along the 8,850 kilometres (5,499.13 miles) between the otherwise friendly nations is a good idea, according to the latest Bloomberg Politics Poll.

Yes, you read that right.  According to that Bloomberg poll, 41 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that, "There should be a brick-and-mortar wall between the U.S. and Mexico."
Forty-one per cent also agreed with the statement, "If a wall is good for the Mexico border, it is good for the Canada border as well."

It's unbelievable, isn't it.  It would be amusing, if it weren't so sad.  Okay, okay, it's just one poll and I believe most Americans have much more sense than that.  Still, it's a worrisome reflection on the state of America today, especially the right wing of the Republican Party and its supporters.

Americans of that mindset, not only want to build a wall around their southern neighbour, Mexico, but also around those dangerous Canadians to the north.  You know, those same Canadian who saved the lives of six American hostages in Iran back in 1979.  Those same Canadians who opened up their homes and hearts to American travellers who were stranded during the 9/11 crisis.

How any reasonable American could conceive of Canada as a threat is beyond me!  Indeed, reasonable people tend to build bridges, not walls. That's why it is disturbing that Americans of this mindset are becoming more pervasive and bold.  Just like the so-called "birthers" who are convinced that U.S. President Barack Obama was born in Kenya or Indonesia, they falsely believe that the 9/11 terrorists entered the United States via the Canadian border.

The truth is that Obama was born in Hawaii and all 19 of  the 9/11 hijackers had visas for entry into the United States.  According to FactCheck.Org., "only one came to the U.S. on a student visa,"  The others arrived in America "on tourist or business visas."

Although both of the aforementioned theories are myths and have been thoroughly debunked, they still have credence among some ill-informed and ideologically deluded Americans. In October 2004, even Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, then a New York senator, was quoted as saying the terrorists had crossed into New York from Canada. Her office disputed the quotes, but they provoked outrage and there were demands in Canada for an apology.

The idea of building walls along borders has not only been endorsed by some stereotypical red-neck truck drivers, but by two "serious" candidates for the office of  U.S. president. In a discussion with NBC host Chuck Todd, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who recently exited from the Republican race for president (Thank goodness!), seemed to agree that the idea of erecting a wall along the Canadian border should be considered.  Donald Trump, another Republican candidate, told a rally in Dallas, Texas, that "walls work."  For Trump, who is a staunchly anti-Mexican, that was par for the course.

How can someone like "The Donald" even be considered suitable for the office of President of the United States?  What public office has he ever held?  He has never been a governor, a senator, a mayor or anything else of that nature?  He has absolutely no diplomatic skills,.  He says almost anything that comes to his mind and has made numerous offensive and ill-considered remarks, especially regarding women and Mexican immigrants.  His tactlessness hasn't prevented him from making billions of dollars or being entertaining.  He's certainly adept at those two things and that's why the media are enjoying his candidacy.  Yet it is essential for an American president to have sound diplomatic abilities.  In 2016, the United States will be electing a new leader, not a reality show host or a stand-up comedian.

Then there's the conservative media.  Sean Haanity, a conservative Fox News host, was asked, "You're going to do it at the border with Mexico, but how about the 5,000 miles between the U.S. and Canada.  Hannity replied, "I would do it up there, too  I would do it up there, too."  Nice, Hannity, nice!

On May 17th, 1961, then-President John F. Kennedy addressed the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa.  In his remarks, he described the relationship between Canada and the United States.  He said,
"Geography has made us neighbours. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners. And necessity has made us allies. Those whom nature hath so joined together, let no man put asunder."  He added, "What unites us is far greater than what divides us. The issues and irritants that inevitably affect all neighbours are small deed in comparison with the issues that we face together -above all the sombre threat now posed to the whole neighbourhood of this continent - in fact, to the whole community of nations. But our alliance is born, not of fear, but of hope. It is an alliance that advances what we are for, as well as opposes what we are against,"

Kenndey's address to the Parliament of Canada took place 54 years ago, at the height of the Cold War. Times, of course have changed.  Today the world is threatened by the scourge of terrorism, but Kennedy's sentiments still ring true.  The United States and Canada must face our problems by working together and with other countries.

In August of 1961, about three months after President Kennedy's visit to Canada, the Berlin Wall was constructed, cutting off West Berlin from surrounding West Germany.  It was regarded as a symbol of oppression by the free and democratic world.   On June 26, 1963, about 22 months after the wall was erected, JFK delivered a famous speech in West Berlin in which he declared, "... All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words "Ich bin ein Berliner! (I am a Berliner)."

There was great celebration when the Berlin Wall came tumbling down in 1989.  Although that wall was built primarily to keep people from leaving East Germany, it  seems to me that freedom-loving people should be wary of all those who advocate the building of border walls, regardless of whether their intention is to prevent people from entering or from leaving.


- Joanne

Unlucky Prince Eddy: Queen Victoria's grandson was the subject of scandal

Even his nearest and dearest, who were naturally bent on making the best of poor Prince Eddy, could not bring themselves to use more positive terms. Prince Eddy was certainly dear and good, kind and considerate. He was also backward and utterly listless. He was self-indulgent and not punctual. He had been given no proper education, and as a result he was interested in nothing. He was as heedless and as aimless as a gleaming gold-fish in a crystal bowl.

 - James Pope-Hennessy
From Queen Mary.Queen 1867 - 1953. Knopf. 1960


Prince Albert Victor, known to his family as "Eddy," was second in the line of succession to the British throne.  His father. Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), was the son and heir apparent to Queen Victoria.  His mother, Alexandra, Princess of Wales, was the former Alexandra of Denmark.  Poor Eddy, however, never ascended to the the throne and he never married the woman he loved.  He died before his father and his grandmother,  He was much-maligned in life and well after his untimely death.  For his detractors, however, Eddy was largely the author of his own misfortune.

Prince Albert Victor Christian Edward was born on January 8, 1864.  Due in March, the little prince was born prematurely at Frogmore House, a royal country estate on the east side of Windsor Castle in the English county of Berkshire.  He was named "Albert" after his paternal grandfather, Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria, "Victor" after the queen herself and "Christian" after his maternal grandfather, King Christian IX of Denmark.

Baby Prince Albert Victor with his parents

The new baby weighed less than four pounds.  His premature birth left him with a weak immune system and he was frequently ill.  He was considered to be of low intelligence and was partially deaf due to hearing problems inherited from his mother's side of the family.

On June 3, 1865, Eddy's younger brother, George Frederick Ernest Albert (later King George V) was born in Marlborough House, London.  Although the two brothers were close in age, their lives turned out very differently, with George being the more fortunate sibling, while the hapless Eddy could not seem to do anything right.

After the birth of George, three daughters, Louise (1867-1931), Victoria (1868-1935) and Maud (1869-1938), followed in succession.  Another son, Alexander John, was born prematurely on April 6, 1871, but he only survived for a day.  Meanwhile, George and Eddy were educated together under the tutelage of Reverend John Neale Dalton, who remarked that Eddy had an "abnormally dormant condition of mind."

Prince Eddy (left) and Prince George c. 1870

Prince Eddy (right) and Prince George

It was decided that young Prince George should pursue a career in the navy and Reverend Dalton advised that elder brother Eddy should join him as a naval cadet aboard the Royal Navy's training ship, HMS Britannia. Dalton was of the opinion that George would help motivate his struggling older sibling.  As cadets, the boys learned the fundamentals of seamanship

When their time aboard the Britannia ended, the brothers were transferred to the HMS Bacchante, As, midshipmen, they embarked on a three-year world tour aboard the Bacchante, which began with a voyage to Gibralter in 1879.  When their Bacchante cruise came to an end, Eddy and George spent six months in Lausanne, Switzerland to improve their French.  Then the princes finally went their separate ways.  George received another posting at sea, while it was decided that Eddy should further pursue his academic studies.

In October of 1883, Prince Albert Victor entered Trinity College, University of Cambridge, to finish his education.  Eddy failed to impress his tutor, J.K. Stephens, who didn't think his student could derive much benefit from attending lectures at Cambridge.  Stephens described the prince as someone "who barely knows the meaning of the words to read."  In 1865, Eddy departed from Cambridge after being excused from writing exams.  He then became an officer in the 10th Hussars, a cavalry regiment of the British army.  His brother George, however, remained in the navy.

Prince Eddy (right) and Prince George

In 1890, at the age of 26, Eddy returned to civilian life after an undistinguished army career. Prince Albert Victor's lack of military and academic achievement was par for the course. Throughout his life, Eddy was the subject of criticism, speculation and controversy.  He found himself linked to the notorious "Cleveland Street Scandal."

The scandal broke in July of 1889 and involved a male brothel located at 19 Cleveland Street in London.  Implicated in the scandal were high ranking figures in British society, including Lord Arthur Somerset, an Extra Equerry or personal attendant of Eddy's father, the Prince of Wales. Eddy was also rumoured to be a "brothel client," although he had never been named by any of the prostitutes.  The Prince of Wales, intervened and Eddy was not formerly interrogated or prosecuted in the investigation.

Eddy's father and Queen Victoria felt that the young man needed the influence of a wife to settle him down.  The queen encouraged him to woo Princess Alix of Hesse, his first cousin and Victoria's granddaughter. Alix, however, refused Eddy's marriage proposal.  In 1894, she wed Tsar Nicholas II of Russia instead and became known to history as Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Empress of Russia. On July 17, 1918, following he Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, Nicholas and Alexandra and their children were taken to a basement room and assassinated.

In October, 1889, after having been linked to a scandal and rejected by Princess Alix, Albert Victor set forth on a seven month tour of India amid speculation that he was trying to evade accusations and disassociate himself with the Cleveland Street scandal.  However, according to two authors, Theo Aronson in his book Prince Eddy and the Homosexual Underworld (1994) and Andrew Cook in Prince Eddy: The King Britain Never Had (2006), the tour had been planned in the spring, before the scandal had come to light.
 
While in India, Prince Albert Edward became acquainted with a woman named Margery Haddon, the wife of civil engineer Henry Haddon, who was based in the city of Calcutta (now known as Kolkata). Described as vivacious, Margery was the daughter of a civil servant.  She was born and raised in Calcutta, which was then the centre of British colonial power in India.

After Eddy's death, Margery travelled to England and named the prince as the father of her son, Clarence Guy Gordon Haddon.  In 1914, she was arrested outside the gates of Buckingham Palace after shouting that she was the mother of the prince's illegitimate child. By that time, Margery was in dire straights and she appeared deranged.  The unfortunate woman had apparently become an alcoholic, and had had several failed marriages.  Still, she remained adamant about her son's paternity.  She asserted that her affair with the Duke of Clarence had begun at one of a number of the gala balls given during Eddy's tour of India.

The head of Scotland Yard's Special Branch, which is responsible for royal matters and the security of the royal family, investigated the matter and eventually dismissed the claim.  In 2005, official papers in the National Archives were released concerning the Haddon affair.  These documents reveal that Albert Victor's lawyers had conceded that there had almost "certainly" been "some relations" between the prince and Mrs. Haddon, while denying that Eddy had fathered her son.

The documents also reveal evidence of a cover-up by the royal family.  Margery Haddon was becoming troublesome and could not be ignored any longer.  Officials quietly arranged a passage for her to return to India.  Clothes were provided for the desperate woman through funds from a secret Scotland Yard account and she was given spending money.  An intermediary for the duke also provided financial support for young Clarence.  On February 20, 1915, Mrs. Haddon departed for India and there is no record of her returning to England.  The affair was kept out of the public eye until the 1920s when Clarence, who had spent much of his adult life working abroad, turned up in London.

Upon his return from India, Eddy was given the title of Duke of Clarence and Avondale and Earl of Athlone by Queen Victoria On May 24, 1890, her 71st birthday. The prince also became enamoured of  Princess Hélène of Orléans, the daughter of  Philippe, Comte de Paris, the pretender to the French throne. Hélène was born on June 13, 1871 in London, England, where her father was living in exile from France.  The couple wanted to wed, but Hélène was not considered a suitable bride for Eddy because of her Roman Catholicism. The major obstacle to the marriage was the Act of Settlement, an act passed by the Parliament of England in 1701 which prohibits anyone who becomes a Roman Catholic or marries one to ascend to the throne.

Princess Hélène of Orléans

Eddy and Hélène's romance almost caused a constitutional crisis and Prince Albert Victor even considered renouncing his claim to the throne. In frustration, the couple went before Queen Victoria to plead their case and Hélène expressed her willingness to convert to the Church of England. Victoria, although initially opposed to the marriage, was eventually persuaded to agree to the match. Still, the marriage never happened.

Princess Hélène's father was unyielding.  He refused to allow his daughter to convert to Anglicanism. As a last resort, Hélène decided to take her case directly to Pope Leo XIII.  In an audience with the pontiff, she implored him to allow her children to be raised as Protestants. According to a letter from the Baron de Charette, a family friend who had accompanied the princess, the pope said, "It is useless, you know I can't compromise on the principles I represent."

Many years later years later, Prince Michael of Greece (born January 7, 1939), a great nephew of Hélène and a first cousin once removed to Prince Albert Victor, was permitted to rummage through some family papers. He came across a file marked "Eddy," which contained correspondence between Hélène's father, the Count of Paris, and the Vatican., and letters from Eddy to Hélène.  Based on his discovery, Michael, a historian, wrote a book about about the star-crossed love affair entitled Eddy and Helene: An Impossible Match.

Eddy's letters were tender and bittersweet and they provide some insight into the relationship between Albert Victor and the woman he loved.  In his missives from Balmoral and Sandringham, a smitten Eddy addressed Hélène as "his beloved one."  He wrote that she was "indeed to me an angel upon Earth."  "Nothing on Earth," he vowed, "would turn my resolve to stick to you whatever happens, even if I had to wait 50 years or more.

Despite the prince's solemn pledge to stand with Hélène, the relationship was doomed.  In May of 1891,  Hélène wrote to Eddy advising him to "do your duty as an English prince without hesitation and forget me."  Three days later, he responded, telling her that it "almost breaks my heart to think that our lives must be spent apart.”

On July 1, 1891, Queen Victoria wrote to Hélène and told the princess that she supported the marriage but "feared the difficulties of this marriage . . . would be insurmountable . . . that in spite of my keen desire to facilitate this union, my hands are tied and I can change absolutely nothing in the laws which prohibit all marriages between English princes and Catholics, because of the succession to the throne."  She also told Hélène that she believed "her poor grandson," although unhappy, would "have to accept it.

Unlike his nephew, King Edward VIII, who abdicated in 1936 to marry a twice-divorced American, Eddy did his "duty as an English prince."  Yet he never forgot Hélène and neither did his grandmother. After his death, Queen Victoria sent her the dried flowers that had been placed on Eddy's coffin.  “I beg you to accept these keepsakes as proof of my affection for the one who was so devoted to my dear grandson," she wrote from Windsor Castle.

Months after his break-up with  Hélène, a suitable Protestant bride was finally found for the heartbroken Prince Eddy.  In December of 1891, he became engaged to Princess Mary of Teck, known informally as "May,"  Mary was born at Kensington Palace in London on May 26, 1867. Although raised in England, she was a princess of Teck in the Kingdom of Württemberg (a state in Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918).  Her father, Francis, Duke of Teck, was of German extraction.  Her mother, the Duchess of Teck (born Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge), was a member of the British royal family and a granddaughter of King George III.

Prince Eddy and Mary of Teck

                                                                        Photo Credit – www.findagrave.com

Mary of Teck was 24 years of age when she became engaged to Prince Albert Victor.  She was Eddy's second cousin once removed and highly regarded by Queen Victoria.  The marriage, however, never occurred.  A month before the wedding, which was scheduled for February 27, 1892, Prince Albert Victor became ill with influenza while at Sandringham House, Norfolk.  Soon after, he developed pneumonia and died on January 14, 1892.  He was just 28 years old at the time of his passing. While delirious during his final moments, Eddy called out the name of his beloved Hélene.

Mary of Teck in 1893

During the 1960s, speculation arose that Prince Eddy had been involved in the infamous "Jack the Ripper" murders in which five women, thought to be prostitutes, were brutally killed in the Whitechapel district of London between August 31 and November 9, 1888.  The victims were Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes and Mary Jane Kelly.  They were strangled to death and organs were removed from their body.  It is for this reason that the killer is believed to have had some surgical skill.

According to the book Jack the Ripper A-Z, the allegations linking Prince Eddy to the murders can be traced to author Philippe Julllien's book, Edward VII, published in 1962.  In his book, Jullien writes that "the prince and "the Duke of Bedford" were rumoured to have perpetrated the murders, although he did not specify which Duke of Bedford was involved.  Then, in November 1970, an article in The Criminologist by Dr. Thomas Stowell raised eyebrows.  The article, titled "A Solution," was actually a veiled accusation against Prince Eddy.

Stowell used the private papers of Sir William Gull, a prominent 19th century English physician who treated members of the royal family, as his source material.  He made a case against the killer he referred as "S" (for suspect).  "S" was an heir to power and wealth and was nicknamed "Collar and Cuffs" (Prince Eddy was referred to as "Collar and Cuffs" due to the high starched collars he wore to conceal his unusually long thin neck).  According to Stowell, "S" had contracted syphilis in the West Indies.  The disease had caused him to become insane and he was compelled to commit the horrific murders.  The royal family had tried to hide him away and have him committed to a mental hospital.

Author Stephen Knight, in his 1976 book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution, theorized that Prince Albert Victor had fathered a child with a working class Whitechapel woman named Annie Elizabeth Cook and that he had secretly married her.  Eddy and others, he surmised, had committed the murders to cover up the prince's indiscretions and to serve an anti-Catholic Masonic conspiracy. According to this theory, one of  "Jack the Ripper's" victims was the child’s nanny and another was a case of mistaken identity.

Although Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution was a commercial success, there are so many contradictions in Knight's theories that some regard it as a hoax.  Another book, Prince Jack: The True Story of Jack the Ripper (1978), written by Frank Spiering, also pointed the finger at Prince Eddy.  It claimed that Prince Albert Victor was capable of carrying out the surgical techniques used on the murder victims because as an avid hunter, he was skilled at "dressng deer."

The allegations linking Eddy to the "Jack the Ripper" murders, however, are not supported by any concrete evidence. In fact, Court and Royal records show that the prince was not even in London at the time of the important murder dates.  From August 29, 1888 until September 1888, he was staying with Viscount Downe at Danby Lodge (Nichols was murdered August 31).  From September 7-10, 1888, he was at the Cavalry Barracks in York (Chapman was murdered September 8).  From September 27-30, 1888, he was at Abergeldie, Scotland and Queen Victoria recorded in her journal that she had lunch with her grandson there (Stride and Eddowes were murdered between 1.00 and 2.00 a.m. on September 30).  From November 2-12, the prince was at Sandringham. (Kelly was murdered November 9).

Most historians have dismissed claims that Prince Albert Victor was involved in the gruesome crimes of 1888.   While Eddy certainly had his faults, it is extremely doubtful that he was responsible for the "Jack the Ripper" murders.


END NOTES

* On July 6, 1893, Mary of Teck married Albert Victor's brother, Prince George.  Upon the death of Edward VII on May 6, 1910, George became king and reigned as George V until his death in 1936. Queen Mary passed away on March 24, 1953, only 10 weeks before the coronation of her granddaughter as Queen Elizabeth II.

* On June 25, 1895, Princess Hélène of Orléans married Italian-born Prince Emanuele Filberto Vittorio, second Duke of Aosta, a member of the House of Savoy and a cousin of King Victor Emmanuel of Italy.  The wedding took place at the Church of St. Raphel in Kingston upon Thames, England.  The couple had two sons, Amedeo (1898-1942), third Duke of Aosta and Aimone (1900-1948), fourth Duke of Aosta.

Hélène was widowed in 1931 and remarried in 1936.  Her second husband was Colonel Otto Campini (1872–1951).  Hélène died at Castellammare di Stabia, Italy (an area in the Metropolitan City of Naples) on January 21, 1951.  She was 79 years old at the time of her passing.

*  In the 1920s, Clarence Haddon, who was obviously named after the Duke of Clarence, showed up in London demanding to be recognized as the son of Prince Albert Victor.  Not having documentary evidence, his claims were not taken seriously and he was viewed as somewhat of a crackpot.  Still, he continued his campaign to be recognized at the prince's son.

In 1929, Haddon published a book entitled My Uncle, King George V, in which he reiterated his mother's claim that he was Prince Eddy's offspring.  He asserted that he was born in London in September of 1890, about nine months after Prince Albert Victor's meeting with Margery Haddon.

On November 29, 1933, Clarence Haddon was arrested and charged with threatening and attempting to blackmail King George V.  He was accused of writing to the king and demanding money in return for silencing his claims that he was George's nephew.

According to an Associated Press (AP) news report, Clarence Haddon went on trial in London on January 11, 1934.  The report, describes Haddon as an "unemployed consulting engineer."  It quotes Haddon as telling the court that he "had witnesses to say that his mother was secretly married to the Duke of Clarence."

The judge, believing that Haddon was delusional, eventually found him guilty and placed him under conditions of bail for three years, provided that he refrained from claiming that he was Prince Eddy's son. He later breached his bail conditions and was incarcerated for a year. According to one source, My Heritage.com, Clarence Haddon died circa 1940.


- Joanne

Canadian National Exhibition Sand Sculptures

The Canadian National Exhibition was founded in 1879 and it is a Toronto tradition.  I've been going to the CNE, or as we Torontonians affectionately call it , "The Ex," my whole life.  The grand fair is Canada''s largest annual community event and runs for 18 days.  It always ends on Labour Day and it ushers in the new school year and the fall season.

This year, I took some photos of the four entries in the International Pairs sand sculpting competition at the Enercare Centre, the main building at the Ex.  Here are pictures of the entries.

THE UNITED STATES ENTRY: "Idea Factory"
Sculptors: Eva Sazuko McGrew and Greg LeBon

THE CHINESE ENTRY: "Ancient Mysteries of China"
Sculptors: Yan Zhang and Lidong Yang

THE CANADIAN ENTRY:  "All You Need is Love"
Sculptors:  Jonathan Bouchard and Stéphan Robert

TOGO (AFRICA) ENTRY
Sculptors: Bob Atisso and Bouke Atema

FROM THE CNE WEBSITE

International Sand Sculpting Pairs Competition

BREAKING NEWS:  The Judges Have Spoken!
Team USA wins top honours followed by Canada in second place!

Now it is up to you, our guests, to vote for the Fan Favourite. 


END NOTE

This sculpture below, entitled "Rock on Rock," by Daryl Maddeaux was also on display..

- Joanne

Does the Harper government deserve to be re-elected?

 Photo Attribution:

                                   https://www.flickr.com/photos/presidenciamx/12622527495/

The campaign is on!  Canada's 42nd general election will be held on Monday, October 19, 2015. We have been given the opportunity to replace a tired and exceedingly mean-spirited government.  We have a chance to remove from office one Stephen Joseph Harper, the most ideologically-driven and partisan prime minister in our history.  It isn't going to be easy.  The Conservative Party of Canada has a war chest just with funds.  The party will continue to spend millions of dollars on ads attacking Liberal leader Justin Trudeau and NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.

The election was called on August 2nd.  At 11 weeks, this is the longest campaign in modern Canadian history.  Don't be deceived by the bombardment of negative ads.  Don't be sidetracked by the Conservative Party's fixation on Justin Trudeau's hair.  Concentrate on the real issues and make an informed decision.

This is not an ad hominem attack on Mr. Harper.  It is an attack on his policies and a lament for the damage those polices have inflicted on Canada.  The Harper government should be soundly defeated for what it has done to this great nation and its standing in the world.  I will outline my reasoning in a clear and concise fashion:

1.  The Economy: Canada's economy is sluggish.  It is stagnating.  It has contracted over the first five months of 2015.  We are on the verge of  a recession.  Yet the Harper government refuses to take responsibility for the country's poor economic performance.  Of course, it is quick to accept the credit for good economic news.  In the August 24, 2015 issue of Maclean's magazine, columnist Scott Feschuk writes that Stephen Harper is "running on his economic leadership,even as the economy hurtles toward recession.  He's running on his fiscal record, despite seven straight deficits and an addiction to bribing Canadians with their own money."

Prime Minister Harper has blamed the sluggish economy on external factors and low oil prices.  Yet the economies of other developed countries are not performing as poorly and it was Stephen Harper himself who placed Canada's hopes for economic growth on the oil industry. He is the one who put all this country's eggs in one basket.

2.  The Environment:  The Harper government's record on the environment is absolutely disgraceful.  Canada's record on decreasing green house gases is shameful and it is a blight on our world-wide reputation.  At home, the government has reduced environmental regulations and muzzled the findings of scientists.  It regards them as "radicals."

3.  Jobs:  Where are the jobs, especially for our young people?  Ask anyone sending out resumes how difficult it is to find work other than part-time, seasonal and contractual.  Are we suppose to just meekly accept that our children will not have long term jobs and secure pensions in a country as rich and full of resources as Canada?  Surely young Canadians deserve better.  Surely they deserve a more hopeful future.

The Harper government believes in the fallacy of trickle-down supply-side economics. Conservatives argue that lower taxes and less government create jobs.  They contend that the private sector will create employment for the masses.  So, why hasn't it happened?  It seems that more companies are laying off employees rather than hiring.

4.  The Long Form Census;  The Harper government has put an end to Canada's long form census, a useful tool for planners and an invaluable source of information about this country.  Ask any librarian or urban planner or researcher about the usefulness of the long form census.

5.  The Post Office:  Thanks to the Harper government, home mail delivery is being phased out. This will cause untold hardship for the elderly and the disabled.  We will have people falling on ice as they try to retrieve their mail during the winter.  We already have large and unsightly outdoor mail boxes littering the landscape.  If other countries can afford home mail delivery, why can't Canada?  Canada Post has been poorly managed.  Stamp prices rise exponentially and postal services continue to deteriorate,

6.  The CBC:  The Harper government is destroying the CBC, our public broadcaster, in a piecemeal fashion.  It is starving Canada's national network bit by bit with budget cuts.  With each budget cut, the CBC bleeds more and more,  Quality goes down because of a lack of financing and people complain about using taxpayer funding for inferior programming.  The CBC is necessary because it shines a light on Canada.  It brings Canadian communities together.  Private broadcasting, on the other hand, tends to simulcast commercial-filled American shows

What the Conservative government is doing to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is not only reprehensible, it is insidious.  Rather than taking an axe to the CBC, it is wounding it one cut at a time until it dies a long and lingering death.  That is why it is why it is a essential that a new government restore funding to our public broadcaster.

7.  Gun Control: The Tories have relaxed gun control laws and they have killed the long gun registry.  As the American experience has taught us, the more guns available, the more murders and firearm accidents.  Do we really want to emulate our neighbours to the south with regard to firearms?

8.  Fear Mongering:  Canadians certainly should be vigilant where terrorism is concerned, but the Conservative government has played on people's fears.  It has used the fear factor for partisan advantage and has portrayed the parliamentary opposition as naive and soft on terrorism.  It has done this for electoral advantage. Furthermore, the Conservatives have demonstrated a lack of concern for the civil liberties of Canadians with the passing of its controversial Bill -51.    

9.  Aboriginal Peoples:  In 2008, Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized for the Indian Residential Schools and began setting up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.  In 2010, he signed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.  Unfortunately, however, his government is responsible for severe cutbacks to aboriginal organizations and the abandonment of the Kelowna Accord of November of 1985.  The accord, a ten-year plan to improve the health, education, living conditions and economic opportunities for Aboriginal peoples, was the result of consultations between the federal government, provincial and territorial governments, and five national aboriginal organizations.

Stephen Harper has shown indifference and a lack of understanding with regard to the more than 1,100 aboriginal women gone missing or murdered since 1980.  He has refused to call a formal federal inquiry into the tragedy.  He regards it merely a criminal matter and will not consider the social implications.  According to the prime minister, an inquiry would be "another study . . .in place of action."  Meanwhile, in May of 2014, the RCMP stated that the number of indigenous females missing or murdered was three to four times higher in proportion to the rest of the population.

10.  Poverty: That is the issue none of the party leaders want to talk about much. However, it is a sad reality in this country.  Under the policies of the Harper government, the gap between the rich and poor is growing wider every day.  Our social safety net is fraying.  In this purportedly "developed" nation, children are going to bed hungry or without proper nutrition and many people are homeless and destitute.

11.  Taxation and Government Ads:  Due to their ideology, the Tories will not raises taxes on the wealthiest Canadians and neither will they increase corporate taxes.  They claim to be careful with taxpayers' money.  Yet they have wasted millions of dollars on government ads that are thinly-disguised pro-Conservative propaganda.  The government's 2009-10 Economic Action Plan ad campaign cost $52.3 million (Toronto Star, April 30, 2015).  In addition, the media have been inundated with ads featuring contented Canadian families and soccer-playing children.  They promote the supposed benefits of Conservative budget measures such as income sharing (which only helps those who don't need help).

Since the Conservatives came to power, an estimated $750 million has been spent on government ad blitzes (Toronto Star, April 30, 2015).  Admittedly, some of the ads, such as public health alerts, have provided necessary information.  Most, however, have shamelessly promoted the policies of the Conservative government.for partisan gain.  Remember the 2013 Job Grant ads?  Those ads ran before the program was even implemented.

It should be noted that both the Canadian Taxpayers' Federation and Democracy Watch (an Ottawa-based citizen group advocating democratic reform) have been highly critical of the Conservative government's ads.

12.  Foreign Policy: Canada has traditionally been regarded as a middle power, an honest broker and a peacemaker.  Under the guidance of Lester Pearson, this country pioneered the concept of sending peacekeeping troops to areas of conflict.  Stephen Harper, however, has tried to change Canada's image to that of a warrior nation.  He has not been supportive of the United Nations, which, although imperfect, is the only international organization for achieving peace, security and co[operation among nations.  It promotes human rights and tries to solve humanitarian and social problems.

Due to the Harper government's policies, Canada suffered the embarrassment of losing its 2010 bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council.  Yves Fortier, Canadian ambassador to the UN from 1988 to 1991, stated that Canada's humiliating failure to win the seat was "a reflection of things that Canada has done or not not done that a majority of nations disapprove of."

Here are just two examples of Conservative policy that cost this country an important a voice on the UN Security Council: Some countries, especially vulnerable island nations, were displeased with Canada's lack of enthusiasm for taking measures to decrease greenhouse gases, while African nations were upset about Canada's reduction of aid to that continent.

13.  Fighter Jets:  The Conservatives have planned to purchase 65 very costly fighter planes (Kevin Page, Canada's former parliamentary budget officer, has estimated that the cost of the planes would be a whopping $29.3 billion over 30 years).  The Tories chose the F-35 jets without a competitive bidding process. They plan to spend billions of dollars on planes that are unlikely to meet Canada's needs,  University of British Columbia professor Michael Byers has contended that the F-35 is not designed to suit Canada's Arctic and Maritimes.  He has written that purchasing a single-engine fighter "would almost inevitably result in the needless loss of Canadian pilots."  Byers has also stated the following: "“Instead of blowing the defence budget on a fleet of unproven, hyper-expensive F-35s that could soon become outdated, we should be looking for a lower-risk, lower-cost alternative.”

The purchase of the F-35 jets is currently on hold, but has not been ruled out.

14.  The Mike Duffy Scandal and the Senate:  The Mike Duffy scandal has further tainted the record of the Harper government.  As Senator Duffy's fraud trial continues, more will be revealed about the inner workings of the PMO and it won't be pretty.  Duffy and another Conservative appointee to the Red Chamber, Pamela Wallin, have been accused of making fraudulent Senate expense claims.

Many Canadians are calling for reform or abolition of the Upper House. In July of 2015, Prime Minister Harper vowed not to name any new senators until the Senate is reformed (there are currently 22 vacancies).  The prime minister is leaving it to the provinces to sort out the mess, putting the onus on them to come up with a plan for reform.


END NOTES

I have focussed on 14 issues in my reasoning as to why the Harper government should be defeated. There are certainly many more, but I do not have the time or space to write about them in one opinion piece.

This federal election provides a chance for Canadians, especially those between the ages of 18 and 25, to exercise their franchise. On October 19th, let your voices be heard.  Please get out and vote!  It costs nothing and you will be doing something that people in many countries don't have the right to do.  Our democratic system is far from perfect but, as Winston Churchill pointed out, it's better than all the others.  You may be disillusioned and disenchanted, but apathy is not the answer.  Would you rather live in a dictatorship or a totalitarian country?  I don't think so.

Be a part of the democratic process,  Let the politicians know that they have to listen to you if they want your vote.  Don't get fooled again!  Put an end to the Harper era.  Vote this tired and cruel government out of office.  Put an end to this ugly regime.


- Joanne

Photos of an August afternoon in Manhattan

I've just returned from a visit to Newark, New Jersey and New York City  Last Friday, August 7th, my husband and I spent a wonderful afternoon in Manhattan.  The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we took a Hop on Hop off bus tour of the island.  Here are some photographs I would like to share with you of my trip to The Big Apple.

We began with lunch at Caffe Napoli in Little Italy, as you can see in the photo of me below.

Little Italy and Chinatown

Columbus Park

Statue of Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), Father of the Republic of China 

Street scenes

Batman 

New York pretzels

New York pretzels are the largest pretzels I've ever seen.  They really are large, but they are too salty for my taste.  I can't eat them.

9/11 Memorial and Museum and Information & Museum Store

St. Paul's Chapel

St. Paul's Chapel is an Episcopal chapel located in Lower Manhattan at Broadway and Fulton St. The historic chapel was founded in 1766 and George Washington prayed there following his presidential inauguration in in 1789.  St. Paul's is situated just across the street from where the twin towers of the World Trade Centre once stood.  As a result, it played a significant role as a host to the recovery workers after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

City Hall Park and City Hall

Located in the Civic Center area of Lower Manhattan between Broadway, Park Row and Chambers Street, City Hall Park is a gem in the heart of the city.  It is a great place to relax on a bench with its beautiful fountain and flowers and art work.  

About New York City Hall (pictured below)

"The oldest City Hall in the nation that still houses its original governmental functions, New York's City Hall is considered one of the finest architectural achievements of its period.  Constructed from 1803 to 1812, the building was an early expression of the City's cosmopolitanism."

- From the New York City government website

- Joanne