Disturbing Conservative Viewpoints on Education

Interesting how social conservatives in both Canada and the United States are blaming universities for their being "too much edumacation".

On his Facebook profile, former Liberal MP Omar Alghabra, found and posted this letter to the editor on Mississauga.com that highlighted one of Canada's problem to those of the so-called common sense thinking variety - there are too many students studying things that aren't practical. Further, universities should be "elitist" institutions for the few who can afford it.

Now, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum suggests "the left uses colleges for indoctrination". Also, suggesting, fewer people should go to universities - going even further to suggest that simply attending university is undermining the United States.

The social conservative elite, and Santorum is one, feel that university is an obstruction to their agenda. It's okay for them to attend university so they can preach from on high, but not their flock. That's the only conclusion I can draw.

If I were an intelligent conservative, I'd be appalled by these remarks.

If I were a member of a student partisan conservative association (as I once was), I'd be even more appalled.

NDP to Accredit Bloggers at Convention?!

It could be me, but I could find no information on whether bloggers (or the media for the matter) will be accredited at the NDP leadership convention in March.

Since the convention is being held in Toronto, I could partake in the event with little cost to me. However, I cannot fork over the $1,000 observer fee.

I've tweeted about it and I've sent an email to the NDP to find out.

Will keep you posted.

Updated. According to Far and Wide and the Pundit's Guide, yes, bloggers will be accredited at the convention. Details to come. Thanks!

No Excuses, Liberal Supporters

One of the oft-repeated refrains from the last elections from those who would vote Liberal was that they couldn't vote Liberal because of who Liberals voted as leader. It was because Liberals chose Paul Martin as leader or Stéphane Dion or Michael Ignatieff ... Why couldn't we just select a leader they could vote for?

Now, the Liberal Party has made it possible for Liberal supporters to engage directly with the party and vote to select the next leader. No risk and no fuss.

I admit - I voted against this resolution at the convention. I supported the idea of recognizing Liberal supporters within the party wholeheartedly, but could not support the notion they should be able to participate in leadership contests.

Well, I was in the minority.

We've entrusted you to join with us to help shape the party - shape the direction of the leadership.

So, no more excuses.

Rebuilding

Trying out the Blogger app for my phone.

A picture from the registration floor highlighting the theme.

Live from Ottawa, it's the Liberal Party Convention (#Ott12)

I'm blogging to you from Ottawa, Ontario - site of the 2012 Liberal Party convention. It's a blistery -5 degrees outside and there's a gentle breeze coming down from the north at about a thousand miles per hour*.

I'm about to go register and begin the delegate's tour of the unofficial first night of the convention.

In all likelihood, I won't be live blogging much - I'll be using Twitter more (follow me @progright). I did install the Blogger app for my iPhone so you may get some post-suite commentary up on the site. Or, maybe I'll get all fired up and start blogging up a firestorm.

Stay tuned.

* You're too old if you get the reference.

James Morton for Vice President (English), Liberal Party of Canada

One thing I'm struck by as I look at the candidates for board positions within the Liberal Party of Canada, is the number of candidates that are advocating for a truly complete renewal and rejuvenation of the party and it has me excited by the prospect for the future.

I have been attracted to the candidacies of those individuals that seek to lift the roof off the party, and attract new members, new advocates, new activists and new participants. I think in order to do this, the party must stop doing what it's done in the past because the times have changed and our political opponents have changed.

We're not going to affect change by entrenching what has been done in the past. That's not to say that change must be enacted for the sake of change, but change must occur. Bold ideas need to be raised and debated about increasing the openness of the party, and I think James represents that best.

I will be supporting James Morton for Liberal Party vice president (English) at the Ottawa 2012 Convention.

Mike Crawley for President, Liberal Party of Canada

I had an opportunity to meet with Mike Crawley at a recent Edward Blake Society event in Toronto. Mike was engaging and determined to hear my opinion. That was before he found out I was a blogger and could take my otherwise useless opinion of him onto the interwebs.

I won't bore you with the details of what ultimately led me to this decision, but I will let you know that I believe Mike is the candidate most likely to create the most change in the party to attract more members and create a better run political party. Under Mike, I believe the Liberal Party will be stronger for all Canadians.

As I said to Mike, I'm a former Conservative and, relatively speaking, a new Liberal. If you want to bring more folks like me to the Liberal ranks, enshrining the party with life-long Liberals with what might appear to be old-style Liberal thinking is not going to work. You need to create a party that embraces openness and embraces engagement with both Liberals and non-Liberals alike. I felt, after talking with Mike, that he embraced those same ideals.

I will be supporting Mike Crawley for Liberal Party president at the Ottawa 2012 Convention.

Liberal Convention Must Be Open to Bloggers

Well, I tweeted it and I posted it to Facebook, I just wonder if I had another means to make this statement ...

The Liberal Party of Canada must determine a way to accredit unaffiliated bloggers at the biennial convention. As both a delegate, and a blogger, it's important the party embraces new media. Thanks to Mike Crawley and James Morton for supporting this.

I Really Want to Stop ... But ...

As much as I don't like the man's politics, I am starting to feel a bit sorry for Rob Ford.

Whatever you may feel for Rob Ford, I can't imagine conservatives wanting a mayor that attracts this type of negative attention on a nearly constant basis ...

SchadenFord: the pleasurable feeling of gloating vindication when the buffoonish Mayor of Toronto f—ks up yet again; and the gleeful anticipation of same, because the latter is f—king inevitable. It’s like the sun rising, like tick following tock. You know it has to happen. And you find yourself, in spite of your better nature, looking forward to it.

[H/T Dawg]

Look, I could buy the argument that it was his house and they shouldn't have been there - file trespassing charges against the CBC if it was so bad. It's what the rest of the world does.

Skip the holier-than-thou nonsense, though. Conservatives and the conservative-owned media have given this legs beyond what was warranted.

Ford Pulls a Rowlands

Remember when Toronto mayor June Rowlands banned the Barenaked Ladies from performing at a City Hall function?

Here's Rob Ford's turn - he called the cops on Marg Delahunty.

John Tory on the Ontario Liberal Party's Victory

I said it before, and I'll say it again.

Had John Tory still been Progressive Conservative leader, he'd be the Premier of Ontario today, and I'd still be an Ontario Progressive Conservative. This is what a competent and pragmatic conservative contender for the top job in the province sounds like.

Sigh ...

Where's that Firewall?

Toronto needs to give its head a shake and throw out these university-educated, latte-sipping, cultural elitists, and tell them to stay out of Alberta's politics! Where's that firewall?

[CTV, National Citizens Coalition bashes Redford's victory]

A Toronto-based conservative advocacy group is questioning the election of Alberta premier-designate Alison Redford.

The irony is so thick, I'm going to spread it on my toast in the morning.

Tory Candidate Blames Campaign Troubles on Tim Hudak

More Tory troubles. This time, however, it's with an active Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidate who comes clean about how difficult it is to deliver her leader's divisive and destructive message to voters.

[London Free Press, Miller blames campaign troubles on Hudak]

A day before Ontarians go to the polls, Tory candidate Cheryl Miller has blamed her troubles in London-Fanshawe on the unpopularity of Conservative leader Tim Hudak.  

... 

Miller told Garrison that the campaign has been sometimes frustrating for her because she has had to carry the message of Tory leadership rather than her own.

Victory for Insite

The Supreme Court's decision that Insite must remain open is a tremendous victory for reason over ideology. 

Canada's Conservative government sought to close a safe-injection site in Vancouver, despite physical evidence that it reduced drug use, reduced overdoses, and increased the likelihood of someone getting off of drugs.

It's a great triumph in the fight to ensure that addiction is treated like a health issue and not a crime.

Messrs. Smitherman and Clement ... take note.

Tim Hudak Tweets of the Day



Burn, about this.

Burn, again.

Context, here.

Tory Syndrome, the Follow Up

Well, it appears that Tim Hudak supporters are attacking former Progressive Conservative leaders, instead of Tim Hudak himself. I'm not entirely sure I've seen a sitting Progressive Conservative MPP, standing for re-election, attack one of their own though.

[H/T, BCL]

Something about elections brings out the knives with this brand of conservative.

Tory Syndrome

Four years ago this month, a sizeable chunk of Ontario's Progressive Conservative supporters already had their knives out and sharpened for John Tory. This was based upon the belief that Tory was not a true conservative like Tim Hudak and that John would not deliver a Progressive Conservative victory.

Today, Tim Hudak is not as popular a choice for premier as Dalton McGuinty, and he has been unable to put the Ontario Progressive Conservatives significantly ahead of the Ontario Liberals in the run up to the election. Most likely, it is due to a vague strategy and meaningless platform promises. The only promises I can remember is the one about cheap beer and eliminating all-day kindergarten.

John Tory would likely have been elected premier in Ontario during this election. You always give the new leader two shots.

I will say though, give it to Tim Hudak supporters - they haven't abandoned ship ... yet.

Sign Posted on Jarvis in Toronto

Here's a picture I found via FailBlog that I planned to share a while ago. It still has relevance if you're familiar with the Ford-era of politics in Toronto.

[Metro, City votes to scrap some downtown bike lanes]

Google+ Invite

If you're waiting for your golden ticket to join Google+, here it is. You're welcome.

https://plus.google.com/i/4becCuSebIw:IeJEdL8S53o

Returning to posting soon.

I'll be Back

I promise. Just a little politicked out.

What Happened to My Tories?

Lower the price of beer, freeze all day kindergarten, rage against the HST and the health premium but admit they're keeping it because it's good for Ontario. These are the priorities for Tim Hudak's New Conservative Party?

Looks like I'm voting Liberal in October ...

Women's Centres Rally Today Against Thompson Rape Case Judge's Suggestion of "Implied Consent"

Via the Canadian Federation of Students - Manitoba.

NEWS RELEASE


For Immediate Release

Thursday, February 24, 2011

WOMEN’S CENTRES RALLY AGAINST THOMPSON RAPE CASE JUDGE’S SUGGESTION OF “IMPLIED CONSENT”

MANITOBA—Women’s Centres are appalled that a Manitoba Judge seems to be holding a Thompson rape survivor responsible for her rapist’s actions, on the basis of her sexuality and attire at the time of the incident. The centres point out that survivors of crimes such as theft or assault are not blamed for the perpetrators’ actions, yet women continue to be re-traumatised in the courtroom because some judges fail to understand the legal meaning of “no means no”.

Who: Campus and Community Women’s Centres
What: Rally against Judge Robert Dewar’s rape case ruling
Where: Manitoba Law Courts Building
When: Noon, Friday, February 25, 2011
Why: Judge Dewar said: "inviting circumstances" and survivor’s attire make rapist less morally responsible for rape

The Canadian Federation of Students developed the No Means No campaign nearly thirty years ago to raise awareness about and combat sexual assault, especially sexual assault by an acquaintance, or date rape. The goal of the campaign is to illustrate the many ways of signaling no to sex, and to bust the myth that rape survivors are responsible for rape.

“Judge Dewar was wrong to question what the woman was wearing the night that she was raped,” states Alanna Makinson, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students–Manitoba. “Flirting, a short skirt, or a kiss never implies consent to intercourse.”

Added Joan Dawkins, Executive Director of the Women’s Health Clinic: “When a judge ignores the reality of sexual violence and blames a woman for the actions of her attacker, he not only harms the woman but makes it that much more difficult for the next victim to come forward and trust the judicial process. The result – rapists go free.”

The Canadian Federation of Students–Manitoba is calling on Judge Dewar to apologise for his ruling and be held accountable for his failure to understand that there is no such thing as “implied consent”. The level of moral responsibility assigned to a convicted rapist should not hinge on his victim’s attire or sexuality.

“To suggest that a rapist is less guilty because he was ‘insensitive’ to the fact that the victim was not a willing participant is irresponsible,” states Katie Haig-Anderson, Women’s Commissioner of the Canadian Federation of Students–Manitoba. “If a person is not a willing participant in a sexual interaction, if she does not give consent, then that is sexual assault. Judge Dewar has muddied the waters, and he should get some education on this issue, as well as apologise to the rape survivor, to the justice system and to the Manitobans serves.”

−30−

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Alanna Makinson, Canadian Federation of Students–Manitoba
204-783-0787 (office)
204-997-8269 (cell)