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Back to Home Letters - March 22, 2012
Letters: Mar 22
PCs and Landowners, John McEwen
Scott Reid and Section 13 of CHRA, Steev Morgan
Madden Family History, Rona Benson
Northbrook's Most Wanted, Linda Wiebe
Re: Scott Reid's letters, Pat Fisher
Re: Omaha Orange, Sheri Vivian
Re: criticisms of Scott Reid, Edward Kennedy
PCs and Landowners
The Landowners tried to use the PC Party; the PC Party tried to use the Landowners, and Randy Hillier used them both. In exchange for renouncing the OLA, Randy Hillier is now the worst example of what he professed to fight against. Mr. Hillier is now a pariah, albeit a comfortable one, on all fronts.
From the Landowners’ favorite philosopher, R.W. Emerson: “We are reformers in spring and summer; in autumn and winter, we stand by the old; reformers in the morning, conservers at night. Reform is affirmative, conservatism negative; conservatism goes for comfort, reform for truth.”
I suspect it will not be long before MP Scott Reid and other members of the Conservative Party follow suit and abandon the Landowners.
John McEwen
Scott Reid and Section 13 of CHRA
As a society we are trying to come to terms with bullying, and eliminate it from our schools. Spam and robo-call messages that incite violence and hatred against others are a form of bullying. Our leaders, like the Honourable MP Mr. Reid, should set a good example and speak out against bullying.
But Scott Reid sent out one of his flyers claiming that Section 13 of the Canadian Human Rights Act (CHRA) is an “attack on free speech”. Inciting violence against an individual or group is not a form of free speech. Section 13 provides protection to victims of Internet bullies.
Section 13 of the CHRA does not prohibit hateful thoughts, hateful flyers, or even “Hate Speech”; it specifically prohibits the use of the internet and automated phone systems (robo-calls) for sending out messages to promote hate against an identifiable group such as Jews, Gays and Christians.
http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2010-31-e.htm#a8
This law has been used to prevent Holocaust deniers and racists, like the white supremacist group Aryan Nation, from using robo-call systems to send out hate messages. http://criminologyandjustice.uoit.ca/hatecrime/cases.html#N
With the strong support Mr. Reid gets here in Lanark we expect him to represent the traditional conservative values of our community, which do not include setting up automated systems for sending out hateful messages. The present Conservative Party of Canada is a coalition between traditional Conservatives and the Reform Party from out west. Reid should feel safe enough in his position that he can stand up with other true Conservatives to oppose the Reform Party when they become too extreme. The public image of Conservatives, and politicians in general, is already suffering from the Reformers’ dirty tricks and divisive politics. They seem to be trying to divide the country, and it looks like legalizing Internet and telephone hate messages is part of the plan.
Steev Morgan
Madden Family History.
I am trying to trace the descendants of my husband's great, great uncle, William Edward Madden. He went over to Canada as a Home Child in 1876 from England and married Millie Snooks, daughter of Martin Snooks and Catherine Sheppard, on 8 January 1885 in Frontenac. After this point in time I cannot find any further news of the couple. If anyone knows any details please do get in touch with me. I would really appreciate it. Thank you.
Rona Benson
Northbrook’s most wanted
Do you know what could be lurking in local business garbage cans? They may come armed with a badge, a gun and a set of handcuffs and are waiting to catch you in the inexcusable act of improper garbage disposal.
I kid you not, I’m speaking from my recent experience with a local business. I won’t deny it, I’m guilty of this horrific act. That’s right, I have at times, when doing business at this establishment, disposed of a small grocery bag of garbage. Am I alone here? Is this really a criminal act? Do I support this local business year round? Not any more...I will take my business elsewhere.
That’s right, this past weekend, I had an unexpected, and heart dropping visit from our OPP. Just imagine the feeling when you are out shovelling your driveway, you look up to see - not just one - but two OPP vehicles pulling into your driveway. Like most people, my first thought was that something terrible had happened to a family member and they were here to give me some very bad news. I guess in the big scheme of things, I should be thankful it was just to reprimand me for disposing of garbage in a local business’s garbage can. Am I a criminal? You would think so, when my act necessitated sending two police officers to deal with the situation. And yes, the police officers returned my garbage to me in a box, which, by the way, belongs to the owner of the establishment. I have since returned the box in fear that the police may show up again. I certainly don’t need theft of a box on my long list of criminal acts.
There is a bright side to all of this. Now that I realize OPP resources are available to local residents in investigating and resolving unauthorized garbage disposal, I will not hesitate to contact them with our dumping issues during the tourist season. It has been my personal practice for many years to pick up endless amounts of garbage thrown out along my roadway and pay to dispose of it at our local dump, a monthly project that I will no longer have to spend time doing. I hope that all residents will support this program and contact the OPP for assistance when garbage dumping situations arise.
Provincial Tax $$$ at work.
Linda Wiebe
Re: Scott Reid's letters
In the last two weeks we have received two fliers, a report and a letter from Scott Reid, our Member of Parliament. The messages in the two boldly printed fliers are negative and have mail back portions with check boxes. The letter and the annual report have check boxes too. The issues are too complex to answer with a check mark.
The first flier cast a shadow on the Human Rights Commission and implied we all had to fear Section 13. If you go to the Human Rights Commission website you will quickly learn that there are many checks and balances that the commission follows when a complaint is received. The intention of Section 13 is to protect people and groups from being discriminated against in messages that are using computers, internet, telephone or other telephonic communication, that are likely to expose an individual or group to hatred or contempt. Let's face it, Scott Reid does not give us enough information to know how to respond but he sure does plant the seed of hatred and fear of the Human Rights Commission.
The second flier is about the Office of Religious Freedoms. Again it provides limited information about a complex topic and a simple yes or no checkbox.
Then we received Scott Reid's annual report that states how fiscally responsible he has been. Especially remarkable is $0 spent on advertising. Ha!! If the mail isn't advertising what is it? A surprising letter arrived today. It looks like an advertisement with words highlighted in yellow and in a way beseeching us to support his positions on the flier topics and of course balanced budget and the justice system. Where are the more important issues like the environment, health improvement, and appropriate treatment of law offenders to name a few?
Scott Reid does not have to pay to send us messages via Canada Post but neither do we have to pay to send messages to him. Let's start sending messages to his office - it's free for us - no stamps required. But please, don't use the check boxes. hey are simply too simple.
Pat Fisher
Re: Omaha Orange
I am writing with regards to the council (South Frontenac Council report, March 8, 2012) decision to pay more for trucks from Taylor Chev Olds than from the lowest bidder, Vaughan Chrysler, because they are adamant that all township trucks be Omaha Orange. I wish the article had accepted the bid from Vaughan Chrysler, but it really doesn't matter, nor does it matter that the Taylor bid was still within the budgeted cost...the township is paying more for trucks than they need to!
I can accept that they desire a bright colour for safety reasons but does it need to be Omaha Orange? Did Vaughan Chrysler have trucks available in any orange colour? If orange is not a standard truck colour, then perhaps it is time that the township choose another standard colour, such as red, light green or yellow, and start now to change the colour scheme as they purchase new vehicles. I find this an unacceptable waste of taxpayer's money!
Sheri Vivian
Re: criticisms of Scott Reid
Egads, more attacks from the peanut gallery against the mean and evil, wicked and nasty Scott Reid. If this keeps up, I will have to retire and be constantly on guard for disinformation. It seems that he who does something gets criticized; even more if he does the right things.
Paul Isaacs (RE "Stop the Attack on Free Speech", March 15/12) makes reference to embarrassing constituents but I personally am embarrassed by people who attack right and defend wrong. By the way, Mr. Isaacs, where was your indignation when corruption was the norm for "Chretien" et al? Keep up the good work, Mr. Isaacs.
Doug Adam (Re: Scott Reid's letters, March 15/12) apparently has nothing better to do than criticize a seasoned representative of parliament with huge margins of wins and also profess his lost faith in those who elected Scott.
Well, I also have criticisms of Scott Reid much more legitimate than either of these two, so let me assure Mr. Adam he is not alone.
Many years ago Scott Reid sent out one of those "manipulative and juvenile polls" that Adam and Isaacs lament and asked his constituents what he should do with big pay increases. The incorrigible Mr. Reid chose to do the will of his constituents in accepting the huge increase in pay and then donating it all to charities. Such monies have saved lives in the form of purchased defibrillators across this riding and I suspect others as well. I must condemn Scott for allowing the citizens to rob him of money by doing their bidding; perhaps Scott's criticizers would have been happier had he refused to be unselfish and democratic and kept the money. Shame on you, Scott for being charitable, generous and receptive to the constituents! How dare you save lives!
I am also aware of Scott Reid demonstrating responsibility to his electors when he ran another of those childish "kindergarten level polls", according to Adam, and refused to vote the party line, an act that demonstrated principles and courage. How dare he do this, and show that he believes in direct democracy. Such a terrible representative he is! Tsk tsk! Tar and feather the beast!
Well, it seems Scott cannot win, for doing what is right. My advice to Scott - treat the sounds emanating from the peanut gallery as you would the buzzing of flies in your ears. When we have one of the other party competitors elected, then I expect the whining will stop, the more so when they act as leftists do and generally commit acts that despoil the nation. But do not hold your breath, Mr. Reid may well retire still elected, since he is doing a fabulous job.
Edward Kennedy
