A federal judge today denied the group representing George Galloway an injunction to allow him into Canada. Galloway, a British MP who is the sole MP for the Respect party (which he founded), was denied entry to Canada by the Canadian Border Service. He was to be in the country on an anti-war speaking tour.

The judge ruled:

“The admission of a foreign national to this country is a privilege determined by statute, regulation or otherwise, and not a matter of right,” Martineau wrote in his ruling. “In this respect Parliament has expressly given the CBSA officers legal authority to exclusively determine whether a foreign national who seeks to enter this country is admissible”

The group, Toronto Coalition to Stop the War, argued that Galloway’s exclusion was as the result of political interference and was an issue of free speech. The judge didn’t completely rule out the political interference by declined to directly express an opinion. A judicial review of the decision will take place. Read the rest of this entry »

Let their be peace on earth and let it begin with me.
Let their be peace on earth the peace that was meant to be.
With God as our father brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.

I opened The Star today and encountered an article about a young musical group called “Strings of Freedom” from the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank having travelled to a seniors centre near Tel Aviv to play for the residents. The musicians didn’t know their audience were survivors of the holocaust, many of them didn’t know the holocaust had even taken place. The audience didn’t know their musicians were young Palestinians.

The chances for peace and friendship we can have when we don’t know who we’re talking to. The event was part of Good Deeds Day which is sponsored by one of the richest women in Israel. The reaction in Jenin has resulted in the orchastra being shut down with many claiming the young people were exploited for political gain. I guess it is all about perspective.

As I read the reports on this, the lyrics above came to mind. Many years ago, when my now adult niece was in grade 4 and I was Legion President I invited her class to sing that piece at our Remembrance Day service in the local park. To me, their young voices singing this piece represented all that was right about Remembrance Day. It is not a day to celebrate war but to honour the cost of piece. A day to remember the past and pray for peace in the future. Read the rest of this entry »

The e-Justice Blog has posted a very interesting piece about Google and what they know about you. You may be very surprised to learn just how much of a profile they can put together about us.

The blog lists 25 pieces of information Google can access about us some without our knowledge. In these days of increasing concerns about online privacy, you need to be aware of as much as possible about who can find what about you. Read the rest of this entry »

On Friday, US President Obama announced the result of the American review of the mission in Afghanistan. In addition to sending the already announced 17,00 troops to Afghanistan, the US plans on sending 4,000 military to accelerate and expand the training of Afghan military and police forces. That is right in line with what Canada has been doing in addition to our combat role. Although Canada is unable to send more troops.

Another aspect of Obama’s new focus is a willingness to reach out to more moderate Taliban sympathizers. Mostly those who have taken up the cause more out of cohersion or economic need. This is something Afghan President Karzai has previously indicated a willingness to do, the difference is that Karzai has even opened the possibility of the highest level of the Taliban being invited to the negotiating table. Wonder if Karzai has ever tried negotiating with an active rattlesnake?

Many, if not most of the, Taliban command structure has been placed on the UN’s “Consolidated List” which makes them subject to things like travel bans and seizure of assets. That seems to be a pretty fair response to those who not only harboured Al Qaeda prior to and after 9/11 but have been part of the command structure responsible for Afghan and coalition deaths, including 116 Canadians to date. Read the rest of this entry »

This week, as we’ve done all too often since 2002, Canadians received and honoured more war dead from Afghanistan. Sitting at the Legion prior to heading to the bridge I heard the question asked that is asked so often there: “Why are we there? Those people have been fighting for thousands of years, we’re not going to change them”‘

The speaker knows we are there as part of our commitment to both the UN and NATO and in part as a friend and ally of our American neighbours. He, like thousands of other Canadians, want some understanding that this mission isn’t just about our soldiers dying in numbers greater than our allies. It’s an extremely valid question as we prepared to go to the bridges to honour four more fallen Canadians, a total of eight in just three weeks.

One thing we need to remember that makes the NATO mission in Afghanistan different from past wars in that country. We are not fighting the Afghan people, we are fighting FOR the Afghan people. We are fighting to allow them to form a free society with a democratic government. It will not likely be exactly as we have but that is ok, they are different culture to us. Freedom can translate many ways. Read the rest of this entry »

Fox News network is reportedly one of the highest rated in the USA. I’ve never been a particular fan of it, I’ve generally found a lot of their reporting more along the lines of a national gossip show, sort of like the broadcast version of the National Enquirer. I’m a Canadian, so for the most part, what passes as news south of the border isn’t really my business.

I’ve grown up with an awareness that a lot of Americans have very little awareness of their neighbour to the north. I can remember as a kid encountering other children in Algonquin Provincial Park, (that’s in Ontario) and them asking me what ‘state’ I came from. When I told them I lived in the Province of Ontario, the usual response was “what state is that in”?

I well remember how strange I thought those kids to be that they couldn’t fathom that they were standing in the province I came from. It was later I learned that ignorance came from a lack of information about this country and even less interest in knowing.

Back to Fox News. One of their so called news shows is called “Red Eye” hosted by Greg Gutfeld. For the most part Gutfeld and the cronies who participate on the show with him think they are rather funny in their perspective. Sort of Fox’s answer to the Leno or Letterman. Read the rest of this entry »

The Conservative government has denied controversial British MP George Galloway entry to Canada. He was due to arrive here next week for a speaking engagement. There appears to be some confusion over what the ban is about.

The Sun (British paper) reported it as being about his stand against the Afghanistan war while papers and some so called ‘officials’ this side of the pond attribute it to their claims of his supporting terrorism. In particular, they condemn him for his recently leading a convoy of 100 British citizens and vehicles into Gaza with humanitarian aid to the people there.

Canada, actually the minority Conservatives, refuse to recognize the elected Hamas government in Gaza as they are so staunchly supportive of Israel. Hamas and Hezbollah are legally terrorist groups under Canadian law. Galloway claims he will use every legal means available to him to fight the ban and will look at other ways of speaking to the group from outside Canadian borders, like presumably, teleconferencing. Read the rest of this entry »

They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them

In memory of our fallen Canadians:

Master Cpl Scott Vernelli – Afghanistan March 20, 2009
Cpl Tyler Crooks – Afghanistan March 20, 2009
Tpr Jack Bouthillier – Afghanistan March 20, 2009
Tpr Corey Hayes – Afghanistan March 20, 2009

Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated

Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays