Canadian breaking news and politics and hats and general sexiness

[betenoire]

I really wanted us to have our own thread.

Anyway, I was fishing around on the CBC website just now and found these poll results:

Tories hold teenytiny lead, according to EKOS poll

~~~

Sometimes I wish that the Liberals, NDP, and Green Party would amalgamate, like the "Unite the Right" fiasco. It would guarantee a loss for the CPC - which would (almost) make me happy.

Thoughts on this?

Most of the time I do NOT wish to see the Liberals, NDP, and Green Party become one big happy family. That would cut us down to exactly 2 viable parties - which feels very American to me (so that would make me unhappy).

(Do not try to tell me that the Liberals and the Conservatives are currently the only viable parties in Canada - I do think that the Green party has a real future as they are so popular with people my age and younger. As more young people get old enough to vote and more of the older generations who are more likely to vote Conservative, you know, die...I think there's a pretty real possibility that we will see a Green PM at some point, although that may not be for another 30 years.)

Also - nothing good rhymes with Left. So there couldn't be a fun catchphrase to go with the movement.

ALSO - I don't see the Liberal party as politically "left" by any stretch of the imagination. (Although, with the amalgamation of PC and Alliance/Reform - you saw a move toward the right for the new CPC party. Maybe joining forces with the NDP and Green Party would force a move to the left for the Liberals. That'd be nice.)

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by betenoire

Maybe joining forces with the NDP and Green Party would force a move to the left for the Liberals. That'd be nice.)

Somehow I don't think that's how it'd go down. I think instead we'd see the disappearance of the more left-leaning aspects of the NDP and Green Party, and the emergence of a larger, more powerful Liberal party with a system much closer to what the Americans have in place. Don't think anything will really change in one fell swoop, but hopefully society will continue to become less religious over time, and therefore less conservative, and the prevalence of science and human rights will eventually completely boot whatever religion contributes to politics today out beyond the fringes of society. That would be a nice start...

[Linus]

I thought the Green Party in Canada was fiscally right-wing, even if on a platform of environmentalism? I seem to remember a candidate in Toronto East being that (the one that ran in Cabbagetown in the early 2000s)

[dark_crystal]

i have nothing to add to the discussion regarding the teenytiny lead of the tories

i do, however, have a hat



and come to think of it, i've been accused of general sexiness, but your mileage may vary

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by betenoire

Also - nothing good rhymes with Left. So there couldn't be a fun catchphrase to go with the movement.

Well, they could always go with the United Front of Lefty Pinkos, or possibly Lefty Bicycle Riding Pinkos...name courtesy of Mr. Don Cherry, of course

Anyways, so I saw an article in Metro the other day and thought I'd share to see what current/former Torontonians and others thought.

Attack In Gay Village a Hate Crime: Police
TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE
Published: January 31, 2011 5:43 a.m.
Last modified: January 30, 2011 8:45 p.m.

Toronto Police are calling a recent late-night assault in the Gay Village a hate crime, stoking concerns the neighbourhood is no longer safe.

Ryan Lester, 30, was kicked in the face and called “faggot” while getting a post-bar snack at Mehran Restaurant on Church St. early Saturday Jan. 22. His 24-year-old brother, Ben, suffered deep bruises on his back and had to go to the dentist to repair a broken molar.

The beating comes on the heels of allegations that local students from Jarvis Collegiate have been hurling slushies, ice and homophobic slurs at residents in the Gay Village.

While one victim believes the slushie incident was a crime of opportunity, Lester said he used to have a sense of security in the Gay Village, but the recent incidents have him on edge.

“I think all of us (now have) a false sense of security in the village. I thought of it as an inherently safe space. If you have a problem with gay people, you just don’t go there,” Lester said.

Eoin McManus, 21, and Benjamin McCall, 21, both of Toronto, have each been charged with two counts of assault and one count of mischief after breaking the restaurant’s front window.

Toronto Police recorded 174 hate crimes in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Twenty six were related to sexual orientation.

Source: http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/loca...e-crime-police

Thoughts on Lester's suggestion that the Village is becoming less safe? Are Torontonians (or Canadians at large) becoming more tolerant or intolerant? How does this all fit (or does it at all?) within the backdrop of increased support for politicians representing the Christian right?

[betenoire]

Originally Posted by EnderD_503

Thoughts on Lester's suggestion that the Village is becoming less safe? Are Torontonians (or Canadians at large) becoming more tolerant or intolerant? How does this all fit (or does it at all?) within the backdrop of increased support for politicians representing the Christian right?

I don't know that I would say that the Gaybourhood (or anywhere else in Toronto) is "less safe" than it has been. I remember a few years (probably 6?) back there was a rash of incidents in the neighborhood - it seems to be somewhat cyclical.

I also don't think that Canadians are becoming less tolerant - but I think that those who ARE intolerant are currently feeling more angry and have more brevity than usual. The culture wars are back - thanks to the right wing in the US. Every time the culture wars get dragged to the forefront shit like this starts to happen.

[betenoire]

Transgender protection bill approved by Commons

An NDP private member's bill to protect transgender people from discrimination was passed by the House of Commons, but could face a roadblock in the Conservative dominated Senate.

[Soon]

Originally Posted by betenoire

Transgender protection bill approved by Commons

Reading the comments under the article has made for an interesting morning.

[EnderD_503]

Originally Posted by HowSoonIsNow

Reading the comments under the article has made for an interesting morning.

I was so happy yesterday when I heard the news and still am, but some of those comments can make you go from ecstatic to seeing red. I know it does little to get pissed about some of the crap that was written in there, but seriously, when exactly are trans people going to start being considered human beings by the general population? If someone equated the rights of ethnic minorities to the rights of geese, it would be an entirely different story in the eyes of the majority of the Canadian population. But it's ok to spew this kind of garbage because hey it's just about "those freaks over there." The fact that you can dehumanise someone to that degree and nobody bats an eyelash is proof enough that current laws supposedly protecting trans people leave much to be desired. It's very easy for someone whose rights are protected by law to shrug off the struggle of someone whose rights are not protected by law. "Life is easy for me, therefore anyone who tries to struggle for their own rights is just a whiney, lazy bastard."

[DapperButch]

Originally Posted by betenoire

Transgender protection bill approved by Commons

Once again, kudos to the s

[betenoire]

NFB Interactive - Pine Point

This isn't news or anything.

A friend of mine forwarded this to me last night. It's an interactive project about a town in the NYT called "Pine Point" that no longer exists. It's super interesting and it made me really sad.

Because there isn't anybody who can't relate to loss.

[SecretAgentMa'am]

Originally Posted by betenoire

Also - nothing good rhymes with Left. So there couldn't be a fun catchphrase to go with the movement.

Give the Left Some Heft?
Something Something Bereft?

I got nothing.