That virtuous gun loving party

Hon. Roméo Antonius Dallaire: (…) It is appropriate that we teach our youth about our history and the sacrifices made to protect our country. However, I found it difficult to accept that weapons were put in the hands of children to have them reflect on how Canada was defended. Even when we have open door days on our military bases, we never put weapons in the hands of children. We do not allow them to play, as Mr. Trépanier said, cowboys and Indians. We refuse to do so. Furthermore, we signed the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, which states that children under 18 should not bear arms.

… This was one of the most pejorative pedagogical tools imaginable to represent the history of this country by putting the semblance of weapons in the hands of children, having them shoot each other in a sort of game, and saying they are learning history. I would request that in the processes of the future, in commemoration, we do not need that perverse pedagogical tool to educate our youth about the sacrifices needed to keep this country free, sacrifices that we have had in the past, and to educate them on that process.  (Debates of the Senate, Hansard, February 28, 2012)

LeBreton's response?  Alluding to a LeBreton who founded LeBreton flats, trivialize the incident, claim it's all in good fun, and damn it, part of our history.

Thugs in the shadows

In the town I came from, there was a man who wanted to buy a corner gas station from another fellow. The gas station owner wouldn't sell it, not for any money, and not after many threats.

Eventually, he did sell it for far less than what it was worth. Too bad, because he probably could have used the money since he ended up in a wheelchair, put there by thugs sent to force him to sell.

Mr. Money flattens the station and turns the whole corner into a family fun centre. Even though many people in the town knew what had happened, the place was always busy and the man still walks around that town as though he isn't a brutal criminal.

I thought of that story yesterday after we found out how harper sent word to the conservative senators to kill Bill C-311 without debate
.
Harper couldn't get his way through proper channels of legislation, so he got his pretend senators - who we can see are really his bag-boys, leg-breakers, hit-men, errand-boys to do the job. Loyal to their Big Boss, they didn't let the fact that they are there for all Canadians - and paid by taxpayers as well - give them even a momentary pause, but followed orders.

Harper promissed to reform the Senate. He has. It is now a highly paid group of people, half of which have no power being overrun as they are by harper's thugs. The thugs hide in the shadows of the Senate chambers and rules presenting the illusion of legitimacy but are nothing more than illegitimate muscle for harper who gets to pretend his hands are clean.

There are what - 52 conservative senators? Fifty-two people who are where they are because our democracy paved the way for them. Fifty-two people who in one act, undermined that same democracy. Men and women, who are supposed to be so exemplary that they can represent us and act on the interests of all Canadians but who instead take our money and give us a big fuck you.

What they have done by enabling harper is neuter the votes of elected opposition reps in the House which is what harper wanted. And even if the Liberals get in with a minority in the future, the unelected conservative senate can kill Bills.

Worse than useless senate. Worse because it doesn't just sit there and do noting, it is now a compliant, ass-licking extension of the PMO. Paid for by us to make our voices even less influential.

So, heard the one about the un-elected, Conservative Senate?

LeBreton, un-elected senator bitching about un-elected Liberal Senators thinks “we couldn't continue on as a government having our whole agenda and all of our policies driven by a group of unelected people from two governments ago."

That’s the justification she offers for Stevo’s plans to elect five new senators next month.  As an appointee of over two governments ago, I guess we can pretty much discount what the un-elected Marjory says.  You know, not democratic and all.

Senator Cowan isn’t too worried -    The Conservatives -- and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson in particular -- are fond of blaming the so-called unelected, unaccountable Liberaldominated Senate for "gutting" bills from the House of Commons. But next month that will change.

   "It will be the unelected, unaccountable Conservative-dominated Senate and the expectations, particularly beyond Mr. Harper's office, will be that all he has to do is snap his fingers and the unelected, unaccountable majority in the Senate will do what he says when he wants it done," Cowan said with a wry smile. "Well, that isn't going to happen."

He doesn’t believe that all CONsens will fold so easily to Harper’s will.  He may be right.  Some are the old PCs and may not want to be seen as his shoe-shine boys.  Some may even give a damn about that whole sober second thought thing, and the welfare of Canadians.  Some may care about how they will be remembered.  Harper doesn’t have the same leverage with Senators as he does with his MPs.  They generally don’t have decades of political advancement ahead of them.

Any bets as to whether the new bunch will include a general?