It makes me so sad...

To realize that I live in a world where people are treated like this (and, of course, much worse)...

This photo was taken way back on January 25th at the border crossing between Gaza and Egypt.

The crossing has since been re-opened in a more controlled way but not without a lot of violence. Plus, Israel is now thinking about building a border wall to separate itself from Egypt.

I really wanted to write something pithily observant here but anything would be too trite. It makes me glad I live in Canada.

I just want to remember how grateful I need to be.

Stating a bit of the obvious...

In case you've missed it, Israel has closed the borders into Gaza meaning that no supplies (including humanitarian aid) have been entering the Palestinian territories for the past 5 days...

"Meanwhile, John Dugard, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, also released a statement on Friday saying that recent Israeli actions in Gaza violated international treaties.

“The killing of some 40 Palestinians in Gaza in the past week, the targeting of a Government office near a wedding party venue with what must have been foreseen loss of life and injury to many civilians, and the closure of all crossings into Gaza raise very serious questions about Israel’s respect for international law and its commitment to the peace process,” he said in a press release.

Mr. Dugard said the actions violated the strict prohibition in the Geneva Conventions on collective punishment and one of the basic principles of international humanitarian law – that military action must distinguish between military targets and civilian targets.

Mr. Dugard, who serves in an unpaid and personal capacity, reports to the UN Human Rights Council, which will hold a special session this Wednesday – at the request of the Group of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) – to consider and take actions on “human rights violations emanating from Israeli military incursions in the occupied Palestinian territory,” including Gaza and the West Bank town of Nablus." (from the UN Daily Digest on 21 January 2008)

Violating international treaties? Violating the Geneva Conventions? Ya think? Dear, dear me oh my. I think it is time for this occupation to end.

Golden Compass banned in Halton Catholic Schools

Sigh. They even banned distribution of the Scholastic flyer that had an ad for the book.

Support Catholic school funding, support banning books. Fun. I'd like to point out once again that we are only committed to fund separate school up to Grade 9, Ontario continues the funding through high school voluntarily.

"Thursday, November 22, 2007 - 07:55 AM
By: 680News staff

Toronto - The Halton Catholic School Board has pulled a fantasy book off library shelves because of a complaint.

The Golden Compass was named the best children's book in the past 70 years by readers across the globe and has been made into a movie, opening Dec. 7, starring Nicole Kidman.

But its popularity didn't stop the school board from banning it.

Two other books in the trilogy by British author Philip Pullman have also been removed as a precaution.

Halton's Manager of Library Services said the complaint came after Pullman said in an interview that he's an atheist.

Principals have also been ordered not to distribute December Scholastic book flyers because The Golden Compass is available to order."

On Klees... from a friend

I just discovered that one of my dearest friends has a blog - and he never told me! Or he did and I wasn't listening. So I am totally outing him.

This post is interesting... apparently the funding proposal for faith-based schools is from our very own Frank Klees. Ahhh... the pride of Newmarket-Aurora.

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I’ve read an awful lot of commentaries wondering why on earth John Tory would ever have decided to make Faith-Based School Funding an issue in the upcoming election. On the surface it seems like a sure fire way to lose party support given, that the majority opinion of Ontarians are against the move. Well, it turns out that we have Oak Ridges MPP, Frank Klees to thank.

According to Susanna Kelley of TVO’s The Agenda Mr. Klees ambushed newly crowned PC leader John Tory with a meeting between himself and a group of Jewish supporters from Thornhill.

Suddenly, … the media message coming out of the conference was funding for faith-based schools, not at all what Tory and his supporters had originally planned.

Mr. Klees lobbied continually for this to become part of the party platform over the next two years.

If Newmarket-Aurora is looking for someone to be held accountable for this particular Conservative policy… Frenk Klees is your man.

Read the entire article “Frank Klees’ Ambush and Funding for Faith-Based Schools

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--Vanessa

My email to Stephen...

Dear Sir,

I am sorry to hear that your speech at the UN was not so well received but perhaps you can earn some points for Canada by bringing up this issue during your stay in New York.

There are hundreds of thousands of monks and pro-democracy believers, marching through the streets of Myanmar/Burma, demanding freedom from the oppressive military junta. Last time they tried this, thousands were killed. Please don't let it happen again.

Please say something to support them, please say to the UN that these people deserve our attention. They are desperate for democracy and they have suffered long enough.

Don't let your stated commitment to protecting and developing democracy in other countries ring hollow. Prove that you truly support the freedom of the soul and the body.

Please.

Something important is happening in Burma

If you dig through the National Post you can find it on Page A18. There are protests happening in 'Myanmar' or Burma as it was called before the military junta took over decades ago.

The revolt in 1988 was viciously put down by the military and thousands were killed.

Since the middle of August, there have been more and more protests.

Today there are 40-60,000 monks - that's right, monks - leading protests of civil leaders, students and others demanding democracy. Marching through the streets of Rangoon and other towns. Hundreds of thousands of people rising up and demanding democracy. Literally risking their lives for freedom. Literally, of course, because the government has promised to crack down on the marches. And when they say crack down they mean with bullets, not with flowers.

Visit avaaz.org for more information and to lend you name to a petition to the UN Security Council. While Ahmadinejad is mistreated in New York as the U.S. marches to war against Iran, this issue is ignored. While the U.S. and Canada pick and choose their targets (based on uncooperative governments, I suppose) the very real dictatorship in Burma has been unopposed for decades. DECADES!

To learn more about this issue and one of my favourite people on Earth, here's the link to Wikipedia for Aung San Suu Kyi.

If you have a bit more time, please send an email to Stephen Harper, he just happens to be in New York this week making an ass of Canada before the UN. Maybe he'll enjoy an email or two.

Pay attention - the monks are leading the way. It probably won't hurt to send them your prayers.

Tory... my two cents on religious school funding

I think it's possible that John Tory is trying to lose this election. Or that he has had some sort of seizure of conscience and is actually speaking his truth instead of trying to win the election. Wacky.

As for funding private religious schools, let me add my voice to the chorus that think it is a very bad idea and will do nothing to make Ontario and Canada a healthier and more inclusive nation. Here are my responses to the two main arguments that I've been hearing for religious school funding:

1. The argument that this will bring more students into the Ontario School System and ensure that they follow curriculum and can be inspected. Holey moley does this piss me off. What a load of bullshit (excuse my language). I can't believe that he hasn't been smacked down in public for making such an asinine statement. And every single one of those people who are arguing for private-religious-school funding ought to be ashamed of themselves. Let me make this very clear:

A school may not grant an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) unless it is inspected and follows the Ontario curriculum. Students will not graduate with a diploma recognized by post-secondary institutions unless they are inspected.

I know this because I worked in a private school and we were inspected every... single... year.

2. The argument is that this will make the system *fair*.

My response is: Since when has what is *fair* determined what the government does or does not do? I agree it isn't fair but the deal with the Catholic schools was part of the very thorny negotiations to make this country come into being 140 years ago. It is a piece of endemic unfairness that is enshrined in the very fabric of our nation. It turns out that only schooling up to Grade 8 was part of the deal and it was only through the 1900s that the agreement was gradually expanded, not reaching OAC until 1984. Let's can this sucker.

To be truly *fair* we could hold a referendum, like Newfoundland did, and hopefully get rid of anything other than a secular school system with education in tolerance and world religions, ethics and critical thinking.

Religious education, if done at all, can be done at home, at church, and after school.

You all know I'm big on the UN, and Ontario has been censured for "discriminating against non-Catholics by funding Catholic separate schools, but not funding other separate schools."

I guess... in the end... I applaud John Tory for having the courage to bring up a difficult issue that should be addressed, I just come down on the opposite side.

On Tory... from a friend

My beloved friend sbd has issued her own little polemic and since she has said it with more conviction that I could myself (and first hand knowledge) I wanted to share (with her permission of course):

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23 September 2007

does this mean I'm going to have to vote Liberal?

Tory.

Seriously.

What the hell are you thinking with the 'funding for all private religious schools' bullshit?

(Obviously you have never seen the product of a private Christian school.*)

If parents are afraid that their children are not receiving the education they would like them to have, those same parents should take it upon themselves to join the PTA (or whatever it's called [what? my first's only in JK - I'm not really in the loop yet.]) and make a positive change in their local public school. (Added bonus: their children will see their parents actually making a difference in the world and possibly grow up not afraid to try to make a difference in their own world.)

Or (and here's a really revolutionary thought) perhaps they could, you know, model what they want their children to learn at home.

And if parents are concerned that their children are receiving an education that involves the teaching of 'evolution' or some other so-called anti-(evangelical) Christian viewpoint, perhaps those same parents could teach their children to be critical thinkers (some people would agree: a very handy little skill to have) by offering them the opportunity to read about other schools of thought and then discuss it around the dinner table.

And do you really think most Ontarians will be thrilled to have their tax dollars going to fund schools teaching young Muslims how to continue the 'Holy War'**?

*No doubt there are some good private Christian schools out there. No doubt. Sadly, I've never seen a student come out of a private Christian school who wasn't either a) terrified of anyone who wasn't a Christian or b) hell-bent.

** Hey, if I'm going to make sweeping generalizations about Christian schools ...

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I love my friends.