[Skeezix]

I do not recall any stories about those refugees plotting terror against Canadians - but the Liberal government decided to turn them back anyways.

Yes, the sad story of the St. Louis is a great opportunity for you to grind your present day political axes. Well done.

 

[Skeezix]

I can't imagine anyone objecting to us only taking in 20,000 refugees a year for the next few years - well, unless they think that's too low. We had no problems taking 55,000 Vietnamese refugees at the same time as 13,000 Cambodian refugees after the Vietnam war. That's 68,000 refugees when Canada's population was about 2/3 of what it is now. That would be the equivalent to over 100,000 refugees now.

And this was just after we took in 13,000 Chilean refugees, 7,000 Ugandan refugees, 20,000 Soviet Jews, and I'm not sure how many Iranian refugees after the fall of the Shah.

It is too low.

Don't forget the 1950s, when Canada was one of only two countries in the world (the other was Venezuela) which accepted Hungarian refugees without any quotas. 37000 were admitted to Canada in a very short time.

 

[Tewder]

Harper and the CPC certainly engaged in dog-whistle politics and fanned the flames of anti-Muslim sentiment for electoral gain. And when a political party climbs into the gutter to play that game, the results can be unpredictable, but I don't believe the intent was to generate actual violence. There is a big difference between that kind of inflammatory rhetoric, and how it typically gives rise to more inflammatory rhetoric, and the cowardice act of setting fire to a mosque. I don't think there is any link between the CPC campaign and the Peterborough mosque fire - the individuals who tried to burn down the mosque were likely hate-filled cowards long before anyone at the CPC uttered the word "niqab".

I agree... and we do have to find moments to agree in these times

The danger in Videodrome's dirty rhetoric is that it's inflammatory and polarizing. He seeks to marginalize and divide Canadians for his own political ends. It's no better than the awful things we're hearing from some corners about muslims and Islam. Same turd, different pile.

THEY WERE YOUR OWN WORDS!
"It isn't a sustainable option. There are some 6million people displaced. Are we to take them all in? Pay for all of them?"

Nope. See now you're using the same dirty tactics as Videodrome. It's more than abundantly clear that I'm talking about the logistics of a mass influx of refugees. I have not made one single claim about what they will or will not contribute long term.

What Canadians should be doing, and what our Prime Minister should be doing, is examining the real issues and logistics surrounding this refugee crisis, including the ISIS crisis, because like it or not they are entwined logistically. Our first responsibility is to our own citizens and our national security. This is not about the refugees themselves or Islam or anything else. Those are all side-show issues for people to get all up in arms about. Canada has a role to play and we are in a position to help innocent people who are the casualties of this crisis but we do need to understand how to help them in a way that is responsible. Trudeau's stump posturing of '25K by christmas' is not responsible. It is the rashness of this posture that is creating the anxiety and backlash we are seeing among most moderate Canadians. You disagree? Fine let's discuss but stop the trolling.

In 1939, Canada turned back 907 German Jews on a ship. From this link:
Sound familiar?

I am embarrassed of this story as a Canadian as well. We never seem to mention this but we put ourselves before others and it cost people their lives. As Canadians I would think that we would strive to be a country of hope, not fear.

Well let's not stop the shaming there. We also interned Canadians of Japanese, German and Italian background. Lots of nasty non-PC language and names used at the time too. Apparently those 'old stock' Canadians were all real heartless aholes back then! Still, it's easy to criticize in hindsight from the position of comfort and security that that same generation fought and died for us to have...

 

[Videodrome]

The danger in Videodrome's dirty rhetoric is that it's inflammatory and polarizing. He seeks to marginalize and divide Canadians for his own political ends. It's no better than the awful things we're hearing from some corners about muslims and Islam. Same turd, different pile.

I admit my initial post was over the top. However, the overall tone of the CPC was basically putting gasoline on a fire. They didn't give free reign for people to burn stuff or assault people, but it gave legitimacy to such hateful attitudes.

 

[salsa]

Adam Vaughan: Change is coming to Toronto's port authority. “Our goal is not to appoint campaign managers and fundraisers (to the board) but people who need the port, the waterfront and the lake for daily life, and want it to be available to all those who need to use it.” No details at the moment.

http://www.thestar.com/news/city_ha...ntos-port-authority-mp-adam-vaughan-says.html

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I do not recall any stories about those refugees plotting terror against Canadians - but the Liberal government decided to turn them back anyways.

Classy, because we know the R. B Bennett was such a paragon of progressive policies on refugees:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/legacy/chap-4b.asp

Spotty memory, perhaps?

AoD

 

[wild goose chase]

Canada has benefited tremendously from the refugees it has taken in.

Yeah, refugees have played a role in Canada going back to the beginning. It can't be denied that we are a nation of immigrants which has included refugees as part of our history. Arguably, it wouldn't be the same place and many of us wouldn't be here today as Canadians if it weren't the case.

 

[Videodrome]

http://www.cjnews.com/news/canada/peterborough-shul-helps-mosque-struck-by-arson

In all of this hatred, good has emerged. Not only are other places of worship offering assistance for the burned mosque, but over $100, 000 was raised in less than 24 hours.

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Toronto's now vacant Humber River Hospital, Church Street campus for example, could be used to house some of the refugees. See link.

"We have a new Humber River Hospital, for example, that moved from three sites into one and the new Oakville Hospital will be moving out of their existing premises," Hoskins told CBC News. "I'm not saying that is what will necessarily result in one of the places for accommodation but those are the opportunities I think we need to look at."

 

[nfitz]

Don't forget the 1950s, when Canada was one of only two countries in the world (the other was Venezuela) which accepted Hungarian refugees without any quotas. 37000 were admitted to Canada in a very short time.

I actually don't remember that far back!

Two more racist incidents in Toronto - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/muslim-women-subway-slurs-1.3326281

I have to think that some of this is because of right-wing politicians politicizing race and religion.

Edit - another attack in Toronto reported - http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/muslim-student-spat-on-1.3326765

 

[Admiral Beez]

Nfitz, it's not racist, or at least proven to be, but it's certainly religious-based hate crime.

 

[nfitz]

Seems like splitting hairs to me. Okay, not racist, but religious-based hate crime carried out by members or a predominantly white religion against non-white members of a predominantly non-white religion.

It may be prejudiced of me, but I'm pretty comfortable assuming that anyone carrying out such crimes is also racist rather than being a proponent of religious-based hate crimes!

 

[picard102]

Your pretty comfortable calling everyone a racist.

 

[adma]

Your pretty comfortable calling everyone a racist.

You're pretty comfortable saying "your pretty comfortable".

 

[Videodrome]

http://www.cnn.com/videos/world/201...n/video/playlists/wacky-world-of-jeanne-moos/

I get that Trudeau is our version of JFK, but I still don't like the celebrity worship.