The left has wasted no time in reacting to the Norway tragedy in the predicted way.  Plumbing the depths of integrity, they quickly pointed to his white skin and assumed he had to be a far-right 'Christian fundamentalist'.  Using some sort of warped process of elimination, the fact that the terrorist was not Muslim meant he must be a Christian.

It didn't matter that the lie was exposed by Anders Behring Breivik himself in his rambling 1500+ word manifesto when he claimed not to have a 'personal relationship' with Jesus.  The whitewash was already in full gear.

I knew one of the repercussions of the incident would be a heightened sensitivity towards those who speak out against multiculturalism, immigration, and the growing influence of Islam in our Western society.  The media would be on alert for any kind of story that could be piggybacked.

Perhaps it is coincidence that not long after Norway, while anti-minority racism is a hot topic, a Calgary-based white supremacist group would make the papers for posting flyers around a city neighborhood.  Perhaps not.

No matter.  It got the desired results as they generated enough complaints to draw media attention. 

The story ended up being the perfect example of our current state of over-reaction.  Those quoted included area residents and a teacher at the Calgary Immigrant Educational Society, all of whom referred to the flyers as 'racist'.

But a read-through of the actual document leaves one to question that condemnation.  It cites statistics and figures that are accurate.  It makes no false claims.  The numbers are sound.

So then, would it be fair to call the flyer racist because of a perceived theme?  You be the judge:

DID YOU KNOW

Immigration costs Canadian taxpayers $23 billion annually

265,000 new immigrants enter Canada each year

The official unemployment rate is 7.7%

Does this seem right to you?

If not, contact:

(Ends with contact information of the group Blood and Honour)

What implication do you draw from that?  Immigrants are taking our jobs?  I have heard that opinion more times than I can count from the people who would know.  Whether that is or isn't what you read from the flyer, I believe the case that it can be considered 'racist' in any way is absurd.

Neither the message implied nor the flyer itself is racist.  It is a valid, verifiable social opinion by a group that is, by their own admission, racist.

And if we truly value free speech, they should like any other race or religious-based group, be allowed to have their say.

I have debated many times my assertion that that Prime Minister Harper has strengthened and improved Canada's standing in the world.  Even a round of mini-golf causes a stir in the U.S.  When was the last time you heard the media from any nation refer to a sitting Canuck P.M. in those terms?

What a unique, exhilarating feeling it is to be proud of our national leader.  It's been a long time coming.

(h/t wgrz-t.v. Buffalo, N.Y.) http://www.wgrz.com/news/article/128808/1/Canadian-Prime-Minister-Visits-Western-New-York

The terror attacks in Norway were unconscionable and horrific.  They were also not unexpected.

When Anders Behring Breivik decided to take matters into his own hands, he obviously crossed the line from sane political protest and moved into the area of unreasonable action, and in doing so, caused massive damage to the message he was attempting to convey.

Unfortunate, as some - but certainly not all - of his points were valid.

By no means am I defending this man as there is no defense for him or his actions.  The killing of innocents is inexcusable, no matter the socio-political agenda.  There are many ways for one to express their political beliefs; many ways to protest and speak out against what one considers wrong without resorting to murder.

But as unjustifiable his method, it is not surprising that the terror attack happened.  It was only a matter of time.

Since the terror attacks of 9/11, more than 17,000 acts of terror have been committed by radical Islamic groups.  Home-grown terrorist cells have been identified in virtually every nation in the free world, emboldened by years of politically-correct brainwashing and a complicit mass media that bends every which way to avoid acknowledging the ever-present danger that we face from Islamic groups on our own soil.

Norway, like Canada, the U.S., England, and other Western nations, have various forms of multiculturalism which has led to weak borders and wide-open immigration/refugee policies.  It has become common to hear of arrests in our cities of groups of 'radicalized' Muslims.  It's now a passing footnote on the news page for a local Imam to call for 'jihad' in North American and European mosques.

It's like watching a car crash in slow motion.  You see the driver, you see the wall.  All of your warnings are ignored and you are mocked and discredited. Meanwhile, the car continues unabated towards certain destruction.

Our habitually leftwing media outlets, long hoping for an incident like this, have gone out of their way to distort the truth.  The CBC, Canada's government-owned national broadcaster, must be paying their announcers a commission on the number of times they refer to Breivik as a 'fundamentalist Christian' - an allegation refuted by Breivik himself in his manifesto.

One would not expect any different from the anti-right, pro-Islamic CBC.  They are almost giddy over being able to report a terror attack not done by Muslims.

So what we have is the perfect storm.  Years of naivety and ignorance by our politicians, complicity by our media, and a Western world afflicted by the politically-correct syndrome where Muslims have special rights under law and our schools teach 'tolerance' by allowing Muslims special prayer services while eliminating all references to Christianity.

It seems inevitable that someone, somewhere would snap.

The problem now is that anyone who raises these issues, anyone who warns of the very real threat to our society from 'honor killings', sharia law, and the Islamic directive to convert or kill non-believers, will be unavoidably linked to Breivik.

His actions have harmed those who speak out against radical Islam and given the left a bone to chew on.  He has made it more difficult than normal for those who rightfully speak out against the growing Islamization of our culture, like Pamela Geller and Geert Wilders, to be heard.

Whether or not Breivik's claim to know of two other Norway-based cells is true is irrelevant.  One can assume that, no matter if Breivik knows of them or not, they do exist.  As we continue to willingly sacrifice our sovereignty and way of life to the flawed theory of multiculturalism, as our decision-makers continue to look the other way and ignore the very real threat posed by radical Islam, another anti-Muslim terror attack seems likely.

At one time, the term 'racist' was among the most devastating one could use.  Being labelled with it would lower you down to the perceived level of the Ku Klux Klan, Apartheid, and even Nazi Germany.

There were a few things you never wanted to be known as, and racist was one of them.

But the term, like so many others, has been hijacked and twisted into something else.  Using the disdain associated with the word to full advantage, the political left has transformed the concept of racism into a weapon, firing at anything that would hamper their progression towards their ideological goals.

By using the all-encompassing umbrella of political correctness, schools have become the front lines in the battle against the dark forces of bigotry.  Teachers are given instructions on how to teach their students about prejudice and how to rise above it.  Nobel in theory, but because it is delivered on a far-left plate, the message becomes skewed in practice.

Take the schools in Toronto, for example.  Recent news from the Centre of the Universe© caused a buzz when city teachers received a package called 'Teaching About Human Rights: 9/11 and Beyond'.  In it, the far-left agenda is revealed through such excerpts:

"While people in different contexts can experience prejudice or discrimination, racism, in a North American context, is based on in ideology of the superiority of the white race over other racial groups."

The message that is being taught to our school children is clear: only whites can be racist.

It is no coincidence, then, that another Toronto school is facing controversy over it's practice of holding Muslim prayer services in the middle of the school day.  Apparently an Imam is brought in on Fridays and the service is held in the school lunchroom; a service that follows the basic tenants of Islamic rituals with boys and girls separated.

Jewish, Hindu, and Christian groups have strongly protested in reaction, and understandably so.  This school is now showing its students that the separation of church and state applies to everyone except those who follow Islam.  The historical use of the Christian 'God' has been eliminated from our education system to the point that school Christmas concerts are being replaced by a general winter celebration or, as I have seen first-hand, a 'peace' concert full of John Lennon songs, yet Muslims are allowed to follow their faith with the encouragement of our school administrators.

That, in my opinion, is the clear definition of prejudice.

In the U.S., the racism weapon has been so overused against those who oppose Barack Obama that the term has all but lost it's meaning.  Disagreeing with the president's economic or foreign policies now makes one 'racist'.  Think Obama is wrong on the economy?  Don't agree with the president's policy on terrorism?  Have trouble seeing him bow before enemy leaders?  Wrong. You don't like him because he's black!  Racist!

This occurs even in a much smaller milieu, such as the city of Edmonton.  Last year, a city-sponsored anti-racism campaign was launched in which there was a call for Caucasians to recognize their 'white privilege':

"What can you do to stop racism.

1. acknowledge your white privilege.
White privilege refers to all the benefits we get just for being white. Most of us are aware of how racism hurts others, but we're not aware of how it benefits us."

Again, another outcry which caused some major backtracking.

I grew up in a generation that was taught to respect others regardless of race or religion, and I followed the rules.  I treated each and every person with the same courtesy I expected to received, regardless of the color of their skin or their personal beliefs.  I even marched in anti-Aparteid rallies in the late 1980's.

Now in my fourties, I'm expected to 'acknowledge my white privilege' and accept special rights for visible minorites because of the 'white guilt' I supposedly carry? 

I refuse to accept that for two reasons.  First, I possess no guilt about being born white.  None.  I can't even stretch back through my family tree to find a slave owner to be ashamed of.  No dice, my politically correct friends.

Second, this 'white privilege' canard. In an era of affirmative action, institutionalized political correctness in the education system and in our workplace, and special rights and laws for minorities, where do I find this privilege I hear so much about?  It sounds pretty good. 

Will this privilege allow me, as a white man, to march in 'White Pride' parades?  Will it create minimums for whites in companies or the military?  Will my white children be allowed to pray during school hours like their Muslim classmates? 

Whenever will this privilege arrive?  I can't wait to learn of all the things I've never realized I've enjoyed.

Another day, another whiny, 'offended' French-Canadian.  One wonders when it is all going to stop.

The latest example of the plight of the poor, downtrodden French-speakers made news today when a federal court judge ruled in favor of serial-litigator Michel Thibodeau in his latest attempt at becoming a language rights crusader.

It seems Thibodeau and his wife were upset when, during several flights in 2009, the Air Canada crew failed to serve him in his preferred language.  My God, the horror!

The fact that Thibodeau is actually bilingual, and therefore understood perfectly the airline crew, is apparently irrelevant.

The court had no choice but to rule in Thibodeau's favor due to insane federal language laws.

The verdict?  A measly $12,000 plus court costs.  Victory!  That will save the dying french language for sure!  French lives!  French lives!

It turns out this isn't the first time Thibodeau has gone after the national air carrier.  He took Air Canada to court before, in 2002, and also won that case. 
But wait - there's more.  The easily-offended Thibodeau also launched a complaint with the City of Ottawa because that city's transit buses had the audacity to call out upcoming stops only in English.

We can only thank God that all of the serious crime in Canada has been eradicated, leaving our nation's court dockets free and clear so that Thibodeau can enjoy his hobby of hauling in front of a judge those companies who fail to kiss French ass.

My sarcasm is caused by the frustration I feel for those victims of real crimes, who have to wait their turn so that Thibodeau can fill the court's time with meaningless lawsuits.  With such an appetite for wasting taxpayer dollars because he is 'offended', he would be a shoo-in for a spot on the Human Rights Commission.  Richard Warman can't go it alone forever.

The frivolousness that is Michel Thibodeau reminds me of another French language wannabe crusader, Gilles Caron. 

Caron took the Alberta government to court because he was handed traffic ticket printed in English.  The difference as I see it is this: Caron received the ticket in a province where French is the fourth most common language, so his 'crusade' was nothing more than an obvious and sad attempt at getting his name in the paper; pushing his language on a vast majority of non-French speaking citizens of a predominantly English-speaking province; and generally to be an annoyance.

Thibodeau's agenda is similar, particularly in the social engineering aspect.  But at least he wastes the people's time and money in a part of the country that contains a higher number of people who speak French.  The difference in the two examples is Thibodeau seems to have sunk so far into his delusion that he believes he is doing something 'right'.

Michel Thibodeau, it seems, actually believes his own bullshit.  Sad.

Like those who follow a radical path of a certain religion - say, for the sake of example, Islam - Thibodeau works through existing systems, exploiting weaknesses such as the completely useless language laws, to his advantage.

So, with numerous lawsuits, court battles, and media attention, what has Michel Thibodeau gained?  Nothing more than cash settlements and a deepening of the division between the English and French of the country.

If there is to be any resolution to the historic animosity between Canada's English and French cultures, the first step must be for the divisive federal bilingualism laws to be repealed, so that whiny, nothing-better-to-do-but-make-trouble Francophones like Thibodeau and Caron stop trying to force their language and their culture on the rest of us.

The Frogs need to shut the hell up.

Here are the results of another unscientific, unofficial poll.  I asked 100 Albertan voters who they thought would be the better leader for Alberta, with the choice being Wildrose leader Danielle Smith versus each of the candidates for the Progressive Conservative leadership. The only criteria for the respondents was that they did not currently hold a membership with any provincial political party, and that they intended on casting a ballot in the next provincial election.

Who is the best choice to be Premier?

The results:

Danielle Smith 91%
Doug Horner 9%

Danielle Smith 68%
Alison Redford 32%

Danielle Smith 59%
Gary Mar 41%

Danielle Smith 93%
Doug Griffiths 7%

Danielle Smith 88%
Rick Orman 12%

Danielle Smith 68%
Ted Morton 32%

Party policy aside, the answers indicate a great lead for Danielle Smith in public image, trust, and confidence of the voters.  So far, it looks like none of the current P.C. leadership candidates are as appealing to the electorate as the Wildrose leader.

Canada's new favorite couple, Prince William and his new bride Catherine, are in the midst of enjoying their honeymoon tour of our nation.  While some of us are following their travels with great enthusiasm and others with indifference, leave it up to the folks in the perpetually-complaining province of Quebec to cause a ruckus.

Normally I would ignore the droning of the French - we've all become so accustomed to it.  However, one of the 'hard-done-by' protesters had a home made sign that cause great laughter in the Sullivan home:

Now, to understand the humor, all one has to do is know the history of the french in Canada.  To simplify, the French and English fought a few battles way back when.  The French lost. But unlike so many other defeated armies, the British king of the day allowed the vanquished to not only to keep some land, but their language as well.

A benign king, to be sure, but one that made an obvious error in judgment.

Essentially, the Canadian populous has been held hostage by the losing side of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham through outrageous demands that they say is necessary to 'protect their culture'.

Fast forward to today. Quebec, the biggest benefactor of a slanted federal government, receives billions in Equalization and transfer payments from the other provinces (read: Alberta) via the feds.  Canadians are forced to accept the concept of bilingualism despite the fact that only about 1/4 Canadians are actually classified as French.

All the while, the French in Canada demand more and more special rights and privledges, and of course more money.  Failure to appease them leads to more monotonous threats of 'separation'.

What makes this particular protester an example of comedic genius is his derogotory use of the word 'parasite'.  If ever there was an example of the pot calling the kettle black, this is it.  A decade's worth of time and effort would have to go into research to find another Western world nation that gives one specific minority so much power and influence.

For what it's worth, I actually agree with this guy.  The parasites should go home - the Quebecois parasites, that is.  The problem is, they are so pathetic their own native homeland of France won't take them back.

** Irony Alert: Notice the sign is in English?

A recent article in the Vancouver Sun has followed individual rumblings in the social media regarding an alleged 'exodus' of 'disinfrancized' members of Alberta's Wildrose party.

The upstart right-of-centre party, created by the merger of the Wildrose and Alberta Alliance parties, is only a few years old but has risen to the level of opposition party status in several polls.  As tends to happen with such new political entities that enjoy rapid growth and popularity, heavy scrutiny from all sides - media, members of the party itself, other parties, etc. - occurs.

It is natural that some individuals will not agree with the direction the new party takes.  When given the chance to build a political force from scratch, with the possibility of having great influence in the policies and overall goals, it is expected that not all will agree.

A party cannot be everything to everyone, be they members or the general voting public.

While the so-called division is not found exactly along the old Wildrose-Alliance boundaries, quite a few of the members who have decided to turn their backs on the Wildrose and run (slither?) back to their old P.C. home are former supporters of Mark Dyrholm's leadership bid. They represented the more socially conservative wing of the WAP, and with the party taking a decidedly libertarian turn at the recent AGM, a few noses were sure to be out of joint.

As well, with the candidacy of Ted Morton for the leadership of the P.C.'s, it was expected that a few would flee back to the Tories.  There are, after all, still some deluded souls who see Morton, the person holding the purse strings in the midst of a fumbling, stumbling government, as some sort of 'true conservative'.

Managing to spin endlessly the financial wheels of the province is acceptable so long as you call yourself a hunter, so it seems.

One has to question the commitment of those who turned back.  A few weeks ago I observed one well-known member of the Dyrholm clan - therefore a WAP member and builder of the party - publicly supporting Morton's leadership bid.  Having a leg on either side of the fence is much easier to manage without having balls to get in the way.

Perhaps the craziest allegation being thrown around is that party leader Danielle Smith is some sort of tyrant; a top-down micro-manager who rules with an iron fist.  My first exposure of that tidbit produced a nostril spray of coffee.

Having spent many hours chatting with Danielle on and off the record, and after publicly supporting her bid to lead the fledgling party, I stand firm on my opinion which is any suggestion that Danielle Smith isn't open to all advice, suggestions, and support, is absurd.  It is simply not true, and to the people who are in the know, it is an amateurish and very transparent last-gasp attempt at a tarnish job.

The truth is the Wildrose party (which dropped 'alliance' from their name) has grown far beyond the point of suffering any real damage from a few defections.  The total numbers are insignificant and expected. 

While the group that has chosen to take their chances with the old P.C. regime did work hard to help create the Wildrose party, bringing in members and dollars and getting the message out to the masses, it is obvious their commitment to the party was suspect at best.

Like a shuttle needs the services of a booster rocket to get off the ground, so the WAP needed the turncoats.  And, as the shuttle reaches maximum velocity and the booster burns out and with it it's usefulness, so the turncoats are jettisoned away from the ship, falling back to their eventual burn-up along with the rest of Alberta's Progressive Conservatives.

Thanks for the ride.  We'll take it from here.

Moving day.  Days, actually.  There's a reason I tend to plant roots and stay in one place for long periods of time.  Moving has to be the closest thing to childbirth a guy can experience.  There's the growing anticipation as the day draws near; preparations are made.  Then the pain hits and feels like it will never end.  Tired and cranky, you just want it over and done with.  Then after it's all over, the newness washes over you and, over time, you forget about the pain. 

I'm in the middle of the horror show, and thought it would be a good idea to take a break and see what's happening in the real world...

{} Another day, another eye-roller from Winnipeg-Centre NDP MP Pat Martin.  Never one to keep between the lines, Martin's latest quip about the recent postal strike included a swipe at his own constituents:

"My colleague (Conservative MP Joy Smith) comes from Winnipeg and we know that every kid on the street there has a bolt cutter so he can steal bikes. We could borrow one of those bolt cutters and cut the padlocks off Canada Post to get its workers back to work..."

At a time when the newly-minted federal NDP opposition is under scrutiny for the scores of unqualified MPs, the last thing they need is to have to deal with outrageous statements from one of their veterans of the Parliamentary wars.

{} Media from the Centre of the Universe© (aka Toronto) is in a tizzy over what they perceive as Mayor Rob Ford's 'snub' of that city's Gay Pride parade.  Critics quickly threw out the 'homophobe' label as they always do when someone outside of the LGBT community doesn't march in lock-step.  The issue for the rest of us isn't about a mayor's absence, it is about the parade itself.  It's 2011. Do gays really need a parade to show their pride?  I know a few gay men and women who refuse to participate in the Edmonton parade.  Does that make them homophobes, too?  This 'if you're not with us, you're against us' canard is old.  Really old.

{} Have you ever seen a movie where an evil plot is undertaken by a powerful group, and the innocent people go along blissfully unaware until it's too late?  One is being written right now in Washington, D.C. 

First, President Obama begins his tenure in the White House with the infamous 'Ass-kiss World Tour' where he apologized to the people of certain rogue nations for America's 'mistakes'.  Then he sours the all-too-important relationship between the U.S. and Israel (which made pro-Israel Canadian P.M. Stephen Harper look even better).  Rumors fly that Obama was hesitant to give the go-ahead for the SEAL team to take out bin Laden, and was basically told that it was happening with or without him.

Now, the Obama administration has apparently officially recognized the powerful terrorist-linked group Muslim Brotherhood, giving the radical group legitimacy.  As movie plots go, it sounds like a must-see.  As far as reality, I'm wondering when people are going to demand their money back.

{} The GOP race is gaining speed.  Pundits are analyzing the candidates, studying the latest polls, and wondering who else is going to jump in.  There are some quality names, but still no one with a knock-your-socks-off aura.  Conservatives search for the next Reagan much like the Democrats forever look for the next JFK.  With Americans faith in 'hope and change' continuing to spiral, Obama is vulnerable - something unthinkable when he took office.  For the sake of the United States, let's hope the next Reagan is just around the corner.

{} The criteria of acceptable thought in Canada is changing.  A few years ago, I wrote that both Canada and the U.S. should overhaul their respective immigration systems and requirements.  The suggestions that no immigrants from known or suspected terror-sponsoring nations be allowed to obtain citizenship, and that refugee boats from places like Sri Lanka, which seem to always contain members of the Tamil Tigers, be turned away before reaching our shores, drew heavy cries of racism.  What a bigot I was - prejudice to the core!

It's interesting these days to see and hear how many now agree with those ideas.  The increase of violence from race-based gangs has caused people to realign their thinking.  Perhaps a larger reason for the change of public opinion is the reaction from the communities themselves.  Somali violence has become a huge problem in Edmonton, yet members of that community clam up when the police attempt to investigate.  When the police publicly state this fact, they are accused of...let's all say it together: racism!  I think I'll agree with the Somali's on that one.  Canada is a racist nation.  The police are corrupt, and this is certainly no place to call home.  Better to stay in Somalia.  Be sure to tell all of your friends.

{} Switched my cable service to the new address.  Running through the channels I wanted with the Shaw representative, I made sure to request the Sun News Network and was met with "...why would you want that crap?".  I asked if she had ever watched Canada's newest national news network, to which she admitted she hadn't.  Try one hour, I said, and suggested Ezra Levant's The Source.

She did, then watched some more.  Turns out she subscribed and now has SNN at home.

Your welcome, Ezra.