Breaking News!

Why care?

Holy crap it's a busy news week! Crazy BUSY! Lots of exciting news so let's get started!

The Royal Wedding

The world's richest welfare recipients are due to welcome a new member to their family today as Kate Middleton and Prince William tie the knot. Congratulations you two, now stay the hell out of Canada so I don't have to pay for you to come here and smile at people. The question here is not who cares about the royal wedding, the question is more so why should we care?  

May 1st Election

The NDP have taken second! The Liberals are furiously trying to play up the issue of NDP candidates vacationing during an election! Mean while the Conservatives are preparing their victory dance for when they discover that they won the majority, this because people don't give a crap about Contempt of Parliament more than their pocket books. Even though Contempt of Parliament is a pretty serious charge; essentially it's like being in contempt of democracy, but hey who needs democracy when you have a little extra cash to get shit faced on Saturday? 

Work Safe B.C Rule Changes

Making a difference for whom exactly?

If you are unfortunate enough to work at either a gas station or a convenience store in B.C, then you know that by law if you are working late you are doing so with a coworker, or with a nice sheet of shatter resistant barrier between you and the customer. This is just in case some nut case decides to pop in for a late night stabbing, or just in case you decide to have an unplanned heart attack right in the middle of your shift (unscheduled heart attacks eat up productivity).

Now clearly this rule (law?) is far too costly to implement in terms of construction and man hours, or at least that is what WorkSafeBC spokeswoman Donna Freeman said as she stuffed her pockets full of bribe money. Ok that last part was a joke, I am not at all implying that many powerful and rich entities have anything at all to do with fundamentally changing a law that costs the these entities lots of money. Not at all.

I have a question I would just love to ask miss Freeman, have you ever had a junkie throw dirty needles at you? Spit on you? Throw large heavy objects or their fecal matter at you? Try and stab you? Stupid question as the answer is probably no, or at the least not recently. Working in a nice comfy secure office for a great salary tends to keep you away from junkies, crack whores, and other assorted criminals. I'm willing to bet that none of the office staff at WorkSafeBC can claim any of these things that I listed above, but I can bring you a whole handful of people who work pretty seemingly innocent jobs who can. Most of them work in convenience stores, and being accosted by maniacs is not in there job description.

Wait though I am clearly being too hard on WorkSafeBC, after all they aren't repealing the law (rule?) that helps to protect workers from the crazies, no they are simply adding a third option that employers can choose instead of installing a barrier or having two employees on shift. The third option, hilariously called a violence prevention program, includes but is not limited to,

• Installing a time lock safe, which most convenience stores and gas stations already have.
• Video surveillance, which most convenience and gas stations already have.
• A panic button that a security company or the employer monitors.

I think that the WorkSafeBC crew need to check the dictionary for the word prevention. Prevention implies that something can be stopped before it happens, but every measure that I've listed is either reactionary or prevents theft but not necessarily violence. Take the time lock safe, how is a fancy safe supposed to keep an employee from a good stabbing? It won't, but it sure does protect the money. And if video surveillance is so good at preventing violence then where the hell does the sight Crookstube.com get all their damn footage? I also imagine that panic buttons are fantastic for calling for help after or during a violent crime but it's a piss poor way to prevent one.

Many good reasons.

Here is another problem with the proposed third option; why would employers choose to do something more expensive for their workers when they can do the minimum and get the thumbs up from the provincial government? They have no reason to do the right thing and many pink, blue, and green reasons to do less than they are required to do now.

The onus is on employers to create as safe a work experience for their employees as possible, no matter what the job is or how much or how little they pay them. Prevention is also the job of WorkSafeBC, and it appears that they are thinking of shirking their responsibilities.

Vote me for Emperor

So the NDP (New Democrat Party) have recently edged past the Liberal Party for second behind the Conservatives in the polls, which now makes the NDP a real contender for the first time in a real long time. So  as sure as a fat kid likes cake the Tories and the Liberals set on the NDP like a pack of wolves on a sweaty fat kid who likes cake.

Now I don't really care who is attacking who, I don't care cause I'm not voting for any of them, I'm throwing away my vote on the Greens. Why I'm bringing up these attacks is because I recall remembering that the Liberals and Conservatives were at each others throats far more before the NDP picked up steam. That before the NDP were a threat both parties went at each other using inflammatory attack ads.

It's just non stop name calling, finger wagging, and bullshit posing. I for one am tired of it, and I'm sure there are many people out there who are as well. So I propose we solve the problem one of two ways,

1. We stop taking it, actually demand better. Tear the whole thing down if we have to and build it right back up. Cut out the crap, cut out the corruption, cut out the bribery and scheming, just cut it all out like a big fat puss filled tumor. Why shouldn't we? Everyone is sick of this garbage, everyone but those who stand to profit of course. So let's do it, let's rip it all down.

2. Or we could make me emperor, or king, no wait, definitely Emperor of Canada. I run on platform of not being a dick, and beheading every politician my Royal Guard can find.

So in this election don't settle for less, stick with the best, vote Mr.C for Emperor! You could do worse, hell we already are.

Me, pictured above.

Stone Cold Crazy

So some days I have trouble holding on to a single thought, actually most days I do, and today was one of those days. I thought of many things while I stood vigilantly at my post today, trying my best to hock aged white cheddar to octogenarians. The age white cheddar didn't go so well but the severe boredom I experienced gave me the opportunity to retreat into my mind and neglect my work by becoming lost in my thoughts. What follows is what I brought back from my little mental walkabout.

Making everyday more entertaining

I have some ideas to make work days more exciting for everyone. One I want there to be another colour on the light, it will be blue and when the blue light comes on people can do what ever they want. They can get out of their cars and dance on the hood, moon everyone in sight, or do lines of coke right off the dashboard. The blue light will last for an unknown period of time each time, and if you are late for work all you need to do is tell your boss, "Blue Light".

Hell yes!

Give us the right to challenge rude people to duels, with the person challenging being allowed to choose any non-lethal ridiculous object as the weapon. Like cucumbers, or large bags of marshmallows. The loser has to apologize to the winner. I would challenge people to duel with foamy swords.

Free beer for everyone, even the children, especially the children. Maybe they would stop crying if they were drunk.

Jeans day? Boring. Novelty hat day? Bingo.

I Used to Enjoy Elections

I never really gave much thought to how important it can be to keep your election choices to yourself. I never get bent out of shape about the choices other people make, why should they get bent out of shape about my choices? Stupid, stupid, stupid. People want excuses to get bent out of shape, and one of my coworkers was very kind to demonstrate this fact for me today. Like I said, I was dumb enough to mention who I was voting for, which she took incredible offense to. This didn't throw me off though, no my coworker would say something that scared me even more. Here is a brief, paraphrased version of our conversation,

Mr.C: Ok so you don't care for my party because you think the party leader is a bitch? But you'd vote for your party despite all their recent improprieties and scandal?

What Crazy will look like in 20 or so years.

Crazy: Yeah, every party has its scandals, that's politics.

At this point another coworker of mine comes in.

Mr.C: Hey N, <recaps everything that has occurred up tell then>.

N: Every government has scandals, you could start a government and you would have scandals.

Mr.C: Governments only have scandals because we allow them to, they only get away with these things because we let them. We need accountability and greater transparency.

N: The government can't tell us everything, if they did it would be chaos in the streets. What if the world was going to end in 2 years, no 2 months would you want them to tell us even though it would result in mass chaos?

Mr.C: Yes, wait no, what? How does that example even apply? You're taking the most extreme situation in which no one wins anyway and saying that it proves me wrong even though there is no desirable option in that situation. That doesn't make any sense.

N: It still applies.

Crazy: That's right!

Mr.C: Ok then since you both are so keen on the extremes, let me give my own example.

Crazy: Oh shit here we go!

Note: Apparently me expressing myself during such a conversation is unforgivable enough of a crime to warrant an outburst.

Mr.C: If you are both so keen on the government controlling things for our own good then why don`t we just abolish democracy, take away voting rights, have one party decide everything, anything they want, as long as they are doing it for the country? Does that sound good to you both?

Crazy: Yeah, it would make things easier.

N: Why not?

Mr.C: Well then let's do it.

Crazy: <In the smarmiest way possible> I guess we can agree on something then!

What the fuck? Why even vote if you don't give a shit? WHY!? Why participate in a democracy if you would be fine with having all of your rights and freedoms stripped away from you? It doesn't make sense. Jesus I almost pine for a Starship Troopers style democracy where only people who are serious about becoming citizens get the right to be, and everyone else can be happily vapid. Unfortuntely that would still be an authoritarian regime, so I have to oppose it on principle.

And I used to like elections.

On Proper Etiquette when Sampling Free Goods

Don't love them too much, or that's a stabbing.

Here are some very important etiquette tips when you are visiting your local sample dispensary.

1. Be polite, say hi, thank you, and please. Just remember your manners, it's important to do this as the samplers are often given big knives and you don't know when they could snap.

2. Don't take more than one or two samples. Taking eight is definitely out of the question, remember big sharp knives, plus frayed nerves, equals stuck pig.

Just two easy tips to remember to make your next experience at the sampling table fun, tasty, and stabbing free.

This was my day, I hope you enjoyed it more than me.

Survivng the Dead Wind

No, you are not.

When people discuss preparing for the inevitable engagement with the undead they often speak of material preparedness. They speak of what weapons they prefer, what provisions they have stockpiled, and what defences they have built around their hide away. They say they posses what they need to stave off thirst and hunger, to combat illness, and to destroy the undead. But they ultimately lack what is most needed to fight the undead and truly survive. They lack the knowledge and the tools to defeat the greatest threat during any crisis, themselves.

This may sound confusing, how can anyone be a greater threat to themselves than walking death? It is simple, the walking dead can be killed easily enough, destroying the brain will suffice, and with how slowly they move the undead may as well be piñatas. It is not the zombie that kills, it is a lack of control, of nerve, and of focus. It is despair which kills, anger that kills, hate that kills, it is anything that robs you of the ability to quickly kill your enemy and move on that means your death.

To survive the walking plague you must know yourself in a way that most do not, you must learn to reign in destructive emotion, and you must train your focus in a way that you see everything but your mind doesn't dwell on any one thing.

As it was said in the Art of War, if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperilled in a hundred battles. If you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one. If you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperilled in every single battle.

Future Perfect?

Who ordered the ham on rye with a side cesar?

The future; flying cars, space ships, steaks sprouting out of pills when you "just add water". Many fantastical things come to mind when we think of the future that humanity will have, and we tend to see ourselves as a part of it, riding shot gun in this amazing future world. 

You and I will never get to be part of that world though, not just because we'll all likely be dead before any of the really cool stuff is invented, but because in one hundred to two hundred years time (perhaps even sooner) people like us will be considered obsolete. People like us will become a new class of disenfranchised.

Science has already reached a point where it has changed the way we communicate, the way we purchase goods, how we gather information, and how we wage war. Despite all it has changed in our lives however, it still has yet to dramatically change how we define what it is to be human. Whether you measure "being human" through our physical capabilities or limitations, or whether you measure it through how we perceive our world and what is beyond it, science will change what being human means. 

Soon you and I will be able to have subdermal microchips implanted in our bodies to ease the process of purschasing goods in stores, and passing through areas requiring ID. This is not far off, these things could be in major use within our lifetime. If you were to pair seamless integration of hardware and the human body, with the constant progress in miniaturization, you would get thousands of life changing applications. Go a step further and add in advanced robotics, think nanobots, tiny machines capable of working within a human body. With advanced nanobots we could overcome so many human limitations, disease wiped out, growth of muscle tissue without even looking at a weight room, super human ability to heal. Think even of the way electronic devices communicate through blue tooth, what if the nanobots could transmit information to another individuals nanobots in a similar but more efficient fashion? It would eliminate any need for traditional vocal communication, anyone with a nano shot could send information directly to the brain of another nearly instantaneously. This is not just science fiction, it can, and given the nature of scientific progress, will happen. 

Of course nanotechnology capable of making us super human is far off, and sounds a little hokey, but what about gene therapy? A method of treatment where disorders caused by genetic abnormalities can be treated by altering or replacing the defunct gene itself. Think about it by tinkering with our genes you could wipe out a good portion of the disorders on this list. And this by the way is not just science fiction, no it is happening right now.

This is your future boss.

Think about the craziest shit you can and chances are good that at some point in our future we will be able to do it or create it, and anyone who is lucky enough to be apart of these coming technological break through will be better for it. They will be able to become so much more than what we are today, in nearly every way, they will be post-human. But if the world these post-humans live in runs on a scarcity based economy then that means someone will have to go without, someone will go without all the technology that will redefine the human condition. These people will occupy the lowest rungs of society, and they will be people no different than you or me, but they will be treated as second class citizens.

This is what happens in our world, whole countries are exploited because they aren't as industrialized as another nation, or don't have as large an army. Because in some way they don't fit in the top rung of the order of our world. They are considered apart from us because they are poor and backward, and one day in some scarcity based society in the future people will be considered apart from one another because one group will be post-human while the other is merely human.

I haven't studied all the trends, and I'm no futurist, so maybe I'm wrong. Then again perhaps I'm not, and at that point every one of us needs to be an amateur futurist and start asking tough questions about the ethics of all our progress. Maybe we need to ask tough questions about the control corporate entities have over our genome, or the control they have over genetically modified seed. Because such things will affect the course of sceince, and what science needs is a conscience, a guide, not a bottom line.

Unready.

No one would be able to tell you with a straight face that our world is a perfect one, or at the very least I have yet to meet anyone who can. I mean it's obvious that it simply isn't the case, besides the whole idea of perfection being unobtainable it's also obvious with all the pain, suffering, and unneeded death that surrounds us everyday.

Everyone deals with this grim reality in different ways, some choose to do nothing, surrendering to the idea that it's simply how the world is. Others try and change the world, they protest, they volunteer, or they dedicate their lives to social activism.

Personally, I waffle. Much of the time I choose to do little to challenge the injustices of this world, but occasionally I do lend my voice to a cause or give my time and money to those that need it. Why I don't do more is not out of laziness, more of caution.

I try not to become obsessed with things that I cannot change. Unfortunately there is much I can't change, for the simple reason that many of our problems are a result of other people that I cannot control. Sometimes I am tempted to become angry with those people, tempted to hate them, sometimes I even wonder why these people fail to wake up and see what the hell they are doing. I even entertain the thought that such people may be stupid or foolish, I am however quick to abolish such thoughts. For I always realize that at that point I'm not talking about helping the world or humanity, but I'm focusing on myself instead. I'm selfishly focusing on how I think the world should work.

At that point the goal shifts from helping others, and alleviating suffering, to satisfying my own ego by pushing my vision. This is how ego works, it's like an evil genie, it can turn your wishes of good intentions against those who were the original recipients.

A fine example of this is my last post, Furious Fanatic Fanfare, where I put up exerts from Youtube of people who believe that Islam must be destroyed at all cost, for the good of all. It can be said that many on that comment board could just be hate filled bigots looking for someplace to toss out their garbage, but how many on that thread believe that what they are fighting for is going to help everyone? Probably more than we would like to believe. They are even willing to force others to accept their cause, which is made sorely evident in how they responded to my opposing view. A response which was paranoid, violent, and spiteful. This is what happens when one loses sight of the true goal of helping anyone, which is to help them and not force them into capitulation. Helping someone is not about force, no, helping someone is about giving freely and without expectation, it should be about true compassion.

This is perhaps why I still have yet to find my true path in life. Perhaps I have to help people, but I know that I'm not ready to do it just yet. I still am tempted by that little voice that wants me to look down on people who I see as part of the problem. I am still tempted to become angry with those who are unwilling to change. I am still tempted to follow a vision of a utopia rather than follow true compassion.

I must help myself before I can help anyone else.

Furious Fanactic Fanfare.

Ignore the shirts and this picture is rather nice.

I'm sad. I am saddened. I'm saddened because so many people give in to hate. They let it corrupt them to the point where even a word spoken to them in kindness is taken as an attack, and they respond violently in turn. They let their hate blind them to anything but the focus of their hatred and it poisons everything they do.

They are fanatical in their hatred, and like any fanatic they can find any number of reasons to justify their fanaticism. They claim the truth led them to their "belief" but in truth it is their hatred that led them to their "truth".

I've had a recent run in on Youtube with a group of particularly venomous fanatics while trying to speak of hatred and love, the following are exerts from the comment page of a rather hate filled diatribe posted on Youtube. Enjoy.

From 79Gaulish

"Going by Mr. C's logic logic, if you're being raped, love the rapist until your love overtakes the rapist and the rapist comes to understand the inhumanity of rape. That goes for murderers, too. Excellent logic. I now understand you. When you are under attack, don't fight back. Show love! Wow. Brilliant. Take your nonsensical bullshit and feed it to the birds. We are under attack, whether over or covert. Our future is at stake. Take your foolishness elsewhere."

A better man than I.

I did speak of love in my posts but contrary to 79's post I wasn't speaking of pacifism. Although I admire figures like Martin Luther King Jr. and Ghandi I can't say that I could react like they might have when faced with violence, in fact I make an admission in a comment that came before the above comment,

"...I have faced this very same hatred before for being the child of a mixed union. I know what it is like to face violent hatred, forgive and walk away, I also know what it is like to face that same hatred and have to fight."

We could say that perhaps 79gaulish didn't catch that part of my post, but how could he miss it when he responded to every one of my comments within minutes of my posting them? Perhaps he did miss it, or perhaps he chose to ignore what I had said because it simply doesn't fit into how he feels about me. However perhaps some other comments of his will clear up this confusion. 

From 79Gaulish

"It would surprise me none if you are a Muslim in disguise. If you aren't a Muslim pretending to be a non-Muslim, you are a pathetic excuse for a human being."

Well that clears it up, he obviously doesn't like me very much. Still let us give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that 79Gaulish just misinterpreted my message of love. So we will take a look at two other things that 79Gaulish had to say.

I said I want a Big Turk, not that I am one!

From 79Gaulish

"Take lessons in rational thought. Maybe then you'll truly understand the meaning of love. I think I have you pegged. You're from a Muslim family, but you're no longer a Muslim in the belief sense. But you relate to Muslims because you have family who are Muslim, so it only makes sense as to why you would defend that evil ideology. From one of your posts, I'm going to guess you're a Turk. Probably in the U.S. Either way, you're only fooling yourself about Islam. "Denial"."

"It's not a religion, but a political system. The intent of Islam is to bring the world under its rule. Anyone, including yourself, that claims otherwise is either ignorant of the facts or engaged in taqiyya. I have no doubt you are Muslim in some way."

According to this man believing that love and understanding are more desirable than war and hatred, is far less rational than jumping to the wild conclusion that the person you are talking to is a terrorist sleeper agent out to destroy your freedom. Simply because he disagrees with you. Holy shit, mind blown. Oh in case you didn't know taqiyya is basically a safe word clause in Islam where by an adherent can pretend to not be Muslim if he or she in danger because he or she is Muslim. So yeah he believes I'm a Muslim, in disguise. To this charge I responded,

Bacon is my naughty, smokey Mistress. Sorry Lei Lei.

"If I am a Muslim in some way then I can tell you that I'm not aware of it. And I've loved bacon since the day I was born, so this whole bacon love affair thing isn't a cover up."

If you can't reason with them, crack a joke. Unfortunetly this wasn't the end of the accusations, another user Bravo21 took up the cause known as personally insulting attacking Mr.C.

Bravo21

"Your name sez it all really...and your psycho-babble, ignorance of the Bible and denial of Islam Today & current events is laughable. I suppose your Pompous-Poser schtick goes over well with the latte sucking losers your surround yourself with, but to those of us who have lived and worked in the middle east, your self-absorbed mumblings is understood for the utter bullshit it is, and rightfully scorned. Simply put, You have no fucking idea what you are talking about."

Once again sometimes you just need to joke.

"...They don't suck lattes they prefer coffee black, I'm the latte drinker."

Unfortunately I go off and do something stupid like mention how I would actually feel safe in a country that was primarily Muslim, a country like Turkey (whose government has a secular mandate).

Bravo21

"Agreed...its all Taqiyya, psycho-babble, and shallow self serving garbage masquerading as wisdom. When ever I hear anyone spouting this crap, I check my wallet.

Islam is a cult of submission and slavery...Freedom is something they simply do not understand."

William Wallace is wondering why I hate freedom.

"I dont' think "turk" here is too sanguine with our freedom to hate, especially evil things. Why does't s/he love freedom? S/he's here trying to "fix" us and our love of freedom. Hmmm Notice how muslims have a HUGE problem with the founding principle of our country, which is that the INDlVIDUAL is sovereign. This is utterly anathema to islam (theo-totalitarianism.) I can see why this turk poster has a problem with our freedoms & the foundational principle they're based on."

 

Because I don't believe in freedom in the exact sense that Bravo21 believes, I am a Muslim Turk and I hate freedom. According to him as well speaking out against hatred is a violent attempt at "fixing" all the people on the comments board. I wouldn't "fix" them even if I could, it is up to each of us to grow and better ourselves and no one can do it for us, the most they can do is point us in the right direction. I'd also like to spend time to point out the hypocrisy between what Bravo21 says and what he clearly believes about wiping out Islam, but to most it should be pretty obvious.

Now I have a lot more material than this, hours worth of hate filled rants, but quite frankly I've burdened you enough with far too much negativity. So these will be the last two comments I will post and I promise we will end on a high note so hang in there.

79Gaulish

"You are without a doubt ignorant of the facts. You vomit moral equivalency. You are truly deaf, dumb, and blind, and I feel sorry for you. As I've explained in my other posts, there are two types of Muslims. There is the aggressive, who further Islamic expansion through violence. Then there is the passive-aggressive, who further the expansion by infiltrating your communities, academia, and government. But all share one goal - to bring the world under the rule of Islam."

According to this user their are only two types of Muslims, those who convert by force and those who

This man, his wive, and his children are clearly terrorists.

covertly convert. Their is no in between, no other option, if you are Muslim this is what you are. You are nothing more than an enemy to be converted or killed. Well then I have to say I feel bad for this fine and funny example of a human being. Oh yeah and this man who I consider to be a beacon of journalistic integrity. Funny thing about absolutes is that when even two, or forty, or millions of examples pop up that stand contrary to your absolute, it kinda gets thrown in the trash.   


I'd also like to note that the use of the term moral equivalency is actually incorrect. Moral equivalency is the belief that ones side is by definition morally superior by who they are, not by what they do. Then there is the selective  use of history to cast the situation as a big-picture struggle against an evil power. Then comes the justification of atrocities of their own side by claiming it to be a lesser evil compared with allowing the evil power to have its own way. Thus any atrocities in this way become acts of good, not evil, like book burning. In short, pot meet kettle.

79Gaulish

"No Muslim can make a decision different from their faith under a Muslim establishment. You're trying to feed bullshit to a lion. It ain't going to work, pal. Feed that stuff to fools who'll eat up anything. Islam is evil. It's not a religion, but a political system. The intent of Islam is to bring the world under its rule. Anyone, including yourself, that claims otherwise is either ignorant of the facts or engaged in taqiyya. I have no doubt you are Muslim in some way."

The military is a very stringent establishment as well, one in which violation of given orders can lead to life in prison or execution. Yet people disobey the orders of their superiors in the belief that those orders violate the very fundamental principles that their organization represent, I imagine it happens more than we think. That's because all human beings are capable of making their own decisions, joining the military or a religion doesn't turn this off. This has to be true otherwise how could we have ever had the Reformation? The Renaissance? The French Revolution? People are capable of dissent, regardless of how stringent their belief structure may be. To deny that Muslims can't do this in regards to Islam is to deny human nature.

There is this little voice in the corner of the mind that tells us, what if they are right? And when that little voice speaks we need to be able to look at what is behind that voice, it's ignorance, fear, hatred, and despair. It is all the things that these fanatics have surrendered to. So we need to hush that voice and do as a good friend of mine said, we need to remember that we have no excuse not to love and support our fellow human beings.

And now for the high note,

I want one.

 

 

 

 

Hate begets Hate.

I refuse.

Before I begin I would like you to watch the Youtube video that inspired this post, I also encourage you to read some of the comments attached to the video as well and forgive those making the comments for their trespasses. 

Hate begets Hate, it's a phrase that we have all heard before, and most have heard it so often that they merely shrug it off like many other old and cliched phrases.

We idealists never forget it or shrug it off though, we always hold it close and protect this phrase because we have to keep it safe. We need to keep these three simple words safe because those who let their hate rule them will do their best to forget it.  We need to remember this phrase for all those who hate, and for all those who will be the victims of hate.

Those who let hate rule their lives call us naive, stupid, liberals (this one always confuses me, those who are liberal can hate too), or they call us cowards. They tell us we live in a cotton candy fantasy where everyone gets along and sings songs about pretty things, and that we don't live in the real world where people can never truly coexist. They talk about how they hate their enemy of the month and that we should hate them too, and by not supporting the idea of killing them on mass makes us idealists weak. 

Well it doesn't make us weak, we are not cowards, we are not stupid or naive! We are some of the strongest people alive, because it takes real strength, real courage, to face someone that hates you for an offensive no greater than being different from them. And it takes an incredible amount of those two qualities to walk away and forgive a person that hates you so pettily. It takes a lot to face hate and not walk away filled with despair and hatred yourself. That is true strength, strength that we all need now more than ever.

Be strong my friends.

FREEDOM! (TM)

This is the best photo I could find of Mr. RNT.

Ask anyone fortunate enough to live in a first world democracy if they love freedom and they will say something along the lines of, "HELL YES I DO! What do you think I am some sort of commie pinko faggot?" Ok luckily not everyone will say this, but I have had someone say this to me before, with a straight face.

The lack of eloquence in the above statement isn't the focus of this post, the context behind the above statement is however. What I and a man who I will refer to as Mr. Red Neck Texan or Mr. RNT (not all Texans are red necks) were discussing was the Patriot Act that was passed around 2001. Actually if I remember correctly I was having a discussion with an intelligent human being about the Patriot Act when Mr. RNT decided to jump in and be a dumbass. Then after a short and fruitless discussion I asked Mr. RNT if he loved freedom, he gave me the above idiotic response. Years later as another election draws near here in Canada I sit and ponder the nature of our freedom and the question I asked Mr. RNT so many years ago.

During my pondering I've come to the conclusion that freedom has a great deal of problems attached to it. First it is a really difficult thing to come to an agreement on how much is too much of a good thing, or whether we need even more. Sure something like slavery is easily judged to be an abhorrent practice by anyone who considers themselves civilized, and the majority of people out there would agree that Egoist anarchistic freedom (what I have the might to do, I have the right to do) is undesirable.

Something like freedom of speech however is difficult to come to an agreement on, a good example is the difference between laws governing freedom of speech in America and Canada. Now I'm not familiar with the Constitution or the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms  to the extent that I could argue them with a judge from either side of the border, but I do know that Canadian broadcasting standards prevent things like this and this from spewing forth from the mouths of Canadian media personalities based on the law. I think that the kind of garbage being spewed forth from those two videos has no place in reasonable discourse, and I am glad that the people attached to such hate are being challenged when they try and spew it here in Canada. Of course even in Canada there are those who would like to see a more American tilt to freedom of speech, just as I'm sure there are Americans who would like to adopt our angle instead. This is our first problem in regards to freedom, no one can exactly meet eye to eye on how far to go with implementing our freedoms.

I'm not crazy! The aliens took my colon.

Along my route of enponderment (Myriam Webster add it in) I came across another problem, someone will always be trying to take what ever freedom you have. I know it sounds a bit paranoid to say that. I admit it's up there with satellites are stealing my thoughts, and that their is a great and ancient war taking place right now on Earth between two species of aliens. But it really makes sense. To illustrate my point I ask what is the job of government? Don't give me the mission statement or what you have learned in social studies, that stuff is bull. The role of government is to maintain order, to administrate, and to keep me from banging down your door and taking everything you hold dear from you. Actually doing what the electorate wants comes back seat to all that, because most of the electorate are idiots and can't even keep their credit card spending down, never mind balance a budget. Running a government is a difficult job (still doesn't justify the salary) so wouldn't it be easier if the rights and freedoms of the electorate interfered less with the job? Of course it would! Now this doesn't mean that the government is plotting against you from behind closed doors, no no, but it does make it easier for the government to take a little bit of your freedom when the circumstances call for it.

The Patriot Act is a prime example of this. It gave law enforcement and government agencies in the Untied States the ability to detain immigrants, sometimes indefinitely, without even revealing the evidence against the accused. That wasn't even the worst of the provisions in the act either, but that isn't the point here. The fact that the Patriot Act was simply made into law with little resistance is the point, a government took a little freedom away when they saw an opportunity in the fear that the war on terror inspired in the general populace. Whether or not there was a more sinister ulterior motive to this move will never be known, but what is known is that given the right (or wrong) circumstances someone will try and take your freedom away from you.

Disappointed in your lack of enthusiasm for freedom.

The greatest problem however is the intense apathy towards freedom that most people have. Look at America, England, and Canada. You'll find that voter turn out is at an all time low in all these nations, people just don't care enough to exercise what little power they have. Exercising this power is important,  because besides actually becoming a politician or protesting day in day out, it's the only way to determine what rights and freedoms you have. Along with ensuring that they are up held.

This apathy is also expressed in our attitude towards those who fight for our rights and freedoms. Protesters are seen by the general populace as nothing more than trouble makers and rabble-rousers, which undoubtedly the more destructive ones are, but many of them are fighting actively for my freedoms and yours. Groups like the American Civil Liberties Union fight so that everyone's rights and freedoms can be expressed equally, and despite the fact that I even disagree with whom they have given their support in the past I still admit that their cause is a noble one. No matter how noble their cause though many people demonize them for taking the stance that rights and freedoms are for everyone all of the time.

Some people are just too lazy, or too scared to work for their freedom,  they act like freedom is just too much of a burden. Or perhaps they just think that their freedom will always be there, that it will never be taken away. But it won't always be there, freedom is something that you have to constantly stand up for, whether you believe in total chaotic freedom or whether you believe in the freedom just to stand up and say I don't agree.

Combining these problem together make one thing abundantly clear to me now. It's easy to find reasons to take away freedom, be it safety, comfort, or security. With the world falling into chaos we could easily see our freedom taken away in our life time if we are unwilling or unable to do something about it. Freedom is like a child hood dream, it's an easy thing to give up on, and that is why we can't give up on it.