Charleston, S.C. … it is only fitting -

 

That the place where the first shots in anger were fired in 1861 to start the American Civil War is the place where true healing is now taking place.

Beginning with the Black Community’s unreservedly forgiving the 21 year old racist who shot 9 of their own while praying in Church this past week.

And now leading to the White Community voluntarily coming forward to denounce symbols of that War which to the Blacks represent their slavery and which to Whites they hold dear.

As an aside, the man who could have played a useful role in this – their President - once again proved himself to be most unhelpful by declaring that America’s DNA is rife with racism.

As he enters is last full year in power – his irrelevance stands in tact.

I am a Civil War buff and believe that Slavery was not the real cause of that War.  War, as I have said, is about Power and the Civil War was caused by a power imbalance between the rich industrial north and the poorer agricultural south.

As the population growth favoured the North, the South attempted to establish their own country and in the War to follow – the lion’s share of 660,000 killed were sons of the south.

To this date, Southerners look back on their loss in the Spring of 1865 as an end of their way of life – far more genteel and closer to the earth than their northern neighbours.

Slavery though was most certainly at issue in that lost way of life.

And yet, here in 2015, in recognition that the Blacks’ distain for the Southern Civil War Symbols far exceeds their own nostalgia for those same symbols Whites are now prepared to put those symbols to rest for the sake of their Black Brothers and Sisters.

We are witness to two miracles.

Amen to that.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

 

Canada’s Phantom Election …

 

Just Gets Bizarrer and Bizarrer.

We here in Canada have a Federal Election coming up on October 19th of this year.

Although the official period of campaigning has yet to begin – in reality it has – hence the title of this Blog.

For the past 10 years the Conservatives have held power but current polls show them in second place – following the leftist New Democratic Party with the Liberals following closely in 3rd.

So it’s anyone’s to win at this point.

And the policies are coming out fast and furious.

The NDP – led by a 9/11 denier wants to reinstate door to door mail delivery despite the fact that everyone and their dog now uses the internet to communicate.

What next – bring back the horse and buggy.

They are also seriously looking at providing animals with human rights.  Steak anyone?

The Liberals too – not to be outdone – want to restore door to door mail delivery. 

They also want to make voting mandatory.

That is certainly a cornerstone of democracy …’Big Brother says you must vote’.

I have never missed a vote in my life but would give serious consideration to doing so if I am told by the State that I have to vote or face the consequences.  Buggy Whip anyone?

The Grits – that’s what we call our Liberals - also are promising to institutionalize proportional representation.  You know the one that Italy uses to create pizza parliament after pizza parliament.

The real problem for them is that the left is split between the Grits and the NDP.  The Conservatives and the Reform Party had a similar problem but they solved it be merging.

Buy they would much rather create chaos rather than deal with the real issue.

I get the sense that if the Conservatives make no promises at all – they are guaranteed victory come Election Night.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

 

Hindsight is 20/20.

 

As a student of history born post WW II it was obvious to me what the causes of that War were – mainly – good men and women stood idly by and let Hitler arm until it was too late to avoid the apocalypse.

What I never understood until recently is why those good folks stood idly by especially when they had such a dynamic Leader as Sir Winston Churchill urging them to action.

As he said in one of his famous speeches after that War:

“I saw it all coming and cried aloud to my own fellow-countrymen and to the world, but no one paid any attention. Up till the year 1933 or even 1935, Germany might have been saved from the awful fate which has overtaken her and we might all have been spared the miseries Hitler let loose upon mankind. There never was a war in all history easier to prevent by timely action than the one which has just desolated such great areas of the globe.” (1946)

And dear Reader, I believe we are facing a similar situation throughout the world today, but sadly we have no Churchill to fall back on and the next World War will be fought with Atomic Weapons… not Panzer Tanks.

We find ourselves with the most outspoken Free World Leader being our one and only Prime Minister Stephen Harper – yet he is no Churchill, indeed there are none today, nor does he have an army at his command.

But back to my issue – how could the Free World standby pacifistic while Herr Hitler planned for War?

That, I could never understand, but I was looking at this issue through the lens of what happened between 1939 and 1945.

Now I find myself looking at this same issue, as those pacifists did, leading up to war.   

And let’s just look at the line-up against us:

• Russia – threatening to unleash atomic weapons against NATO;
• China – with its economy now stated by many to exceed that of the US and fully engaged in  military build-up;
• Barbarian Terrorists unleashed across many parts of the world – especially throughout the Middle East and many parts of Africa;
• Rogue nations like North Korea and Pakistan are nuclear armed;
• More nutbars are about to join the nuclear club – most notably Iran;

And where are the people on all of this.

Talk to the average person and raise this issue and see their eyes glaze over as they say, “it is not our concern”.

But just wait until the nuclear weapons begin to fly - it will be their concern then and yet – just as in Churchill’s day, it will be too late to avoid catastrophe.

And with that, I finally understand what things were like in the lead up to World War Two:  The West then and today would rather pretend that the evil at large throughout the world was of no concern to them.

Better to bury their heads than face up to reality.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’ 

 

 

They’re Shocked !!!

 

Many Canadians That Is regarding the misuse of spending by our august Senators.

Well readers of this Blog will know that I am not the least bit Shocked … nor is anyone with a passing understanding of what the Senate is all about.

So in a backhanded way, I am using this Blog to come to defence of our Senators. Sort of.

But that said, the Senate has been a waste of taxpayers money ever since its foundation nearly 150 years ago.

It is composed of beings who are unelected, unaccountable and without power.

So all these dear souls get from their appointment is a sense of prestige.  And, of course, perks such as freedom to spend as they and they alone decide.

For the past century and a half, to be a Senator has meant that they represent Canada wherever they find themselves – even when in the bathroom.

One could then say, with some conviction, they are always doing Canada’s business.

And any costs attached to that – are of course paid willingly by the grateful taxpayers.

I am not being facetious here – that is precisely how the system has worked.

So to criticize Senators for doing what was expected of them now is a bit rich.

That is not to say I respect what they have done – I most certainly do not and that is why I have continually spoken for the Senate’s abolition.

I just find it ironic that Senators are being vilified for acting like … well Senators.

So where do we go from here.

We now have the guidance of Canada’s true government – the Supreme Court of Canada and its 9 absolute Rulers – and they have declared that change or abolition to the Senate requires a Federal / Provincial Constitutional Amendment.

The Court has seldom been correct of late – but in this case, sadly, they got it right.

So we need a Constitutional Amendment.

That said, many argue that what is needed is a reformed Senate in order to protect the interests of the Provinces.  But students of politics and history know full well that we live in a Confederation meaning power is divided between the the Provinces and the Federal Government.  Federal Powers are set-out in section 91 of the BNA Act and in section 92 for the Provinces.

This division gives the provinces all the protection they need.

But my preferred option is to see the Senate entirely eliminated and one can expect that some provinces – most notably PEI and Quebec to balk at this given that their current representation in the Senate far exceeds their per capita entitlement.

So to soften them up – so to speak – I fully agree with the suggestion being floated that the Feds need to hold a National Referendum; with one question – do you favour abolition of the Senate.  Yes or No.

I suspect that with all of the negative press generated from the Auditor General’s Report – the majority of Canadians will voted for abolition and this majority will extend right across Canada.

If by chance there are still delinquent provinces after such a referendum – I would sit down with them because in all likelihood they will be have not provinces.

I say behind closed doors – ‘If you want to keep your transfer payments – then vote for abolition”.  Full stop.

Presto – the Senate will be delegated to the dust bin of Canadian history.

One last thing.

Is it not most ironic that the man and Party that came out first and strongly against the current Senate – Harper and the Tories are now wearing much of its disgrace, whereas the late coming Dippers and Mulcair are now charging in like White Knights promising to get rid of the institution come hell or high water.

Harper did not have to relinquish this issue to Mulcair.  The fact that he did might haunt him for a long time to come – come Election Day in October.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’ 

 

The Secular Surge.

 

More and more Christians and Muslims are beginning to speak out about the Secular Surge in modern day society.

Redefinition of marriage and the nuclear family; self identification when it comes to one’s sex (i.e. requests are now permitted in many jurisdictions to allow a person to change their sex on their birth certificate or even to leave the box blank); open season on abortion in Canada leaving us in the select company of Red China and North Korea; Euthanasia is becoming the norm; etc.

Christians, Jews and even Muslims are being killed and persecuted in many parts of the world.

While society scoffs at their beliefs and believe themselves to be morally superior.

The new religion is the environment especially as it relates to Global Cooling / Warming / and or Climate Change.  Pick One.

More latterly this new religion is extending to the food we should eat.  Vegetarian anyone?

Love has been replaced by Pornography.

In the recent past, neighbours looked out for neighbours.  Now the majority look out for only themselves.

The Progressives amongst us believe they have achieved Utopia.

A minority of us believe they are deceived and are in for a reckoning.

Some religious folk truly believe that the reckoning will come with the end of the world.

It may.

But a reckoning will come nonetheless.  Civilizations since the time of man have come and gone.  Signs now point to the decline of our own.

China is on the rise.  Just a few years ago the prediction was that within 20 years or so – China would surpass the United States in economic activity.  More recent reports indicate that this has already happened.

We used to have freedom of speech and freedom of religion but those days too are on the wane. Our Courts – Human Rights Courts and even the Supreme Court of Canada have been instrumental in their decline.

Mark my words – we are soon going to see Priests, Rabbis, Imams, Ministers jailed for their defence of God. 

It may be hard for you to imagine that happening but with the change in the marriage laws alone – the day is coming when the Secular State is going to demand that the Church marry gays regardless of the teachings in Bible – the Koran or the Torah.

And as I mentioned in an earlier Blog – do not concern yourself for the welfare of the Christians etc – they will be okay since they have their faith.

Rather it is the welfare of Secular Society which should be of concern to us all.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

 

Truth and Reconciliation …

 

As in Justice Sinclair’s $60 million dollar report on Natives in Canada and Residential Schools.

The bottom-line in the report found that this era, beginning in the 1840s, resulted in nothing less than cultural genocide.

Our distinguished Chief Justice, Madame McLaughlin, makes a similar declaration which is surprising since she of all people has been legally trained to sort the wheat from the chaff.

So you can guess at my own thoughts on this which longer time readers will already know but given the recent flurry of interest generated by the Report I thought it worthwhile to restate it…at least the codswallop about Cultural Genocide.

That is not to say Native Culture was not extinguished by the arrival of the Europeans …it most certainly was but the writing was on the wall for the Indian culture with the arrival of Columbus in 1492.

By the 1800s it was all but extinct and that was the real tragedy …  not the Residential Schools.  The loss of culture for our native peoples was inevitable.

Indeed, I’d argue that the origin of the Residential Schools was in response to their loss of culture and way of life.  It was not replacing white man’s way of life with the Indian way of life since the latter had already been confined to the bin of history.

That is not to say that terrible things happened at the Residential Schools but they were formed for good intentions to help natives function in the new reality.

I have not read the Report other than what the papers say about it. The need for more apologies, more monuments and such but what apparently is missing is a statement as to what is needed to advance things for our natives especially those who find themselves on isolated reserves.

During my lifetime I have heard little but blame for white society and the need for more money.  If that had been enough the average Indian would be sitting pretty but sadly that of course is not the case.

They are confined to the reserves where little of value happens and where terrible living conditions are handed down generation after generation.  In that regard the situation reminds me of the terrible conditions inner city Blacks face in America.

The only real solution is for both groups to decide themselves what is needed to break the historical bonds that constrain them.  To continue to ask the Whites for apologies will only serve to delay the day when that happens.

Sadly the Sinclair Report is just another bump in that road. 

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’

p.s. did you notice Young Trudeau has accepted all of the Report’s 90 some recommendations obviously without adequately considering them…mother’s looks and mother’s brains. kdg

A Fast Ball Right Down The Middle…

 

Strike One the Umpire Calls.

The Batter?

None other than the recently elected Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario.

The issue?

The Grits’ Bill before the Legislature to treat e-cigarettes the same as the dreaded cigarette.

E-Cigarettes have no proven health issues and are considered the best way to assist smokers to kick the habit.

So why are the Grits so bound and bent to regulate them to death?

A couple of reasons come to mind:

First – it is the big brother in them – they just love to tell ordinary folks like you and me how to live.

Second – it changes the channel on the real issues of concern to Ontarians like their Hydro One debacle.

Okay – so there are some reasons why the Grits are willing to waste everyone’s time on such frivolity but what is Leader Brown’s excuse for going along with them?

The whole Party voted with the Grits and the Dippers on this nonsense save for the common sense Tory MP from Perth – Randy Hillier.

So the very first pitch – is a strike.

All batters are entitled to three – even new batters – so dear Leader Brown, you have another two strikes at your disposal.

Let’s see how you deal with them.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’