Canada's Inquiry Report Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women

Update: Since writing the Blog below, I have had the opportunity to read Anthony Furey's column on this self same subject.  He provides the following very interesting stats:

"An RCMP report from 2014 looked at data going back to 1980 and came to a number of conclusions. One was that while Aboriginal Women make up only 4% of the population they disproportionately accounted for 16% of murder victims."  The data though also revealed that the solve rate was 88% almost identical to the national average and the majority of the women were murdered by Aboriginal men and people known to them."

Bottom-line you and I have been conned!!

Of note as well, when the request for this Inquiry came before Prime Minister Harper...he turned it down - like you and me - he knew nothing would come of it other than a monumental waste of money.  Smart Man

That said, wouldn't it be nice if the wasted $100 million had been used to provide all our natives with potable water.  I can tell you if I was Prime Minister this would be my first priority in addressing the real needs of Aboriginals.  KDB



Came out yesterday with some 230 Recommendations !!

Admittedly, I have not read the report and quite frankly do not intend do so.  I say that because, in regard to the Report's 230 recommendations, I can tell you what the main ones are and more importantly, which ones are not included.

First what's there:

A call for huge increases in funding* from Canada's Taxpayers and the Rest of Society is to blame** for their dire circumstances.

     *if I could be convinced that such expenditure of money would help to significantly reduce the suffering experienced by these unfortunate women, I would fully support seeing this aspect of the Report implemented.  I just know from oodles of past experience...it will not.

     **the report concludes "that colonial violence, racism, and sexism against Indigenous people has resulted in many Indigenous people becoming normalized to violence".

So even if they are culpable for their own circumstances...they are entitled to a pass.  What nonsense.

This then is a good place to consider what the Report ignores...personal responsibility to begin with. It is always someone else's fault and taking this insupportable position means that nothing of substance will be gained until hopefully that the far off day finally arrives.

And the Report cheapens itself by focusing just on aboriginal women...what about the men and children being brought up in the squalor as well.  Indeed, the murder rate among aboriginal men far and exceed the rates among the women.

Finally let's look at the Inquiry's bottom-line conclusion...as stated by the Chief Commissioner herself, it is nothing less than a "Canadian Genocide".

The Indian Culture was destroyed some 300 hundred years ago and actually began with the arrival of Columbus. It was nothing more or less than a clash between a Stone Age / Nomadic Way of Life with then Modern Civilization.  It was no contest.

The fact is the Aboriginals have failed to replace what was lost and to call that 'Canadian Genocide' in the year 2019 it is an over-stretch and a great disservice to all Canadians ...Natives as well. 

If I had written this report here are the main recommendations I would put forward:

1. The need for reform must come from the Aboriginals themselves and from their supposed Leadership.

      2.  And the Reserve System needs to be busted up. 

I now brace myself to have to listen to our Apologetic Prime Minister speak at length about the great value of this Report and how he looks forward to implementing the 230 backward thinking and self serving recommendations.   

As I See It:

'K.D. Bell'

HIS MOTHER'S LOOKS AND HIS MOTHER'S BRAINS

Yup ...Canada's part-time drama teacher and full time Prime Minister...at least for now - the Rt. Honourable (?) Justin Pierre James Trudeau.

Later today, he meets with US V.P. Mike Pence here in our nation's capital, Ottawa.

The meeting is ostensibly about moving forward the passage of the latest rendition of the Free Trade Deal recently negotiated between our two countries and Mexico.

But what does the young lad plan to raise with the V.P. first?  Why his opposition to all things pro-life.  And who is the most visible supporter of Pro-Life in the nation directly to our south, none other than Mike Pence.

The guy has to be brain-dead and I am not referring to the V.P..

And speaking of the need to ratify the Free Trade Pact, it was our same gadfly Prime Minister who insisted that Canada's negotiators put on the negotiating table essential free trade components, like gender diversity,  native entitlements and of course a woman's right to unrestricted abortion right up  until the time of birth.

It almost derailed the talks before they even got started.

What a jackass.

And from his plan to raise this again, later today, with Vice President Pence shows the guy is simply incapable of learning.

In the lead-up to October's General Election, I will soon be reviewing the legion of miscues committed by our P.M. but could not resist the opportunity to once again expose the vacuousness of his thinking.

As I See It...

K.D. Bell

There are so many topics to Blog on so ....

I won't !!

Rather let's deal with my experience in regard to recent purchases of fruits and vegetables.

And just for the record, Governments' claim that inflation hovers around just 2%...it is to laugh.

The other day, my wife and I were shopping at the local Loblaw's Super Store and one of the items our her list was celery.  The cost was pushing $8.00 for the sorriest celery you could ever imagine. I said to Anne,  you can not be serious in buying such a miserable imitation of the real thing.  She was.

It gets worse.  Yesterday I went into the local Farm Boy grocery store ostensibly to purchase a bread stick to go with the Boston Clam Chawda I had prepared earlier in the day.  Didn't know I had some hidden talents.  I found the bread okay at a cost I viewed as expensive but as I say, it got worse.

I thought I would purchase some fruit while there and came across some nectarines.  The puniest things you ever did see but I thought what the heck they were sure not to cost too much. 

But when I got to the cash with my 4 'silver dollar' sized takings I was literally floored to find out the price for same was 4 1/2 dollars - over a buck ten for each of these miniatures. 

It reminded me of a joke I heard years ago where this chap went into a store where he too bought something extravagant like I did ...he paid the clerk the over-sized price and threw in an extra quarter.  The clerk ask him what the extra 25 cents was for and he explained, that upon entering their store, he had inadvertently stepped on a grape.

I really do not know how the average consumer can cope these days with the truly outrageous cost of food.   Couple this with the high cost of gasoline and you can see why it must be virtually impossible for the average Jill and Joe to make ends meet. 

As I See It...

'K.D. Bell'

LORD BLACK OF CROSSHARBOUR.

As a rule, I am not impressed with others who continually name-drop ...I view it as showing  their insecurity.  I will though make an exception in my Blog today, and the exception pertains to my wife Anne and me.

A week  and a half ago, we both had dinner with Lord Black ...a most enjoyable affair but also one of the most expensive dinners we ever had the privilege of attending.

The cost though was immaterial since I have always liked Conrad Black and in my opinion and in the opinion of many, many others, Lord Black has a command of the English language that rivals the great Winston Spencer Churchill himself.

I am writing today about Lord Black, not because of the dinner but because mere days later, President Donald Trump called him to offer a Pardon for the inexcusable way in which Black was railroaded into spend 3 years in an American Prison.  America by the way has more prisoners per square inch than any other country on earth.  Just ask Martha Stewart who too was locked up for ....lying to the cops.  Does it get any more serious than that.

Our criminal system has a well deserved reputation for being to lenient...America for being too ruthless.  Here in Canada, the prosecution is bound by law to see justice done even if that means letting a defendant off or giving a slap on the wrist where it is truly warranted.  Let me go off topic to give you a good example.  A farmer appeared in this weekend's papers for having killed his young son who fell off a piece of equipment the father was driving.  He has been charged with the very serious offence of criminal negligence causing death.   How I ask you can he be charged with anything given that he accepted from the get go that he is responsible for the death of his son and he will have to live with that each and every day of the remainder of his life. Is that not punishment enough? Of course it is.

The US views the judicial system as a challenge  - how many convictions can they get and the prosecutors ride to power on the backs of conviction rates well into the 90 percentile.   The more the charges are Trumped up...pardon my pun, the happier they are.

That said, I am not going to get into the merits of what took place leading up to the charges against Black since in his own words, 'if you believe he was falsely charged, you need no further proof and if you believe he got his just desserts, no proof to the contrary will convince you otherwise'.

What all of us should though agree upon is that Lord Black took his unjust punishment...like a Man.  When in jail  and when others in his position would wail and moan about the injustice of it all, or write books telling what a raw deal he got, Black went to work teaching  and helping his fellow inmates to enable them to attain their high-school diplomas.   What class.

At the time of his sentencing my wife and I wrote to the little guy then in the White House requesting a pardon for Lord Black.  We did not even receive the courtesy of a reply.   Conversely on the few occasions I have written to President Trump I have always received his reply...one of which can be found in one of my earlier Blogs. 

In closing I am simply delighted that the President saw fit to pardon a class act like Lord Black.  He most certainly deserved it.

As I See It...

K.D. Bell

ANOTHER DEAD MAN WALKING.

UPDATE:  More Dead Men Walking Plus Now ? Women.  

Just after I penned the Blog below, I read David Pugliese stellar article on Mark Norman which not only confirms the rightness in my belief that Jonathan Vance is headed for the trash bin of history but so are several other unworthies.  This updated list includes the RCMP Commissioner ..the not so.. Brenda Lucki, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan (he should have been dumped eons ago), DND Deputy Minister John Forster, and another woman -former PMO Staffer Zita Astravas.  They will be lucky to last until the Election and if they do, will be gone soon thereafter.



NO NOT YOUNG TRUDEAU although his is a dead man walking and he knows it but unless his spineless troops rebel, his demise will have to await October's Election Day.

The latest to join this illustrious club is no other Chief of Defence Jonathan Vance.  Even as I write, Vance and Trudeau are sniping at each other ...blaming one another for the Norman debacle.

From the start it was obvious to me that Vance played a leading role in seeing Vice Admiral Norman relieved of his duties while Trudeau worked the judicial system to ensure that he was criminally charged.

What I could not understand was what had Norman done to upset Vance so?

Well of course now it has all come out.  Norman took the position that his Navy needed an oil supply ship since they had none.  Just imagine his temerity.  In particular, he wanted to go with the former Tory Gov't plan to have a ship refitted at the Davy Ship Yards in Quebec.

Vance, for some inexplicable reason, wanted to go out for a 3 year tender for a new vessel - and when I say 3 years ..given DND's track record ..you are talking 10 years and likely by then the whole thing  simply collapses.

Do you get the impression that Vance may have a touch of jealousy when it comes to Norman?

Whatever the reason, Vance has put himself in the position that now he too has to go.  Indeed, how can Norman come back to work... as the Grits are promising him, and at the same time continue to report to an obvious enemy?

If Vance was smart ...which I question, he would simply walk the plank now rather than be pushed sooner than later.  Either way he is going to go.

As I See It...

K.D. Bell

Xi Jinping has met his match...Donald John Trump...

THEY ARE BOTH NUTS !!!

The current Trade War they have launched against one-another...albeit mostly the Trumper's fault, will severely harm both their countries along with numerous other countries throughout the world.

I am not going to get into it other than to point out that Americans will feel the pain when they go to their local Walmart and find the shirt marked made in China which they could buy pre-trade war for under $10 dollars will now cost them $50 bucks with the only difference being the made in USA tag. 

China too will suffer since their massive population will be denied critical things like good safe reliable foodstuffs.

What is surprising in this is that the pain is being caused primarily by a supposed businessman in the Presidency.  Who'd a thunk?  At least Obama had the excuse of being a left wing academic.

But the Donald's failings do not stop there.  Remember his peace in our times talks with the little murderous dictator of North Korea?  Today those talks have broken down and missiles are flying out of the Hermit Kingdom...left, right and centre.   The Chamberlain Peace Award anyone?

And then there is Venezuela.   They are fighting for their very existence all the while Trump has sat back and allowed both Russia and Cuba to fill the void.  Things are coming to a head ...thanks to dear Mr. Trump, and any resultant bloodshed will be laid at his size 10 feet.  Obama, you will recall made the same mistake in Syria and the Middle East is paying the price for that now.

The only place I can see where Trump is on the mark is his determination to plug the vast flow of illegals through their southern border.

Maybe one for four is not too bad of an average?

As I See It...

'K.D. Bell'

CITY OF OTTAWA DECLARES A CLIMATE EMERGENCY ON APRIL 24, 2019

UPDATE:  Talk about the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing...the Federal Government now too has indicated it will also Declare a Climate Emergency.  Doesn't it know the City of Ottawa has already done this?  Does it not know that several other Canadian Cities have also gone this route?  Don't the Feds realize we cannot do better than that?

Another waste of time and energy and of course the Taxpayers hard-earned money.  KDB


Following is what our city's left wing paper had to say:

Ottawa’s city council voted overwhelmingly to make the declaration as a way to show how serious the municipality is about protecting people from the impacts of climate change.

It was a big win — and a somewhat surprising one — for Coun. Shawn Menard, who first brought the proposal for a climate-emergency declaration to the environment committee last week. On a council that doesn’t care much for making symbolic gestures, Menard managed to push through a motion that won over most of council’s leadership.

For a supposed council that does not like "making symbolic gestures" I cannot think of any other gesture that can be construed more as 'symbolic' (read empty).

This motion came before council this past Wednesday, with only 3 councillors having common sense enough to vote against it.  And it is not like this afflicts only Ottawa, since a number of councils throughout Canada are passing similar totally unenforceable and ineffectual motions.

And with it comes costs... in the case of our city - new staff and support to the tune of $250k per year.  And watch that number climb dramatically over following years.

Whether you agree with the proposition of there being a Climate Emergency ...or not, I believe like me, you would be of the view that this matter rests at the national and international levels...not with your municipal government which should be focused on fixing pot holes.

The local talk radio had a field day with this subject, first reading on air the gobbledygook, cliche ridden text that only a mother could love.  They asked for listeners to call in with actions Ottawa City should now take and they ranged from all Councillors must now ride to work on bicycles, to the closing of our International Airport.  It is to cry. 

And this leads me to another criticism of local municipal government generally...it is filled with left wingers ...i.e. socialists.  Types that have never had to account for a private sector payroll.

And that is probably not surprising since who among us would want the responsibility to their neighbours for water, sewers, bus service and the like.  The Left gets the nod by default.

So maybe in their defence it must get pretty mundane dealing with such basic, albeit, important issues. 

Why not pretend for a minute that they are on the same level of societies' more senior politicos.

AS I SEE IT, 

K.D. BELL