Yesterday's piece of Canadian bullshit

Prime Minister apologizes for residential schools

Monday June 16, 2008

Hundreds crowded into the Samson Bingo Hall in Hobbema, to hear Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologize for the aboriginal residential school era.

The residential school era in Canada began in the 1870s when the objective of missionaries and government was to assimilate aboriginal children into mainstream society. About 150,000 children were shipped to boarding schools located throughout Canada away from their families, language and culture.

“The treatment of children of residential schools is a sad chapter in our history. In the 1870s, (the goal) was to remove and isolate children from their home and assimilate them into the dominant culture,” Harper said. “This policy was wrong, caused great harm and has no place in our country.”

It also had a lasting and damaging effect on aboriginal culture and language and left children victims to emotional and sexual abuse.

“To the approximately 80,000 living former students, the Canadian government recognizes it was wrong. (Residential schools) gave raise to abuse and neglect.

“As you became parents, you were powerless from protecting your own children from the same fate.”

Harper added the cornerstone of the settlement agreement will be a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, an opportunity to educate Canadians on the residential schools system.

Opposition leader Stephane Dion was even more eloquent in his apology. “The residential school system is even older than Confederation. Parents and children were made to feel worthless.
“Today, we lay the first stone in building a monument dedicated to truth.”

Dion said the apology will be a first step in moving forward.

“Today’s apology is about a past that should have been different. It must also be about moving forward, trying to find in us the courage of those who have survived.”

Mary Moonias, a Louis Bull teacher and the first person in Canada to receive a residential school cheque, was in Ottawa to witness the apology.

Elder Leena Small formally accepted the prime minister’s apology. Her Cree words were paraphrased by radio deejay Wilson Okeymaw.

“Canada has done great harm. I cried many times with no one to say, ‘You are a good person.’

“We must be kind and love one another because the people who went through residential schools never had that.”

Assembly of First Nations Chief, Phil Fontaine, responded to the apology.

“This day is testimony to the achievement of the impossible. Never again will this House consider us a problem just for being who we are.”

He said the apology marked a new day in Canada and aboriginal relations.

“Today is something which shows the righteousness of our struggle, a new dawn between us and the rest of Canada. I reach out to all Canadians in the spirit of reconciliation.”

Bert Bull, acting chief of Louis Bull, explained the importance of the day and how it was testament to First Nation’s survival.

“I’d like to wish everyone a memorable day. They tried to take our Indian way totally away, but they did not succeed,” he said.

Illegal, unilateral, preemptive military action against Iran: Chairman of House Judicial Committee Speaks Out by Rep. John Conyers

Global Research, May 13, 2008

From: The office of House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. May 8, 2008 Join Me in Calling on President Bush to Respect Congress' Exclusive Power to Declare War Dear Democratic Colleague: As we mark five years of war in Iraq, I have become increasingly concerned that the President may possibly take unilateral, preemptive military action against Iran. During the last seven years, the Bush Administration has exercised unprecedented assertions of Executive Branch power and shown an unparalleled aversion to the checks and balances put in place by the Constitution's framers. The letter that follows asks President Bush to seek congressional authorization before launching any possible military strike against Iran and affirms Senator Biden's statement last year that impeachment proceedings should be considered if the President fails to do so. I hope that you will join me in calling on the President to respect Congress' exclusive power to declare war. To sign the letter below, please contact the Judiciary Committee staff at 225-3951. Sincerely, John Conyers, Jr. Chairman May 8, 2008 The Honorable George W. Bush President of the United States 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20500 Dear Mr. President: We are writing to register our strong opposition to possible unilateral, preemptive military action against other nations by the Executive Branch without Congressional authorization. As you know, Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power "to declare war," to lay and collect taxes to "provide for the common defense" and general welfare of the United States, to "raise and support armies," to "provide and maintain a navy," to "make rules for the regulation for the land and naval forces," to "provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions," to "provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia," and to "make all laws necessary and proper for carrying into execution ... all ... powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States." Congress is also given exclusive power over the purse. The Constitution says, "No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law." By contrast, the sole war powers granted to the Executive Branch through the President can be found in Article II, Section 2, which states, "The President shall be the Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into actual Service of the United States." Nothing in the history of the "Commander-in-Chief" clause suggests that the authors of the provision intended it to grant the Executive Branch the authority to engage U.S. forces in military action whenever and wherever it sees fit without any prior authorization from Congress. In our view, the founders of our country intended this power to allow the President to repel sudden attacks and immediate threats, not to unilaterally launch, without congressional approval, preemptive military actions against foreign countries. As former Republican Representative Mickey Edwards recently wrote, "[t]he decision to go to war ... is the single most difficult choice any public official can be called upon to make. That is precisely why the nation's Founders, aware of the deadly wars of Europe, deliberately withheld from the executive branch the power to engage in war unless such action was expressly approved by the people themselves, through their representatives in Congress." [1] Members of Congress, including the signatories of this letter, have previously expressed concern about this issue. On April 25, 2006, sixty-two Members of Congress joined in a bipartisan letter that called on you to seek congressional approval before making any preemptive military strikes against Iran. [2] Fifty-seven Members of Congress have co-sponsored H. Con. Res. 33, which expresses the sense of Congress that the President should not initiate military action against Iran without first obtaining authorization from Congress. [3] Our concerns in this area have been heightened by more recent events. The resignation in mid-March of Admiral William J. "Fox" Fallon from the head of U.S. Central Command, which was reportedly linked to a magazine article that portrayed him as the only person who might stop your Administration from waging preemptive war against Iran, [4] has renewed widespread concerns that your Administration is unilaterally planning for military action against that country. This is despite the fact that the December 2007 National Intelligence Estimate concluded that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program in the fall of 2003, a stark reversal of previous Administration assessments. [5] As we and others have continued to review troubling legal memoranda and other materials from your Administration asserting the power of the President to take unilateral action, moreover, our concerns have increased still further. For example, although federal law is clear that proceeding under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) "shall be the exclusive means by which electronic surveillance" can be conducted within the U.S. for foreign intelligence purposes, 18 U.S.C. 2511(2)(f), the Justice Department has asserted that the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping in violation of FISA is "supported by the President's well-recognized inherent constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and sole organ for the Nation in foreign affairs". [6] As one legal expert has explained, your Administration's "preventive paradigm" has asserted "unchecked unilateral power" by the Executive Branch and violated "universal prohibitions on torture, disappearance, and the like." [7] Late last year, Senator Joseph Biden stated unequivocally that "the president has no authority to unilaterally attack Iran, and if he does, as Foreign Relations Committee chairman, I will move to impeach" the president. [8] We agree with Senator Biden, and it is our view that if you do not obtain the constitutionally required congressional authorization before launching preemptive military strikes against Iran or any other nation, impeachment proceedings should be pursued. Because of these concerns, we request the opportunity to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss these matters. As we have recently marked the fifth year since the invasion of Iraq, and the grim milestone of 4,000 U.S. deaths in Iraq, your Administration should not unilaterally involve this country in yet another military conflict that promises high costs to American blood and treasure. Sincerely, John Conyers, Jr. Chairman [1] Mickey Edwards, Dick Cheney’s Error, Wash. Post, March 22, 2008, at A13. [2] Letter from Rep. Peter DeFazio, Rep. John Conyers, Jr., and 60 other Members of Congress, to President George W. Bush (Apr. 25, 2006) (on file with the Committee on the Judiciary). [3] H. Con. Res. 33, 110th Cong. (2008) [4] Thomas E. Ricks, Top U.S. Officer in Mideast Resigns, Wash. Post, March 12, 2008, at A1. [5] Dafna Linzer and Joby Warrick, U.S. Finds That Iran Halted Nuclear Arms Bid in 2003, Wash. Post, Dec. 4, 2007, at A1. [6] Department of Justice, Legal Authorities Supporting the Activities of the National Secuirty Agency Described by the President, Jan. 19, 2006 at 1. [7] David Cole, Less Safe, Less Free: Why America is Losing the War on Terror, 2007 at 2. [8] Adam Leach, Biden: Impeachment if Bush Bombs Iran, PORTSMOUTH HERALD, Nov. 29, 2007.

Global Research Articles by John Conyers

Dallas compound case: more than meets the eye

First off - IF the person in charge had any obligation and sense of responsibility and knew what was happening at this "compound" - then why didn't she have one of her own relatives file a "referral" as that clearly would have been the RIGHT THING to do!!

With the provisions of the PATRIOT ACT, all suspicious activity is to be reported, so WHY NO REPORTS ??

The people in the "compound" OBVIOUSLY use many products - food is bought, kotex, just a whole host of products. Again, where are the suspicious activity reports that are filed?

This entire thing reeks from start to finish, and like WACO perhaps the entire story will never come out.

Any country that suffers under THEOCRATS is going to see plenty more of these in upcoming years. Score more points for The Patriarchy!! That which looks away from real harm done to anyone without POWER.

And like no one, no one at all, was watching Mr. Jeffs - and NO ONE filed a "referral"?

Oh, all of us who can read - we're just SO gullible.

Veeger

ps - ANYONE remember the Franklin Sex case? STILL covered up.




Update: Tensions Calmed At West Texas Polygamist Compound

Texas child welfare workers said Sunday they have now removed 219 women and children from a West Texas polygamous compound, but still have no positive identification of the 16-year-old girl whose abuse complaint led to the sweep.

“We didn’t know there would be this many [children], and we don’t know how many more there are,” said Marleigh Meisner, a spokeswoman for Child Protective Services.

On Saturday, officials had removed 183 women and children. So far, 18 juveniles are in state custody, meaning there was sufficient evidence of abuse or an immanent danger. The rest are being questioned to determine whether they will be placed in state care.

Tensions at a West Texas polygamous compound where investigators remain were calmed Sunday morning after law enforcement officials searched the retreat’s massive temple.

Authorities first entered the retreat, built by followers of polygamist leader Warren Jeffs, on Thursday night after a 16-year-old girl called to report that she had a child with a 50-year-old husband.

That girl, however, had not been found by Sunday afternoon. Ms. Meisner said the girls often go by different names and can be difficult to identify.

“We’re always concerned anytime we have a victim and we can’t find that victim,” said Ms. Meisner.

“I am confident this girl does indeed exist.”

In Eldorado, a ranching town with fewer than 2,000 residents, some struggled Sunday morning to help protect and care for the new faces in their midst, many of whom may have never left the retreat before. Of the 219 taken in, 159 are children.

“They seem very stoic, very strong,” pastor Andy Anderson of First Baptist Church said of the women. “Clearly this has been emotional, but they are great mothers.”

About 70 of the women and children, wearing old-fashioned dresses and uniform hair braids, were housed in the church’s fellowship hall until mid-day Sunday when they were whisked away in school buses flanked by state troopers. All of the women and children taken from the compound were being relocated to a San Angelo facility where they can receive therapy and medical attention, Ms. Meisner said. She said a state district judge recommended that all the children from the compound be relocated to better facilitate interviews and care.

“This has been a tense situation for all involved,” Ms. Meisner said.

“I think they’re doing remarkably well considering the circumstances.”

Mr. Anderson said cots were brought in from a nearby Air Force base and grocery store donations helped with other supplies. Buses had been taking the women and children from the church to the local high school for showers.

“That compound has put Eldorado on the map,” Mr. Anderson said. “We’re used to the scrutiny. Whenever we go out of town, that’s all that everybody seems to know about us.”

State troopers armed with a search warrant swept through the compound on Friday to look for evidence of a marriage between the 16-year-old girl, who allegedly had a baby at 15, and 50-year-old Dale Barlow. Under Texas law, girls younger than 16 cannot marry, even with parental approval.

Mr. Barlow’s probation officer told The Salt Lake Tribune that he was in Arizona.

“He said the authorities had called him [in Colorado City, Ariz.] and some girl had accused him of assaulting her and he didn’t even know who she was,” said Bill Loader, a probation officer in Arizona.

The retreat, part of the The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, was taken over by Mr. Jeffs after his father’s death in 2002. It splintered from the Mormon church more than a century ago.

Mr. Jeffs is now jailed in Kingman, Ariz., awaiting trial for four counts each of incest and sexual conduct with a minor stemming from two arranged marriages between teenage girls and their older male relatives.

In November, he was sentenced to two consecutive sentences of five years to life in prison in Utah for being an accomplice to the rape of a 14-year-old girl who wed her cousin in an arranged marriage in 2001.

The West Texas compound, on a 1,700-acre ranch, sits down a narrow paved road and behind a hill that shields it almost entirely from view in town. Only the 80-foot-high, white temple can be seen from a distance. State troopers continued to block roads into and out of the compound on Sunday.

“CPS can only go in and do an investigation if we receive a referral,” Ms. Meisner said when asked why authorities had not acted sooner.

“This is the first referral that we’ve had.

Ah, sweet irony! Mukasey on a "rule of law" mission ???

How about some of that rule of law to be demonstrated in the United States? Or in the US military? on in the CIA? ...

THIS is the cover for the trip to Turkey? Give me a BREAK.

BTW, how come no reporting on the trip to Turkey? How come?

Virginia

Mukasey Visits Iraq, Talks to Officials

• AP
• Wednesday February 13 2008

By LARA JAKES JORDAN

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Michael Mukasey has met in Iraq with the head of its judicial council during a quick trip to Baghdad to review U.S. efforts to help build the nation's legal system.

Mukasey also met with top U.S. officials there, as well as soldiers and some of the more than 200 Justice Department officials currently working on the so-called ``rule of law'' mission in the wartorn country.

The Justice Department released a statement early Wednesday in Washington in which it quoted Mukasey as noting that U.S. civilian volunteers are working with the Iraqi people. He said the aim was to build a legal system ``very different from our own but founded upon the same bedrock principles: due process and the rule of law.

It's a new year - let's stay on Blackwater's case ...

I thought this was EXCELLENT. Pondering posting something on Blackwater's Christmas card when I saw it online. Then I read this and thought "now here is a thought that needs to be conveyed. A truly great crosspost.

V

Blackwater. Perfect Christians.

I’ve been struggling for a while to come up with a name for the dangerous, intolerant sort of Christian that I think are so scary. You know the sort, the ones defending torture while talking about Jesus. The one’s unable to see the evil done in America’s name, unable to empathize with any human outside their narrow cult, and ready to throw out those in at the slightest transgression. The ones shocked other people can still disagree with them. They look like garden variety sociopaths, but their entitlement runs deeper.

I think I have it. Blackwater Christians.

The 2007 Blackwater Christmas card:

Front picture, Christmas Ornament hanging from a bough, with a map background in the ornament and the three wise men superimposed on that background.

Inside:

A Christmas wish that Christ’s great love,
His grace and goodness, too
May fill your heart and bless you now
and all the whole year through

May the Lord Jesus truly bless you during this wonderful season
as you rejoice with family and friends


Blackwater Worldwide

What better way is there to shield murder, greed, theft, incompetence, lies and abuse of innocents than wrapping yourself in some good old fashioned self righteous Jesus love? Here is the epitome of evil and hypocrisy, and it’s typical of the thinking of many fundamentalists. When you hear “God will sort them out” or “God is on our side” you’re talking to one of these theocratic monsters, or worse, one of the scum pandering to them. Currently our government and our military are riddled with these dangerous lunatics bent on control. Check out the group founded by an Air Force chaplain forced out by wacko Evangelicals (Turn down your sound first. The site has annoying sounds)

The only religious freedom Blackwater Christians want is the freedom to kill to heathens and shove their religion into your life. We can’t get these people out of charge quickly enough.