Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 29, 2008, Winnipeg, Manitoba C m y k Page a12 this is ludicrous t he Manitoba human rights commission has for four years now been weighing a complaint against the Bunai brith of Canada for comments made in a workshop on terrorism and Radical islam that it sponsored in Winnipeg. The commission has not told the National jewish advocacy group precisely what were the offending statements who said them or who indeed was offended. The complainant argued based on what she was told of the seminar that muslims were stereotyped As Likely terrorists. Shahina Siddiqui complained that the Bias displayed at the 2004 workshop for Security officials and emergency responders would encourage racial profiling by police and others. The complaint noted the speakers topics included islam 101 and the five pillars definitions fundamentalism islamist islamist political and terrorist networks in North America. Bunai brith does not know what exactly offended someone or whether in fact the conclusions were those solely of is. Siddiqui. The time taken by the commission to mull Over the complaints Merit it has now asked an outside expert to decide if it should go ahead could draw reasonable people to believe the original complaint was frivolous. The commission has made a lot of work out of this. Commissions across the country each operating on their own codes but upon similar premise have fallen into disrepute of late because of cases they ave taken on dealing with Freedom of speech. A cleans Magazine has had to defend itself in three different jurisdictions for printing commentary by a righting writer that complainants said exposed muslims to hatred or contempt. The Alberta commission has heard a Case against a publisher who reprinted cartoons of Muhammed originally published in Denmark. Again the accusation was that it exposed muslims to hatred. There Are growing demands to clip the extraordinary Powers of commissions to stray into adjudication of constitutionally protected rights and Laws within the criminal code. The commissions can order those publishing or expressing sentiments they find to be discriminatory to cease but they do not have to meet the higher threshold of proof required in a criminal court. Section 18 of the Manitoba human rights code which makes it an offence to publish broadcast or circulate signs symbols or statements that discriminate against individuals similarly can truncate a constitutional right. The Bunai brith has a legitimate complaint about the process employed by the Manitoba human rights commission it cannot sufficiently defend itself against a complaint it has not been fully informed of and it has been barred from making its Case to an unidentified expert now weighing the complaints Merit. A greater harm however lies in giving a civil commission Power to trample Freedom of speech. That is. Siddi quits impression that muslims were discriminated against could occupy four years of a commissions time is ludicrous. It shows however the extent to which some go to find a semblance of offence in an others opinion. Editorials Winnipeg free press Friday August 29, 2008 Freedom of Trade Liberty of religion Equality of civil rights a 12 comment editor Gerald flood 697 7269 Gerald. Flood free press. My. Ca Winnipeg repress. Com have your say the free press welcomes letters from readers. They must include the authors name address and Telephone number. Letters May be edited. Letters to the editor 1355 Mountain Avenue Winnipeg r2x 3b6. Fax 697 7412. E mail letters free press. My. Ca letters represent the opinions of their writers and do not reflect the opinions of the Winnipeg free press or its staff. Poll vote online at wow. Winnipeg repress. Com great olympic coverage congratulations to Randy Turner for his olympic coverage in the free press. Ive not Only enjoyed his remarks on the Canadian athletes but his colourful informative Way of describing China. As ill never get there he gave me some idea what it would be like to be there. Gail Ross Winnipeg political sleight of hand thank you for the insightful editorial valuing pregnancy in your paper on wednesday. Ism the proud Mother of the deceased murdered Olivia Marie Talbot who was the proud Young Mother to be of her son Lane or. Also murdered. My friends and family have been staunch supporters of Edmonton my Ken Epp and his Bill c 484. What the minister of Justice and the combined efforts of the Liberal and conservative parties have done to this Bill is a political sleight of hand. This is a blatant and shameful ruse devised to avoid the Issue of abortion an Issue that has no Validity in the construct of Bill c 484. In fact the Bill is worded specifically to ensure there be no recriminations to those who choose abortion or to those who perform it. Read the facts of the Bill on Epps website. The irony is that it is the pro Choice groups creating a smokescreen. This is a a omens rights Issue and it is the Choice of a woman who wishes to carry her baby to term that needs to be recognized. The threat of an Early election has caused cold feet in the conservatives. So cold that they have chosen to usurp one of their own. Mary Talbot Edmonton video too much for kids re meth video a warning to kids aug. 25. I am really upset about the graphic fresh i. E. Video being slated to screen in Manitoba schools to children 10 to 14 years old. The fellow doing this is saying How much he wants to help. But what is described is one of those things that could scar a child for life. What he describes is an abduction of a child male by adult female who will then tie him Down and inflict various tortures. I know from going to movies that not All parents give a Damn about what horrible things children Are exposed to in the Media. But when my son was at that curious stage with the internet one of the things i tried to get across to him is that he could accidentally stumble on things that could be very disturbing that would never leave him. I am not the Only one who has tried to impose these boundaries on what our children see. This program is being foisted upon unsuspecting kids and one cannot miss the sexual Zed nature of the video. If it was being shown to kids who were already using then maybe. But 10 year Olds i dont even think what was described is suitable for children older than 14. Lets give children a Chance to be children yes Crystal meth is horrible. But contributing to the desensitization of children by purposely exposing them to extreme violence at such a Young age is probably More horrible. They Trust us to protect them from things that Are More than they can handle. Not to Force them to watch. Zanna Joyce Winnipeg what were they thinking your article regarding the anti methamphetamine program and video targeting adolescent males has me asking what were they thinking by they i refer to the in fuse group inc. S adapt Campaign video targeting adolescent males. After Reading the article checking out the adapt in fuse website and watching a clip from the video i Felt i had to voice my concern not with the anti drug use message of the video but with the use of a seductive woman who tortures the Young male character in several graphic scenes such As drilling into his Teeth without an aesthetic. The woman it is reported is meant to symbolize the lure of Crystal meth and the horrendous Side effects that can result from meth addiction. Any addiction is damaging and ultimately affects not Only the addict and his her loved ones but society in general and therefore preventive programs Are Welcome and necessary. In this Case however i fear the extremely negative portrayal of a female in a video aimed at males at a particularly sensitive and vulnerable stage of life May have Side effects As serious and Long lasting As the drugs themselves. I urge the promoters of this video to consider switching to an anti misogynistic Symbol for their anti meth Campaign. Alana m. Kelly Winnipeg nip took too Long re flin flon site slated for cleanup Job aug. 26. We raised the Issue of contaminated soil in flin flon in the legislature in the fall of 2007. However not until this tuesday almost a year later did the nip formalize plans to ensure parents peace of mind that the Public Parks where their children play Are Safe. The Issue was clearly on the governments radar As seen in conservation minister Stan Struthers oct. 11, 2007 response to us in question period. He said our first priority is to work with the citizens of flin flon at the playgrounds at different parts of the Community that need to be attended to so that we can prevent any kind of human health effects. Thatus our first priority right Down on the ground at flin flon cleaning up. However in a july 18 flin flon reminder article the conservation minister was forced to admit the cleanup was taking longer than expected. He stated ism frustrated that its taking As Long As it has to get started on these. Why did it take the nip so Long to take these first Steps and How Long will it take for the remaining eight playgrounds to be re mediated and Are they examining the conditions at the local schoolyards too lets Hope so. Heather Stefanson pc conservation critic message fell on deaf ears agriculture minister Rosann Wowchuk graced the Arborg area with her presence last week to announce a program for Farmers unable to provide Hay for their cattle. While i can sympathize with the cattle producers situation the announcement fell on deaf ears Arborg is comprised of mainly Grain Farmers most of whom Are now on the verge of losing their livelihood. When asked if the province would proclaim a state of disaster the agriculture minister hedged and dodged the question. Wowchuk said there were already Aid programs in place for Grain Farmers plus there is crop insurance. I am sure Wowchuk is aware premiums have risen a Tad and Farmers pay on average 13 times More to insure their crops than most people pay to Register a vehicle with aut Opac. A few weeks ago Premier Gary doer was in Arborg to announce his government will invest $ 330,000 towards construction of the new aquatics Centre. If the province were to declare a state of disaster that few Hundred thousand the government donated would look like a vending machine Purchase. I wonder what would have happened had the flood occurred during an election year. Tammy w. Kartchuk Winnipeg Winnipeg free press est 1872 / Winnipeg Tribune est 1890 vol 136 no 288 2008 Winnipeg free press a division of up Canadian newspapers limited partnership published seven Days a week at 1355 Mountain Avenue Winnipeg Manitoba r2x 3b6, pm 697 7000 a member of the Manitoba press Council Bob Cox / publisher Margo Goodhand / editor to Days question has the Lister Osis outbreak shaken your Trust of the food Industry previous question do you consider yourself a decided voter leading into a pending Federal election Call yes 79% no 21% total 1,460 letter of the Day the medias proper role Luba Gallinger questions Why Winnipeg police deserve More scrutiny than other Public employees its no fun being recorded aug. 26. The answer is quite simple. Unlike any other civil servants police have been Given the Power to arrest and or apply physical Force against citizens who in their estimation pose a threat. For this reason the judgment and actions of police must always be held in question and when it is warranted in the unnerving Eye of Media attention. In Light of some startling recent abuses the Media and Public Are naturally More inclined to suspend belief in our peace officers and therefore examine their conduct More closely. The medias Job is not to act As a cheerleader for a disgraced police Force that would amount to a dereliction of duty. It is the responsibility of the police to reestablish their credibility and Public Trust when members of their fraternity choose to Dodge responsibility for their actions cover up the crimes of their Brethren and use intimidation tactics in situations where they Are seemingly uncalled for. Ryan Kinrade Winnipeg a Northern vision the threat to Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic is not imminent no foreign Flag has been planted there yet but its real enough that Stephen Harper has apparently decided to make an Issue out of it in the next election. The prime minister is wrapping up his fourth visit to the Region in less than three years demonstrating an interest unmatched by any Canadian prime minister since John Diefenbaker first pronounced his Northern vision some 50 years ago during a Federal election. Its fitting therefore that the prime minister announced that a new $ 720 million icebreaker will be named after or. Diefenbaker who articulated his Hopes for the Arctic in a 1958 speech in Winnipeg Gas civic auditorium now the Manitoba archives building. There is a new imagination now the Arctic or. Diefenbaker told the Winnipeg crowd in his trademark theatrical style. Or. Harper has obviously caught the Bug the True North is our destiny he said on a previous trip but it seems that his commitment Falls a Little Short of the grand vision. The new icebreaker for example wont be Strong enough to Cut Winter ice meaning Canada will continue to be without a single ship capable of navigating the Northern Waters in Winter. The prime minister has promised to beef up the country is military presence in the North and to create new Parks and protected areas. He also plans to Force foreign ships entering Canadas Arctic Waters to notify the coast guard of their plans a controversial move because most countries notably the United states do not recognize Canadian sovereignty Over the Northwest passage which they consider an International waterway. It will be Brave of Canada to demand that foreign ships seek our permission to sail the route but bravery wont count for much if its not backed up by muscle which Canada currently does not have. Nevertheless the prime ministers plan would be a Challenge to other countries forcing them to make a Choice Between compliance or polite dismissal. One Way or the other it would Force the Issue of Canadas Arctic claims to the fore leading to a decisive Resolution of the Long neglected Issue. The Northern archipelago is an integral part of our National identity but it is also a Frontier that has not been fully incorporated into the fabric of Canadian life. Its time to bring the Arctic Home. A 12_ aug 29 08. Ind a12 8/ 28/ 08 7 40 19 pm ;