in no way threatening to me
Thanks to ALPF, I have learned that another American war resister is seeking asylum in Canada. I am so out of the loop, lost as I am in the ancient world . Good thing you guys keep me informed. US Army Pvt. Brandon Hughey, 20, told the [Canadian] Immigration and Refugee Board that he refused "to kill people or lose my life under false pretenses." Hughey said he believed the war in Iraq was illegal and his conscience obliged him to desert his Ft. Hood, Texas army base last year. He said when he joined the military at 17 he was looking for a way to put himself through college and respected the military. "I believe some things are worth fighting for, like defending my home and my family," Hughey told the board. "I had no moral objection to fighting back then. In some circumstances, war can be justified." He believed US President George W. Bush had proof that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, so he initially supported the war. But he later deter...
Any thoughts on Bush's visit to Canada?
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I mentioned this previously, but I live in Ottawa.
I was downtown for the day (I had a doctor's appointment, and figured I'd take they whole day off due to traffic disruptions). I was in the Chapters downtown (like your Barnes & Nobles) when his motorcade went by. It's the longest motorcade I've ever seen. When Bill Clinton came to town he didn't have nearly as much security.
I was downtown all day, but I don't know where the masses of violent protesters were as reported by the media. Apparently I should have been right on top of them, but I only saw people standing around holding signs.
--Kyle
I'm not sure on the poll. Although something like 80% of Canadians said they'd vote for Kerry over Bush (except in Alberta, which is Texas North). We didn't really like Keryy, but it was definitely the lesser of two evils.
ReplyDeleteOn a humerous note, they served Bush Canadian beef for supper on Canadian softwood tables.
Hey, most of us didn't love Kerry either...
ReplyDeleteI think that's the problem with the two party system. "Don't blaim me, I voted for Kodos!".
ReplyDeleteWe usually have 3 or 4 big parties at a time. While usually only the Liberals or the Conservatives can actually muster enough votes to form a government, there's at least the potential for a third party to win (they do it all the time at the provincial level).
There's even serious talk of going to proportional representation like the rest of the world has.
The two-party system sucks, especially when the supposed center of each party is exactly the same.
ReplyDeleteI would love to see Canada go to proportional representation! For a long time I thought it already was, since other parliamentary systems are - then I recently found out otherwise.
One of the most compelling reasons for me to think about citizenship in the future is voting NDP.
Every party talks about proportional representation when they're not in power, but if they win a majority they promptly forget about it (since they'd lose a large number of seats).
ReplyDeleteHowever, since the current Liberal government is in the minority, the NDP has made proportional representation a requirement of them voting along side with the Liberals.
Ah, interesting. I have a lot to learn. I look forward to it.
ReplyDelete