Remember that a donation doesn't have to be large to be significant. There are tens of thousands of FReepers. If everyone would donate just $1.00 a month, we would never have to have another of these FReepathons.
Are you doing your share?
Posted on 07/18/2003 6:25:37 AM PDT by robowombat
Anti-Americanism in Canada
On July 2nd, 2003, the day after Canada Day, a group of three Washington State residents were at a campground in Squamish, a small town between Whistler and Vancouver, celebrating the American national anniversary, which was coming two days later. A verbal altercation began (with both sides claiming that the other was the aggressor) between the campers and a mob of drunken local teens; the conflict quickly escalated to physical violence[1]. According to one report, "the teens threw stones, beat and terrorized [the Americans] while chanting, ‘Yankee go home.[2]." Though the local youths implicated in the attack contend they were only defending themselves, the validity of their statement is put in serious doubt by the fact that, as witnessed by a tow-truck driver who arrived on the scene, the windshield of the Americans’ car had been smashed and their tires slashed[3].
Though the attack eventually made the news, the local authorities seemed to regard the event as no big deal. Certainly no one was promising to hunt down the perpetrators of this thoroughly despicable crime. Can you imagine the reaction if the same thing had happened to a group of Chinese tourists? Or a group of homosexuals? If a posse of drunken teenagers surrounded and assaulted a group of Japanese visitors screaming, "Japs go home!" we would have a public inquiry and weeks of news stories!
While this incident was exceptional in its violence, it is hardly out of the ordinary for Canada today. For too many people, Canadian anti-Americanism has become a sort of bizarre state religion, a strange combination of resentment and envy. During the early days of the War in Iraq, a group of American Pee Wee hockey players (aged 11 and 12) were insulted during a visit to Montreal[4]. People made obscene gestures towards their bus (which was identifiable as being American by its logos) and burned the American flag in front of them. In another incident the fans at a Montreal-New York Islanders hockey game booed the Star Spangled Banner[5]. I’ve seen some of this sort of stuff first hand. Since September 11th I’ve flown an American flag (which is displayed with our Canadian flag) from my window. Shortly after the beginning of the war someone threw rotten onions at it (and missed). On another occasion, not long thereafter, someone slashed the ties on my car (which is festooned with pro-American bumper stickers) as it sat in a mall parking lot. This was also during the Iraq War. Frankly, I suspect that there have been thousands of similar, but unreported incidents.
Anti-Americanism is pervasive in this country. When the Space Shuttle Columbia was lost on February 1, 2003, in the words of science fiction writer Spider Robinson, "within minutes of the shuttle's destruction, a CBC newstwit was asking my colleague, novelist Rob Sawyer, on the air if he didn't agree that the tragedy was caused by American arrogance in the Middle East[6]." Quite frankly, it wouldn’t shock me if some harebrained jerk decided to blame the United States the next time the Red River floods or, for that matter, when some incompetent driver spins out of control, takes our an electrical pole, and knocks out the power in my neighbourhood. Some of the conspiracy theories spun about Americans in modern Canada would make the authors of The Secret Protocols of the Elders of Zion proud. I had a hard time not laughing, over the past week or so, as Canadian newscasters tried to distort a report that -- 25,000 cows of the same type as the one that tested positive for Mad Cow disease in May were imported from the United States prior to the institution of livestock tracking systems -- into proof that somehow the Mad Cow scare was the fault of the Untied States. Lord knows what we would have done if the cow had been proven to have American origins. We’d probably have sent our two remaining serviceable Sea King helicopters, supported by our one C-130 and five and a quarter functional tanks and tried to invade North Dakota.
As Canada falls further into the abyss of liberalism, it is natural that increased hatred and resentment of our more successful southern neighbours will increase. It is vitally important that those of us who retain a belief in the self-evident common sense and decency of Western civilization remain prepared to defend what is, it is increasingly clear, the last bastion of real freedom on the Earth. I, for one, am prepared to buy a great many tires.
_______________________________________________________
[1] Patriotism blamed for alleged assault, Global BC, July 9, 2003
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Peritz, Ingrid, Diplomacy scores big as hockey row ends amicability, The Globe and Mail, April 3, 2003
[5] Fans boo the Star Spangled Banner, the Associated Press, March 21, 2003
[6] Robinson, Spider, Comet of grief and hope, The Globe and Mail, February 3
Remember that a donation doesn't have to be large to be significant. There are tens of thousands of FReepers. If everyone would donate just $1.00 a month, we would never have to have another of these FReepathons.
Are you doing your share?
Toronto used to be one of the best cities in the world- clean, properous, orderly, safe. Canadians used to be proud of their heritage, including a military history that any country, especially such a small one, would have had nothing to be ashamed of.
Unfortunately, Canada has adopted quasi-socialist government, a form of multiculturalism more destructive than what liberals try to foist on the US and an immigration policy that has led to the creation of permanent third world enclaves in what used to be some of the most thriving working class neighborhoods.
The US is a big country with the ability to soak up bad ideas and recover from them. I fear that my old homeland is heading down a path that it won't be able to recover from.
He asked several Canadians why they were fling the stars and strips on Independence Day. They stated it was a way to send the message to Ottawa that they do not support the current government’s anti-American aptitude or the government’s refusal to support the US in Iraq.
Their attitude, at least rhetorically, has changed. Another swarming attack at a Squamish-area campground happened this week. The story is at http://www.canada.com/search/story.aspx?id=1fd24c88-9228-497d-b7a8-ef4e2a1a59fa.
Squamish mayor declares war on thugs
Jack Keating
The Province
Thursday, July 17, 2003
SQUAMISH -- The mayor of Squamish declared war on a group of young thugs yesterday after campers were terrorized for the second time this month."We've instructed the RCMP that we want as many people charged as possible," said Mayor Ian Sutherland. "We want to make sure that we send a clear message to the people doing this that we're not going to put up with it.
"And we're going to enforce the law to the fullest extent possible."
Youths in a stolen car terrorized campers in the Kinsmen municipal campground about 1:15 a.m. They drove the car through the camp, striking picnic tables and doing doughnuts.
One of three women from Sechelt was assaulted but not injured.
"The woman was slapped by another woman," said Sutherland.
The incident occurred in the same campground where three American tourists were attacked on Canada Day.
"It's a very serious incident," said Sutherland. "And we're taking it very seriously."
The mayor believes the same young thugs attacked the American tourists.
"The odds are good that it's the same bunch of kids," he said.
"The point I'm trying to make is it's 30 or 40 people among a community of 15,000 people that are causing these problems.
"It's only a very small portion of the population.
"We have this little group of young people in Squamish who unfortunately are bent on causing problems. And we're trying to deal with it. It's a challenge. We can only enforce the laws that are on the books.
"These same issues are prevalent in Hope, Chilliwack, North Vancouver, Burnaby."
The RCMP is considering assault and mischief charges against four men identified in yesterday's incident. Two youths were arrested in connection with the July 1 attack.
Staff-Sgt. Cliff Doherty said the RCMP has stepped up security in the "known problem areas."
[snip]
Staff working the Super Natural B.C. tourist office in Squamish said they have received e-mails from all over Canada and the U.S. about the July 1 attack.
"It's just sad," said Sonia Bajwa, 17. "People are sending us e-mails telling us they don't want to come here because of what has happened."
Added colleague Jenny Hughes, 17: "There are so many good, young kids in this town, it's too bad that a small minority of about 10 kids are giving Squamish a bad name. Everybody knows who they are. They're just bad kids. It's a super bad impression on Squamish."
Squamish's image took a hit in 1997 when lawyer Robert McIntosh was killed as he investigated a party of young people at a friend's house. Ryan Aldridge was convicted of manslaughter in the death and is serving five years.
In 1998 about 25 young men attacked and beat 16 campers at a forestry campground at Cat Lake. Four went to hospital, one with serious facial injuries.
In October 2000, up to 100 youths ran amok in Squamish, torching one car and vandalizing two more.
jkeating@png.canwest.com
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.