President Barack Obama visits Canada!

Photo: President Obama and Governor General Michaëlle Jean walking just moments after the President arrives in Canada
Photo Credit: Sean Kilpatrick/Canadian Press


Great visit I think! At least President Obama was great!

Did anyone else notice that President Obama mentioned "human rights" twice during his joint press conference with PM Harper today. PM Harper mentioned "human rights" zero times for the record! Guess who cares more about human rights? Thankfully, at least Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff communicated our concern about Omar Khadr's treatment at Guantanamo Bay.

Additionally, PM Harper still maintains that there is no difference between intensity-based targets and absolute (hard) targets to reduce carbon emissions. Of course there IS a difference! Hard targets will guarantee a reduction in carbon emissions and intensity-based targets will have NO such guarantees!

On a positive note, I do agree with PM Harper that a threat to US security is a threat to Canadian security. And Canada is NO threat to US security. However, this is quite alarming that I am agreeing with Harper. I hope my mental capacity hasn't been diminished in any way. It's very difficult to grapple with thinking like Harper! :)

Peace all.

Omar Khadr

Today, President Obama will meet with both Prime Minister Harper as well as Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff. I hope they discuss an effective environmental policy. In addition, I hope Michael Ignatieff and well as PM Harper request that Omar Khadr be repatriated.

Here is my plea to PM Harper (as well as to all Canadians):

Please do not allow Omar Khadr (a Canadian born, Canadian citizen) to face trial in an unjust court system. I beg PM Harper and all Canadians to please respect the human rights of Omar Khadr as they should respect the human rights of all human beings.

"In 2003, Canadian officials, including agents of the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service, questioned Khadr at Guantanamo Bay with respect to matters connected to the charges he is now facing, and shared the product of these interviews with U.S. authorities." Canada (Justice) v. Khadr, 2008 SCC 28

This means it isn’t just PM Harper’s inaction that should concern us. PM Chretien (1993-2003) and PM Martin (2003-2006) knew about Khadr's condition (in 2003 at the latest)! Why didn't they act? Omar Khadr is a combatant under the age of 18. Surely, they had a responsibility under international laws to treat him as a child soldier! This is most certainly very disturbing to me!

Former Senator Romeo Dallarie has acted justly. Please follow in his footsteps everyone. Please keep writing to PM Harper to urge him to repatriate Omar Khadr (as I have as well). I don't know what else to do. I feel so helpless living in this society that does NOT respect human rights. If we don't respect human rights then what do we respect? What is the point of protecting a nation if we allow the nation to become one that is NOT worth protecting anymore?

Additionally, after Omar Khadr has been repatriated, I want real justice! I want everyone (Canadian and American) that tortured Omar Khadr, that hid evidence of Omar's innocence or torture, and/or that was complicit in Omar's torture to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of Canadian, US, and international criminal laws! I am outraged most of all at the Canadian government!

So that’s my rant about the injustice Omar Khadr is continuing to face!

Peace everyone.


Further Links:
Radhika Coomaraswamy, the United Nations' Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict
Amnesty International
Former Senator Romeo Dallaire
Canadian government lawyers
Opposition MPs
Lieutenant Commander William Kuebler, Omar Khadr's American military lawyer

BBC Announces Election Results: Obama wins!

Thank you America for making the right choice. Obama wins as the BBC calls the election for Barack Obama! Time to celebrate. Yay!

Why are there still undecided voters in America?

It boggles my mind to think that there are still undecided voters in America for the 2008 Election. Whatever your deep-seeded political ideologies are, surely you can see the stark contrasts between an Obama/Biden administration and a McCain/Palin administration. And if you aren't so ideologically motivated, surely you see that the priorities and strengths of the two presidential candidate are at opposing ends of the poll.

The beautifully written humorous essay by David Sedaris, entitled Undecided (published in the New Yorker) better expresses my true feelings about undecided voters in this particular American election. Sedaris writes,

"To put them [undecided voters] in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. “Can I interest you in the chicken?” she asks. “Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?”

To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked."

Thank you David Sedaris for expressing my deepest intangible thoughts in such a simple yet elegant manner, thank you.