WhatADifferenceA
YearMakesVille
It's the last day of the year and the proMedia seems to be obsessed by numbers.
Specifically, they are obsessed by the number of Syrian refugees that have not arrived in Canada yet.
You can see evidence of that here, and here, and here and here, not to mention pretty much any 'lectronic medium you might choose to tune in to tonight while you wait for the ball to fall.
But, here's the thing.
Compared to this time last year we are doing our best to try and do the right thing as far as the people behind the numbers are concerned.
How do I know this for sure?
Well....
About six weeks ago a young gradual student that I've been working with for a year or so came by to tell me that was going to have to slow down his research project for awhile.
I quickly asked him if there was something wrong health wise, or if there was a family emergency, or if he was having second thoughts about the science-geek life - all of which are things that come up frequently in this situation as you might imagine.
He said no to all my queries and then gave me a reason that I've never heard before, and likely will never hear again.
Which was that he was packing up his stuff and heading to Lebanon, immediately, because he is in the Forces Reserve and, as such he was off to help process folks from Syria who were trying to get to Canada.
After we talked for a couple of more minutes about how exciting, and a little scary, all this was he told me he had to get going.
When he left I was really proud of him.
And my country also.
Proud, I mean.
OK?
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Please note: Originally, the title to this post started with 'Canada's Refugees'....As the folks at PASSOP pointed out using their ingenious 'Twit-Bot', this kind of language can lead to stereotyping...Thus, I've changed the title.
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We Know Where the Republican/Harris Voters Are
28 minutes ago
5 comments:
Indeed...Maybe Canada is back..
I`m getting prouder everyday.
Thanks Mr. K
Later, got to go sizzle like bacon on the hardwoods.
Cheers
I know the road ahead will be full of bumps, bruises and blockages for Mr. Trudeau and his party, but for the first time in many years I feel optimism instead of having fear crammed down my throat by the Harpercons Inc. I'm very proud of my fellow Canadians for stepping up and sending a resounding NO to policies driven by personal ideologies and not buying into the vomit and outright lies the far right liked to present. Anybody that could harbour the likes of the filth that the Cons did,from DelMastro to Gazebo Joe to Chopra's claims that seniors needed the exercise to gather their mail (not to mention hundreds of other pieces of odious legislation)are beneath contempt.
It's a new day- carpe diem.
Next up -dumping Clueless Christie.
The young man certainly was motivated. its too bad some of those in the media weren't as motivated to do the "right/write" thing.
The media keeps repeating how the government has "failed" and then as you write, keeps going on about the numbers, and on and on. First they complained the refugees would be coming in too fast and insufficient security clearances being done. Then the government worked on that, and now its they aren't meeting their targets. Its like this government can't win when it comes to the media. of course Post Media did support the Cons with their editorial and 48% of PostMedia is owned by an American hedge fund, so as far as what the media is writing or reporting, not interested in their numbers.
And to A. 8:17 a.m. January 01, 2016: Good post! Writeon/Righton.
Trudeau and his ministers do give one a sense of hope. Its just nice to have a P.M. who smilies, who is out and about and its good to see Cabinet Ministers doing the same. Not all they do will work, but at least they are trying to do something to help people which is more than the Cons did.
Just all the conferences Trudeau and his Cabinet Ministers attended in the first couple of months was breath taking.
Best picture for me: Trudeau greeting the first refugees, with Kathleen Wynn (out) and Minister of Defense (in turban according to his religion) That is my type of Canada. Inclusive and open.
When I moved here from my native Nova Scotia, I stayed at an apt/hotelish type of place on Robson while I looked for work. It was hard to find a job and my money was getting lighter much faster than I had as work wasn't on the immediate horizon. I spent quite a bit of time talking to the manager/partner, a very pleasent and positive man who had come as a refugee from Uganda, forced out by Idi Amin and he told me he and his family arrived with less than $5 and the clothes on their back. I went down to the desk to tell them I was checking out in a week as things weren't positive in the work area. He asked why and right after I told him, he asked for a moment to make a phone call in the office. A few minutes later, he told me his brother in law would pick me up in the morning to start my new career doing renos/painting/etc. I kept that job until the owner got sick and passed on.He also told me my rent would be reduced. I was really touched by the kindness of this gent and I had to ask why he was so kind to me. He said Canada had taken him in and he felt very grateful to come here and be granted so many opportunities and the kindness of Canadians, it was a very small gesture he felt.That day I was a very proud Canadian.
Glad to hear it Grant--
Hope the bacon was excellent.
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Anon-Two-Above--
I'm with you.
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e.a.f.--
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I really do think that something has dissolved the calcium phosphate in the collective vertebral column of our proMedia...
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Anon-Directly-Above--
That is one kinghell of a story and a very, very fine one, indeed. Thanks!
I have a good friend whose family fled Uganda when he was a kid for the same reason. He has told me a similar story of what his Dad went through. He's a pretty famous science-geek now.
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