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Identity politics serves to corrupt the notions of morality, common sense, and what it means to live in a society under the rule of law. This is a brief examination of a twitter thread I stumbled across about the recent cases of Catholic Churches being burnt down as misguided retaliation for the residential school system that was in place in Canada.
” SASKATOON — A former Polish Roman Catholic church in rural Saskatchewan was destroyed by fire Thursday.
The church was located near Redberry Lake, which is about 80 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.
Lynn Swystun, who lives about a mile and a half west of the church, says she noticed smoke from her yard around 12:15 p.m. then drove to the area and discovered the church engulfed in flames.”
Now here is where it gets interesting, this is a response to the story.
Wait, what? Where exactly is the conflation happening? Damage to places of worship, in my books, is damage to places of worship. But apparently, in Nora’s world, your identity is also somehow a factor that should be used to categorize the level of violence, determining whether the violence is ‘valid’ or not.
If you’ve been with us here DWR you know that I’m not exactly the biggest supporter of organized religion and all the tomfoolery it is responsible for. But, even being the anti-religious soul that I am, I wouldn’t attempt to order and rank attacks on places of worship into ‘worthy’ and ‘less worthy’ categories.
What kind of internal moral compass is Nora going by here?
The hell? It isn’t a hate crime to burn down a place of worship because of a political/ideological motivation? And, yes the actions of the Catholic Church are indeed pretty horrible, but burning down a church is not how we express our displeasure in a nominally civilized society that values the rule of law.
Just in case if you missed it. This is the moral wasteland that much of identity politics leads to. The level of oppression Catholics face in our society is irrelevant the crime that has been committed. Burning down a church is arson. Arson is against the law, for good reason, in our society. There is no “good” or “valid” arson permissible if one wants to live in a reasonable law abiding society.
Do you see it there? The bullshit notion that there are differing levels of ‘arsonability’ based on your identity in society (of course it comes from a pronouns bio *smh*). Err no. There is no fucking way this paradigm can work if we want society as we know it to work. Past oppression does not mean a free pass when you break the law.
Is protest a part of a democratic society, absolutely. It is our civic duty to keep our political class in check and in tune with needs of the people. Arson, however, is not one of those methods that should not be considered acceptable in society as a path to change.
Let’s start of with Halifax Pride statement of desperately hurt feelings:
In recent weeks, Halifax Pride was made aware of a petition asking the Halifax Public Library to remove a newly acquired book that jeopardizes the safety of trans youth, through unsupported medical claims and the transphobic assertion that trans identities are a choice.
We want to thank the individuals who took the time to create and bring this petition to our attention. We recognize their work and emotional labour in holding their own discussions with the library.
We reached out to the library to understand their acquisition process and urge them to take corrective action to remove the book and review their Collection Development Policy. We hoped that they would understand that the book’s misleading health advice put local trans youth in immediate harm. We expected feedback from trans individuals and a queer community partner to result in further reflection and a new course of action.
Yesterday, representatives of the library communicated to members of our community, and to us, that they have decided to keep the book in their collection without further review of their policies.
Halifax Pride has decided to end our partnership with the Halifax Public Library, including events planned for the 2021 festival, and will refrain from booking library spaces until this issue is addressed with some combination of internal review, policy change, and training.
Halifax Public Library’s collection process is at odds with Halifax Pride’s commitment to protecting vulnerable members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. We hope the Halifax Public Library will reconsider its stance and amend their policies to prioritize the health and safety of the public.
What is this evil tome that is ‘jepordizing the safety of trans youth’ (!?!?!?!??) you may ask?
Irreversible Damage by Abigail Shrier.
A quick Summary of Shrier’s work from Wikipedia:
‘Shrier states that she began to investigate adolescent-onset gender dysphoria after being contacted by the mother of a young adult with no apparent history of childhood gender dysphoria, who identified as transgender in college. She describes what she sees as difficulties facing teenagers who were assigned female at birth, whom she refers to throughout the book as “girls”isolation, online social dynamics, restrictive gender and sexuality labels, unwelcome physical changes and sexual attention. She profiles several teenagers who questioned their gender identities or came out as transgender while experiencing mental health or personal issues. She discusses Lisa Littman’s 2018 journal article on rapid onset gender dysphoria and the ensuing controversy and endorses its findings. She states that online trans influencers encourage questioning youth to identify as trans, experiment with breast binding and testosterone, and disown or lie to unsupportive family members.
Shrier criticizes transgender-related curricula and policies in schools. She describes parents distressed by their children’s transgender identification or transition. She critiques the gender-affirming model of care and profiles its critics: Kenneth Zucker, Ray Blanchard, J. Michael Bailey, Lisa Marchiano, and Paul McHugh. Shrier discusses trans activism and related controversies, including sex-specific privacy concerns; passing versus trans visibility; the role of celebrities in increasing trans acceptance; conflict between transgender people, and lesbians or radical feminists; transfeminine/male-to-female athletes competing in girls’ and women’s sports; the use of trans-inclusive language; intersectionality; and identity politics. She argues that medical interventions such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries include risks, and describes a transgender person who became disabled after a failed surgery. She also profiles detransitioned young women.’
Yes, so the faux-progressive authoritarian Left in Halifax is having a major fit about a book that shed’s some light on the gender magic they hold near and dear. Now that you have a sketch of Shrier’s book, let’s break down Halifax Pride’s Official statement.
“In recent weeks, Halifax Pride was made aware of a petition asking the Halifax Public Library to remove a newly acquired book that jeopardizes the safety of trans youth, through unsupported medical claims and the transphobic assertion that trans identities are a choice.”
Which unsupported medical claims are you referring to? The only unsupported claims I can see being made are the ones contained in your sentence. Demonstrate where Shrier’s book is in fact a real and present danger to children. If the case for being trans or attempting to trans children is rock solid it should a easy slam dunk to refute. But it isn’t, so we are left to swirl in the mists of vague statements like ‘unsupported medical claims’ and the near ubiquitous injunction of ‘transphobia’. Women speaking about their experiences, biological fact, and material reality have all been branded as ‘transphobic’ by the high priests of gender ideology. It is the new heresy on the left and can, in most cases, be dismissed as vacuous bullshit.
“We want to thank the individuals who took the time to create and bring this petition to our attention. We recognize their work and emotional labour in holding their own discussions with the library.”
A small group of nearly permanently offended individuals are now extra offended at the mere presence of a book in a public library that concretely refutes the gender orthodoxy they believe in. This blasphemous work must not be seen by others as people must not be exposed to ideas and notions that are critical of the transgender religion. Questioning the ideology is verboten, and dissent must be quashed before it can grow. As you can clearly see, all the hallmarks of a condition/ideology that has a firm basis in reality…
“We reached out to the library to understand their acquisition process and urge them to take corrective action to remove the book and review their Collection Development Policy. We hoped that they would understand that the book’s misleading health advice put local trans youth in immediate harm. We expected feedback from trans individuals and a queer community partner to result in further reflection and a new course of action.”
Burn this book immediately! And here are more unsupported claims to coerce and shame you (Halifax Public Library) to bow to our campaign and stop other members of the Public from reading these heretical books and ideas that contradict our version of reality.
Protecting adults from dangerous ideas and criticism of transgender ideology. Nothing says ‘progressive’ like a good book burning.
“Halifax Pride has decided to end our partnership with the Halifax Public Library, including events planned for the 2021 festival, and will refrain from booking library spaces until this issue is addressed with some combination of internal review, policy change, and training.
Halifax Public Library’s collection process is at odds with Halifax Pride’s commitment to protecting vulnerable members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. We hope the Halifax Public Library will reconsider its stance and amend their policies to prioritize the health and safety of the public.”
We are taking our toys and going home in hopes that our tantrum will shame you into throwing the notions of free speech and the free exchange of ideas under the bus. There is no protection going on here, just the creeping rise of censorious gender totalitarianism that seeks to throttle all dissent and criticism of an ideology that is harmful for females and children. The Halifax library has rightly told the Halifax pride to fuck the hell off with their demands for censorship of criticism of their precious (and pernicious) ideology.
Well enough of that. The hurt feelings brigade has registered another loss in trying to coerce a public institution to bend its knee to their bullshit ideology. Score one for the good guys. Thank you Halifax Public Library for defending free speech and the exchange of ideas in the public sphere.
I never thought that I would become politically homeless in my lifetime. The tenets of class analysis, proletarian struggle, looking after the less fortunate in society seemed like a rock-solid bulwark to hold.
Lately though, the Left I see is rife with witchhunting, purity tests, and outright excommunication for heretical actions (and non-actions). Disagreement is met with a extreme paucity of charity and hostility that at one time, was the sole domain of the fundamentally religious right.
I understand times change, but the illiberal Left today doesn’t resemble anything I ever signed up for. So, the next step I suppose for me is the coming to terms with being more politically unmoored as time passes.
Obaid Omer shares a similar experience but his narrative speaks of a journey from the full embrace of Islamic religious values to a seeking solace in Liberal values of the West. In his journey though he observes a chilling similarity between his religious roots and the new set of ‘liberal values’ (hence the title of this post the Fuaxgressive Left) that are flourishing today.
“But when I came back to Canada in 2014, I returned to a different country than the one I had left.
I had left a country that was proud of being the opposite of what bothered me about Islam, that was proud of a tradition of free inquiry and free speech, open debate and civil discourse. The Canada I returned to resembled the religion of my youth more than it did its opposite.
I left a culture that was steeped in a sentiment that could be summed up as, “I may disagree with what you say, but I respect your right to say it.” I returned to a culture summarized by, “I disagree with what you say, so shut up.”
Quashing debate and argument seems to be the name of the game these days, as certain opinions have been designated as unapproachable or ‘settled’ topics. In a society that values the free exchange of ideas almost everything has to be on the table. Odious free-speech must be protected along with the prosaically milquetoast free speech.
“The dam broke. Once they started calling it racist to criticize Islam, it was easy to shut the conversation down completely. The accusation meant the accused was morally beyond the pale, and thus completely dismissible. Words like micro-aggressions, trigger warnings, and safe spaces became mainstream. An emphasis on pervasive racism grew exponentially. To even question the extent to which racism was everywhere resulted in accusations of being a racist. Like with religious blasphemy codes, you can only talk about certain topics in specific ways.”
Ask your local MP what their definition of Woman is. I’d be surprised if you got a response, because like discussing the extent of racism in society, trying to discuss female rights, boundaries, and safety has been designated a no-go zone by the gender reactionaries – the people that believe that men can become women simply by saying so. Oppose their dictates and suffer the consequences: insults, threats, and if you happen to be a public figure the loss of your job or opportunities because the zealots get in touch with your employer. Not very free-speechy I’m afraid.
“I couldn’t help but notice there was an almost fundamentalist, faith-like aspect to these claims. It was as if in the years since I’d been gone, our society had decided to adopt the blasphemy codes of my youth. When I heard people asked to check their privilege or introspect the ways they have been racist, it sounded like the inner jihad that Muslims are supposed to perform to make sure they are on the correct path.
How did this happen? How did the religious tenets I had abandoned come to take over the liberal culture I had abandoned them for?”
When liberals lose sight of the basic principles of liberalism, this is what happens. 
Yeah. The fauxgressive left is really big on the Rationalism or Individualism tenets anymore.
“And just as in Islam, there is a jockeying for who is the accurate representation of the faith, Sunnis or Shia, in the social justice camp, believers decide who the true representatives of each oppressed group are. Fall afoul of the right political view and you will be denounced; people throw around terms such as “political blackness” or “multi-racial whiteness.” Just as apostates from Islam are said to not have been real Muslims, detransitioners are told they were never really trans and Black people who speak out against the tenets of critical race theory are told they’re not really Black.
In Muslim countries, biology textbooks will censor evolution. Now, due to gender theory, biology is similarly coming into conflict with an ideology—and losing. A mixture of post-colonial theory and critical race theory is behind a push to disrupt texts, a call to decolonize the Western Canon and school curricula. Critical social justice ideologies are in direct conflict with Enlightenment values and the rigors of the scientific method, like Islam, and are thus a huge threat to liberalism—like Islam.”
Yep, it’s moving toward (or has already jumped ship from actual liberal values) batshite crazy inside the hallowed halls of so many of Canada’s institutions now. The federal government, Universities, social institutions. We should heed Omer’s warning:
“I have had the good fortune to meet and speak with many brave people in the fights against fundamental Islam and critical social justice. As I once did when speaking to Muslims, I keep hearing about the silent majority that is opposed to CSJ.
That silent majority needs to become vocal very quickly. We need more people to be brave enough to speak up and push back. The long march through the institutions is sprinting into the final lap, and it cannot be allowed to win. Take it from an ex-Muslim.”
Some of the people in Calgary, Alberta feel that their fundamental rights and freedoms are being taken away from them. (Excerpts from cbc.ca)
“Hundreds marched through downtown Calgary on Saturday to protest against mandated masks and other public health measures intended to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the same day record highs in new cases and hospitalizations were reported in the province.
The protests, or “Walk for Freedom,” have been a weekly occurrence in the city and across the country for months, but Saturday was the first since the province’s 10-person limit on outdoor gatherings was announced on Tuesday.
“To see that there is a group of people in the Canadian population that is against masking, and to say that it infringes on their freedom, is taking the word out of context — it’s actually an insult on all those civil rights heroes who fought for freedom,” said Dr. Sajjad Fazel, a public health researcher at the University of Calgary.
“When we look at the word freedom, we’re talking about when people’s rights are taken away … you’re not allowed to drink and drive without any consequences, right? Everything has a consequence … when it’s for the public good, the scenario changes.”
So to protest the measures meant to inhibit the spread of the virus, we’re going yo hold a protest that will actively spread the virus? I realize the level of intelligence required to vote for false populist neoliberal demagogues isn’t particularly high but these actions, the hyper-spreading of a pandemic level virus, make me wonder if they need to take classes on how to walk and chew gum at the same time.
This from Health Canada.
Respiratory droplets are one of the main vectors of disease transmission. Yet the only masks being worn at the rally looked like this:
Which means the hospitalization rates in Alberta look like this:
This section of the demographic in Alberta are the ones that don’t believe in Public healthcare. The very same people they regularly demonize and vote against, are the ones keeping these fine individuals alive once the succumb to the virus. Unfortunately, this cannot go on forever, our doctors and nurses and the care they provide are rapidly burning-out finite resources.
“Dr. Lynora Saxinger, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, has warned that the weeks to come are likely to bring dangerous trends.
“In case anyone is wondering, we’re really in deep trouble in hospitals. This can’t continue,” Saxinger said on Twitter.
“This is a deadly pandemic, but we will be looking at excess deaths because of failure to take appropriate measures.”
Breaking point reached. I certainly hope our plucky freedom fighters respect the overtaxed doctors right to choose – especially when they have to make decisions as to who lives and who dies based on the lack of medical personnel and resources.
You hate to see it, but again male entitlement and fragility win out over the concerns of women. Apparently, this billboard is considered offensive and not allowed in the public sphere.
Of course women who continue to fight for their rights within Canadian society, are no strangers to small setbacks. I sense this is only the beginning, as I imagine this billboard will be going up across Canada to raise awareness of how totalitarian the gender identity crowd is becoming.
A big shout out to those who will be starting and solidifying the next wave of the pandemic.
“Many B.C. restaurants and retailers already struggling to recover from the pandemic are now imploring the public to be patient with staff and respect the rules — after reports of customers behaving badly in response to COVID-19 safety protocols.
From verbal attacks to physical assaults, the backlash directed against employees is forcing some business owners to take extreme measures.
“It’s a death by a thousand cuts, it’s day after day,” restaurant owner Robert Stodola told Global News.
“This is stressful for every single person.”
Our society, to avoid the tailspin that the US is currently in, needs to adapt to a new normal. The status quo is changing and the old expectations of ‘how things work’ must be discarded.
“Things literally reached a “breaking point” inside another restaurant in the Southern Interior city earlier this month, when one of the owners attempted to enforce a health order on a tour group that kept pushing their tables together.
“They threw their plate of food on the ground and actually assaulted the restaurateur,” said Pangilinan.
“That is completely unacceptable.”
Kamloops RCMP are investigating the July 4 incident at Mittz Kitchen, in which an owner was allegedly pushed over a table.”
Imagine that. Thinking that you know better than the health authorities and the owner of the restaurant about how to behave within their private premise. The people responsible for assaulting the owner and putting other people at risk should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Given the evidence available, it is possible to not have society in complete lockdown for the remainder of the pandemic. What it does require though is people to alter their expectations and adopt new behaviours that won’t cause a further spread of the virus.
See you all in the Xmas Lockdown. :(
Source: globalnews.ca
Is anyone else getting the feeling that a possible attempt to assassinate Justin Trudeau, our Prime Minister, is being portrayed as sort of “meh” in the media? The front pages from the Globe and Mail, Global News, and the National Post. Only Global has a story on it on the front page, and of course CBC is still with the story as I’m quoting their article for this post.
“Hurren allegedly drove his truck through the pedestrian gate at 1 Sussex Drive at around 6:30 a.m. ET Thursday morning, which stopped working on impact.
He then headed toward the ground’s greenhouse on foot with what appeared to be a firearm, stopping to hide in a rose garden for three minutes around 6:35 a.m., said Duheme.
Duheme said officers spotted Hurren at 6:43 a.m. and began talking with him two minutes later.
“It was only at 6:53 where the suspect responded and a dialogue ensued,” Duheme said.”
Good heavens, only in Canada do we talk down a possible assassin and ask him to please release himself into police custody. I think if this incident happened a coupe of parallels of latitude to the south, a different more fatal outcome would have ensued.
“The RCMP did not answer questions about the note at this morning’s briefing, citing the ongoing investigation.When asked if police know Hurren’s motivation, Duheme said “yes” but would not go into details. The RCMP did say Hurren wasn’t known previously to police and was not on any watch lists.Hurren ran a business called GrindHouse Fine Foods, which makes meat products. In a Facebook post he reported that the novel coronavirus pandemic had taken a toll on his business.”I’m not sure what will be left of our economy, industries and businesses when this all ends,” he wrote May 26.CBC News Manitoba also reported that roughly an hour before Hurren entered the Rideau Hall grounds, a Facebook page associated with his business posted a meme of a big outdoor party that supposedly would occur after the lockdown.
The post also directs people to look up “Event 201″ — a worldwide pandemic preparedness exercise run last year that conspiracy theorists now use to suggest Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is behind COVID-19.”
Yep, armed and seemingly enthrall to conspiracy theories aaaaaand traipsing around Sussex Drive. I hope our police are not handling the situation like the brother’s Andy from Hott Fuzz, but the media seems to be.
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