Niqab Debate is a Racist Red Herring!

I am amazed at how gullible people are to accept politician’s deceit. Those who claim that wearing the Niqab at citizenship swearing in ceremonies poses some sort of risk to “national security” or a risk that the wrong person will be sworn in are either completely ignorant of how the process of becoming a citizen works or are simply racist . I suspect the latter.

The process of becoming a Canadian citizen is a long one where the identity of the applicant is well established long before the swearing in ceremony. It’s not like going the liquor store where you establish your ID at point of purchase. It’s similar to going to a ceremony to accept your degree after spending 4 years at University.

As much as I personally find the Niqab to be an abhorrent symbol of a culture that does not respect or value women I just as strongly believe that one of the reasons for becoming a Canadian citizen is to enjoy the rights and freedoms protected by our Charter of Rights. In particular ;“freedom of conscience and religion”. In other words women wearing a Niqab should have every right to do so. It is interesting that a traditional Roman Catholic Nun’s “habit” covers most of her body and much of the face yet no one is arguing that a nun should remove her habit to be “sworn in”.

This is a transparent and racist use by the Harper government of what is really a non-issue/red herring to motivate anti-Muslim vote in Quebec. Clearly the Harper government doesn’t respect the rights and freedoms protected by our constitution. As a matter of fact, in 2012, when our Charter turned 30 years old the Harper government chose not to celebrate. They did however celebrate the 200^th anniversary of the war of 1812!

What has happened to an open and tolerant Canada? Can we really take another four years of this?

David Fai

North Vancouver, BC

Links added to all the Candidates in North Vancouver and North Burnaby Seymour

Websites to the candidates for the major parties in the October 19th Federal General Election may be found at the top of the political links.

There is a list of 'All-candidates meetings' on page A11 of the Sunday, September 27 issue of the North Shore News.

For those of you who may not know there is a 'Digital-Edition' link of the North Shore News at the top left section of the Main Page of the North Shore News

Little and Saxton MIA

I'd love to hear impressions by anyone else who attended tonight's All Candidates But Two debate at the Lonsdale United Church.

I'll say up front that it was appalling and cowardly that neither Conservative candidate could be bothered to drop by. Shame on them.

My take: both Lynne Quarmby and Claire Martin impressed me greatly with their intelligence, enthusiasm, and obvious knowledge.  The crowd liked them too.

The Liberals in attendance, Jonathan Wilkinson and Terry Beech left me cold; more or less just reciting talking points and waffling at any time when they were put on the spot.  Really, they felt like the kind of party hacks that I just never vote for.

The NDP was represented by Carleen Thomas and Carol Baird Ellan, both obviously very smart, with different but very interesting backgrounds, but again, not my cup of tea. Ellan seemed very negative, and Thomas felt inexperienced and not entirely well prepared.

Federal Election All-candidates meetings

BROKE (Burnaby Residents Opposing Kinder Morgan Expansion) will host an all-candidates meeting for the North-Burnaby-Seymour riding on Tuesday, September 15, 7-9 p.m.at Capital Hill Community Hall, 361 South Howard Ave., Burnaby. 604- 872- 7326

CAPILANO STUDENTS' UNION will host a federal all-candidates forum on Thursday, Oct. 1, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 pm at Capilano University, CSU Library Lounge, 2055 Purcell Way, North Vancouver.

No need for ‘nose-holding’ with Greens

The following is a letter to the Editor taken from the Vancouver Sun's website, written by one of our esteemed authors here on the blog, and is slated for publication tomorrow.

It strikes me that the Green platform is what the NDP would have offered 30 years ago, and the Liberals 50.

Now the big three are pretty much indistinguishable — all business, all tax cuts, all free trade, and all about what government can’t do.

I grew up in a time when people were genuinely proud of this country and its accomplishments, and believed that our goal as a nation was to build a better life for all people, not just for the rich.

That meant social safety nets that treated people with respect and compassion, a belief that an educated population benefited all of us, and an understanding that the rights and dignity of individuals were more important than profits.

The Green platform and its candidates offer, for the first time in decades, an opportunity for me to vote for something instead of holding my nose and choosing the lesser of three evils.

BARRY RUEGER

North Vancouver