THE LAND OF FREE SPEECH ~ HOME OF THE BIG PICTURE!!!





The thoughts/ideas expressed in this blog are the sole responsibilty of the author. Links to outside resources do not constitute agreement with or endorsement of any of the content of those sites, they are there for reference purposes only.



If you'd like to contact me, email bigpicguy@hotmail.ca



Thanks,

Mark McCaw ~ twitter's @bigpicguy

Author of "Insights Inside a Mind" ~ blogging the big picture








Saturday 10 August 2013

#DearPoliticians

*****WARNING*****

     Even though this post is titled #DearPoliticians I don't expect actual politicians to read it. Reading is hard. Politicians hire people to read stuff for them, because we all know, stuff is hard. This usually leads to the politician only knowing whatever parts they can remember of what the people paid to read remembered and at some point may have passed on to them. (Oh those junior staffers!)

     In any event, you'll be comforted to know, no actual politicians will probably be hurt in the making and sharing of this post.

     Before I get to it, I'll explain a bit. I'd enjoy getting this one interactive. This is a non-partisan deal, it's designed to give everyone a voice. Join me in making Saturday, August 24, 2013 #DearPoliticians Day.

     Here's what I encourage you to do in the next 2 weeks. Find ways to use the hashtag. If you want to tweet something that applies to all politicians, use the hashtag. If you want to promote our special day, please do so. Below I will be writing a general list of things I want from politicians. All of them. All parties, all levels of government, all of what I am going to say applies to some of them, and some of what I'm going to say applies to all of them. I encourage you to get friends (and politicians) to read this post, share it, and encourage them to share as well. Wait! One more thing. Since I'm giving you a couple of weeks, I want you, and others, to write your/their own #DearPoliticians letter. On the 24th we will see if we can vault the hashtag to the top of the trends by sharing our letters and tweeting what important to us, not them telling us what we should think is important.

     If you have a blog, write a letter. If you're into video, put your letter up on youtube and we'll share it, please use the hashtag #DearPoliticians somewhere in your title. If you want to add your comments but don't have a blog, put your thoughts in the comments section of my blog and I will be tweeting it regularly.

     My letter is below. Think of what you want politicians to know and get yours written. Politicians say they want to listen to you, so let's dedicate Saturday, Aug. 24/13 to using #DearPoliticians to tell them what we think.

#DearPoliticians

     You seem quite fond of saying you want to hear from your constituents but I'm not convinced any of you are sincere. You'll have to convince me with actions, not words, not even words that I would really like to hear. Right now, I am willing to give you benefit of the doubt. If I see no change and you can't bother to respond and make yourself known, it will be clear you care less what the voting public wants from you.

     Number one on my list, stop lying. Period. You may say something that makes me angry or upset but I will still have to respect you if you are telling the truth. Every time you people choose to lie and end up getting caught, you erode the faith and trust we are supposed to be putting in your hands. Sometimes the truth is ugly but it will always set you free.

     Congratulations, you won an election. Like it or not, you also work for the people who didn't vote for you equally. I don't expect you to please everyone all the time, but I want you to put the words cooperation and compromise at the forefront of your thinking when dealing with issues.

     Beyond the lying thing, if you cannot behave honestly and ethically, I don't want you as a representative of anyone except yourself. You aren't fit for the position. This includes all the ways you spend the public's funds. This is 2013, not 1867 and we could use a bit of progress. The technology is such that you can provide a real-time accounting online of all incoming and outgoing transactions. When it's all out in the open you will think twice about all spending, and to me, that's about the most important thing. I don't mind paying taxes that are used in a good and defensible way.

     Stop cheating in elections. Stop using robocalls. Stop scaring people. Stop spending money you cannot prove the value of. Stop ignoring the facts because they aren't convenient. Stop ignoring you are allowing your grandchildren's future to be destroyed for the sake of a few dollars today. If I send you an email, I don't want you to respond with a form letter. When you do take the time to reply, I would like you to actually answer the question I asked you, not dance around it then summarize your party's platform on everything but what I asked about.

     Most of all, if you really claim to be a democracy, you must offer more than an opportunity every few years to put a mark on a ballot and have things no one ever mentioned rammed down our throats with absolutely zero say in the matter. You have lost your way. You need a good soul searching.

     Politics isn't sport. It doesn't matter who wins the game. What matters is the welfare of the people you are supposed to serve. Right now, it appears the system is terribly broken, and it has been getting worse over time. You owe it to us to pay heed to our needs, not your own, not your party, and certainly not mega corporations and their various mouthpieces.

     Get it together. Someone, somewhere, get it together, before the straw breaks the camel's back.

     

Monday 10 June 2013

#ElectionFraud ~ Judicial Inquiry A Must

     I'm suffering a range of emotions right now. Unfortunately, they are all very bad.

     Now I am compelled, once again to take to this outpost, my blog, and discuss a subject, I feel, must be shared and discussed by everyone.

     Of course, I am talking about election fraud. As far as I am concerned, This is the number one issue that should be the main course on the plate of every right-thinking Canadian from coast to coast.

     While the Soup-du-Jour may be Senators at the trough, questionable payments, the involvement of the PMO, what the Prime Minister did or didn't know, alleged slush funds, and an endless parade of denials, conflicting explanations and likely outright lies, it is my sincere feeling if the Conservative Party of Canada feels this is being properly investigated, by all means, let us give them the opportunity to cooperate with any investigation, and when we get the results, let us make our decision whether we feel the findings answer our questions or if we must demand more.

     The reason I believe this is the proper position to take is because it doesn't abandon Canadians' desire to get to the answers about the entire Senate affair, it just moves it down a notch on the list, it uses the government's last opportunity to reveal all about what has happened, and allows every Canadian citizen and every politician of every stripe to concentrate on the most important issue Canada has ever faced.

     At this point in our history, we require an answer to the most fundamental question Canadian, North American, and even Western Democracy has ever faced:

     In 2011, did Canada have an election or suffer a bloodless coup?

     If you haven't been paying attention to politics (which is baffling to me since these are the people who write the laws that govern everything you do in your pseudo-free life), you can find plenty of information online regarding irregularities during the election of 2011. Most who have read my posts in the past know I make it clear I am not here to do research for you, I am not asking you to take my word for anything, only that your read what I say, approach it with an open mind, look into it yourself from as many sources as possible, and come to your own conclusions. I am merely here to give you something I strongly believe you should devote some time and thought to.

I am not here to assign blame to anyone. I am not going to say this is an evil plot hatched solely by one man to do evil. You'll be disappointed if that's what you are looking for. As always, my comments will remain open and I encourage dialogue here, don't be shy.

     We now know Elections Canada was in receipt of many complaints from the majority of ridings across Canada regarding calls trying to direct people away from their legitimate polls. It is also on record they informed Arthur Hamilton, lawyer for the Conservative Party of these complaints, prior to election day.

     It has been demonstrated, most notably in the Penashue case, and cases dating back to previous elections, the Conservatives have a great deal of difficulty in complying with the spending laws as laid out in the election act. This is troubling as it is becoming a pattern of behavior over the course of their government from their first win in 2006. We have a plea bargain resulting in guilty verdicts for the "In and Out" scheme.
We have two sitting MP's Shelly Glover and James Bezan who, according to the head of Elections Canada, Marc Mayrand, should be suspended and prevented from voting on legislation by law. The response to this has been the supposedly neutral Speaker-of-the-House Andrew Scheer, concealing receipt of these letters from the House of Commons until the media found out, further refusing to table the contents on the record in the House, and unilaterally ruling he will not enforce the law while the MP's in question challenge the ruling in court, even though he does not possess the power to suspend the penalty prescribed by the law of the land.

     Many people are confused by the robocall label, and rightly so. Robocalls were just a part of the goings on in the election of 2011. I'm not talking about mistakes here and there. I'm telling you, you can find, with very simple web searches articles from many news media sources, interviews with professors and officials and experts of all sorts that point to a single fact.

     In the  41st General Election of Canada, in 2011, Widespread Election Fraud Occurred, perpetrated by a person or persons unknown at this time.

     I don't say this because it is solely my opinion. In fact, although it has been my suspicion since the first reports of fake Elections Canada calls that a serious crime had been committed against all of us, and indeed, against democracy itself. In over half a century here, I never dreamed this would happen in my country. I would have dreamed this impossible, yet here I am staring at a glaring reality I must open eyes to, and I feel we deserve complete, open, answers to, and that we enact whatever must be enacted to ensure that democracy prevails, where no underhanded interference is practiced by anyone, and when those who would try to subvert the only true right we have are made to pay for what they have done, for anyone in the future who would attempt to seize power illegally.

     I will be absolutely clear on my position. I do not know who is or isn't guilty. I am not pointing my finger at a specific individual, group of individuals, any particular political party or organization. I am convinced by a preponderance of the evidence there was widespread election fraud, carried out through a variety of methods and means, in the election of 2011, and that is a crime against the freedom and democracy our veterans fought and died for. I believe every Canadian of every political stripe deserves to have every answer that can be rooted out, so no party, no matter who any of us may favour, can engage in activites that even remotely call into question the integrity of the very foundation of our society. I do not have faith in Elections Canada to be able to carry out the massive investigation needed to reveal all the wrongdoings during the 41st general election. I do not trust, therefore I do not have faith in the RCMP in its current state to investigate and be open and honest with the citizens of Canada the extent of crimes that have allegedly been committed during the 2011 election. I believe Canadians can settle for nothing less that a full judicial inquiry into all of the questions surrounding the election, including, but not limited to: the extent of fraudulent activity used in an attempt to deter citizens from exercising their right to vote, or using tactics to make an opposing candidate appear to be doing irrational or annoying activites aimed at voters in their ridings later proven to be false. The overspending by any candidate, successful or otherwise. Any other type of fraudulent or criminal behaviour that indicates a high degree of suspicion of tampering of the sort that leaves questions in the mind of Canadians as to the validity of the sitting government and whether any legislation they have passed is valid. In order to make these determinations, only a highly trusted Judge or panel of Judges with full powers of subopena, the power to question anyone without any possibility of claims of immunity or national security or any other reason whatsoever, and the power to fully oversee and control anyone tasked with investigating any aspect of election 2011.

     This is the number one reason I will push this and fight this and use everything legally in my power to make sure democracy is upheld in this country.



     This is my father's grave. Dad was a tail gunner in bombers in the RAF during world war two. He trained in Moncton, NB, where he met his future wife, my mother, who waited many years for him to come back to Canada. Dad was shot down twice in the war, from what I know, once supporting the British 8th Army over Africa, and again over Paris where he ended up with his legs full of anti-aircraft shrapnel (some of which he'd kept, you could sill see the rifling on it). He recovered to fight to the end of the war, won the Distinguished Flying Cross among other medals honouring his service. He eventually Emigrated to Canada, married my mother, had 3 boys and was an investigative reporter and editor of several papers until he passed away. Long before he should have because he believed in the principles of freedom and democracy and was prepared to give his life for them.

     Before my dad died, due to complications of the long term effects of his leg injuries (He had become paraplegic and quite frequently suffered from severe ulcers on his legs), he was often required to go to the veteran's unit at the hospital for treatment. It was on those occasions I got to hear the stories of many veterans. Some of whom were there occasionally, others who were there every time we went, those who would never leave alive. I also met several of my dad's friends, including a machine gunner who had some great medals, but no legs because an artillery shell landed between them. That man seemed cool to a little kid because he didn't use a wheelchair. He hopped out of a car on his hands and made his way into our home. I also had all of my uncles who fought the fascist domination of the world, and for what they believed was going to mean no one would need to die to defend our undying belief in freedom and democratic rule. I remember my dad's very good friend Max. I was young, I knew Max was some kind of important man, I had no idea dad's close friend and ally was no less than Max Aitken, known to history as Lord Beaverbrook and aside from being one of Churchill's closest people, he was a key to defeating Hitler himself.

     None of those mentioned above, nor do I, personally believe any allied soldier or all the citizens at home who made so many sacrifices, would have fought, worked, been damaged, lost family members, lost friends, or died fighting Adolf Hitler and Mussolini and their Fascism, or Hirohito's Imperialism, if they had believed their children and grandchild would be faced with questioning whether the democracy we owe to their bravery had been undermined enough to put in question whether the government in power won by honest means or if they used illegal methods to gain legislative power in the country. The exact same thing happened in the countries our relatives put their lives on the line to stop at all costs.

     I don't care what political party you support. If one party can do it, all parties can do it. Cheating may run rampant in games of all sorts, but democracy is not a game, it is the very cradle of the laws that govern the laws of all citizens. We cannot allow anyone, of any party, group, or organization of any sort to fix or even attempt to unduly influence the outcome of a democratic election.

     I could have written on this subject long ago, after all, there were various public court records, none of which inspired confidence the chance of election tampering was little more than a tempest in a teapot.

     I was still willing to wait this one out. It wasn't difficult to suspect there were some very different things about the conduct of the election, but it was also clear ever more mountainous obstacles were being dropped in front of the Elections Canada investigation as it plodded along, underfunded, seemingly frustrated and overwhelmed.

For me, and I believe, for you as well, everything changed and took at turn for the critically serious on the 23rd of May, 2013. On that date, The Honourable Mr. Justice Mosley of the Federal Court of Canada issued his 99 page ruling in a case regarding election fraud in a number of ridings in Canada during the 2011 election.

     I have read the entire judgement from front to back no less than 6 times since it was issued. I've also reviewed the final conclusions the judge makes carefully, thoroughly, and reached out to those with various legal expertise to ensure my opinions have some factual weight to them.

     I won't ask you to take my word for it, or even take my side in it. I will ask you to refer to the complete Federal Court ruling by clicking on this link to the PDF from the court website

     If you'd prefer to get past the summation of the case, and to just go to the findings made by Mr Justice Mosley, it begins by reading section V. the findings in the case

     No amount of money is bigger than a Canadian democratic election being run in such manner as to make a bloodless coup possible. Please consider what I present. Tell me we don't deserve answers, Tell me you are willing to allow widespread cheating without the guilty parties paying a serious price.

     Click on this link to take you to a contact list for all of Canada's MP's and Senators. Please write to any and all of them demanding a full judicial inquiry into the validity of the 2011 election. If you see an MP or leader tweet something please ask them to demand a judicial inquiry into election fraud.

     Duffy, Wallin, the Senate, the PMO, that can all get in line, after all, we need to find out if anything since 2011 has been legal.

     Demand answers. Spread this widely. Get the word out daily. Nothing is important as democracy itself.
Join me as I fight for our right to freely choose those who would rule us.

     Please feel free to comment. Join me in my fight. Ask questions. Agree. Disagree. Please get people talking and thinking about this today.
   

Thursday 10 January 2013

First Nation Knowledge #IdleNoMore

I wanted to share with you some of the most beautiful, emotional words ever put together.

This is a quote from Chief Seattle. This is what the racist trolls hate. Because they don't even bother to learn any history.


 "How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them? Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people.

We are part of the earth and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters; the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and man --- all belong to the same family.

If we sell you the land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events and memories in the life of my people. The water's murmur is the voice of my father's father. The rivers are our brothers, they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes, and feed our children. If we sell you our land, you must remember, and teach your children, that the rivers are our brothers and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness you would give any brother.

And if we sell you our land, you must keep it apart and sacred as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the meadow's flowers."


Saturday 5 January 2013

#IdleNoMore ~ Letter From a White Guy

#IdleNoMore has exploded on the twitterverse, so I thought, as a white guy, I'd write an open letter to anyone interested in #IdleNoMore and my own thoughts. I am not going to pretend I am an expert on the issues, just someone trying to understand and learn. Less so from the media, than by cultivating relationships with a wide range of indigenous peoples.

My life experiences and a mix of research and discussion have led me to support #IdleNoMore and I expect I will learn a lot more than even I could envision. At least I hope so.

I am not even going to pretend I have some kind of intellectual grasp of the many issues and challenges faced by First Nations in this country. I'm sure I am only scratching the surface, not because I don't want to know, but that the real truth of the history, treaties, abuses, and horrors lived every day by grassroots indigenous people are well hidden beneath centuries of lies and deceit, of deliberate attempts to eliminate the (please I find it disgusting to even repeat these words) "Native Problem", of governments and schools and media feeding the idea that our First Peoples were lazy and stupid and dirty and horrific, animal like beings who need to be exorcised from a civil society. It's difficult to try to find truth when so many are complicit in covering it up, and turning mainstream public opinion against people who did nothing but to welcome our ancestors and signed what they believed were honest treaties to share their bountiful resources with their new white friends.

They fought and died for us to be here, even before Canada was a nation. All we have done for them is cheated them out of their honest share of the resources of their nation which they have never given up their rights to it, never been defeated in a war, but we have screwed them, when we weren't attempting genocide by subjecting them to gifts of blankets infected with diseases they had no immunity to, we've been using up their resources as if we own them, and this doesn't even begin to address Residential Schools which existed in my lifetime. If you don't know what they are, do a bit of research. Better yet. Sit down, close your eyes, imagine the police coming and removing your children, taking them away to be beaten, raped, killed, and even tortured to remove their culture. Imagine your children being punished for speaking their own language. Now not even getting into conditions that exist today, has that ever happened to anyone in this country other than indigenous peoples? Absolutely Not. Attempted Genocide has only been a policy toward First Nations peoples in Canada. Whether you like it or not, if you don't admit that successive governments, in your name, have systematically been trying to eliminate native peoples and assimilate whatever is left, you have not yet faced reality.

I'm unsure exactly where #IdleNoMore got its start. That's not for me to debate. My understanding is it began as a movement to educate young First Nations people that they need to learn to embrace who they are, and to understand they have inherent treaty rights that it is important to know those rights. I've been told it was started by four ladies in Saskatchewan. I could be totally or partially wrong, I'm unsure, at least I'm trying to learn.

What I am positive of, is that is has become much more, and is growing. I understand Stephen Harper is the final straw that has broken the proverbial camel's back. It doesn't really matter which Prime Minister it was, this one, the last one, any previous one, our entire history is one of Canadian Government (and the British Crown before that) oppressing indigenous people in ways that, when exposed, should horrify any sane human being.

What I do want to say to the many showing leadership, and to the grassroots everyday person standing up for your rights, I apologize I have never been able to elect a government who would represent my personal wish to be an honest treaty partner with you. I am horrified at the ugly, racist, misinformed comments being hurled at you. I don't know what I can do, other than provide a voice of support, other than share my words with the world, and be there for you if you need me.

I'm not going to pretend to know your experience. I just want to make clear you know I can share one frustration with you. People we have put our trust in to lead us, have failed miserably. May we find our common goal and may you have unending strength in your struggle.

I am a white man. I am sick of my people getting ahead of everyone else because of a total lack of ethics.

THAT is why I support #IdleNoMore