Churchill on Islam

...Talk about prophetic!
Especially since he made this speech in 1899. 
Yes, 1899...115 years ago.

Winston Churchill was one of the most eloquent speakers ever.

"Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it.  No stronger retrograde force exists in the world."

Unbelievable, but the speech below was written in 1899.  (Wikipedia - The RiverWar).

The attached short speech from Winston Churchill, was delivered by him in 1899 when he was a young soldier and journalist.  It probably sets out the current views of many, but expresses in the wonderful Churchillian turn of phrase and use of the English language, of which he was a past master.  Sir Winston Churchill was, without doubt, one of the greatest men of the late 19th and 20th centuries.

He was a brave young soldier, a brilliant journalist, an extraordinary politician and statesman, a great war leader and British Prime Minister, to whom the Western world must be forever in his debt.  He was a prophet in his own time.  He died on 24th January 1965, at the grand old age of 90 and, after a lifetime of service to his country, was accorded a State funeral.

HERE IS THE SPEECH:

"How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries!  Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent in many countries, improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture, sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the followers of the Prophet rule or live.

A degraded sensualism deprives this life of its grace and refinement, the next of its dignity and sanctity.  The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a great power among men.

Individual Muslims may show splendid qualities, but the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who follow it.  No stronger retrograde force exists in the world.  

Far from being moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith.  It has already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome."

Sir Winston Churchill; (Source: The River War, first edition, Vol II, pages 248-250 London).

Churchill saw it coming.

1874-1965

 
 

High Risk Sex Offender in Vernon

Warning!!!!
Vernon and area Parents and Caregivers:

High Risk Sexual and Robbery Offender Monitoring by the RCMP:

"Since June of this year, a high risk sexual offender and subject known for committing robberies was granted full parole from Fraser Regional Correction Centre and returned to the community of Vernon.

The RCMP's Serious Crimes Unit is maintaining a monitoring file of this offender while in Vernon."

Source:  July 25, 2014 Report from Superintendent Burgess to Coldstream Council

at Meeting dated:  September 8, 2014

The full 13-page report is can be read here.   https://coldstream.civicweb.net/FileStorage/A2EC6573C9DC4A62B1AB0D6A152D5D7A-2nd%20Quarter%20RCMP%20Report.pdf

"Since June?  Sheesh.  That's 2 months the public has been unaware of his presence?  The RCMP should issue a current photograph of the creep," affirms Kia.

The Parole Board had better not have made yet another horrible error in releasing him!  And they need to release his photo...immediately!

Telus' Un-Service

I could have spit nails on Sunday...all day...from morning to close of business.
A three-day long weekend ... and the POS machine wouldn't finalize transactions that Sunday.
On either debit, VISA or MasterCard.
All day.
From morning until close of business.
AAARGH!

The first point-of-sales--attempted--transaction at the golf course failed.  A couple more tries with the customer's card still didn't go through.  My profuse apologies were followed by suggesting that they go play golf, during which time I would try to figure out what was wrong with debit/Visa/MC transactions not going through.
They could pay at the end of the round.

Puzzled, I checked to see that all wires were correctly plugged into the modem, then I noticed that the modem's Internet light wasn't glowing.  Turning the modem Off, waiting several minutes, then turning it On again didn't produce desired results.

Checked my computer and email stated "Server Not Found".
The internet was out!
Oh no! 

By now--despite the cooler weather--I was sweating buckets.
Few people carry cash nowadays, fewer still have a cheque in their wallet.

I phoned the Telus Repair line--611--and immediately a recorded message was heard.
A message which--if heard once that Sunday--was heard 10 times during my frantic calls and attempts to reach someone, not a machine, to state that this business account was down.
And that I needed it back up immediately.
The message stated "service outage in your area, including wireless and modems, with no estimated time that service will resume".

It was a rough day, right until closing.
Frankly I don't know how I made it through that very very long day.

Customers came and went.
Now and then folks actually carried cash, but all had wanted to use their cards.
One woman offered to go to the 7/11's banking machine, withdraw cash, and return.  Needless to say, she did not return.  I don't blame her.
Groups of people scrounged in their pockets--and back to their cars' consoles to look--for cash.  Others who happened to know someone just completing their round actually borrowed money from an acquaintance...promising to pay them back the same day as they lived in the same neighbourhood. 

It was hell.
That Sunday on the long weekend.
My nerves were frayed.

Hoping to still talk to someone, every hour I called 611, with the same recorded message resulting.
All bloody day long.
I called a neighbour east of my location and asked that she check her internet connection.  It was working, she said.
Another west of me reported hers was working too.
Sheesh.

And that bloody recorded message at Telus 611 Repair line was repeated...and repeated.

Highlands Golf has had a "business bundle" telephone with highspeed internet/WiFi through Telus for several years.
And I felt this little commercial business of mine deserved better service from Telus on a long weekend.

At least someone's REAL voice, maybe some understanding of what a business goes through.  Nada.  Nothing.  Not even a hard-to-understand voice from a Jamaican--or wherever--call centre.

Grateful that the telephone still worked, I called Landline Repair, I called Internet troubleshooting, I called Residential, I called their Business Repair Line.  All led to the same bloody message from Telus Repair when I entered the phone number, as prompted.

I've never been so happy to lock up at the end of business that day, and fell into bed grateful for sleep, if I could be lucky enough to fall asleep.

Anticipating yet another day from hell on awakening the next morning, I called the Telus 611 Repair line from the residence.  When prompted for the number I was reporting, I dutifully entered the business number.  And the same bloody message--"service outage in your area, including wireless and modems, with no estimated time that service will resume"--played in my ear.

Dreading the new day, I somehow shuffled my feet to the business' door.
Walking over to the modem--oh my--is that an Internet light I see glowing on the modem?
Yessireebob, all five lights were lit!  Taking my own debit card from my purse, I tried a nominal charge on the point of sale terminal.
Presto...it went through with nary a blip.
Fast as Jumpin' Jack Flash!

Halle-bloody-lujah!

Just for the heck of it, I called Telus 611 Repair.
And the same bloody recorded message was still activated.

Update:  Tuesday morning, September 9th:
I phoned Moneris--my point of sale machine provider--and immediately got a person--a real person--to walk me through the point of sale machine set-up.  Now--if and when the Telus internet bombs out again--the machine automatically switches the attempted transaction to the telephone landline.  I was effusive in my thanks to this individual--probably also from somewhere in Jamaica or wherever their call centre is located.

I did everything but offer him a bouquet of flowers.
Thanks Moneris.

I'm so happy this is working again that I should call Telus.

Nah...the same message is probably still playing.

"service outage in your area, including wireless and modems,

with no estimated time that service will resume"

"I saw a few more white hairs pop out," grins Kia.

Just a few? 

Shut the Gate?

As though that's the answer to reducing water consumption!
Sheesh.

But that's what a writer named David Henn suggests in his letter to the editor, printed today in the Morning Star.

"I find it rather frightening that local politicians are urging us to reduce water consumption and at the same time, condoning further development.

It is not rocket science to figure out that the more homes and complexes that are developed, the more water it takes to service them.

There is great concern worldwide about the rapidly declining availability of clean drinking water.  There are multinational corporations buying up fresh water resources for their profit.

The oil sands use enormous amounts of clean water to extract the oil.  The suthern U.S. is critically short of potable water and it is looking north for solutions.  Problems abound worldwide.

To read that our local politicians are urging us to reduce consumption while allowing further growth is ludicrous.

I agree that we should all conserve water and there are many ways of doing this.  

Local politicians could help by reducing further development.  Bigger is not necessarily better."

David Henn

While Mr. Henn says it's not rocket science that more people equate to more water use, he's certainly missing a fundamental point.  Growth of population--yessirreebob, everywhere--creates demand for homes and workplaces and goods and services that large and small businesses strive to provide because -- wait for it -- they can supply what the population demands.   For Profit.  Gulp!   

To suggest that local politicians could help by reducing further development is--to use his word--ludicrous.  Downright ludicrous.

A politician's mandate is to support his community and constituents.
And recognizing that communities grow, a politician's job is to administer orderly, if not ordered, growth.  And to balance the needs of the community with the taxes from constituents that meet those needs.
That historically has meant "majority rules", because a community run by the opinions of a minority simply isn't a community.  It would not accurately represent the needs of most of its residents or businesses. 

And who does he think pays for the increasing demands placed on politicians by that increasing population?  Everyone.  Residents and businesses.  Same with the increases necessary to continue providing those services, including the wages of service and product providers?  Public and private.

But maybe he had no children, so shut the gate?
A simple solution is often not a solution at all.

"So is he wanting to supply the U.S. with our (saved) water?"  queries Kia.

All agree that bigger isn't necessarily better.

But NIMBY-ism isn't the answer.

Maybe that letter writer proposes NIMW-Not in My World.
Instead, he could review Sociology.
And peruse the political science and public administration connection and Aristotle's Study of the State.

To underscore the point, in the same newspaper issue, "Coldstream approves plant" is the headline that announces the zoning change for the Pinnacle Renewable Energy plant in Lavington.
Politicians' votes:  No, from Councillors Kiss, Enns and Dirk.

A majority of four approved the rezoning:  Councillors Besso, Cochrane, McClean and Mayor Garlick. 

Six-Hour Meeting Leads to Disappointment

Lavington residents are bitterly disappointed that the planned Pellet Plant will proceed.

A marathon meeting at District of Coldstream on Monday, August 18th, 2014 saw Councillors Kiss, Enns and Dirk opposed to the plant.  But positive votes from Mayor Garlick and Councillors Besso, McClean and Cochrane approved the zoning change, which is the first step necessary to construct the facility.

As reported in the Morning Star today, residents were passionate and emotional, citing safety concerns from plant emissions for their children attending Lavington school, approximately 150metres from the plant.  More than 500 people had signed a petition against constructing the plant at that location.

The Morning Star's front-page story included these comments from residents:

"Too bad for us," said one mom, as she left consoling another.

"I first started out in favour of this plant," admits Brad Broten, a Brewer Road resident whose kids attend Lavington Elementary.  "I no longer am.  We're talking about increasing the risk to a population that is already at risk."

"How much economic growth is worth putting our community and children at risk?" asked Jay Shaw, a Locke Drive resident who was also initially in favour of the plant.

As to economic growth, it was recently reported in another issue that the plant's "tax revenue" to Coldstream is about $5,000 a year for 10 years.

Several residents from West Coldstream have, in unison, stated "Sheesh, I pay more than that in taxes for my place!(s), and I'm (we're) only residential."

"Seems that a form of New York State's 10 tax-free years for business relocation program has crossed the border," suggests Kia.


Coldstream Mayor Garlick still mourns the annual tax loss of the defunct Consumers Glass Plant.

Multiculturalism Gone Wrong?

Excellent letter...

article from the Calgary Herald (from an email), no publication date provided.

"Time to Change Tune on Official Multiculturalism 

by Licia Corbella, Calgary Herald - 

About one dozen families who recently immigrated to Canada are 

demanding that the Louis Riel School Division in Winnipeg excuse their 

children from music and co-ed physical education programs for religious 

reasons. The families believe music is un-Islamic ~ just like the 

Taliban believe and then imposed on the entire population of 

Afghanistan and that physical education classes should be segregated 

by gender even in the elementary years. 

The school division is facing the music in a typically Canadian way - 

that is, bending itself into a trombone to try to accommodate these 

demands, even though in Manitoba, and indeed the rest of the country, 

music and phys-ed are compulsory parts of the curriculum. Officials say 

they may try to have the Muslim children do a writing project on music 

to satisfy the curriculum's requirements. The school officials have 

apparently consulted the Manitoba Human Rights Commission, and they 

have also spoken to a member of the Islamic community suggested by 

those very same Muslim parents. In any event, the school district is 

trying to find a way to adapt the curriculum to fit the wishes of these 

families, rather than these families adapting to fit into the school 

and Canadian culture. 

Mahfooz Kanwar, a member of the Muslim Canadian Congress, says he has a 

better idea. "I'd tell them, this is Canada, and in Canada, we teach 

music and physical education in our schools. If you don't like it, 

leave. If you want to live under sharia law, go back to the hellhole 

country you came from or go to another hellhole country that lives 

under sharia law," said Kanwar, who is a professor emeritus of 

sociology at Mount Royal University in Calgary. 

That might be putting things a little more forcefully than most of us 

would be comfortable with, but Kanwar says he is tired of hearing about 

such out-of-tune demands from newcomers to our country. 

"Immigrants to Canada should adjust to Canada, not the other way 

around," he argues. If they did not like these things in Canada, why 

did they not go somewhere else? If they want Canada to be like their 

homeland why don't they go home? 

Kanwar, who immigrated to Canada from Pakistan via England and then the 

United States in 1966, says he used to buy into the "mosaic, official 

multiculturalism" (nonsense). He makes it clear, that like most 

Canadians, he is pleased and enjoys that Canada has citizens literally 

from every country and corner in the world, as it has enriched this 

country immensely. But it's official multiculturalism - the state 

policy "that entrenches the lie" that all cultures and beliefs are of 

equal value and of equal validity in Canada that he objects to. 

"The fact is, Canada has an enviable culture based on Judeo-Christian 

values - not Muslim values - with British and French rule of law and in 

all of the other places in the world. We are heading down a dangerous 

path if we allow the idea of sharia law a place in Canada. It does not. 

It is completely incompatible with the idea and reality of Canada," 

says Kanwar, who in the 1970s was the founder and president of the 

Pakistan-Canada Association and a big fan of official multiculturalism. 

Kanwar says his views changed when he started listening to the people 

who joined his group. They badmouthed Canada, weren't interested in 

knowing Canadians or even in learning one of our official languages. 

They created cultural ghettos and the Canadian government even helped 

fund it. 

"One day it dawned on me that the reason all of us wanted to move here 

was going to disappear if we didn't start defending Canada and 

itsfundamental values." That's when Kanwar started speaking out against 

the dangers of official multiculturalism. He has been doing so for 

decades. So, it's no surprise that Kanwar is delighted with the recent 

speech British Prime Minister David Cameron delivered to the 47th 

Munich Security Conference on Feb. 5. 

"Under the doctrine of state multiculturalism," said Cameron, "we have 

failed to provide a vision of society to which they feel they want 

tobelong. We have even tolerated these segregated communities behaving 

in ways that run counter to our values. So when a white person holds 

objectionable views - racism, for example - we rightly condemn them.. 

But when equally unacceptable views or practices have come from someone 

who isn't white, we've been too cautious, frankly even fearful, to 

stand up to them. 

This hands-off tolerance," said Cameron, "has only served to reinforce 

the sense that not enough is shared. All this leaves some young Muslims 

feeling rootless and ... can lead them to this extremist ideology." 

Kanwar actually credits German Chancellor Angela Merkel for being among 

the first of the world's democratic leaders to take the courageous step 

in October to say that official multiculturalism had "failed totally.." 

It appears leaders are getting bolder. During an interview with TFI 

channel on Feb. 10, French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared: "We have 

been too concerned about the identity of the person who was arriving 

and not enough about the identity of the country that was receiving 

him." Cameron ended his speech by saying: "At 

stake are not just lives, it's our way of life.That's why this is 

achallenge we cannot avoid - and one we must meet." 

That democratically elected leaders are at long last starting to sing a 

different tune on official multiculturalism is sweet music to Kanwar. 

Here's hoping those poor kids in Winnipeg will get to hear some of it."

Licia Corbella is The Herald's Editorial Page Editor


"Definitely food for thought," sighs Kia.

 

District of Coldstream Resolution

Today received a letter from the DoC dated July 30, 2014 (file 5210-02) regarding the Private Fire Hydrant.


"At their meeting held July 28, 2014, Council adopted the following resolution:

THAT the District's representatives on the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee

be directed to bring forward the Highlands Golf Course Fire Hydrant issue

back to the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee and request that,

in the interest of procedural fairness,

Greater Vernon Water Utility (GVWU)

review the rates charged for private fire hydrants.

Council respectfully requests that this matter be included for discussion at a future meeting of the Greater Vernon Advisory Committee.

(signed)

Keri-Ann Austin, CMC

Director of Corporate Administration"

"With little effort and even less thought, GVWU could accept that private hydrants are as much infrastructure as public hydrants," suggests Kia. "Making a distinction between the two is punitive."

That is...if the search for additional revenue isn't undermining procedural fairness.

 

Thanks, Coldstream, for realizing that procedural fairness hasn't been applied.

Water User Protests Gouging and Burgeoning Debt

Bureaucrats enact onerous rates, rules and bylaws--often hastily approved by politicians--until one day  taxpayers protest the gouging and smoke 'n mirrors.

Seems bureaucrats are ensuring they have everything both ways:  conserve a resource, but increase its price to keep revenues up.
And on and on it goes.

"...wallets and bank accounts are

comparable to a non-renewable resource"

Donald Craig is one such local taxpayer.

His letter to the editor of the Morning Star, August 15, 2014 is printed here.
It mirrors the opinion of many, many people today.

"Is this a trick or a joke that The Morning Star recently had on the front page "Saving Water - Local Politicians urge residents to reduce consumption" and then page A5 says "...more usage than sustainable..."

What am I missing here?  Last year when my family along with many others conserved as much water as possible your water revenues went down and you our leaders raised our water rates 25 per cent.  Then you tell us that we need to vote on borrowing $70 million to upgrade our water systems after borrowing millions for the Duteau source upgrades.

Don't tell me anymore what I and the public need to do -- show us through leadership what you are doing besides asking for more money when all that seems to be happening is unreasonable debt loads placed on our cities, towns and province.

"making...billing fair and achievable"

What are you our elected officials doing about conserving water -- have you turned off the rooftop fountain across from the courthouse?

Have you quit watering rarely used fields now that their usage is down?  Have you considered making your conservation tier levels on billing fair and achievable for those of us on meters -- upping to tier two after only 10 cubic meters is that real or attainable?

Your own website suggests that those on water meters are more likely to conservate than those that aren't -- put us all on meters just like BC Hydro is dong with smart meters.

Show us the people how you achieve your averages on your new "Make Water Work" website.  Define what is an average Canadian family?  What numbers are you using to calculate that my family fits into your 675 litres of consumption per person per day?  How can I be so different from the average Canadian family when my backyard is all dead and full of thistles?

"Unrealistic debt, unrealistic taxes, unrealistic utility fees

are not a legacy I wish to leave..."

While water is not a renewable resource I fully support conservation and sustainability.  But what I do not support and what is also not sustainable is the debt our elected and non-elected officials locally and provincially are borrowing on our behalf.

While you all continue to raise our debt load, water rates, utility rates, taxes etc., you seek higher wages for your great efforts.  Most people's wallets and bank accounts are comparable to a non-renewable resource and around here I am thinking this resource should be considered more often by our elected officials.

Unrealistic debt, unrealistic taxes, unrealistic utility fees are not a legacy I wish to leave behind to our children and grandchildren.  Lead from the top as you have been elected or appointed to do -- don't expect more wages for more debt, quit watering all of our parks (and rooftops), quit asking for more money -- politicians you need to be part of the solution through leadership. "   Donald Craig

"No argument from me," sighs Kia.


Let's have bureaucrats take Pledge 7...fair and accountable is a good start.