Alberta Tribunal Leaves Canada Speechless

From Tony Perkins, FRC, Washington Update

David Ben Gurion, the first Israeli Prime Minister, once said, "The test of democracy is freedom of criticism." Nowhere have politicians more miserably failed that test than in Alberta, Canada, where the gatekeepers of political correctness--the Human Rights Commission (HRC)--have sentenced a pastor to a lifetime of silence.

The case was initiated in 2002, when Rev. Stephen Boissoin published letters to the editor opposing same-sex "marriage" in the Red Deer Advocate. At the time, Canada was embroiled in a debate over whether to legalize counterfeit marriage across the country. When Professor Darren Lund of Calgary read Boissoin's editorials, he filed a complaint with the Alberta HRC, alleging that the content of the articles was "hateful."

The Commission appointed a tribunal to investigate Boissoin, led by an unelected bureaucrat Lori Andreachuk. Last November, Andreachuk found Boissoin guilty of discrimination and, without the benefit of his testimony, forbade him from uttering "anything disparaging about homosexuals." Notice that Andreachuk does not ban him from speaking about anything "illegal" but bars him from any negativity toward gays and lesbians. The official punishment, issued without so much as a public hearing, includes everything from personal emails to congregational sermons. As if the lifetime speech ban were not tyrannical enough, Andreachuk also ordered Boissoin to compensate Professor Lund, who was not a victim of the so-called "hate crime," $5,000.

Under the terms of his sentencing, the Reverend must "cease publishing...remarks about homosexuals" and submit a written apology to Lund for publication in the Red Deer Advocate. Ezra Levant, who is under similar scrutiny for printing cartoons about Mohammed, notes in a new column, "[Boissoin] has to publicly humiliate himself, by publicly declaring his contrition--a contrition he does not feel--and his abandonment of his deeply-held religious beliefs... Does that happen anywhere outside of Communist China?"

Conservatives across Canada are in an uproar over the ruling and many are demanding that Premier Ed Stelmach follow through with his promise to review the unbridled "censorship powers" of the HRC. If he refuses, Alberta's thought police can indict any pastor or average citizen who holds political or moral views contrary to the powers-that-be.

Kern County Caveman Republicans Blow It on Gay Marriage

How do the idiot bureaucrats in Kern County decide to opppose the recent State Supreme Court ruling allowing gay marraige? They'll issue licenses but they are ending performing civil ceremonies for all couples, straight or gay. Just keep on being dinosaurs and sink the Republican Party until the socialists take over for good morons.

Villaraigosa to Aid Obama?

Those of you who worried about longtime Villaraigosa foot solider Mike Trujillo having to visit the Canoga Park office of the Employment Development Department following the withdrawl of Mrs. Bill Clinton from the Presidential sweepstakes likely need not worry. Tony Castro reports that insiders within presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama's campaign planning on sending the Villaraigosa machine in search of Latino votes in Texas, Colorado and Michigan. Pack your bags Mike.

America's Iron Lady?

I remember hearing years ago that the first female President would probably be a Republican, particularly because at the time most of the supply of female Senators and Governors were Republicans.

That's changed some in recent years but upon the failed campaign of Hillary Clinton I've come to another conclusion why it will most likely be that a Republican woman will likely beat her Democratic counterparts to the White House: that Americans are more likely to turn the Presidency over to a hard fisted Margaret Thatcher or Golda Meir type than a touchy-feely give me benefits Democrat.

It was nearly 30 years ago that the United Kingdom first came to be led by a woman, the old Iron Lady herself, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher was a cold warrior, virulently anti-Communist yet not afraid to shake up the old conservative order. She was most definitely the female version of her contemporary, spiritual twin and friend, Ronald Reagan.

In thinking forward as to who is going to be the American version of Thatcher I look past old guard hard nosed Republican grand dames like Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson or North Carolina's Elizabeth Dole . Both are contemporaries of John McCain (in fact Dole is a few months older than the presumptive Republican nominee) and both old enough to be Barack Obama's mother. Dole herself ran for President before Hillary Clinton was even elected to the Senate, though obviously didn't come as far in her attempt at the nomination.

No we have to move to this generation, that of Barack, Valley Doll and myself, those of us born somewhere between Apollo 1 and Apollo 11. And that of course would be none other than Republican Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.



Palin, who has one of the highest popularity rankings of any politician in the US at present, took on the old guard and shady government corruption in her own party in her state. She was one of the folks that put an end to the "bridge to nowhere" and wasn't afraid to piss off Republicans as she steamrolled through the 49th state to election as Governor.

Palin - known as "Sarah Barracuda" during her basketball days in high school, is similar to Thatcher in that she took on her party establishment, stood hard on principles, and never looked back. As Thatcher was an iron fist against Communism, Palin is on the right side of the issue when it comes to the war on terror, is a staunch supporter of the troops, supports the second amendment and fights against government waste and corruption. I bet if you look back at Thatcher when she was in her 40s, when she served as an MP from Finchley and was in charge of British housing policy, she was probably a lot like Palin.



As John McCain looks for a running mate, many of those suggested as possibilities bring as many negatives as they do pluses. Fortunately for Palin however, the math is on her side. She would bring an energy to McCain that he greatly needs, satisfy his conservative base and bring over many of the Reagan Democrats who voted for Hillary Clinton that can't bring themselves to vote for Obama.

Then, serving four to eight years as McCain's VP (depending on his health) Palin is primed to become America's Iron Lady.

Why Bother Voting? Well Do It Anyway

Doug McIntyre admits that he forgot to vote last Tuesday. I too, for the first time in many years did not cast a ballot. Doug's reason is he was busy and engaged with other things; mine was I was pretty sick in bed. As bad as that seems, McIntyre and I are of the same mind: why bother? Voter participation is so low that the brain dead masses that do vote can be so easily manipulated by the special interests and idiocy reigns supreme. On a sidenote, given how abysmally low voter turnout was, we don't want to hear any more electeds complaining about Neighborhood Council election turnout.

McCain Daughter Turns Blogger

When it comes to potential Presidential daughters, blogger Meghan McCain appears to be one of the more interesting to come down the pike in a while. The 23 year old recent Columbia University grad is traveling with her father - Senator and Republican Presidential nominee John McCain - and blogging the campaign from the Gen Y point of view. Looks like Meghan will most likely be the next Eleanor Mondale or Ron Reagan.

Obama and the Latino Vote

Now that Hillary Clinton's dropped out of the Presidential race, Mayor Villaraigosa has jumped on the Barack Obama bandwagon. And maybe it's helping: a recent poll shows the Illinois Democrat capturing up to 62 percent of Latino vote over Senator John McCain.

This could be it for Hillary Clinton. Democratic primaries in South Dakota and Montana Tuesday are the last of the bunch and could be sufficient to push Senator Barack Obama over the top with a little bit of Superdelegate juice. The Senator's husband, former President Bill Clinton told crowds in South Dakota Monday that this could be the very last day he campaigns for a candidate. In a related story sources are saying that the Obama campaign is negotiating with Hillary Clinton, presumedly to get her to campaign for Obama this fall in exchange the presumptive nominee paying off some of the New York Senator's campaign estimated $40 million campaign debt.

Same-Sex Marriage Could Be Bonaza for Political Consultants

The primary campaign season is over today and just in time for political consultants looking to get a new paycheck is the big battle over same-sex marriage. Both sides intend to raise upwards of $30 million in a likely ballot measure in November.

America the Beautiful

Here's a quote from one who witnessed a recent interaction between an elderly woman and an antiwar protester in a Metro station in DC:

"There were protesters on the train platform handing out pamphlets on the evils of America. I politely declined to take one.

An elderly woman was behind me getting off the escalator and a young (20-ish) female protester offered her a pamphlet, which she politely declined.

The young protester put her hand on the old woman's shoulder as a gesture of friendship and in a very soft voice said, 'Lady, don't you care about the children of Iraq ?"

"The old woman looked up at her and said, 'Honey, my father died in France during World War II, I lost my husband in Korea, and a son in Vietnam. All three died so you could have the right to stand here and bad mouth our country. And if you touch me again, I'll stick this umbrella up your ass and open it. "