Some stories just make me proud to be Canadian…
I hadn’t posted here in a while, because just after the last post, I got a call from an excited park ranger in Hawaii that “a nice Canadian couple reported that they found your camera!” She gave me their name and number, and I eagerly called to reclaim my camera.
“Hello,” I said, when I reached the woman who had reported the camera found, “I got your number from the park ranger, it seems you have my camera?”
We discussed the specifics of the camera, the brown pouch it was in, the spare battery and memory card, the yellow rubberband around the camera. It was clear it was my camera, and I was thrilled.
A heart warming tale, complete with sick child.
I do a lot of travelling and won’t have any truck with putting the maple leaf on my backpack. However I can safely say that Canadians are in the running for The Most Likeable Nationality award.
It’s worth noting that a lot of foriegners identify the Canadian flag on the backpack routine as a sympton of insecurity. They assume we’re a bit touchy about being mistaken for Americans.
Kate:…you have what is termed a connundrum (sp?). I would post the names and direct them to your site. These parents are missing a great opportunity for a learning experience for their child. I do wish him a speedy recovery, if this is at all possible. But, as a mother (?) there is a different tune playing in your heart. Good luck with your final decision.
Story seems valid to me…the only Canadians an American will meet in the posh areas of Hawaii these days are out of work Liberal party apparatichiks and MPs….and this loosy-goosey attitude towards private property seems right in character for the partisan liberals I know. 😉
Garry P said: “I do wish him a speedy recovery, if this is at all possible. ”
I think this kid is suffering from nothing more than a bad case of “moral relativism” in his liberal upbringing 😉
Ten years from now when this is stilling rolling around the internet, we’ll be calling it an urban legend. Meanwhile people are dying in Africa. Get over it.It’s a camera.
Moose,
Your comment was pointless. If someone kicked the crap out of you we could tell you “Suck it up Sally! There’s people dying in Africa! Get over it. It’s just a beating.”
What the hell does Africa have to do with someone’s lack of moral values? It’s a stupid change of subject with no relevance to the point of the story.
WL Mackenzie Redoux:…ever had an ill child to tend to?????
There is only one option for the Canadian…give the camera back to the owner.
Garry: Ever hear of somebody “Victiming Up”? Exaggerating or making up a sob story to evade responibility for one’s actions? Don’t deny it is a “feature” of our Victim-Based Society.
Anti-social behaviour is one of the obvious negative externalities to be expected with a society focused on the individual; the problem is compounded by a Victim-Based Society (see inevitable sick child scam-beg sobstory, etc.) and a Liberal consequence-free legal system.
The mere mention of the word “duty” sends Canadians into a tizzy; what does this say about our society? I’d argue our society is the most fragmented ever known to mankind (notice gratiuitously sexist language) and there is empirical data to back that up. I’m glad we’ve erred on the side of freedom but the idea is to find the best balance of freedom and order.
Gary postulates: “WL Mackenzie Redoux:…ever had an ill child to tend to?????”
Yup 3 of em…but displaying compromised morality has never aided in their cure or develpoment.
“Ten years from now when this is stilling rolling around the internet, we’ll be calling it an urban legend.”
It has all the hallmarks of one already.
so . . . a future criminal is started down the slippery slope by the morally challenged parents.
Its OK to steal, as long as you like the camera.
“…However I can safely say that Canadians are in the running for The Most Likeable Nationality award…”
Another urban legend created by naive Canadians who have been deluded into thinking that foreigners ‘prefer’ Canadians over Americans. Actually any foreigner I’ve ever met couldn’t care less. Maybe you should ask the next foreigner you meet and ask them, right after they asked you who the ‘president’ of Canada is.
Personally I like what Stephen Harper had to say about Canadians & Americans: “It may not be true, but it’s legendary that if you’re like all Americans, you know almost nothing except for your own country. Which makes you probably knowledgeable about one more country than most Canadians.”
what a bunch os BS…what kind of parenting is that…they probably do not even have a kid, let alone a sick one, how can you believe anything these people say?? the right thing to have done is return the camera.butas my Dad used to say” some people’s kids” that goes go all ages cause they “are” someone’s kids….give me their adddress as I also would like to visit that bunch of low life scumbag thieves…..
WL Mackenzie Redoux:…ever had an ill child to tend to?????
Are you suggesting that caring for a diabetic kid should suspend all rules on honesty and decency? That this kid gets to keep a stolen camera because he/she has a chronic illness?
Being molded into a sociopathic and narcissistic personality seems a sadder fate than managing diabetes for this kid in life.
I believe we really miss the power of public shame. Publish their name.
I see two Canadians displaying stupidity.
First one – losing their expensive oh-so valued camera.
Second – for making it “known” that they found it and were stealing it.
They sick kid, if he lives, will be stupid too because of his parents.
Summary: Stupidity breeds stupidity.
Kate,
Get with it!
While you’re getting all puffed up about a camera, there are MORE IMPORTANT THINGS to get puffed up about.
FOR INSTANCE:
Canadian Journals Not Charged with Hate Crimes
What being Canadian or American has to do with any of this is beyond me. People are people; Canada has no monopoly on good ones or bad ones, nor does anyone else. Besides which, anecdotal evidence is evidence of nothing.
You’re usually so smart — what the heck happened here?
well the story did what it was meant to do…upset people.
I was reading it thinking “awwwwwww…” and then the part about the kid “awwwww…” and then the “uh oh”, and then “oh come on”.
Like another poster said, give it 10 years and it’ll be urban legend.
This is probably fabricated story, you know like those ones you hear in church about lowering mic’s into oil well holes and hearing people screaming in hell.
Besides, this is good for Can/US relations, yep.
Why not say a Muslim and a Christian. Oh dang, now I turned it into a religious revolt!
Get the guns!
Anonalogue:…been around for many a year..yep: heard all about “victiming up”…
WL Mackenzie Redux:…Garry wasn’t postulating, only making a comment. Appears some others are ‘tizzying’ too. Good thing it didn’t come with a cartoon.
penny:…just to be sure..that was my post that WL Mackenzie Redux was replying to.
I can safely say that Canadians are in the running for The Most Likeable Nationality award……They assume we’re a bit touchy about being mistaken for Americans.
What’s not to like when the Canadian Liberals never joined with the US, Britian and Australia in a firm position against Islamofascism. When I think of Switzerland, besides the banks and scenery, I think of nothing noble, controversial, or important. The Libs in Canada morphed a once heroic country of international stature into a politically insignificant country that offends no one.
When I look at the list of the usual suspects that don’t like Americans, I’m ok with it.
Kate,
Again, you snooze, you lose.
Wi-Fi Banned on Canadian Campus
Don’t prove that all Canadians are quick to do is be self-righteous and self-congratulatory. Please don’t let it come to that.
Anon “Anti-social behaviour is one of the obvious negative externalities to be expected with a society focused on the individual;”
Freedom is slavery comrade.
Anyone want to sign up now for the Anti-Sex league? First one hundred registrations get a free Maggie Thatcher pin up poster.
Sorry, Gary, I completely read you out of context. My apologies.
We’ll put you down as “Pro-theft”, Jose; work for you? Come, and stand in solidarity with us as we condemn this selfish behaviour, drink from the cup of virtue…
JM “Another urban legend created by naive Canadians who have been deluded into thinking that foreigners ‘prefer’ Canadians over Americans. ”
Hardly an urban legend. Any well travelled person can’t help but come to the same conclusions. I get it pointed out to me all the time by Americans travelling overseas.
Someone doesn’t secretly despise Canada and wish he was American does he?
Doug … http://www.itbusiness.ca doesn’t load. Why are you attacking Kate anyway?
Penny … good one!!
Anonalogue “We’ll put you down as “Pro-theft”, Jose; work for you? ”
Kind of boring actually. Allow me to suggest a better insult:
moonbat- unoriginal but still undeniably solid
Islam’s Bitch- Ouch!
Stalinist Baby Eater- Warming up!
Morally-Relativistic Post Christian- Now we’re cooking!
Geek Rapture Roadkill- BINGO!!
I don’t care which one you use so long as you keep my mom out of it.
I’ve travelled through England, France, Belgium, Holland and Italy quite a bit. There are many over there that do like Canadians an awful lot. When I had a chance to inquire why they had such high regard for our country every single answer I got was because of how we fought in the first and the second world wars. How long we can coast on that reputation alone? As for the rest of the world and their feelings for us I can’t speak for.
From Boing Boing:
Mysterious “lawer” threatens to sue over Bad Samaritan story
A person claiming to be a Canadian barrister has threatened to sue Boing Boing over a post about a Canadian family that refuses to return an expensive digital camera they found while on holiday in Hawaii.
This weekend, I blogged the story of Judith, who lost her camera while on holiday on Hawaii, and of the unnamed Canadian family that found it, but refuses to return it because doing so would upset their son, who has grown attached to it.
Shortly after that post, I got an email from someone who claimed his name was “Don Deveny,” purportedly a Canadian Barrister of a sort called “Queen’s Counsel.” “Deveny” implied that the post was illegal and that I was liable for making it.
However, I don’t believe that “Deveny” is a lawyer. For one thing, he can’t spell “lawyer.” For another, he doesn’t know the difference between “libel” and “slander.” He can’t even spell “counsel.”
I have contacted all of the law societies in Canada that license barristers to practice. None of them have any record of “Deveny,” nor does the Canadian Law List. No one under that name is listed in any Canadian phone directory as a practicing attorney.
This is illegal. Falsely presenting oneself as a lawyer is a violation of provincial laws like Ontario’s Law Society Act. As Lisa Hall, Acting Manager, Communications and Public Affairs for the Law Society of Upper Canada explained to me, “We could prosecute him on the basis of the Act. If he’s trying to practice law, that’s quite something. On conviction he’d be liable to a fine of not more than $10,000.”
What’s more, “Deveny” has even offered to represent other people that Boing Boing has written about, adding a new offence. Click the “More…” link below for a complete record of our correspondence, including the headers on his emails.”
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/02/20/mysterious_lawer_thr.html
I’m betting this story is bogus. The blogger isn’t willing to give up the name & address of the ‘perp’. There’s way more to this story than we’re being told. Things just don’t seem credible to me.
Doug:
a) this isn’t a news aggregator
b) the more appropriate line would be “you work, you lose”, I suppose. Oddly enough, I actually have obligations outside of providing free content for idiots like you.
c) don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Jose:..I can safely say that Canadians are in the running for The Most Likeable Nationality award.
Interesting. I’ve never heard of this award. So I’m curious which nationalities, in addition to Canadians, are in the running for the ‘most likeable’? I’d like to prepare myself for the next time I travel.
No thanks, Jose, I think I’ll stick with the most accurate label: “pro-theft” You are clearly opposed to a thief facing consequences for her actions; that makes you “pro-theft” in your actions and words. And no need to get all pissy at me, Miss Thing, for pointing out that you are pro-theft; if you don’t like it, try having better, more conservative morals.
Such is the joy of engaging The Statist. There’s never any need to be deceitful or mean; statists are always saying and doing goofy things, and are just plain nasty, unlikeable people to begin with. Nihilists. So you just let the statist talk long enough, and he’ll hang himself – with the rope you just sold him, of course.
another for for “bogus”
It wouldn’t be a surprise to me to read someday that a grade 8 class in “somewhere’s ville” calif put this together to read responses to a moral question….
some interesting responses at the original blog though.
But if it’s true… the child has been taught, if nobody is looking and you cannot be caught, it’s ok to do it.
and I hope nobody tries to teach my kids this shit lesson.
I always thought that “character” was doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.
isn’t that the reason why the Liberals in Canada are where they are today?
Penny “When I look at the list of the usual suspects that don’t like Americans, I’m ok with it. ”
These opinions aren’t as rooted in foreign policy as you might think. Canadian’s aren’t liked because of our foreign policy (we’re too insignifigant for anyone to notice anything we’ve done) but the fact that Canadians overseas are very good ambassadors for their country.
I’ve worked behind a number of bars all over the world. I’ve met a lot of americans that I really liked and that were popular but I meet lots of them that are out and out jerks. Its those jerks that sour a lot of people on americans.
I’ll give you an example of what I mean….
A few years ago I was in a bar in Cusco, Peru when two big money New York advertising executives strolled in. They drowned out all other conversation while they loudly badgered the Peruvian barman for not having any New York style deep dished pizza on the menu. Or the lawyer from South Carolina who laughingly related a story about how he once paid a Mexican woman to fuck a Donkey for his viewing pleasure at the top of his voice to a roomful of strangers. The lawyer couldn’t understand why no one was laughing. Or the New Jersey right winger who told off a group of Canadians for visiting a war memorial in France. He was insistent that Canada shouldn’t rate a memorial in Europe because it didn’t play a signifigant role in WW2. He strongly felt that Canadians should instead direct all their attention exclusively at memorials erected for Americans. I could go for days on this one.
There are americans you meet travelling who are as switched on, interesting and good natured as anyone you’ll ever meet. Unfortunately America also has an extensive inventory of people who are an embarassment to their country. Spoiled rich kids from L.A for instance should be denied passports out of mercy to the outside world.
FYI ‘spoiled rich kids from LA” are almost exclusively from democratic families.
jollyspaniard, I’ve worked behind the bar over seas and agree that there are a lot of wankers from the US. However, I met a lot of wankers from Canada as well. I don’t agree with your premise that Canadians have a good repuatation because they act as good embassadors. There’s bound to be a larger number of wankers coming from the US due to their high population but we have our share of them as well. I’ve got a few negative stories I could recall of a few Canadians I had met over the years.
O/T
How much is the Canadian mens hockey team losing to Russia by? They need thier asses handed to them or is Brodeur keeping them in the game?
I was sorta disapointed to read the tale turned sour. Smugglers and theives are going to learn a lesson at least, once the Mounties stop saying they can’t get involved in the crime.
I figure these parents are Liberals just being Liberals – taking things that don’t belong to them with the justification that it isn’t our fault our poor dear boy has diabetes – and that they are teaching their little darling the Liberal ways of victimhood so he can use his “poor little me” status to get even more “stuff” that doesn’t belong to him. After all wasn’t the camera in a plain brown bag!
You know what bothers me more than anything, the willingness of everyone here to assume the story is true. Until that blogger coughs up a name or the veracity of the story is somehow other wise verified you had all better take this with a grain of salt.
I think tomax is right — there’s no way this story can be true. Let’s see: a Canadian family can afford to fly to Hawaii during high tourist season, shelling out $3000 (conservatively), but won’t spend $500 for a camera for their kid. Gimme a break. This one’s right down there with the story about the pictures of the tooth brush in the Carribean thieves’ arse
Anonalague ” You are clearly opposed to a thief facing consequences for her actions”
Are people still talking about that damn camera? Sorry I don’t comment on Jerry Springer fare. Infer whatever you will about me on that.
“And no need to get all pissy at me”
I was being perfectly good natured. Apologies if my attempt at humour offended you.
Duke “FYI ‘spoiled rich kids from LA” are almost exclusively from democratic families.”
Tell that to the people who live in Orange County.
JM “Interesting. I’ve never heard of this award.”
I’ve only just recently pulled it out of my ass. I’d advise against trying to collect it just now as I haven’t had a chance to polish it yet.
It’s true, most people snicker at us when they see us wearing our maple leaves on our bags.
Ho camonie! Do a google on “lost camera, canadian, park ranger and get flooded with blogs.
This thing is spreading like wildfire! Wonder if it has something to do with Canadian/US thingy.
Besides that, we lost at the Olympics. High priced loosers…oh well back to betting.