Parliamentary Press Gang
As a guest blogger I shouldn�t go over ground already covered by Kate, but like most bloggers, I tend to be a loud mouth schnook� so here goes. A while back, HERE and HERE for that matter, it was pointed out that the Parliamentary Press in Canada were more or less whining cry babies who needed their wings trimmed a notch or two. What seems to have been missed are the subtle details of how the Parliamentary Press Corp. gather news; their sophisticated nuances, their intellectual prowess; and their shrewd capabilities of sharing with us, the simpleminded masses, what actually goes on in the corridors of power.
To better understand just how the system works� or rather used to work, we�ve taken the liberty at Celestial Junk to educate our readers on the finer details of the art of being a Parliamentary Press Journalist in the �traditional� sense. Sadly, a �tradition� that the PMO just may have destroyed forever. CLICK
In all seriousness though, here’s the rub:
The PMO wants journalists to submit questions in writing. The PMO and ministers then answer questions in an orderly fashion, BUT, the PMO gets to choose which questions are answered and which are ignored.
In the old format, the press either mobbed the PM or the minister; or, chose who got to ask the questions. For example, somebody, somewhere, decided that “Sir, do you love the country?” was a fair question.
Here’s how Paul Martin used to deal with unwanted questions in the old “scrum” format.
“That’s a very good questions, but what Canadians should be asking themselves is..”
He’d then go on to reframe the question, and answer his own question. The dopes in the media let him get away with it, and even printed his answers as if they had asked the question in the first place.
And finally, the last time I checked the Parliamentary press were very good at “creating” their own issues from thin air. Who needs to ask questions of the PMO? Give the gumshoes an obscure phrase or two and and they’ll turn it into a national crisis by morning.
At least the Harper way of doing business may add some order, decorum, and respect, to the house.
THE SHEAF BJ JESUS CARTOONIST SPEAKS
The Saskatoon Star Phoenix printed on Saturday the formal response of the Capitalist Piglet cartoonist, Jeff MacDonald, to the outrage his brilliant little piece of art caused.
He said that people should get off their “Inquisition-esque high horses… After all, people, I’m sure Jesus had a sense of humour… Capitalist Piglet… is not just shock comic. It is an important message.” He claimed that the cartoon was supposed to “expose” the double standard of Christians who were not offended by the printing of the Mohammad cartoons. CLICK
Right Jeff! We’ll be looking for your name on the New York Times editorial board some day. You’re just the kind of unapologetic glory-monger they like. At least he doesn’t have to worry that riots, head-hacking, flag-burnings, and all around general Jihad will be carried out because of him.
For Kate’s coverage of the issue: CLICK
From the Politics Watch article: “…The downside is instead of shouting questions reporters have to submit their names to a list controlled by one of Harper’s aides.
During the press conference, the aide reads off the reporters’ names from the list for each question…”
They are bitching not because Harper is controlling the questions asked, but WHO gets to ask the questions (which in some cases, may amount to the same thing).
Oh, & because he had the nerve to move the location of scrums/press conferences.
How does that impede freedom of the press?
It doesn’t… it impedes the “power” of press.
It doesn’t. The MSM are just crying over the poo in their own pants. They brought the new rules upon themselves with their own unprofessional biased behavior in the past.
More on topic: I cannot believe the unmitigated gall of the Piglet BJ cartoonist in claiming equivalence between simple and truthful depictions of Mohammed and this clear act of hate aimed at Christians.
This guy needs to go to jail. Just to send a message to those who hate the JudeoChristian people and would dare to incite such hatred in others. Canada cannot tolerate this kind of hatred. And the continuing leftist state apparatus as erected by the Liberal Party of Canada (which might actually get the ultra-socialist Bob Rae as leader) is again demonstrating its bias against JudeoChristianity as it frowned sternly upon any depiction of Mohammed whatsoever while looking the other way on the act of hatred by a scrambled-brained moonbat imbecile.
A Prime Minister who is not trying to be a rockstar celebrity – good.
Ignorant child cartoonist – future CBC employee.
What a loser this so called cartoonist is. I heard his letter read on radio this morning as I was driving, and I almost gaged. What a snibbling worthless twit… and I could go to alot more appropiate names, but I don’t see them helping this debate. I can hardly comprehend how someone could cause masses of the public to become enraged, upset, disgusted, and emotionally hurt, and still joke about it and tell everyone that they have no sense of humour!!!!.He comes across like it is everyone in the public that doesn’t ” get it”. My God ,it must be hard to live knowing that you are the only enlightened one on the planet. Well budd,… it is you who has the problem and it is you who has no sense of common decency. How dare you be so smug. I was upset when I saw the cartoon…. ( it is wrong to even refer to it as a cartoon, as cartoons have humour and a message… this peice of crap was written strickly to offend as many people as possible)but I think I was even more upset when I heard the letter written by our lowlife cartoon boy.
Our univerities are supposed to be places of higher learning and free speech. This skipper thinks this has everything to do with free speech and alot to do with expanding our minds. It has not even a scred of either. It is just worthless crap that was only designed for maximum shock value and maximum disgust.
I for one, don’t for one second accept the apology provided by the Sheaf. Yes, they did publically apologize, but they apologized for the wrong reasons. I used to get the Sheaf because it served a good purpose… I used it to cover the bottom of my bird cage. It isn’t even useful for that because it is even above my bird to shit on such insensitive, vile,unacceptable trash. I do wish that I could meet this young man in person so I could tell him what I really think…. and I can see that sickly smirk on your face from here.
I sincerely do hope that there is some hope that this young man will someday see the light and somehow become even a little embarrassed and truely apologitic for his actions. Right now I am thinking that this is too much to ask for, and will predict that he will join a fast growing group of bottom feeders who exist on what they can pilfer from society as a whole. What a waste ! What a terrible, terrible waste. I wish I knew if this arrogance and this lack of respect is being fueled by a university staff gone mad. If there are any in the faculty at the Uof S who propogate this, there are just as dangerous to western society as the Taliban, and we are allowing them to poison our youth. I think it is time to find out.
Re: Question Period? “Paul Does Dalunch” (TM)*
Watch for changes in the House re the Gong Show Question Period.
Here was PaulWho in a typical Gong Show Question
Period melodrama entitled “Paul Does Dalunch”,
co-starring Claude Boulay of AdScam notoriety. +
andrewcoyne.com: Lunch with Claude
Election fever was evident in question period when
Prime Minister Paul Martin turned a question
about lunch into a stirring defence of medicare.
…
andrewcoyne.com/2005/04/lunch-with-claude.php – 32k – +
BTW, ex-PM PM is out to lunch, permanently. (Has a Liberal “Recall Paul” movement started up yet?)
* Librano$
I think it is up to the people of Saskatoon to make sure this asshole’s “cartooonist’s” face is widely known. (Want a job? Nope.)
(Want to rent an apartment? Nope.)
Maybe after he’s had to change his phone number a few times he’ll learn some humilty.
The mohamed cartoons weren’t funny. The jc one made me laugh. Does this mean I’m sick of mind or what?
“The Dirty Dozen” ‘Toons
Friday, March 10, 2006
[Eugene Volokh, March 10, 2006 at 7:01pm] 2 Trackbacks / Possibly More Trackbacks
The Twelve Mohammed Cartoons, in Detail:
One shocking thing about the Mohammed cartoon controversy is how tame many of the cartoons are � and therefore just how much the cartoons’ critics are demanding by arguing that the cartoons ought not be published, or even ought to be outlawed. Here’s the dirty dozen, with thanks to Wikipedia (I assume that Wikipedia, being intentionally designed as a public information resource, doesn’t mind people’s using their bandwidth to serve up the copies):
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2006_03_05-2006_03_11.shtml#1142035265
EUGENE VOLOKH: ” One shocking thing about the Mohammed cartoon controversy is how tame many of the cartoons are — and therefore just how much the cartoons’ critics are demanding by arguing that the cartoons ought not be published, or even ought to be outlawed.” + via instapundit
Just a reminder folks: Don’t feed the trolls. They subsist on cursing, attention, and being taken seriously! Thanks.
OOOH! OOOH! The Tories did it again. Peter says keeping Palestinian women and children homeless will make our foreign policy “More Canadian”. I can’t freaking believe it! My face hurts from smirking, but it hurts so GOOD!
Full story at my Blog:
http://bigcitylib.blogspot
“The mohamed cartoons weren’t funny. The jc one made me laugh. Does this mean I’m sick of mind or what?”
Posted by Jackcass at March 11, 2006 10:09 AM
I wouldn’t be so hard on yourself. Actually, your situation may be best explained by your choice of nom de plume. 🙂
Quick…. get a memo off to Shapiro; Hamas is unethical. Send a copy to Easter & his buddies; demand a report from Shapiro, forthwith. +
Majority of Hamas’ cabinet to come from outside Palestinian legislature
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – Incoming Palestinian prime minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said Saturday that a majority of the ministers in the cabinet he was assembling would come from outside the newly elected legislature +
via cnews
Atleast this way, the inane questions will be screened out, and the ones having to do with the business at hand will be answered. About time we didn’t have to filter the bullsh*t outta the Q&A.
I am neither Jewish nor Muslim and do not consider myself a Christian but even I was offended by this pitiful attempt at humor and missed the “important message”. (Maybe I’m just dense.)
What offends me the most is MacDonald’s spew about trying to expose the double standard of Christians.
I believe he should examine his double standard of trying to appease one group (which has had a history of violence against those with whom they disagree) and offending 2 groups that he knows won’t fight back in a physical manner. This is simple cowardice.
Just as an aside, does this person have bright red hair and wear yellow coveralls accesorized by a shirt with red and white striped sleeves and really big shoes? (I apologize in advance if I have offended Ronald with the comparison but how else can you catagorize this guy as anything but a clown.)
Gerry
I’ve had a few email messages pass between me and Jeff (the cartoonist). He claims he was trying to show a double standard and that Christians would too be offended. He also told me that he had not seen the Mohammed cartoons. So his assertion that they were “dumb” has no merit, and he has no idea as to the astute political commentary contained in some of those cartoons.
I told him the real point was that while Christians would surely be offended, the worst he would get would be a tongue lashing. Yet, the Danish cartoonists are in hiding and fear for their lives, and the lives of their children. And that’s been the point all along. Muslims have every right to be offended and protest if they want, but their rights stop prior to hurting people or destroying property.
I suggested several political cartoons for him to draw with Muslim characters. For one, I’d like to see him draw Osama Bin Laden sodomizing Mohammed.
Osama has been using Mohammed as his bitch to get the weak-minded to follow him for years. If Osama really believes being a martyr sends you to the front of the line in paradise, why hasn’t he self detonated instead of sending other people’s children to their deaths?
Jeff said he thinks he made his point and that nothing could be accomplished by drawing a cartoon showing problems with the idea that killing innocent people takes you to paradise. Evidently he’s too scared to do so, or he really doesn’t have any thoughts on that subject.
Even being in Saskatchewan, and about as far from the reach of the Islamofascists as one can get, I get the distinct feeling he’s still too afraid to go there.
For a long time I was hoping the press scrums after cabinet and caucus would become more meaningfull and orderly. To hear reporters screaming and yelling was unseemly and really didn’t add to the dignity of the prime minister. Good for Harper. If the crybabies are still bellyaching tell them to get stuffed.
I find it shocking that nearly all of the websites who are condemning this cartoon have a “support Denmark, support free speech” icon on their site.
Your hypocrisy is breathtaking.
I am assuming the “Your hypocrisy is breathtaking.” comment was aimed at the sheaf. Many who are coming down hard on the capatalist piglet cartoon are doing so because of the hypocrisy displayed by the Sheaf. They spent many hours debating whether or not to publish the Dansih cartoons and after having made a decision not to, they published a four page spread giving detailed reasons why they were not going to publish it. The ink was not dry on that isssue, when one week later they printed this offensive provocation. That is hypocrisy!
Daniel
“Many who are coming down hard on the capatalist piglet cartoon are doing so because of the hypocrisy displayed by the Sheaf.”
While I would dispute the “many who” part of your comment, and instead change it to, “a suprisingly small amount of people who”, I certainly don’t have a problem with anyone who is pointing out the Sheaf’s hypocrisy as you have. I’ve also voiced this criticism.
The fact remains though that the vast majority of people who are up in arms over this cartoon DUE TO ITS CONTENT ALONE, are the same people who were up in arms that the Danish cartoons weren’t printed.
Free speech isn’t something to support only when the speech in question doesn’t offend you.
“The fact remains though that the vast majority of people who are up in arms over this cartoon DUE TO ITS CONTENT ALONE, are the same people who were up in arms that the Danish cartoons weren’t printed.”
How, exactly, are you quantifying “vast majority” here? As far as the blogging world is concerned, what I’ve read is criticism of the hypocrisy, first and foremost.
But maybe I missed the others, the majority, complaining about content. Either way, the equalizing falls flat on its face. As has already been pointed out, this cartoon’s author will continue mearily along with no reprecussions, while the Mohommad cartoonists will very likely be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives.
When you’re looking at the big picture, this is the difference. Any attempts to twist this into an opportunity to zing Christians just don’t cut it with reality.
Your argument: “I’m allowed to be hypocritical on the free speech issue, because I’m not issuing death threats to the creators of the comic.”
What you don’t seem to get: it is not consistent to argue for publishing the Danish cartoons, and against publishing these cartoons.
Not trying to zing Christians here (what an appalling charge by the way), just hypocrites. You may belong to both groups, but it is only the latter group that I’m concerned with here.
Free speech isn’t something to support only when the speech in question doesn’t offend you.
That doesn’t mean we are obligated to enable offensive speech, or any speech.
This is for Rob:
Sir, you seem confused. You admit the hypocrisy of the Sheaf, I guess, for being altogether willing to aim an appalling insult at Christians and Jews–who won’t kill the cartoonist or editor or torch their premises and homes–while protecting the sensitivities of certain Muslims.
Then you state that those who abhor the revolting piglet “middle finger”, but who support the publication of the Danish cartoons are hypocrites. Not so.
First of all, those of us who support the publication of these cartoons saw that the cartoons were quite moderate and honestly displayed and lampooned–the purpose of cartoons–the depravity of Muslim jihad that should be exposed.
By the way, Rob, did you know that three of the reviled “Danish” cartoons–the most offensive and disgusting–were inserted into the collection by the Muslim imams who stirred up the controversy and incited the violence in the first place? One cartoon is really vile, on a par with the piglet cartoon: It shows a dog sodomizing a Muslim man hunched forward in an attitude of prayer. This cartoon should definitely have been shown because it’s Exhibit A for why the cretins at the Sheaf and other appeasers should smarten up: The “victims” they’ve chosen to support are actually the bad guys and the villains they purport to villify–Christians and capitalists (in the West, there would be no schools and universities, period, or hospitals or democracy or the rule of law without the former or, in particular, the U of S or tuition and Sheaf subsidies without the latter)–are not nearly so bad as the Sheaf crybabies suggest. Are you aware of the vile anti-Jewish cartoons regularly published in the Muslim world? One shows a bloodied Ariel Sharon eating Muslim babies. There’s an old saying: What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
The Sheaf lemmings–and you too, I think–abjectly fail Logic, Empathy, and Integrity 101.
Those of us who take issue with the Sheaf are not being hypocritical when we castigate this publication for its appalling lack of judgement. Publishing the Danish–Mega Plus–cartoons, which lampooned a verifiable reality and exposed some of the dirty tricks of the jihadists, is not equivalent to the utterly juvenile and cowardly propaganda of the piglet cartoon.
And I’m not talking censorship, except for the reasonable kind we all exercise before we say or do something. I’m not talking censorship even if what someone decides to publish is vile. Go ahead and publish, I say. But be willing to take your knocks like a man. The Sheaf poppets and their little buddies deserve all the knocks they’re getting: They think they’ve got a fun new playmate in the sandbox. “Look, Mom, isn’t this fun?” What they’ve failed to notice is that their new pal’s a poisonous snake. Maybe the juveniles in charge (sic)at the Sheaf will learn something about propriety by their nasty little mistake, before being bitten by something far worse.
You may not know that the Alberta Human Rights Commission has accepted at least 2 complaints re the Danish comic reprint done by two Alberta papers. No doubt the piglet cartoon which is so much more demeaning especially for ex-homosexuals.What I mean is this a person is saved from homosexuality by the Lord Jesus ,then is subjected to a cartoon in which the Lord has oral sex with a animal.This is pure slap in the face to a ex-homosexual and is no doubt not even civilized. Homosexuals too have rights,and yes exhomosexuals have rights too and that includes not seeing their Lord doing sex to a pig.
This is for lookout:
Ma’am, you seem confused.
It’s not that I “admit” the hypocrisy of the sheaf, I have openly ridiculed them for it. I’m certainly the last person that you will find sticking up for a paper that refused to publish the Danish cartoons and then published the capitalist piglet cartoon.
Your argument as to why you’re not a hypocrite:
“In my objective opinion, making fun of my religion is much worse than making fun of muslims.
By the way, Rob, did you want me to go off on a huge tangent, and then end it with the very argument that you’ve been making all along: What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.
The Sheaf lemmings–and you too, I think–abjectly fail Logic, Empathy, and Integrity 101.”
Why you think I have no logic, empathy or integrity is beyond me. I find it surprising that supposedly religious people have no problem throwing around appalling insults. I find it srprising that someone who argues for free speech when wanting to offend other religions abandons the notion of free speech when their own religion is made fun of, and then lectures others on integrity. I find it surprising that someone who argues for publishing cartoons that offend another religion feels they can lecture others on empathy. Also, ironically, unlike you – I assume, I could be wrong – I’ve actually taken logic classes. And no, I did not fail these classes.
“Why you think I have no logic, empathy or integrity is beyond me.”
Quite deservedly the paradox of the stupid, it’s as funny as when one of them looks into the end of a fire hose to see what’s taking the water so long.
Thanks Rob!
Rob: Please don’t put words in my mouth. (Using quotation marks to misquote someone is misrepresentation.) I didn’t say making fun of my religion’s much worse than making fun of Muslims. (I’d have used a capital letter there.)
What I object to is giving one religion–responsible, recently, for the deaths of thousands of innocent people in the name of its God–a free ride: no criticism, no matter how merited, allowed. But all other religions are fair game–including those in the crosshairs, literally, of the protected religion. That’s what I object to. Of course, all religions, including my own–or, at least, certain of their practitioners–are at times quite worthy of criticism and even ridicule. But let’s have a level playing field here.
David Warren, in a recent column, writes about this. I quote:
“A Zogby poll, out this week in the U.S., shows an unprecedented number of Americans now harbour unflattering views of Arabs, Muslims, and Islam. It is still low, compared to similar polls in Europe, but it approaches or just exceeds 50 per cent in each category. The pollster, James Zogby, who is also president of the Arab-American Institute in Washington, attributes the negative numbers — much worse than what they were just after the terror attacks of Sept. 2001 — to ‘demonization of the Arab world’ by American politicians, authors, and media. I am unable to find a similar poll for Canada, but on past experience, Canadians tend to poll somewhere in the middle between Europeans and Americans.
“I will not speak for the politicians, who tend more to respond to public perceptions than to shape them, but will admit that by having reported many thousand savage and barbaric acts done around the world, explicitly in the name of Allah, the media may have contributed to unfortunate perceptions of Arabs, Muslims, and Islam.
“Yet, as I know from inside, the media both here and in Europe go to extraordinary lengths to suppress just the sort of material that could incite ill-feeling that way. This began the morning of 9/11/01, with the non-coverage of street celebrations in Arab ethnic neighbourhoods of Brooklyn and Detroit. As recently as last month, mainstream media were editing out London cartoon protesters carrying signs reading, ‘Behead Those Who Insult Islam’, ‘Europe You Will Pay’, etc.
“On the other hand, there is patient, exhaustive coverage of anything that might incite anti-Western hysteria in the Islamic world. For even while the largest media outlets were refusing to show those bland Danish cartoons — and doing so out of a pretended ‘respect for Islam’ — they were dredging up additional sordid photos from the Abu Ghraib outrage in 2004, and running those prominently.
“I have often noted, that editorial decisions in the Western media could not be more useful to fanatical Islam if we were taking instructions directly from some Afghan cave. Ask yourself, when reading or watching, if the consistent message is not: ‘Fear Islam, but do not dare to criticize it.'”
Isn’t that the dangerous double standard the Sheaf’s guilty of? (And I notice you made no comment on the three most vile, non-Danish cartoons which were planted by the imam in order to incite the Arab street.) You seem to want to hold the Sheaf and its opponents equally responsible for the fracas, as if their positions are intellectually and morally equivalent. They’re not.
I’m not promoting a sterile, no-go cartoon area for any religion: I’d just like to see a level playing field. This would mean that the Muslims would not be put on a pedestal and their egregious actions and statements whitewashed, while they take Hindus, Jews, Christians, etc. to the clean . . . whoops! the blunt-edged guillotine.
The Sheaf taking the Muslims’ side here is a sick joke. The very idea of equality and the actuality of democracy and the rule of law comes down to us from our Judeo-Christian heritage. That’s why the Sheaf can publish such rubbish and get off with only a reprimand rather than a missing hand–or head.
So, what’s this all about, you ask?
“Sheaf Board of Directors accepts Editor’s resignation
Written by Board of Directors
Tuesday, 07 March 2006
We, the Sheaf Publishing Society Board of Directors, have voted to accept Will Robbins’ letter of resignation. While the Board is of the view that the “Capitalist Piglet” comic is not consistent with the Sheaf’s objectives (as outlined in its constitution) nor its previous editorial policy, we wish to make clear that our acceptance of his resignation was based primarily on his failure to carry out his duties diligently.”
Well, The Sheaf is The University of Sakatchewan’s Student Newspaper. In their March 2nd edition they published a cartoon entitled “Captitalist Piglet” which depicted a bearded young fellow in a robe, presumably Jesus, fellaciating a pig in a business suit. The strip’s authors claimed to be making a point concerning the Cartoon Jihad. This point is unclear from the strip itself, but I assume it is something to the effect that speech offensive to Christians is also free speech and, by parity of reasoning, anyone (presumably on the political Right) who defended, for example, Ezra Levant’s publication of the Dutch cartoons defaming Muhammad, ought to leap to the barricades for “Capitalist Piglet” as well. Perhaps not surprisingly, this did not occur. In fact, a bit of a fury got kicked up via talk radio and the Net, and editor Will Robbin’s apparently found himself with the short end of the stick.
Ah well.
I suppose that I should be linking to the offending cartoon,or hosting it on my blog and maybe even defending the premise behind it, but it is such a piece of witless crap that I can’t be bothered. Jesus is the scruffy sixties hippy version, and Capitalist Piglet himself is decked out in a monocle and bowtie.
This cartoon would have been clich� 40 years ago. You won’t see it on my blog, which can be found at http://bigcitylib.blogspot.com/.
Now I suppose one could argue that the fact that the cartoon is shitty is part of the point: even witless offensive crap must be protected. But it doesn’t measure up as humor, or satire, or even pure pictorial invective. It reminds me of 19th century German fencing clubs where, before fighting with your opponent, it was necessary to insult them. However, most of the people who hung out at these clubs were too stupid to think of a good put down, so you were allowed to address your fencing partner with the rote phrase (in German obviously) “I insult you!”.
Of course Ezra Levant deserves a lot of the blame in Canada for setting off this whole spiral of Stupidity. The original Muhammad cartoons that he insisted on printing were similarly witless. Now we have an anti-Christian cartoon done in response, and Ezra has suggested that he will print the results of Iranian sponsored contest soliciting cartoons making fun of the Holocaust.
So at the end of the day some of the least creative minds on the planet will have had a turn insulting three major religions. Way to go Ezra!
Anyone really needing to see it can find the cartoon via a quick google search for “Capitalist Piglet!” The full story at the Sheaf can be found below:
http://www.thesheaf.com
As for the artists behind “Capitalist Piglet”, I hope you are majoring in Anthropology or Business or something along those lines. You seem to have very little artistic talent.
Wow, thought this issue was dead, but apparently not.
For all the finger pointers, here’s a really deep thought:
“Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
NO, don’t publish the Danish cartoons, and no don’t publish the Jesus giving BJ to a pig, let alone the other two cartoon strips on the same page.
I for one was very upset with content. I’m sure the wanna be artist could have picked another way to portray the “hypocrisy” without seriously crossing a hate-law line that has to come into play somewhere.
Worse yet, this was a non-volunteer supported paper. Meaning, a large portion of money going to keep this rag afloat comes off the backs of students, so therefore is more liable to public scrutiny.
Just to do a sub note on “freedom of press”.
Most of the whiners on here probably don’t even know what the word “Freedom” means, let alone “press” or what the cost was to get it.
Having been behind the “Iron Curtain” during the Cold War days and having friends in missionary work who either ‘disappeared’ or are condemned to doing dirty labour (cleaning streets, taxi driving, house cleaning) because they profess Christianity or even admit to being one, and also having personally sneaked a Bible into a Communist country I sorta have an idea of what “freedom of the press” isn’t. And by publishing the Piglet BJ isn’t even close.
By exercising the “right” NOT TO publish both the Danish and the Piglet BJ trash would have shown me the Sheaf understand what freedom, responsibility AND especially what accountability means.
Now as for the word “Press”, that would mean something informative, constructive, whether via satire or commentary, and that cartoon was not.
A side note, I found the latest installment of the Sheaf’s cartoons may purposely be done as useless drawings is akin to a “pout” towards this whole incident of getting caught with their pants down waiting for the Student’s at UofS to give them a BJ, seeing the students joyfully pay for the paper as part of their fees.
cheers
tom
Could I substitute OBL giving head to Mohammad, or your sister/mom doing it to her Dad, (you know incest type thing), then that would be bad right?
Oh yeah, don’t forget to go over to “Support the Sheaf” as they seem to be having problems getting people to support or post on their blog…
http://supportthesheaf.blogspot.com/
A few more ideas: A pox on the idea of moral equivalency between Western Standard (WS) and the Sheaf.
WS was demonstrating what freedom of the press really means–if it means anything. Foreign mobs, who abuse their own women, their own children–“Become a homicide/suicide bomber and go to paradise, and for $ too”–their co-religionists of different tribes, and, if possible, every infidel–that means every non-Muslim–woman, child, or man with whom they come in contact, must not be allowed to dictate how citizens of free countries live their lives. WS understands this and did something about it.
Let me put it very simply: Let’s say you’re a grown man/woman, living on your own, paying your own way, and a fanatic–religious or not–you meet on the Internet begins to seriously interfere in the most personal areas of your life, telling you where to live, how to spend your money, with whom to associate, and what ideas you’re allowed to hold and express, etc. You rightly object. You say you have a right to make such decisions and that it’s none of this person’s business. You also state that you’re going to expose this person’s extortion. Then this person threatens to destroy your property and kill you, your family, and friends if you don’t follow instructions and adopt this person’s way of thinking. And you’re just going to be a good little boy/girl and take it? I hope not.
WS said, NO WAY are we going to take being bullied by a mob of barbaric foreign thugs. (It’s politically incorrect to say this. But look at the pictures. See what these people are doing. Would you want them living anywhere near you?) WS has said, “We’re not going to be dictated to by you.” And, as a result, they’re in a position to be physically harmed–just for doing their job, which is to report the news. Would anyone disagree that the cartoons are news? Canadians need to understand what the apparent (not all Muslims ARE up in arms) fuss–incited by a politically motivated imam–is all about. Not seeing the cartoons removes significant–I’d say crucial–context from this really important story.
The Sheaf’s position is not equivalent in any way. Unlike WS, which is run by adults, the Sheaf’s a pampered baby of the nanny state.
For a courageous and prescient contribution to perhaps the most crucial issue of our time (some of you might remember this if your daughters and granddaughters end up wearing burqas): Western Standard: 10. The Sheaf: 0.
Nothing is disgusting to the left wing nuts in this country – except – wait for it …..smoking cigarettes. Tobacco smokers are the national and international ‘scapegoats’. I never understood what it was like to be ‘swarmed ‘ by a vendictive fanatic until last week, in Whitehorse, in the Yukon, in Canada when I lit up a cigarette in a bar (after closing time) two days after a City Council decision to ban smoking. I was not yet current with the LAW so I was an easy mark!! It made me feel like vomiting when a rude silly servant demanded my name so he could write me a 100 dollar ticket – of course I refused – he refused to give me his name (who did he think he was?)before I got angry. How DARE an emloyee of mine assult me, I thought; this is how “targets” in newly formed Totalitarian states feel. Bewildered and unbelieving. I offered to go to jail for my crime but they (the silly servants) refused to take me to the jailhouse. He was interested in making money for his ‘masters’in city hall. He and his ilk deceided to fine the bartender (500 dollars) who didn’t even realize that I had lit up a cigarette – not suprising as I had just walked in the room – the bartender does not smoke. How fair is that?
Pathetic is my word for the ‘values’ of Canadian people when they choose to make fanatical hate speaches and pass discriminatory laws against good people who like to smoke tobacco. A legal substance. A bar is NOT a Health spa – why don’t the almighty fanatics BAN alchol (that includes beer – a truly Canadian ‘value’), coffee and tobacco? Because ‘they’ are all cowards, IMO. And look how the msm cheers ‘them’ on.
Yup, this kind of suppression and control sounds like life under Sharia law–especially for women. I urge readers to Google Phyllis Chesler, an ex militant feminist, feisty, and very intelligent. Although a Jewish American, she married an Iranian, I think–anyway, a Muslim man from the Middle East–in the 1960s. They went to his country for what she thought was a visit. She has written about her near captivity and the degrading way the women in his family–then including her–were treated. So what happened to you, Jema54, would be a rehearsal for life under Sharia. From your name, I gather you’re a woman (sorry if you’re not!): You probably wouldn’t be able to smoke at home either. You certainly wouldn’t be allowed in a bar and you’d probably need to be accompanied whenever you went out of the home anywhere, veiled, if you didn’t want bad things to happen to you.
Canadians need to take off their rose coloured glasses and stop behaving like sissies: We want to have wars where no one dies. What utter poppycock–magic thinking! If our soldiers die, we’ll stop playing. Too many complacent Canadians seem to think that the war we’re involved in is some kind of game. When it’s not going our way–it actually is: deaths are part of the steep price we pay for freedom–we’ll just pack it in. What immature, soft-headed idiocy. Canada, wake up! You don’t like Canadian citizens dying? Then we need to go to where the enemy is and defeat them so they won’t be here, killing us and imposing their medieval standards. (What about the liberation of the citizens of Afghanistan, especially the females?) Canadians’ selfish, pea-brained navel gazing disgusts me. And I’m very proud of PMSH for his support of our troops. BRAVO, sir!
jema54
Let’s see, 75% Canadians don’t smoke. 25% do smoke. The 75% are being put at risk of a fatal disese by the 25%.
I’m sorry, I missed your point. As an ex-smoker who can no longer tolerate cigarette smoke, it is like a breath of fresh air (pardon the pun), to go to a restaurant and enjoy a meal without someone blowing smoke in everyones general direction.
You still choose to light up in a public place … then obviously the fines are not high enough. My recommendation to the fellow having to put up with your beligerence is to lobby for muzzles for people like you so that you can neither smoke nor speak your vindictive crap. I feel sorry for the owner of the establishment. If I were him, I would be taking you to small claims court to recoup the money that YOU OWE! Then I would blacklist you from the premises until I had a formal apology in writing that I could pin on my wall.
$100.00 is obviously no deterrant for you. Add a zero and make it $1000.00. Perhaps that will get your attention.
Otherwise, why don’t you catch the first flight to Afghanistan and beg the General for the privelege of washing the troops dishes so that you might rub shoulders with those who are guarding the freedoms you have now to write the tripe you just did. Perhaps they will even let you smoke there…if you will just step out of the tent.
Daniel
Defending smokers’ rights is a dicey one. I find myself leaning in both directions here. I hear Daniel loudly and clearly and am sympathetic. On the other hand, the nanny state’s much too anxious to protect us from every possible harm. Now, quite often, the so-called protection’s more harmful than the so-called vice. (E.g., Kangaroo Courts, a.k.a. Human Rights [sic] Commissions)
Daniel, It is your ‘ilk’ who try and often suceed in making life ‘intolerable’ for others. There is no trace of ‘live and let live’ in your narrow minded, fanatical, ‘purge like’ mentality. You would ‘purge’ from the world all who do not share your frantic, childish opinions. YOU should go to the middle east – I think you would fit right into that fanatical lifestyle best exemplified by the Taliban.
You must be a Dipper/Liberano because the consuming idiot-ology of left wing ‘people haters’ is to CONTROL other people. A well reasoned logical discussion is impossible for the likes of you because you are so consumed by hate for people you cannot control that you loose control of your rational. It is nothing to you that I choose to smoke cigarettes because you don’t even know me, yet you turn purple with rage at the thought that someone is doing something you do not want anyone to do. Everything is relative, as Lookout has posted. It was the likes of you who refused to defend the rights of others that allowed thugs like Hitler, Stalin, Castro, Mugabee, Sadam Hussan…. to dominate the bloody history of the 20th century.
Jema54, with due respect, I certainly don’t think “everything’s relative”, though, as I said, I have serious reservations about the nanny state. And from earlier back and forths with Daniel, I don’t think he’s quite the ogre you make him out to be. But you’re entitled to your opinion. (It’s a fact that smoking significantly increases health care costs and reduces productivity due to illness and death, so it’s not just your own choice and nobody else’s business, as you seem to imply.)
jema54
Name calling and insults will get us nowhere. For sure, you riled me up with your post. I didn’t have a mirror handy to see if I’d turned purple or not.
Where is your sense of personal responsibility? You obviously gave the fellow who has been given the unthankful job of handing out tickets a hard time…too much to drink? So instead of you taking responsibility for your own actions, you instead put the owner of the establishment in an awkward position. Why didn’t you stand up, accept the ticket and go fight it in court if you feel so wronged.
I don’t like the nanny state any better than anyone else (gun registry arrrrgh!) but that doesn’t give any excuse for breaking the law and not taking responsibility for ones actions.
Live and let live. I suppose that is what you expected of the bylaws officer. I suspect that the community had already had their “grace period” and were now into the “zero tolerance” stage. My experience in life goes something like this, “my action often dictates the other guys reaction.” Think back to the night in question. How did you act and was that part of the reason for the reaction (the ticket).
If you don’t like the law, were you actively involved in the process letting your voice be heard on the matter or were you waiting in the sidelines hoping for a chance to complain about it.
Get used to non smoking regulations. Cancers due to smoking have cost us as a society far too much through increased health care costs. I think almost every jurisdiction either has legislation or has legislation coming. Here in Saskatchewan, we have had legislation for awhile now and like I said, it is a breath of fresh air. I have a couple of friends who were prisoners in their own homes because they could not risk being around cigarette smoke. Their respiratory systems would shut down or tighten up so bad for two days that it was agony for them. Of course smokers never think of those things. Like I said, get used to it, it is here to stay.
As for calling me a Lib/dipper, nothing could be further from the truth. I have voted Conservative federally and provincially in every election that they have allowed me to vote in.
As a conservative, I like to see people take responsibility for their actions and not off load onto someone else like you did to the owner/manager of the establishment. I just get sick and tired of it being “everybody elses fault.”
Further, I find it interesting that you find a way to make me responsible for the holocaust and other atrocities in history. That seems like a bit of a leap. As for being consumed with hate, I don’t hate anyone. Hate is counter-productive and only harms the one harboring it. Love and forgiveness are far more powerful forces.
As for your choosing to smoke, if you can afford it and want to do it, knock yourself out, it is a free country, just don’t expect everyone else to have to breath your toxic fumes…go outside or keep it at home. Furthermore, it might be good to ask your doctor for a waiver for you to sign so that when you do get cancer because of a poor choice, you won’t be costing the health care system because of something you could have avoided. Personal responsibility means accepting the consequences of our own actions.
I apologize if I offended you in my previous post, your right, I don’t know you. If you want a civil discussion on some topic, you name it and I’d be happy to participate. As for going to Afghanistan, it seems like another one of those places that I might want to visit (to shake the hands of the troops) but I don’t think any of us would want to live there.
Daniel
Hey lookout,
I never thought that I would get accused of aiding and abetting “Hitler, Stalin, Castro, Mugabee, Sadam Hussan” That is quite a list of company. Perhaps I had it coming as I was a little irked when I read the post. Oh well, what can I say.
I trust things are well with you. Still planting apple trees, I hope.
I guess we are straying a long ways from the topic. Kate is away. I have heard it said that when the cat’s away, the mice all turn into rats!
I was following this Sheaf thing pretty closely. As you can imagine, I wasn’t in favor of publishing this as I felt it went beyond the bounds of public decency. It also seemed rather duplicitous and hypocritical of the Sheaf after they had gone out of their way not to publish the Mohammad cartoons. After long and agonizing meetings they print up a four page explanation of their editorial decision and then print this abomination. Something smells like a trial balloon or a provocation.
In any case, I think the message was received that the cartoon was unacceptable in light of the previous decision. If it hadn’t been for that decision, I don’t think that we even would have heard about the capatalist pig. Jeff has received far too much press already over this so I am not anxious to give him any more. However I do think that this is not the end of it. I am sure that there will have been enough bad blood generated over this that the Sheaf, either with its present staff or some future incarnation will probably try and one-up this one to prove a point.
Jeff will probably get his wish as well. Capatalist piglet will live on in imfamy as every Ethics and Law prof in the country is going to want to use this as course material on (un)ethical use of freedom of speech.
It drives me crazy because it is exactly the opposite of what should happen with something like this. In a perfect world, Capatalist Piglet in these two frames would have burnt in the sketch book. Obviously that didn’t happen so next best is it getting refused at the editorial stage. That didn’t happen so next best would have been if everyone would have ignored it. That didn’t happen so Jeff gets his ego massaged and boosted. No wonder he is unrepentant and hopes the Lord has a sense of humor.
It makes one wonder what this world is coming to! Well, we know what it is coming to but nobody wants to listen, right!
I’ve got to run, probably be back later. Got to see about putting a web page together, yuck, I think I’d rather have a root canal or something. Oh well, it can’t be all that bad…can it?
Daniel
lookout; Here are some facts for you – Drinkers of alcohol cost a lot more to taxpayers than smokers because they go on drunken rampages at home and in the streets. Fast food does far more damage to children than second hand smoke – not many 1940/50’s kids were overweight and we all lived in houses where there was lots of tobacco smoke. We were in a lot better physical shape than today’s kids and we knew how to do a lot more too. I could bake bread by myself, saddle and ride my horse, drive a car, clean the house, cook a meal for six, shoot a twenty -two, make a dress (run a sewing machine), milk a cow, climb a tree or a power pole, dig a car out of a snow bank, do the family washing with a gasoline run wringer washing machine – hang out the clothes to dry, fold them and iron them, read a book, read instuctions and follow them, change a babies diaper, fix my bike, etc. etc. when I was ten years old. My parents were adults and they taught us things that we would find valuable when we were adults, they gave us trust and responsibility. I don’t need a whimpy, demanding, ‘thou shalt not’ ‘nanny’ state in my life because I had parents. I make my own decisions.
I was making a point and so far no person here has cared to stand up for the rights of others – why – because it is politically incorrect (Liberano/Dipper shorthand for “if you do not agree with me, then you are wrong and I hate you’) It was politically incorrect to defend the ‘scapegoat’ Jewish people in Russia and in Germany prior to WWII- you folks would not have put your foot forward to stop one death would you? The tobacco smoking, whiskey drinking Wallenburg (I hope the spelling is correct) did – a egregious smoker of all people! (Oh did I mention Winston Churchill smoked – I guess you would send a slly servant over to put him in his place (he didn’t produce enough and he had the gaul to go to the hospital a few times). Watch “Shindler’s List” if you don’t know anything about how people of Germany looked the other way when the egregious Hitler (IMO Hitler was egregious, not Wallenburg or the Jewish people) spewed hate against all Jewish people, Romanian Gypsies, Negro people, Indians and ALL smokers of tobacco saying that “only Jews, loose women and Indians smoke”. Good puritanical German people were forbidden to smoke anywhere – but killing ‘scapegoats’ and stealing from them was encouraged.
Canada and USA once banned alchohol with the same vitrol as Hitler, Canada and USA are now banning smoking tobacco.
EVERYTHING is relevent, Lookout – perhaps you and Darcy should read some history. Tobacco has been ‘banned’ many times thoughout the centuries by many fanatical tyrants – as has liqueur – it is about CONTROl – nothing else; not health care costs, not productivity. The smoking, drinking volunteer soldiers of Canada during WWI and WWII prouduced more in their (sometimes very short)lives than you folks here could ‘produce’ in ten lifetimes. Those young people stayed proud and hopefull throughout the dirty thirties (does wearing cardboard in your shoes to keep your feet warm in the winter count as a health risk? A lot of them didn’t get much to eat either, imagine life without a Big Mac or Whopper or enough money to buy one – did they cost ‘us’ plenty in health care costs because some of them had scurvy or weak bones?), then they went and fought a war – and WON – for other people’s freedom, came home and built a nation. Ever wonder why non of the mighty politicians never tried to ban anything when they had those soldiers to answer to? “They” would have never DARED. My parents and grand parents were those people, I know how much wrath my parents piled on the “banning of tobacco” (by Hitler and by outfits in Canada) because they deemed smoking tobacco as a fought for choice – a gift if you will from their generation to all generations to follow. Go tell your productivity health rant to an old soldier – one who fought in the frount lines. You both need to stop thinking that everything is all about YOU. It is not; for the simple reason that sooner or later everyone walking on earth today is going to die. It is how you live (or just exist) that counts. You have no right to judge others for smoking tobacco – it is legal – BAN tobacco and Liquer and coffee if you wish to make a point. Don’t just haul around a gun without any ammo – your type don’t fool anyone. Get some spine or don’t talk to a soldier’s daughter.
Jema54: I smiled with pleasure at all the things you could do when you were 10: Those were the days! I seem to agree with much of your philosophy: I don’t know why you’re giving me such a hard time. (Also, you quoted me as saying “Everything is relative” a couple of posts ago. I disagreed. Now you’re accusing me of believing that there are things that are not “relevant”. Please make up your mind–but based on what I’ve actually said!)
From the East: Good night and best wishes to Daniel and Jema54.
BTW Darcy, The bartender who got the fine HATES the “jack – booters” (his words, not mine) who are running him out of buisness with their fanatical, anti smokers witch hunt. I would never allow him to pay the fine for me – you really do not know me! – the point I was making is that the ‘jack -booters’ are fanatics. They LOVE their control jobs unless someone like me does not fall down and ‘beg’ them to forgive me for daring to ignore stupid rules. Have you ever read about the uprising in the Warsaw ghetto? Why did those ‘lemmings'(Hitlers term, not mine!), (the Jewish people) defy those in Control (Nazis)? Because , they had had enough!! Lookout, I don’t know what Germany ‘lost’ in slave or potential slave productivity and a longer slave life – all the armed rebels died – but I know what Isreal GAINED – Pride. You won’t see any Jewish people climbing on a “slave/Death train today with their heads down and their mouthss closed trying desperatly not to ‘make waves’. That was the lesson the modern warrier of Isreal learned in the Warsaw Ghetto.
Save your crocodile tears for yourself, the bartender I mentioned is an adult Man and he would be insulted (ex airforce – Korean War) that the likes of you would even offer to ‘defend’ him against a nasty old witch (your perception, not mine) like me. The lack of Principles in your philosophical vocabulary is sad but look at this country – over half voted for a corrupt, aimless, lack lustre heap of Liberano/Dipper M.P.s in the last election.
What I really don’t understand is why people like you two don’t suggest that there is plenty of room in this empty country for “Smoking” and “Non- Smoking” establishments. What would be wrong with that? That way we could all be pleased and we could all follow the rules minus silly servants. This is called comprimise – doubtlessly not in your vocabulary but I suggest you look it up and think a little about the word. It is something most young people in this country know nothing about. How can they when everything is all about themselves?
Veterns who smoke, who fought for your ‘good life’ and your freedom are forced outside hospitals here in the Yukon, when it is 40 below (often) because ‘they’ have banned smoking in hospitals. A soldier who jumped out of a boat at Dieppe in WWII ( a Canadian blood bath on the beach of occupied France, read some WWII history if you don’t know anything about the Canadian soldiers in WWII) should not be forced outside by ‘snotty’ know-it-alls who never faced any danger to their precious little selves beyond the ‘danger’ to their precious pinko lungs imposed upon them by a nasty old WWII vet who would not go outside to smoke until the ‘self – rightous’ forced him out to ‘save themselves’. The whole picture makes me sick to my stomach.
jema54,
Thankyou for your last couple of posts. They help to give some context and understanding to your first post. I admire your zeal and wish you well in your campaign to change the environment around you. It is nice to know that the fiercely independent Yukon spirit is still alive and well in our Country. I hope that you stay engaged in the issues of the day so that some of that spirit may rub off on other Canadians as well.
I am not sure how far I agree with your comparisons of the Nazis and what is happenning in society today but I won’t argue with your assessment either. I wasn’t there in Nazi Germany as the facsists were consolidating their power. It sounds like you have some insights into these things so that becomes your frame of reference and i am glad that you shared that with us. I would be interested to hear more as this is a thread about “free speech and freedoms”.
I hope that you will bring the same passion that you have on this issue to bear on other issues that are affecting our country today. We need strong advocates who can make their voice heard above the din of the crowd to bring about change in this great land of ours. as you know, there are many areas of comcern. Lookout and I were comparing notes on the needs in the educational institutions for “ground-up” change particularly in administration so that the teachers have the support to do what is best for the students. This is our future.
We need people to speak up about the waste and decay in what could be the worlds best health care system. We have the resources if they were spent properly, to solve the problems like waiting lists. We need people who can not only think outside the box but perhaps to set the box aside and build a better box on the foundations that have been laid.
We also need people who can continue to speak up and hold the Liberals feet to the fire over the scandal ridden reign of Chretien and Martin. If we don’t, all their corruption will be forgotten and they will be back to do it again, only better at it than before because they will come back “experienced”. Kinda like the young hood that gets sent off to do a stretch in one of our fine jails (that is another topic) and comes back a better gang banger than he was before after spending some time rubbing shoulders with his mentors.
Jema54 you sound like you have had a facsinating life. I would love to hear mor of it, if you would like to email me privately or continue on this thread. This thread won’t last much longer as they are posting heavily some days.
I wish you well in your struggle against the “jack booters”. I know here in Saskatchewan, the Hoteliers association has been lobbying for either some smoking establishments or the chance to put in properly filtered rooms. You and your friend, “the fellow jackboot hater” could contact the assosiation and see how their progress is to date. I would encourage you to continue to make some noise if you feel strongly about the issue. Write the editor of the paper. Visit City Hall during council meetings or send them letters, These are all your rights and priveleges in a free and democratic society. If I was visiting the Yukon at the same time as you were picketing the legislature in protest, I would march along side of you, not because I want smoking to return but I would support your right to protest about it.
I am sorry that I jumped to conclusions after your first post. I was left with the impression that the establishment was fined and stuck with paying it. It seems that something more occured and was said than I first understood. Forgive me.
I wish you well jena54 and will enjoy hearing your story.
Daniel
P.S. I don’t perceive you as “a nasty old witch” (your words, not mine). I do see you as an angry person who sees injustices. Your mention of our veterns and their needs are valid concerns. I am not nearly as vindictive and unpricipled as you make me out to be. Have a great Day!
Daniel,
Thank-you for the for the thoughtful and kind answer you have posted. I believe we are both singing from the same song book as is lookout but my smoking habit is one that irritates you and lookout and you two, like most of my friends, would rather not address it with a degree of fairness because you see it as something that is not important – I have heard the line ‘if I can quit, you can quit’ many many times – ad nausium. I don’t want to quit. I had an anyurism (spelled incorectly – a brain bleed) in 1984 and I get screaming head aches if I do not smoke. That is not the point – the point is it is LEGAL and if it is legal , then people should be advocating a TOTAL BAN not marginalizing people because they indulge in a legal habit – would you like to take your beer outside to drink it?
I would enjoy exchanging views with you and lookout any time. I will e-mail you if you do not mind or you can e-mail me through Kate. I am very concerned about things in Sask because I was born and raised in the beautiful Cypress Hills and half of my relatives still live there. My family have lived there since 1887. I know how difficult it is for the ranchers and farmers and business people to make a living in the socialist nightmare that Tommy Douglas started in that province. The Yukon is much the same but there are only 29,000 people living here.
I am so willing to talk about these concerns with other people – you will never have to breath my smoke over the internet – but you must know that I will be lighting a few cigarettes at the screen!!
Thank-you again for answering my post with such understanding and generosity.
Jema54,
A stranger is just a friend you haven’t met yet!
Your welcome and thankyou for your post as well. It seems a lot of people have roots in Saskatchewan. I was born and raised in Alberta, that is probably why I would bleed blue if cut. We moved to Saskatchewan almost twenty years ago and raised our family. I always maintained when I lived in Alberta that if it wasn’t for Saskatchewan, Alberta and B.C. wouldn’t have a population. It seemed that everyone I met or got to know had roots here. I haven’t been as far south as the Cyprus Hills, I am told that it is very beautiful there. I would someday like to visit there. Also the rolling sand dunes in the far north of the province and perhaps to do some fishing in the northern lakes.
As far as your smoking, don’t worry about it. These are personal choices that we all make. Some habits entangle us and are harder to break than others. I have been told that for some it is harder to quit smoking than to go through the withdrawal associated with heroin addiction. I imagine you have already tried the gum or the patch if you were inclined to quit. Some have found them a help. In any case, I wish you well whatever you decide to do and don’t hold any ill feeling toward you because of it. We all have our struggles and there are worse things than tobacco. I was a drug addict and an alcoholic by the time I was twenty and as I mentioned I smoked as well. I am glad those things are behind me but I certainly empathize with those that have those kind of struggles.
Since this is starting to get off the theme of this thread and turn personal, I will send you an e-mail as you have said that would be O.K.
Daniel