I now realize that I was in Canada, where only politically correct speech is protected.
I was in Canada, the land of cultural relativism, where the most important value is tolerance. Criticizing any other country or culture is a breach of the now distorted policy of multiculturalism. Now, I would pay the price.
If I had only known how big a price.
A young man came in and sat in the second row. He picked up a copy of my book from the table, took a perfunctory look at it, and started interrupting me.
“You think all Muslims are terrorists,” he asserted.
“I do not,” I replied, as categorically as possible.
“Well, that’s what your book says,” he retorted.
It looked to me as if he had just taken a few glances at it, so I replied: “Have you read my book?” He paused and then said, “Part.”
I decided not to take him seriously and I continued. Another mistake.
Suddenly a man appeared, standing off to my left, and started into a rant. It was something about how the Americans and the Israelis are the real terrorists, and that democracy is really fascist. He was scary.
University of Waterloo Professor Dennis Stoutenburg was there and tried to calm the man.
“Sir, this is a lecture. Why don’t you sit down and listen?”
Another mistake.
Read the rest.
(h/t soup)
I just placed an order for some paperbacks – at Amazon.ca
How do you get the government to investagate companies and break them up as monopolies?
I don’t know of a single book store that isn’t owned by Chapters/Indigo/Coles (which is all the same company.)
Amazon and Canadian independents, here I come!
This left wing, and I refer to as left wing by the groups that support the “Palistinian” movement, is huge and hate filled for anything that opposes it. There is no wrong that can be done to Israel that is not just fine or at best “It’s not as simple as that, it’s not all black and white.”
Very frightening to see people going down that path and being supported by huge organizations as they do it.
What’s frightening is the hands off approach to violent Muslims. This perceived weakness will only add fuel to their undermining of our country and rights much the same as it has in Europe. These miscreants need to be shouted down wherever they show up and to know in no uncertain terms that they, their evil ideology and fake grievances are not welcome.
Blowback of Katrina proportions on their heads.
It sounds like he was set up to be abused by the Hijab wearing chicklet? I won’t be shopping at Chapters anymore this story is just another example of the far leftards being given a free pass to abuse anyone who supports Israel. I hope the literary community shuns Chapters, why do a reading at one of their book stores when only the frothing at the mouth pro-Palestine wack jobs get to speak.
Frankly the pro-Palestinan groups resemble domestic terrorists, their tactics are bigoted and hateful and sometimes down right violent.
I think the only answer to this type of thing is to make sure a friend, or several, videotape everything, every time.
Sad.
I have a $40 gift cetificate for Chapters. I think I will go and request this book,hopefully a hijab wearing clerk will take the order.
Haven’t shopped at Chapters/Indigo (the bricks-‘n-mortar store) for many years now. Looks like it’s time to stop the occasional forays into their online store, too.
That’s alright. Amazon and Powell’s are great alternatives.
Lori has it correct…unedited, uncut videotape from start to finish. Any author of a book that touches on anything in the middle east or controversial area needs to do this.
The most amazing part of this whole story….the story is fiction!!!! So we are going after fictional stories? I guess if you think other fictional stories are real then you might just have trouble with this one.
One wonders if the employee still works there.
Of course Dr El Misery runs his little Mosque amongst the Teutons on Waterloo. Not saying he had anything to do with this, just saying…….
Will be boycotting chapters/Indigo from now on !
Buy an e-reader of some kind. Lots of online stores to download from – never have to leave your home or give Chapters/Indigo/Coles a dime.
I think we need to change the name of our country to Kafkada…
heather Reisman is the head of Indigo, chapters etc and her husband is Gerry Schwartz, the head of the massive investment company Onyx which is listed on the TSE. Both seem strong supporters of israel and I am surprised this incident has gone this far IF they knew about it.
This is the Turdeapian legacy.
A weak and cowardly country; not good at anything; not proud of anything and totally gutless.
We either give Harper a mandate to reform or we break up the country.
Sad.
Video it.
No commentary. Just let it unfold.
Make them silence themselves.
…and smile.
Welcome to the politically correct Orwellian hell-hole that Canada’s become. In the name of “equality” and “diversity”, some of “us” are better than the others. Too often, the favoured few—who haven’t, in any way earned their special status: in fact, many are maladjusted leeches, who deserve to have the book thrown at them (like the hooligans described here)—take full advantage of their status to jackboot the rest of us—all with the approval of “official” Canada.
And public education teachers and administrators, judges, the police, pandering politicians, and far too many ordinary citizens (enablers and enforcers: useful idiots) let it happen. I believe such people—or sheeple’s a better word—have been brainwashed. (The MSM and our educational institutions are massively guilty on this count.) And how does that happen? As usual, G.K. Chesterton has his finger on the pulse of our hollowed out society: “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.”
Based on the hypocritical, shallow, and UNTRUE pop philosophy, “I’m OK. You’re OK”, the truth about who we are and how we can live ethical lives is not allowed to be spoken. “Your truth. My truth. There is no single truth.” How narcissistic. And a recipe for moral decay, which is just what we’re seeing all around us. Everything about the appalling episode re Howard Rotberg confirms this sad state of affairs.
One doesn’t need to be religious in a traditional sense to live a good life. However, I believe a SOCIETY needs a sound, ethical, transcendent basis in order to bring up civilized citizens and order its affairs properly. (How about the Ten Commandments, which C.S. Lewis called the Tao—the rules at the base of all successful societies back to antiquity? These rules acknowledge our obligations to a higher power than ourselves, as well as to ourselves and our neighbour. BTW, leaving out the higher power tends to lead to “Me as a Mini God”: not a good recipe for unselfishness and social cohesion.)
If one doesn’t agree with me, just look around: notice the critical mass of barbarians in our midst—check out your local public school, for one thing—and the serious breakdown of civility at all levels in Canadian society these days. This has gone hand in hand with the secularization of our country. (Jonah Goldberg, in his book, Liberal Fascism, makes a good case for the idea that “fascism is the religion of the state”.)
We’ve used up almost all the moral capital of our Judeo-Christian heritage: not only are we raising spoiled, selfish, self-centred brats, who don’t ever seem to reach adulthood, no matter how old they are, we refuse to both name the worst offenses and then impose discipline and order. There’s so much looking the other way these days, the worst Canadians literally get away with murder and all kinds of other anti-social behaviour. Using the Charter, a critical mass of liberal judges—along with far too many politicians, public educators and the police, to name only a few of the accomplices—are working hard to undermine all legitimate authority in this country. Without that, the dumbing down proceeds apace and the thugs prosper. We all know what happens to the rest of us.
In the West, democracy and individual freedoms flourished—based on the Judeo-Christian concepts of truth and justice. Over the centuries, everyone benefited, as this evolved into the concept of democracy and equality before the law (No, it wasn’t perfect—human beings aren’t—but it was a heck of a lot better than where we are now and where we’re headed.) However, we no longer live in a society based on the rule of law, as people like Howard Rotberg are unhappily discovering. We live in a country where ethnicity and ideology trump the worth and freedom of the individual citizen. Isn’t that what happened in the secular gulags of the 20th century? In our shallow, “We’re all gods now” society, we’ve decided to replace equality before the law with state-enforced special privileges for a select few (usually undeserving because chosen for political reasons only). The injustice of this is causing deep rifts in the social/moral fabric of this country: the consequences for all of us are/will be dire.
I first read about the feisty Howard Rotberg at Ezra Levant’s site. God bless these two principled men. They, like Kate and the others, have been horribly and shamefully victimized in the totalitarian state Canada’s fast becoming, but, rather than cave, they’re fighting back. We’re with you all the way: Godspeed!
What a terrible event. I can only say that I am ashamed of the institutions in our society that
are contributing to the demise of freedom.
We all need to reflect on what our Nation has become and we need to think long and hard about what each and every one of us can do about it.
shame is not strong enough a word to describe
what I feel about these horrible events.
I’ve crossed swords with Chapters/Indigo over Mark Steyn’s book. I complained because they would not carry it & got some snotty response.
Since then I have bought all my books from Amazon USA. I’ll never buy from Heather Reisman again – ever!
It may be impossible but let’s get a blitz going to put Heather and Gerry out of business.
It may be time to concern ourselves about what’s going on in segments of our Country. With that ARSEHOLE ElMasry, who’s a Professor at Waterloo, doing his thing to stir up bogus accusations to prevent one of our basic freedoms, freedom of speech.
Multicultural Canada,stand for nothing, let the minorities call the shots with the help of HRC’s and the Supreme Court.
It’s incidents like this that eat away at our once great Democracy.
I’ve stopped shopping at Chapters a long time ago – in fact I was given a Chapters gift card a few months ago and I returned it to the person who gave it to me, thanked her and explained why I could not accept it. She was appalled at the actions of Chapters and indicated that she would return the card with a complaint to Chapters. Don’t know if she did and I doubt that Chapters would care. Between the independent book stores, Amazon and even Walmart my reading needs are more than covered.
Canada’s doors have been open too wide and to the wrong people for far too long.
We in Canada are facing an offensive of Holocost proportions. Political correctness has stymied any attempts of the citizenry to propose a fair and balanced approach to any dispute. Whether it be Global Warming, Israeli/Palistinian conflict, or the war in Afghanistan; opinions have become correct(left-leaning)or wrong.
As an educator, I observe many, many instances where the latest politically correct mantra is spoon-fed to students and the expected response is to regurgitate the mantra back. Gone are the critical thinking skills and the ability to effectively discern the nugget of truth in any argument.
Unless Canadians wake up and begin to fight to maintain our current freedoms, we will see them evaporate before our eyes. By doing nothing, we encourage the segment of our society that is driven to destroy the society to which they moved.
Good to see that this is getting around now …. good to hear that there is some outrage …spread the word and let the Reisman/Schwarz clan know what you think of them and their organization.
Does anyone have an email address for Heather Reisman?
lookout/john
excellent posts, you’v articulated SOME of the problems that need to be addressed
yes we need to keep the ball a rolling
people like those who own indigo/chapters/coles will bend to the social winds for business purposes, so we need to help the winds blow the other way
Here’s another possible (I EMPHASIZE POSSIBLE) example of Indigo censorship.
The Camp of the Saints. By Raspail. Written over 30 years ago, it an extremely politically incorrect book that was banned in many places in Canada. It has exactly all the elements that we are struggling with today.
If people here have not read this book, they really should! I read it a few years ago, and it is a very disturbing and very moving book.
Unavailable via Indigo.
Available on Amazon.ca. where it has 44 customer reviews, most of them 5/5 stars.
I tried Amazon.ca but found that they don’t recognize the title nor the author.
And I was so excited about the new Indigo opening in Saskatoon.
I boycotted McNally-Robinson for a long time because they wouldn’t carry the mo cartoon edition of The Western Standard. Gave in given the slim choices here. Since then, I’ve noticed that they hide pro-Israeli books but promote anti-Israel books as great for xmas gifts. They also prominently feature the books of US Army deserters.
Seems as if all bookstores have a decidedly leftist slant. There’s a Conservative Book Club in the US. Too bad there’s not a conservative bookstore in Saskatoon.
http://www.amazon.ca/Camp-Saints-Jean-Raspail/dp/1881780074/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218580425&sr=8-1
“Seems as if all bookstores have a decidedly leftist slant. There’s a Conservative Book Club in the US. Too bad there’s not a conservative bookstore in Saskatoon.”
There is, but you have to buy your own crayons 🙂
Oh, lighten up, people.
GYM, you’re right: John and I only mentioned SOME of our problems in “Kafkada” (good one batb).
Unless something turns the PC tide, as one of my special ed. students used to say, “We’re DOOMed!”
yea, put gerry out of business. not likely. he is our version of kkr. more money than he will ever be able to spend.
Absolutely disgusting!
Glad that’s gone.
I seem to recall stories about gun magazines being pulled from the shelves at Chapters because the owner felt they were inappropriate for Canadians.
I laughed out loud when Muslims boycotted Chapters bookstores because the owners are Joos. It isn’t funny that these folk hated Joos, it is funny because the leftist bookstore fascist was being abused by another identifiable group that panders to the same lefttard politicians.
I am very interested to see what percentage of the Joos vote for McCain in 2008. Typically Joos vote democrat but I don’t see how any Joo who isn’t self-loathing can vote Democrat(or Liberal for that matter).
Advice to women and gays from Indiana Homez: You are next on the hit list, if you actually cherish equal rights you will have to quit politicking and looking for handouts from the Liberals. All of your victimization BS aside, your REAL rights are being assailed right now. It is izzy to bring mozzies in large #’s to Canada to distort voting blocks, they’re coming by the trainload and it will be you thrown on the tracks.
The irony is too thick when I think about Joos, gays and feminists looking to “old white guys” to save them from themselves.
“We either give Harper a mandate to reform or we break up the country.
Sad.”
ditto
You know the madate will never come.
IH:
If not next election than we are doomed.
This story is suspect, to say the least. Reisman is so politically correct, but mostly pro-Israel. There has to be another reason this was allowed to happen. I haven’t shopped at Chapters since she banned Mein Kampf and the gun magazines. Reisman is an arm of the HRTs, but this story is still suspect.
The story related by Howard Rotberg is what each and every one of us should expect if we think Big Brother is going to make it all better.
Big Brother is not in the business of making it all better for you. Big Brother is in the business of making it all better for Big Brother. This is the central truth of socialist government that Canadians just can’t seem to get.
Mr. Rotberg has finally understood this truth after being mugged by it. He’s discovered that the system is in place to protect the system. So like any thinking man, he’s picked up an ax and gone on the offense. Sue Chapters, sue the worthless pr1cks that broke up his lecture, write more and meaner books, and sue the living, breathing crap out of anybody that doesn’t like it.
He’s got the right idea, but a little too heavily dependent on the courts. He probably could have avoided the whole issue from the start if he’d head butted the first POS that opened his mouth. Pretty much the only proper reply to “F-ing JEW!” is a well delivered head but. You can’t have a civilized chat with barbarians unless you stomp on them first. Gets their attention in the only language they respect. Extra points for kicking him a good one when he’s down, Glasgow style.
Lace up those Doc Martins tight there, Howard.
George: “Reisman is so politically correct, but mostly pro-Israel.”
Well, I was at Mark Steyn’s “interview” conducted by Heather Reisman about “America Alone,” and she didn’t know her a** from a tea kettle. Her performance was lamentable, really embarrassing.
There was Mark Steyn, in his book “America Alone,” pointing out in spades the problem for the West that radical Islamists pose and very clearly supporting Israel as the only democracy in the Middle East. I don’t know how much more “pro-Israel” he could get.
But, Reisman just didn’t get it. When great whoops went up from the audience about something Mark said, she’d look at us with a quizzical expression on her face and say something totally inane. Poor little rich girl. Lots of glitz but no brains.
I’m sorry Mark was so gentle with her, but afterall, HE’S a gentleman and he WAS her guest. She is clueless when it comes to the BIG PICTURE. Even though she, being Jewish, quite obviously is going to be “pro-Israel” she doesn’t seem to understand that that means taking a stand against the illiberal and violent forces which have Israel in their cross-hairs.
She doesn’t seem to be aware that radical Islamists are a genuine threat to Israel and Western Democracy. She thinks she can be both “pro-Israel” and support touchy, feely, lib-left multiculturalism, not realizing that they have become almost mutually exclusive.
Wow — I can’t believe this story. Good luck my Canadian friends…God Bless you (sorry if I offended you there, eh) in turning your thought control police around to rational thinking — again…!
Folks let’s not panic yet. There will be plenty of support for the breakup of totalitarian Canada when the time is right, like when left-wing, totalitarian Ontario and Quebec suddenly run outta cash for their lavish Islamist immigration project, and decide to raid Western oil coffers to make up the diffs. People only change when the money runs out. And then there’ll not be much the HRC totalitarians con do about it…
George — believe it eh…Happens all the time.
I have to agree with some of posts above that suggest that Reisman is no machievallian liberty hating tyrant.
She is simply a product of our education system, and our society, who does not really understand liberty, who does not understand the lessons of history (because they are not taught), and who hsa been taught that every problem can be solved by dialog and compromise.
Spoiled (but financially astute) little rich girl indeed.
And I doubt she has the time or interest to pay attention to the debate on free speech that has been raging here for the past year. Like 99.8% of Canadians.
Amazon.ca just gave me “no matches found” for either Howard Rotberg or the book….
Have they pulled it now?
And if those events transpired in reverse, we all know EXACTLY what would have happened. The HRC would have been drooling all over it.
I could say that the lefttards in this country are fiddling while Rome burns, but then, they are the ones manufacturing the violins, too.
I buy all my books from Amazon.
I am pro Israel.
Canada is an embarrassment.
IIRC, Gerry Schwartz backed the Torys in the last election, which causes a shock in Lib circles since he was always a reliable Liberal donor. Regardless of what the “official Jews” (CJC, BB, etc) do or say, a lot of big Jewish donors remember who backed Israel and who backed Hezb’Allah.
Hi, Howard Rotberg, here. I thank all the good people who are giving messages of support. I have been living through a 4 year nightmare where the civil rights organizations and even the Jewish organizations wouldn’t talk to me. Most of the mainstream media has ignored the story, because it didn’t fit. Think about that.
I am waging this battle for our children (I have 3) and our grandchildren, who shouldn’t have to live in the kind of nightmare world that will arrive if people like me don’t take a stand.
The book is still available from the publisher directly by emailing teresa@brantcord.com.
Also the publisher is now going to a third printing and is putting it on Amazon, but it may take 2 weeks. In the meantime, let Sorya Ingrid Gaulin and Heather Reisman what you think of them.
John V, you’re right. I’ve been a patriotic Canadian–my family’s been here for over 200 years–but never anti-American (and I’m very pro-Israel, a bone of contention with my liberal friends).
Canada is now such a pale imitation of the strong and free country it used to be–it’s now a wimpy cry-baby and appeaser–I’d be quite happy to be annexed to the States.
That good men like Mark Steyn, Ezra Levant, and Howard Rotberg are being persecuted by agents of the state, who allow minority thugs (including the government bullies, themselves) to run roughshod over us, is an utter disgrace. I altogether agree with FedUp!