International torch relays will not be held ahead of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver but organizers say the decision was not in response to recent protests that have interrupted the relay for the Beijing Olympics.

Vancouver Olympic Committee CEO John Furlong said the committee has “never had an ambition to travel around the world with the flame.”

Yeah right, it never crossed their minds……

She’s also Mohawk. She’s already being lobbied to boycott the 2010 Games in support of Aboriginal and human rights violations in Canada.

I won’t tell you what she said except that it was the product of some ethical and moral agony, thoughtful, passionate, powerful, and eloquent. She put those other two guys to shame with their rather facile and shallow positions.

I may wind up on the other side of a demonstration line to her, but I have to respect her stated position.

And — no — I won’t tell you.

I’m not sure I get your point.

Non-sexual violence against women is arguably a less odious crime than violent rape followed by murder. Should we therefore stop trying to cut down on violence against women until all rapist-murderers are behind bars?

Just a note of caution, I don’t think I’d use a phrase like “crappy water” to describe Kashechewan, you’re only gonna end up pi$$ing people off. Whether you mean to minimize it that way or not the situation was serious enough that over 800 men, women, and children, had to be evacuated for their health and safety – and they had to be evacuated by the province because the federal government was busy sitting on its hands and doing nothing. Some how I think you’d be using stronger language had your family and your children been involved.

You will also see protests regarding treatment of the homeless and the poor who are being shoved so Canada can look nice for the big show.

As I said, different times.

Really? What protests occurred in 1988 (I’m asking the question, as I don’t recall any but wasn’t in Calgary and don’t remember much of a stink in Vancouver, land of demonstration)? We hadn’t even begun to settle land claims at that point, I don’t think (while I wasn’t paying THAT much attention to politics in general at the time, I was living in the Lower Mainland of BC and well aware of “land claims in general” not to mention the whole residential school issue (and I don’t mean that in a derogatory manner at all, as I think the government (through gov’t agencies including the RCMP) and various churches cannot begin to redress the horrors inflicted)).

And I would argue, very very strongly, that there is a big difference between crappy water (and other issues) in Kasechewan (as an example, not an endpoint) and shooting monks, so NO, I do NOT agree with your implication that our treatment, particularly in the past 5-10 years (where attempts have begun to be made for redress), of First Nations and Inuit compares to shooting monks.

Sorry. Not going there.

The answer to your question SL, at least in the political sense that Harper wouldn’t dare speak aloud, is Vancouver 2010.

The IOC chose Beijing over Toronto. They had to know they were inviting protest and a possible boycott on human rights issues, alone. The Tibet thing has just thrown fuel on an already existing fire.

There will be protests in 2010. I predict many will be centered on Canada’s treatment of our First Nations people. We’ll deserve what we get just like China deserves what it’s gettin’ now.

JB

I don’t want to tell the next Catriona LeMay Doan to stay at home and protest, but I also don’t want to tell all of the people the Chinese government is hurting that they matter less than a two week World party designed these days to sell more Coke and Big Macs.