and this would be one of those moments.

 There has been a lot of discussion going on at Bill Tieleman’s blog in response to his post in support of the gun registry in Canada. I’m not going to get into all the details, but suffice it to say that the comments are heated and there are very few people without a firm opinion on the  matter. That’s all fine and it’s great to see the debate evolve from opinion to hard facts. But this one point is why I must open my mouth.

Using gun related spousal murders as a reason for continuing this gun registry is not only ridiculous, but possibly dangerous to women on the receiving end of domestic violence. (I really like you Bill, but I’ve got to say this). I know of what I speak from my own personal experience  ( warning- graphic), and my story is the story of many women in Canada. I back up my points, rather than relying on vague allusions and unsubstantiated generalities to make a case, unlike some of the largely anonymous commenters under his post.

 After looking around the net at discussions currently ongoing, it appears that there are a large number of gun registry supporters across Canada who  would have you believe that the gun registry can prevent or at least reduce the number of spousal murders in this country, especially in rural areas where rifles are more prevalent.  Bullshit on all counts.

 One commenter (the first - Maureen) had this to say:

  It was a bad week for women’s rights last week – first the gun registry attack by the NDP and Liberal enablers, a registry that has reduced gun-related spousal homicides.

 Sorry to say Maureen, but I can’t find any hard facts to back that up. If you happen to read this, point me to your information source.

 Bill says this in his post:

 Despite claims that the registry unfairly discriminates against rural gun owners, the reality is that access to firearms is a key factor in domestic homicides.

 Now, this is  partially correct, because traditionally in rural areas ,rifles are a common household item. More on this in a bit.

 However, Bill goes on to say this in the comments section:

 Take a look at the firearms deaths stats my friend. Take a look at domestic violence in rural communities.

 So, I did look at firearms death stats- with relation to domestic violence, and conveniently enough, another commenter to his post brought up a recent, 2008 report that indicates firearms are no more significant in cases of spousal murder than stabbings ( but no one seems to be stepping up to register or prohibit knives…) info quoted is from page 39

 Between 1997 and 2006, the most common method
used to kill male spouses was stabbing (69%). In contrast,
female victims of spousal homicide were equally likely to be
stabbed or shot (30% each). A larger proportion of female
spousal victims were killed as a result of physical force
such as beating, strangulation, suffocation or drowning

Over the past decade, the rate of firearm-related spousal
homicides decreased by nearly 50%

 In 1996 there were
27 firearm-related spousal homicides compared to 16 in
2006 (Chart 4.3).

Sadly enough, there isn’t a lot of recent or current Canadian research on spousal murder in Canada , but there has been research done in the past that says this:

 Guns

While the prevalence of violence using guns against women in rural and urban communities is not statistically significant, the current literature does highlight the greater accessibility and use of guns in rural areas to intimidate, terrorize and murder women who are in violent relationships (Websdale, 1998). In many rural areas, guns are part of the household, often used for hunting and protection. Nolan (1992) suggests that:

Domestic killings occur disproportionately in rural areas and it is believed that this may reflect the high levels of gun ownership in the country. Many victims of domestic violence also report being threatened with firearms. (1992:23)

 This finding has also been reiterated by Dansy Consultants Inc. who found that violence was a factor in 80 percent of the cases involving firearm homicides (1992:15). While gun ownership and accessibility may not be the sole reason for wife-killing in rural areas, the fact that they are present and accessible may accentuate their use in situations of violence. Second, it may be more viable to discharge a firearm in a rural area without being detected or attracting police attention.

 There you have it. Guns are used to kill women and men in that sometimes screwed up institution of marriage – but so are knives, fists, hammers, boots, boards, ropes, pillows and anything else the murderer can get his or her hands onto. In fact, I know, sadly, again from personal experience, that when responding to a domestic violence call,  the RCMP will  operate under the assumption that there ARE weapons in the house,unless told otherwise. Yes, you may argue that the gun registry will tell them prior to arrival if there is a registered weapon in the home,but how the hell that prevents the murderer from firing it, I don’t know. 

 Guns don’t kill people. People kill people. ( credit to Alex T. )  No gun registry is going to stop a man from pulling the trigger when he chooses to kill his wife or girlfriend.

 Please. Don’t use the excuse or pseudo-concern of women getting beaten and  then possibly murdered with rifles as an excuse to continue this  gun registry. It sickens me to hear that. It’s like saying having a license to drive will prevent deaths on the road from alcohol, or speed. They don’t, they just show you passed a test and keep track of your personal information. Again, bullshit.

  If someone really wanted to prevent needless deaths of women, they would be lobbying for much-needed changes to the Criminal Code that still treats the abusers with kid gloves( especially on a first offence) , demanding a reinstatement of mandatory charges for the abuser in BC, and educating Crown on how to handle domestic violence cases - not fighting to save a gun registry!

 The amount of money spent on this registry so far, would have done far more to prevent spousal murders, through public education programs, shelters and resources for women suffering the kind of severe abuse that often leads to murder. Especially in those rural areas where  women are often isolated and stay silent because there are no resources to go to.

 Yes, Bill Tieleman was right to call all these politicians gutless – but in my opinion, for the wrong reason. At least, that’s the way I see it.

My friend, photographer Doug Pyper, posted this video on his site recently, and I felt it was important to post it here again as well.
This video was  produced by ” a couple of independent film makers out of concern and love for British Columbia.”  I posted it during the election,because  it beautifully illustrated exactly why Gordon Campbell is such a danger to the future of this province. Although the election is long over, the truth of this film remains, and must be heeded.  With the introduction of the HST, Gordon Campbell gave us the opportunity to change the course of this province, and we must grab it!

For someone like me, who was born and raised in the heart of British Columbia; who played and camped and fished in the rivers and lakes and mountains around my home, and know these areas as my own, it is horrific to watch this film and know within my heart that it will happen if he remains as our premier.

If there is one thing I would ask you all to do, it would be to watch this video, and send it to everyone you know, far and wide, including your American and international friends, family and colleagues.
You’ll see why if you click the Play button…

I took a look in my email box last night, and decided it was time to clean house and do a little round up and review of issues and stories from the last while. So, over today and tomorrow, there will likely be a series of posts so I can tidy up things a bit.

First off, I received an update from one of the striking HandyDART employees who tells me that the union, ATU local 1724,  asked the company- MVT Canadian Bus for binding arbitration, but the company has now rejected that idea.

Striking workers are now asking their riders and the public for support in pressuring Translink to persuade MVT to agree to arbitration.  Because Translink only pays MVT for the trips they actually provide, Translink is actually saving money as the strike continues. And interestingly enough, when you look at how the company operates, it would appear they may have little motivation to settle with the workers, because they don’t even own the HandyDART vehicles or pay the rents on depots – Translink does!  In essence, MVT is only having to continues to pay managers salaries,and doesn’t have to worry about lost money on idle vehicles or empty properties. 

The parent company, California based, MV Transportation Inc, bills itself as the largest provider of paratransit in the U.S.

Dedicated to the brave men and women who serve, and to those who have lost their lives in the line of duty…

May the families and friends of these young soldiers know peace within their hearts. Your loss, is our loss as a country.

4 Australian men face charges for nude frolicking at car wash

I was dreaming of my father last night, right before the thunderous rain against my bedroom window jolted me from my already restless slumber.

The dream was a real memory of mine, of something that occurred when I was very young – surely before I was 6 or 7, but without asking him, I can’t put a year to it exactly.It was in the early 70’s, for sure.  My father was working construction out-of-town again, having to leave us for months at a time just to make a living. That particular year, he had been gone a lot, and as Christmas neared, it became harder and harder to wait for him. We didn’t know if he was going to make it, because of the deep snow and cold, but if there was anything my dad could do to get home, I knew even then that he would do it. He was just that kind of guy. He never let us down.

The days passed, and as Christmas arrived, my father was nowhere in sight. I was devastated, until the moment I heard a truck come down the road through the snow,later that evening, bearing the two best Christmas presents ever – my dad, and Ballerina Barbie. 

 To this day, I have no clue how my dad managed to come home from up north through all the snow, and still find Ballerina Barbie somewhere in one of the little towns along the way. That was where the dream abruptly ended last night, but as I lay in the warmth under my covers, unable to sleep with the wind whipping the rain and trees outside, I marvelled at what kind of working conditions my father must have endured in those out-of-town construction jobs.

My father was a carpenter, and worked a variety of jobs while I grew up. He worked on dam up by Hudsons Hope one year, where my mother, brother and I lived in a tent trailer in a campground nearby during the summer so we could be close. He worked on other big BC projects that were built during the 60’s and 70’s, but things were never easy. Although I was too young to remember, my father told me once about a time that he was on strike – for a very, very long time. Strike pay was non-existant, yet the workers never gave up, strong in their union brotherhood support. That was back in the day where people became so angered that often fights would break out at union hall meetings. Everyone was desperate for an income, but the strike had to continue. He explained to me why the workers needed to fight for their rights and benefits:  to honour the people who had fought for the benefits and working conditions he had, and to protect the working conditions of those who would come after him.

I’ve always been proud of  my father, because of the lessons he taught me without even saying a word.Sometimes we do need to stick up for ourselves and others, just to leave something for those that come after us.  And as I go here and there, and talk to people on the street as I kind of really like to do, I’m realising that  we’ve reached those kind of times again, and the people have had enough.

They simply can’t take anymore, and everywhere I go, and every email I get from readers, is echoing that sentiment. No one can live on the $8.00 an hour Campbell thinks is a realistic wage  – and he had said he has no plans to increase it- mainly to avoid imposing costs on business! The irony of the Liberals throwing out money here and there for exorbitant Olympic expenditures, has created an aura of contempt among the public in the face of continuing social and educational cuts.  Toss in the HST and the crappy manner in which they decide to legislate the BC paramedics back to work and you see the pot begin to bubble closer to the rim….

In my opinion, people are not looking to a general strike not only to support hard-done by workers in this province, but as a matter of social justice against everything the Liberals have done in British Columbia. For some it might the low wages, for others, the cuts to special needs programs and assistance.

For me, and perhaps for others, it is the crappy, dictatorial manner in which he is systematically selling off and giving away our resources, our jobs and our future as British Columbians,  to outside corporate influences who care not one bit for the quality of life others have worked so hard in the past for us to enjoy now.

It has to stop, and we, the people of British Columbia, must stand up and take back our province. The time is now. Are you up to the challenge?

( For an interesting read, check out this link to an article titled: ” 25 years ago: British Columbia on the brink of a general strike”….  the times described bear a striking resemblance to our current unrest among both union and non-union workers in BC. Another article talks about the conditions leading up to the labour unrest in BC in 2004.  Tell me what you think.)

so, if you find yourself looking for something to read, why not go look at the archives, or Best of ?

I’ve got some cooking to do for dinner. Coming from a European family, nothing says I love you more than feeding someone the things they love, and in this house, that means caramel flattened whole roasted, crispy skinned chicken( yes, I love the skin best!), roasted winter veg, some gorgeous homemade bread that will torture all the neighbours while it is baking…… and last but not least, caramel apple pie…. time’s a wasting, so back to the kitchen!

 Be well everyone!

It get’s even better.

 B.C. comptroller-general Cheryl Wenezenki-Yolland released a report today, on the affairs and status of Translink and BC Ferries. The Sun has the full story HERE.

Among her findings:

TransLink is plagued by “significant operational issues” and has not done enough to manage its finances

(Remember, TransLink CEO Tom Prendergast just  announced his resignation, and will be leaving for a big,cushy job in New York yesterday)

…president David Hahn’s compensation last year was more than double that at larger public sector bodies. Executive bonuses also were easier to attain than auditors would have expected…

The board’s compensation is also “excessive,” with a retainer that is three to five times higher than permitted at B.C. Crown corporations…

The auditors’ concerns were compounded, they said, by the fact that the board decides its own pay scale, and approves executive salary without proper accountability.

Heck! Decide your own pay and show no accountability for it?  Where do we sign up?

No wonder we never have any bloody ferries running properly on long weekends and holidays.

I feel a storm brewing…and it’s not going to be a short one.

We have BC paramedics being forced back to work by a government minister so unscrupulous that he would sell off surgery spots - most likely in violation of the Canada Health Act – while thousands off people are waiting for surgery and treatment.

We have BC steelworkers who are angered by the provinces decision to award the BC place retractable roof contract to an out of province firm.

We have health care workers who are screaming at the latest move by Fraser Health to cut back even more services and staff, putting both patients and staff at risk.

And whatever you do, don’t forget about the HandyDart employees who are currently on strike in a labour dispute with their employer, MVT Canadian Bus Inc. – a subsidiary of MV Transportation Inc.

I received a letter from a HandyDart  worker last night, who has given me permission to publish it, and I think that these workers deserve some credit. Driving a HandyDart bus is not like driving a regular bus. The patients are often very ill, infirm, disabled or otherwise unable to use the regular transit system to get to treatments or appointments.  As such, the passengers require a lot of special care and treatment,not only with loading and unloading, but with timeliness of pick-up and drop-offs.  The decision to strike was not made lightly because of these customers, but at the same time, the workers must stand up for their positions.

Here is what one employee has to say:

Dear Laila:

I am a HandyDART employee.  I have almost 15 years invested in helping keeping the clients moving.  I have been a driver, a trainer, a booking clerk and a scheduler.  Each job requires hard work and dedication to helping with the transportation needs of the clients.  

 We were happy in our work and the clients were happy with HandyDART until MVT came to Canada.  Ever since MVT took over, the service has gone downhill.  

 The unrealistic expectations of MVT have created a system that is constantly running late, having passengers on board for far too long and often getting clients late to their appointments.

The seamless system they promised still has many passengers having to deal with transfers and being forced to travel at times they don’t want.

 MVT wants to contract out my job.  MVT doesn’t want to guarantee I will get full time hours, even though I am a full time permanent employee.

MVT does not want us to have a pension plan. 

MVT is trying to make money off the backs of Canadian taxpayers while at the same time trying to take away the livelihood of some Canadian workers. 

HandyDART is a taxpayer-funded custom public transportation system.

MVT is an American for Profit Company….where do you think Canadian tax dollars are going?   The USA; that’s where.  

 We need a swift resolution to the labour dispute so that our clients can resume going to their programs and appointments and the workers can get back to doing the jobs they love. 

MVT seems determined to squeeze every penny from the Canadians they can at the expense of you and me, the Canadian tax payer, HandyDART rider and HandyDART worker.

The workers are not the perpetrators of the current situation.  We are fighting to keep our jobs, keep our benefits, resume a pension plan that MVT took away, and earn a living wage. 

We need the public to put pressure on TransLink to find a resolution to this problem.  TransLink decided to award community a based service to an American company who has no interest in you, me or the community in which we live. 

Their only interests are statistics and money.

 Please. Help us to help you.

 Donna Rae

Clearly, there is a lot of discontent among many BC workers. Lay-offs, lack of job security, low pay… the list goes on. Non-unionized workers are having to slog it out as well, with hundreds of applicants all slogging it out for the same $8.00 an hour job.  The people can only take so much heat before the pot boils over, and I’ve heard more than a few suggestions of a general strike. I’ve heard other suggestions of boycotting companies and businesses that support the Liberal government.

 Throughout all of this, one thing is clear to me.

The people are speaking. Loudly.

The question is –  Will the government listen?

It’s Friday, and in my house  that means Show and Tell day in kindergarten. This requires a great amount of discussion on the part of my son while he decides what is going make the biggest impression on his little buddies. So far he’s ruled out the hamster, a fossil and the wood jet fighter we built together, but his large moon shell, the scar on his knee from his first bike wipe-out and my chunk of lava are still up for debate.

And myself? I need more coffee. A LOT more coffee…. ; )

Therefore,  you’ll have to check back later this morning for todays interesting look at yet another woeful tale of British Columbian $$’s being used to fatten up an American based company that is leaving local workers out in the cold.