A change in government must come through an election
By Lethbridge Herald on February 7, 2024.
Editor:
I received an email that my service provider rightfully put in my junk mail where it certainly belonged. One could continue to the attachments, however I did not.
Enough was seen through the media. The email was regarding the U.S MAGA extremist who was invited to Alberta by the premier.
I do believe in free speech, however for the premier to allow a foreigner to come to Alberta and advocate for basically the overthrow of our federal government by means other than a free election should be labelled as treason. It is more than shameful that the premier at no time questioned any of the foreigner’s ridiculous rambling but appeared to be enamoured and agreed with him.
It is understandable why the right wing media in the U.S fired one of their own. I assume that some of those who attended are like-minded as the premier and the foreigner (her base).
Hopefully most were only there as spectators. If Canadians want a change in government they will do it in an election.
Lawrence Dzuren
Lethbridge
9-8
Smith’s former Wildrose affiliates would no doubt disagree with you. Anyway, he , Carlson, is off cozying up to another authoritarian “leader” but from the opposite ends of the political spectrum. At least in this country you can still exercise the right to free speech, something denied in Russia . Tucker seems to be able to straddle both political worlds with impunity.
Yeh, he does, something you need to do as well, straddle all sides of the spectrum instead of just those you agree with. Broaden your mind. PS. Never did have FOX news so you can park that lame accusation.
Yet that’s where he went, Russia. While Russian news reporters state that they don’t dare question why Putin started the war because he is a pal of Donald Trump he was welcome. Trump still refuses to criticize Putin for what he has done and states that he would like Carlson to be part of his cabinet. Once again people who attended Carlsons talks saw that the majority were seniors believing the lies they were fed.
“At least in this country you can still excercise the right to free speach” I think Jordan Peterson would disagree with you because he didn’t!
Peterson was found by The College of Psychologists of Ontario to have violated its Code of Professional Conduct, a code that he had agreed to abide by.
Anyone who belongs to a comparable professional body would be subject to similar expectations, which typically include limitations on one’s speech (please take note of the correct spelling).
Yes a government regulated body! But his rights were still violated!
Note: A medal will be coming your way for spelling correction! YOU must be proud of yourself!
The spell check was a low blow. But given the insults you’ve thrown around here, I thought you might have taken my correction in stride, and not taken the bait.
If you think that free speech is absolutely free, you are sadly mistaken; just cast your mind back to Jim Keegstra.
I’m not saying that Keegstra and Peterson are two peas in a pod, but he – Peterson – did violate his professional body’s ethical standards.
As already stated, many professionals have are constrained as to what they can say publicly. But, maybe you’re not a professional so you may not appreciate that?
First of all ANY insults I have thrown around has been purely in self-defence! And PLEASE prove me wrong I can hardly wait!
Petersons right of free speech WAS violated and his so-called offence had absolutely nothing to do with his profession! And not one of his clients made a complaint against him! You can run the spin-cycle until you burn the motor out but we either have free speech in this country or we dont!
Regarding Peterson’s claims, I suggest you read the unanimous ruling from the three-judge panel of the Ontario Divisional Court on his request for a review of the College’s decision.
And as for your views on so-called free speech, you might take a dive into the Criminal Code and pay particular attention to the sections that place limits on one’s speech.
The idea that there exists total and absolute freedom of speech and expression in Canada is a Libertarian fairy tale.
The idea that there should be no guard rails on speech in Canada is a very scary one.
The keepers of the so-called guard rails and the power they entail is the scariest of all!
This will be my final comment. I was referring to legal guard rails, specifically those codified in the Criminal Code.
Surely you don’t have an issue with limits on hate speech, especially when it targets a specific group, or constraints on the advocation of Genocide or Antisemitism?
Wow! How tragic is it that someone would respond negatively to the statement that it is illegal to engage in hate speech, promote genocide, or engage in antisemitism.
What kind of person thinks those things are acceptable?
You outright get it wrong in your letter. Smith did not invite Carlson to Alberta.
Carlson’s event was organized by a group called Tine Public and has organized other events with such notables at Obama & wife, Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres. Subsequently anything you say after that is irrelevant.
Buckwheat is so right. Some mis-informed clown makes a statement and suddenly believes himself. Smith didn’t invite a nazi or a maga personality. I’m sure the Turdo government ( which is authoritarian) would not want to talk to Carlson. Too many hard questions
So why do you think she was dumb enough to be on stage with him? I know Peter Lougheed wouldn’t have been there he wouldn’t even appear anywhere Ralph Klein was he was so disgusted by what Klein was doing to the province.
Don’t split hairs — Smith sat on the same stage as Carlson, thus aligning herself with him.
Let’s not forget that in her opinion on McDougal v. Fox News, U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil wrote: “Fox persuasively argues, that given Mr. Carlson’s reputation, any reasonable viewer ‘arrive[s] with an appropriate amount of skepticism’ about the statement he makes.”
Is that really the sort of person our premier should be cavorting with? Is that the judgement we expect from elected officials?
So now when you call out an untruth, the left wingers like you cover up reality by accusing someone of splitting hairs. Lol. Pathetic. Yeh 16 minutes where Alberta’s interests were promoted and you left wingers wet your pants Bev Oda style. 16.00 orange juice. Ben Matlock, eh, more like Barney Fife.
My reference to splitting hairs was to point out that who or what body invited Carlson was quite beside the central point of the letter. Obviously, you jumped on the mistake as a way of discrediting and/or shifting focus from the main point. And that related to Premier Smith sharing the stage with Tucker Carlson.
Let’s not forget that Carlson is a man whose own former employer argued in open court is not to be taken be taken seriously. That’s not my or anyone else’s opinion. It’s what was argued in court as a matter of fact and was accepted by the trial judge as such.
And that’s not all. Carlson has advanced “The Great Replacement Theory,” saying that immigrants will make the US “dirtier,” supported Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, railed against the COVID-19 vaccine, even after he had been vaccinated, and he amplified on air conspiracy theories about election fraud while admitting privately he didn’t accept them.
I don’t have any issue with Carlson speaking in Calgary and Edmonton. If people what to pay the admission price, that’s their business. But Premier Smith is not just a party leader, she is the Premier and therefore represents Alberta and all Albertans.
How do you think Premier Smith sharing the stage with a person of Carlson’s character and with his baggage advances Alberta’s interests in any serious way beyond her base?
That’s my argument. So, rather than launching another ad hominem attack, what is your counter argument?
Your reference to Bev Oda makes no sense in the context of this conversation, but it is textbook misogynistic.
My wife and I know you can do better.
Lawrence , friends point out that once again it was seniors who supported it and likely believed the lies they were fed. The seniors in my world are so disgusted with them and the idiotic comments they come up with to convince themselves that they are a lot smarter than the rest of us. Showing no concern for our children’s future.
that folk actually still expect much of anything important to change via our present farce of an electoral/political process is astounding. where do we begin with all that is so entirely wrong? the corruption, waste, graft, inefficiencies, lack of any enforcement that comes from expensive audits, when those even occur. we have big corp interest lobbyists in the pockets of parties, most often former mp/mla puppets. we have an electoral system that returns majorities with an underwhelming MINORITY of the popular vote. one keeps expecting the bums we tossed for being corrupt, sleazy, wasteful bums, will do better when we vote them back in after we have tossed the present lot of sleazy, corrupt, wasteful bums…repeat process, over and over. then, one continues to believe they are supporting democracy when they vote, when in fact, they are supporting most anything but democracy. somehow, it seems to come down to people being far more accepting of sleaze, corruption, and waste when it is their favourite team overseeing it all.
Probably the most important and valuable comments made here. Respect earned biff.
right back at you! i have been appreciating numerous of your entries.
you may, however, heretofore be perceived as one of my numerous aliases here, by the odd cast of those believing they are uber-religious but are somehow are without heart and love in their outlook.
keep ’em coming – you serve up a lot of food for thought.