Carolyn Parrish

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
I wouldn't sell it for billion. Your local head shop likely has it though...tucked in there amongst Chong's Bongs and the Noam Chomsky books and Bobblehead Jesus.
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
17,467
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Location, Location
So, is it acceptable, as an elected representative of Canada, to be insulting and nasty to every foreign leader, or is it only GWB?

Is there any expectation of decorum from our elected officials, or are we content to have them all be as rude and ill mannered as Ms Parrish?
 

Ten Packs

Council Member
Nov 21, 2004
1,505
5
38
Kamloops BC
I'm with Ten Penny - do we lower ourselves to other's standards? Or do we set an example, by having a sense of pride and displaying decent behaviour?
 

Scape

Electoral Member
Nov 12, 2004
169
0
16
You can do that. In fact Canadians have been doing that for ages trying to ignore the huge elephant in the dining room. All that does is allow a buildup of disenfranchisement, apathy towards positions of power and out right resentment when their concerns are ignored long enough. Sweep enough 'irrelevant' opinions under the mat and eventually you end up with politicians of Parrishes caliber. It's not just GWB they are reacting to, his hubris is the catalyst to be sure, but there is a litany of legitimate grievances that are being either ignored or shoved to the back burner.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
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38
Winnipeg
I'm with Ten Penny - do we lower ourselves to other's standards? Or do we set an example, by having a sense of pride and displaying decent behaviour?

I don't know about you Ten Packs, but my parents had so much pride and such a sense of decency that we had a, "No war criminals allowed" policy in my house. We were also taught to speak out when we saw that something was wrong.

Why are we being told to remain quiet, to not speak out, and to welcome a war criminal into our house? Why is Parrish, or anybody else, wrong for speaking out against such a thing?
 

Ten Packs

Council Member
Nov 21, 2004
1,505
5
38
Kamloops BC
Well, if stomping on a figurine of a nations leader is acceptable behaviour for an elected official of my country, then something is wrong with my country.
 

Scape

Electoral Member
Nov 12, 2004
169
0
16
Yeah I heard the whip for the reform, er conservative party John Reynolds say that exact quote. Had to laugh at that one, ohhh no more doll stomping!!! Evil!! Musta been the black boots I guess that got him all excited. If all it takes is a stomp on a doll in a harmless comedy skit to get the cons all worked up, well I guess that says it all on how much homage they have for GWB. Sure they can say it's disrespectful, it isn't a big secret that GWB is a leader who is not well liked around the world so why should this come as a shock? Your either with us or against us bit has got to be shown up for the PR scam that it is and there is no other way to do it then by being direct and if that comes off as rude, well fuddle duddle.
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
17,467
139
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Location, Location
Hey Rev and Rick; Rick is correct. Personally, I think GWB is a moron and a danger to the world. However, I am a private citizen, and therefore free to express my opinion. If I were an MP, I would feel constrained to behave with some dignity and common sense.

There are certain expectations of those elected to high office. What is interesting, though, is that the straw that broke the camel's back was her blatant non-loyalty to the party and its leader. None of the parties would tolerate that.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
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Winnipeg
I don't think she's lacking restraint though. I think she's shown great restraint by not calling him worse and been eloquent enough to reflect the views of a large portion of the Canadian people who are having their views ignored by the Martin government.
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
17,467
139
63
Location, Location
Consider this. Ms Parrish is/was a school teacher. Assuming that she returns to school, would it be appropriate for her to call, say, another teacher a moron in front of her class? Should she be allowed to stand up in class and say she hates the prinicpal, and she doens't care what the hell he does?

What rules of behavior would apply in the classroom?
 

TenPenny

Hall of Fame Member
Jun 9, 2004
17,467
139
63
Location, Location
By definition, yes. And Ms Parrish seems unable to behave like one.

I'm just wondering if there is some standard of behavior for elected officials? I certainly have standards that I expect from them.
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
I'm just wondering if there is some standard of behavior for elected officials? I certainly have standards that I expect from them.

Judging by the way world leaders and governmental officials have acted, there are no standards. If you look at the things Parrish has said and the context in which she has said them, they are not out of line.

What if Martin comes to the Netherlands and for example our minister of Foreign Affairs Bot called him a "moron" (presuming he has grounds to believe so). Do you think that is appropriate?

Depending on the context it could be. Depending on the context I might cheer Bot on.
 

Paco

Electoral Member
Jul 6, 2004
172
0
16
7000 ft. asl and on full auto
Reverend Blair said:
At the risk of drawing the ire of apologists for the Bush regime and those who do not have faith Canada's ability to stand on its own two feet...."Way to go Carolyn, I hope you get re-elected."

While the right cringes every time Ms. Parrish speaks, and Paul Martin was so mad that he fired her from caucus while in a minority government, Ms. Parrish is simply giving voice to the feelings of a lot of Canadians.

George Bush is a war-like man. The American government, when unilaterally forcing agreements on other nations, are bastards. It would take a coalition of idiots to push for a missile program that doesn't work, has caused a new arms race, and is designed to usher in the weaponisation of space.

I'll go a little further than Carolyn has. George Bush is a coke-head and a drunk who has made the world a more dangerous place through his unilateralism and greed. He's a war criminal and a danger to humanity. He belongs in a prison cell or possibly should be sent back to Texas where they still execute the mentally challenged murderers.

Now more than ever we need voices like Ms. Parrish in the House of Commons, in the national press, and in all facets of Canadian life. That those who would sell this country out for a few pieces of silver in their own pockets are so desperate to muzzle such voices shows only their own selfish motives.

If Bush is so warlike and crazy, do you not fear Carolyn's remarks? Wars have begun over much less insults than hers.

Isn't the real reason she was fired is because her remarks can and have caused a decline in international relations between the countries? Do Canadians want MP's to speak freely even though it might damage your standing with the international community? What if a conservative MP said something that caused another country to condemn Canada at the UN?

Just curious...
 

Reverend Blair

Council Member
Apr 3, 2004
1,238
1
38
Winnipeg
If Bush is so warlike and crazy, do you not fear Carolyn's remarks? Wars have begun over much less insults than hers.

No. I do fear Bush's warlike tendencies, his greed, his smug violence, his mental illnesses, his unthinking arrogance. I do not fear the remarks of those who speak out against Bush though.

Isn't the real reason she was fired is because her remarks can and have caused a decline in international relations between the countries?

It's odd...she was elected before Bush. She was in government during Clinton's time in office. US/Canadian relations were fine then, and Parrish wasn't being crucified. Bush came to office and Parrish stayed quiet until he started trying to take over the world.

Who is the problem in US/Canada relations here? It looks like it's George W. Bush and his gang of war criminals that are the problem to me.

Do Canadians want MP's to speak freely even though it might damage your standing with the international community?

The majority of the international community agrees with Carolyn Parrish. Why did you re-elect a president who the majority of the world hates?

What if a conservative MP said something that caused another country to condemn Canada at the UN?

That's why we didn't elect L'il Stevie Harper.

The flaw in your logic is that Parrish is not getting us condemned in the UN. She is speaking out against a country and a man that defied the UN and started an illegal war.