Meow everyone. Normally , a subject such as the Toronto international air show would not be covered in this blog space because , frankly, the air show is about entertainment , as well, a celebration of the freedoms we enjoy , something that came on , and continues so , on the backs of those who serve in our military. However, this year, some have decided that while they are here, recently, as alleged refugees, and here because of the kindness of hard working Canadians , THEIR rights and opinions should trump ours. Case in point. Recently a newspaper reported that some ” refugees ” objected to our air show and wanted it canceled because , THEY thought of it as oppressive. People, I cant make this up . Here is the link that so much as states this .
” …By
Welcoming refugees into our communities implies a responsibility to provide a safe environment for rehabilitation and integration. Yet next week thousands of our neighbours will be exposed to trauma in a spectacle most of us would do away with in the first place.
For most Torontonians the Canadian International Air Show is, at best, a nuisance. I have yet to encounter a neighbour with an even remotely positive opinion of warplanes making low altitude passes for days on end. The organizers realize this. According to their website, “Like all (…) events such as auto races, walks, marathons, bicycle rides for charity [the air show] may be seen as disruptive by some while being anticipated and enjoyed by others. We understand that the noise generated (…) may be a concern.”
The air show is nothing like a charity bike ride. In a city with a large population of refugee newcomers and people who have experienced the trauma of war it is insulting, invasive, and violent.
Last week the world was presented with yet another heartbreaking image from Syria: 5-year-old Omran Daqneesh, sitting bloodied, covered in dust, and shell-shocked after being rescued from the wreckage of an airstrike. Witnessing his trauma is made all the more painful by our inability to help.
We can’t stop the great power game of the Syrian Civil War. We can’t rescue all the children suffering the horrors of aerial bombardment. We have, however, proudly and publicly resettled thousands of Syrians. About 10,000 refugees from around the world arrive in Toronto every year. In 2017 the total will be close to 20,000 given the increased quota for Syrians. The federal government recently announced a significantly larger proportion of refugee newcomers.
I work with a new initiative called The Together Project. One of our goals is to help build social networks between refugee newcomers and Canadians. Our first public event was a large picnic in Dufferin Grove Park. There I met a father from Homs (an utterly decimated city) who told me how it had taken his family several months to enjoy sunny days and open spaces. In Homs, cloud cover meant less risk of high-altitude bombardment. A colleague recounted a story of a family resettled from Lebanon who sedated their toddler before leaving for the airport because the mere sight of a plane made her hysterical.
Integration is a dynamic process whereby newcomers and societies learn, adapt, and grow together. Host societies aren’t expected to fundamentally change to serve a minority group.
But in Toronto, people affected by war are not an insignificant minority. This includes newcomers who aren’t refugees, Canadians, and family members struggling with inter-generational trauma.
We accept the importance of trigger warnings to help fellow citizens avoid potential harm. For example, signs reading “Combat Veteran Lives Here: Please be Courteous with Fireworks” made the rounds of social media in the lead up to the Fourth of July.
Who is the air show for? Apparently, the organizers “understand that some people [ …] may find some of the aircraft loud” but ask them “to consider the benefits of the Canadian International Air Show to its fans.” Considering the undefined “benefits” accrued to “fans” as somehow comparable to the potential harm to members of our communities is simply indecent.
In the besieged city of Aleppo groups of children have formed “air defence brigades.” Their method: burning piles of tires to obstruct bombers. Take a moment to let that sink in as a childhood experience. Now imagine these kids’ reaction to the Snowbirds (“Canada’s National Pride in the Skies”) making passes over their new homes. I am sickened by the notion that children with acute PTSD will face three days of harassment in their place of refuge.
The Liberal government has done an outstanding job of capitalizing on Canadians’ sense of moral purpose. There is palpable relief that we can get back to our image of an open society playing a constructive international role. Yet we suffer from a deep dissonance. We congratulate ourselves for our humanitarianism, and tacitly condone selling weapons to authoritarian regimes that target civilians, represses civil society, imprison people for sexual orientation, and execute political prisoners.
Glorification of the tools of war is antiquated, regressive, and morally repugnant. It’s something we deride in other countries, and is contrary to everything good about Toronto.
Craig Damian Smith is a PhD Candidate in political science at the University of Toronto. He writes and researches on the politics of irregular immigration and refugee integration. Twitter:@craigdamian. … “
Now, let me go over a few facts omitted in the above story as linked . These so called ” refugees ” came here, and receive FREE housing, FREE food , FREE medical , FREE dental , FREE education, FREE transportation, FREE computers and , they received $ 2400.00 pr month over and above all that . Then once here, they further complain they what they are getting for FREE, is not good enough for them, and so, they want MORE. They come from cultures that openly admit to accepting and practicing pedophilia , they don’t consider rape a crime, they openly admit to and deny women the RIGHT to education , they openly state that women are nothing but property and should be treated as second class , and, they openly state that it is perfectly acceptable to abuse and beat women . THESE are the people that are invited and welcomed into Canada, and are treated better than those who spent a lifetime of service to their country. Then, those who question these people are deemed as racist and un-Canadian .
In a attempt to buy votes , our Prime Minister decided , AGAINST the wishes of Canadians , to import these people en mass , many of whom will no doubt either commit the above stated crimes, or are terrorists. He gave them BILLIONS of dollars in handouts , OUR dollars , to cover the costs of what I mentioned above. However, he totally ignored, and to this day, still ignores, CANADIANS who are senior citizens, who have spend a life time contributing to this country , and are forced to make due with $ 1400.00 per month . ( oh yes, that money has to cover all the costs that these rapefugee freeloaders get handed to them ) . He ignores our veterans who who have served and continue to serve our country , to preserve and maintain the freedoms we enjoy , many thousands who have died to ensure we have them . He ignores our indians who live in conditions worse that of third world countries have . He ignores our poor and our homeless many of whom are military veterans . But he ” found money to house rapefugess. Our people with disabilities are not even on his radar …. but while there is NO MONEY to help us, Canadians, Canadian who spent their lives working and contributing to Canada he, MIRACULOUSLY found BILLIONS to give away to people who have not so much as put one second of sweat into the betterment of Canada . He even gave $200,000,000 00 million dollars to Iran to help THEIR economy . Hey , Justin, what about Canada’s economy ????? What about CANADIAN workers, and jobs ?????
Canada was build in immigration , this is fact . However, these immigrants who came here , have contributed everything to make this country BETTER and would not have ever even thought of disrespecting this country by demanding that symbols of our military and those who protect us be canceled because, ” they are offended ” . So, to those of you rapefugees who came here as freeloaders, to sponge off our systems, and our citizens , and off the backs of those of us who bust our asses every day so you can have you free handouts , If you don’t like that fact that you are here for our freedoms, remember, those freedoms that ” oppress ” you, came upon the backs of those who were willing to die, ( many did ) so you can bitch and complain about how you want more handouts , and how ” oppressed ” you are . You can take your ” entitlement ” and shove up your asses . If you don’t like the fact that you here because of those who served previously, and do so now , to keep this country safe , here is some advice : Get out of my country and go somewhere where your backwards assed values are more in line with what YOU think you are entitled to . Don’t come here and bitch about to me and the rest of my countrymen about how you want more because you think you are entitled somehow. YOU’RE NOT. … And as you leave, and don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.
For the rest of you who value and respect that our Canadians who serve in the military should be respected , recognized and looked after, here are some of my photos from this years air show . I hope the rapefugees are and will continue to be offended such, that they will LEAVE. Which one of you rapefugees want a free ticket out of Canada ?
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