Today, Bambi received the following tragicomic joke (see below). She laughed a lot, even if the situation is very sad. It is reassuring to see that the people of Lebanon still have their sense of humour.
Here is a translation of the joke: “Only in Lebanon… From Monday to Friday, a coronavirus lockdown, on Saturday civil war and on Sunday beach & Mishwee grills”.
To begin with, although not explicitly mentioned in the joke, as a result of its financial/economic crisis, followed by the covid-19 pandemic, there is hyperinflation. Although the Lebanese Lira (or pound) is said to be pegged to American dollar at about 1,500, a US dollar is worth around 4,000 Lebanese Lira. Many people, among those who still have jobs, earn about US$200-250 per month. Can you imagine?!
The joke sadly refers to what happened last Saturday:
The picture above was taken in Ottawa last Friday at an “anti-racist” demonstration in the middle of the covid-19 pandemic in which our PM has been talking to us daily from out of his residence.
One must recall that our Prime Minister and another opposition leader (NDP, if Bambi is not mistaken) considered that it is too risky to operate Parliament in the pandemic. However, the packed streets of Ottawa seemed OK now when Trudeau et al. wanted to signal their virtue.
When we read the mainstream media (funded by our government for a large extent) and we take a look at the picture above again, we cannot help not to be surprised at the contrast between this new narrative about Canada and the following message from her Majesty the Queen’s to us on January 1st, 2017 (just three years ago :)), taken from the Ottawa Citizen (https://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/trudeau-wishes-canadians-happy-new-year-queen-sends-message-to-welcoming-canada):
“I am delighted to offer all Canadians my best wishes and congratulations on the 150th anniversary of Confederation. Countries throughout the Commonwealth and, indeed, around the world, rejoice with you as you embark on this special year.
“Throughout the years, particularly since your Centennial year, I have watched Canada develop into a remarkable nation. You have earned a reputation as a welcoming, respectful and compassionate country.
“Fifty years ago, on the eve of the Centennial, I encouraged Canadians to continue to embody the values of equality, freedom and inclusion.”
End of the message of her Majesty the Queen.
After this form of public self-flagellation followed by some federal ministers sharing personal stories of “racism”, even within our institutions, one can wonder what Mr. Trudeau is up to, now that he has “politically used” the tragic death of Mr. George Floyd (in another country, one must say)? Bambi is asking this question, even if deep inside, he may be genuinely outraged like all of us? In other terms, what do they want us to swallow, as politics or ideas, besides the idea that we are systematically racist and unconsciously biased?
Once again, do our political leaders realize that they are creating “holy” or special groups or brigades of radicals. From an educational point of view, this is not a healthy way to approach “the values of equality, freedom, and inclusion“, to use our Queen’s own words.
On the contrary, this may backfire, one day. Indeed, from Bambi’s own experiences in another place that suffered from civil war, she can recognize the seeds that could turn into ingredients preceding dangerous times. Therefore, she is concerned that what is unfolding in front of our eyes may be a failed recipe where, without wanting to, we may encourage those who claim to be “oppressed” to become (more) radical. Some of the latter may consider that they are above any criticism or any rule of law. Some of these groups may push for extreme ideas that, even if they can appear appealing to some, they cannot be applied in real life (e.g., abolishing borders, police, prisons, governments, etc.). Some of these groups may be funded by organizations or folks who surely do not have our best interests at heart.
In life, extremists usually keep pushing and sometimes use “terrorizing” methods, if there is no common sense or no firmness pushing back, the end result can be ugly (an example that comes to mind easily would be the mindset and behaviour of Islamist groups that can take people, governments, or whole countries hostage).
If there is too much political correctness (and fear), this phenomenon can happen even faster. If no push back is happening, eventually we may see extremism [of opposite side(s)] occurring. Then, any push back would have to be even stronger. If both/all sides push back and forth strongly, we may easily become a large Lebanon… but at least in Lebanon there is true political and intellectual diversity. Perhaps this is what is allowing this tiny country in serious trouble to keep holding on?
Anyhow to come back to our beloved Canada, Bambi will conclude this post with one question: Is our approach to anti-racism still in the spirit of what our Queen referred to in her beautiful message cited above?
When our federal government invited Maritimers to welcome Syrian refugees. They immediately listened with such a beautiful welcoming preparation that took over a year around here in Sackville, NB, and in some nearby villages in NS. Arabic lessons were taught. People learned words that even Bambi did not know or forgot about ?. They were just amazing before welcoming our newcomers. So imagine after. Bless them!
Now, our government, media, and international organizations are telling them that they are systematically racist and unconsciously biased. Here they are walking in Yarmouth, Amherst, Truro (NS), in Charlottetown (PEI) and of course earlier in Moncton, Sackville, Fredericton, Saint John (NB), and St John’s (Newfoundland). You can see some pictures below.
Well for a bunch of racists, Canadians are just sweet!
A picture taken from Saltwire Network in Truro, NS (June 7, 2020)
A picture taken from Saltwire Network in Charlottetown, PEI (June 7, 2020)
A picture taken by the CBC in St John’s, Newfoundland a few days ago
Bambi just read the following tweet by her own sister, journalist/author Roula Douglas. She was deeply sad to read her beautiful yet highly disturbing comment about Lebanon. Why? Because Ms. Azar-Douglas is usually an optimistic person in life, like her…
Ms. Douglas’s quote literally means: “As far as I
am concerned, I am not Sisyphus (or Sisyphos). And the Lebanon Phoenix, I do
not believe in it anymore”.
In the Greek mythology, if Bambi recalls her lessons from high school well, Sisyphus was the king of Corinth (formerly Ephyra?). His punishment was to be forced to roll a huge boulder up a hill… then this boulder had to roll down every time it neared the top, repeating the action, over and over, that is for eternity.
This being said, the Lebanese capital of Beirut has been destroyed and rebuilt seven times. In other terms, it has been rebuilt from the ashes seven times in its history. This is why it is associated with the phoenix bird in mythology.
Ms. Douglas’ comment refers to the sad day of riots and of street fights in Beirut and beyond, it seems (with stones, insults… and heavy gunfire).
This happened today in two nearby neighbourhoods of the capital where citizens used to get into fights, especially at the beginning of civil war in 1975. Seeing fights there today must have been emotionally tough on many, including Bambi’s family.
As per the title of the article below from Naharnet, Bambi learned that it was about a silly religious insult. Bambi wrote “silly”, with all due respect to all involved. Luckily both religious and political leaders called for the utmost restraint!
This occurred on a day that was supposed to be a peaceful demonstration (the revolt is back on the streets). As a reminder, this “thawra” or “intifada” (revolt in English) began on October 17, 2019 to denounce political corruption.
Today, there has also been riots (just like what happened in the United States and in Berlin, it seems). Yes, thugs sometimes infiltrate demonstrations to provoke chaos ☹.
In the United States, it was perhaps easier to uncover those who may have been behind the riots. Bambi heard sad stories of people whose shops were destroyed. She heard this on the Mount Lebanon in Los Angeles internet music radio she listens to whilst working.
The American federal administration took the needed action to help states or cities who suffered from the destruction. Of course, if their federation works like ours, those cities or states would have asked for the help from the federal government in order for the latter to send extra armed forces.
In Lebanon, things are more
complicated and the risk of unrest, or even civil war, can be more imminent. Thank Goodness, the
Lebanese Army managed to control the situation fast, at least for today… but until
when?
This is why Bambi finds ideas like abolishing (or defunding?) police forces not only odd but also unrealistically dangerous:
We should reform and always
aim to improve our police forces, for sure.
We can perhaps aim to improve screening whilst recruiting new members. We can assess interventions or tape them. We can use tasers sometimes, if it is better, etc.
Even if most of our police
officers are amazing people who just want to protect citizens, some could
perhaps have psychopathic traits, who knows? A bit like people with pedophile
tendencies who get into scouts or churches in order to have access to kids
precisely whilst being in a position of trust. Thus, in a context of a protected
abuse.
Bambi is of course for reforms,
as needed and for best practices, etc. However, Bambi is also for allowing our
police officers to do their job and to be proud of their good job.
Yes, we need more education and prevention… but at the end of the day, we need police officers to stop criminals and to protect people, neighbourhoods, and populations.
Sadly, police blunder will always exist. Here, Bambi is not talking about the story of police lynching in Minneapolis. She is talking about mistakes that are bound to happen sometimes, despite the good intentions. Sadly, sometimes these mistakes result in the death of innocent citizens :(.
Whether we live in Lebanon, in Canada or anywhere else, the alternative to an absence of police would be chaos. Bambi prefers police forces to chaos, tribes, gangs, or militias. Today, she thanks the Lebanese army for having stopped those fighting on the streets.
Bambi is of course for the
education and prevention of disruptive behaviours, criminality, and/or strife.
However, we cannot always
prevent in life. Serious problems happen.
A sovereign country needs to have its security forces and tools to protect itself (an army, no illegal arms, demarcated borders with its neighbours, etc.). Sadly, Lebanon does not have this luxury because some entities, or neighbours, do not want to see it truly sovereign.
When there is no strong police
or army, tribes or militias usually take over or fight each other.
No to violence. No to chaos. No to destroying people’s stores, as they did in downtown Beirut today and in many cities in the United States lately.
People are already going through rough economic times. People are also in the middle of a pandemic. They do not need to lose their shops or businesses.
To those external forces who may be trying to provoke unrest, or even a civil war, to push their agendas forward, Bambi wants to say: hands off Lebanon!
To those “protesters” and “counter-protesters” who have been insulted by whatever words about their holy symbols or holy persons (insults to the Prophet’s wife, as per the article below), Bambi feels like saying the following: No one likes to hear someone they like, or believe in, being verbally insulted, we get it. However, please learn to have a thick skin in life, for God’s sake… or rather for your country’s sake!
“Here are the two brightest statements I have heard about racism.
Martin
Luther King: “I dream of the day when children will not be judged by the
color of their skin, but by their character. “
Morgan
Freeman: “The best way to fight racism is to stop talking about it. I
will not tell you that you are a white man, and I will ask you to stop saying
that I am a black man. “
RACE EVERYWHERE
Before, when the virus of political correctness and identity politics had not yet infected people, and when universities encouraged debate instead of protecting “little rabbits” [this is how Mr. Martineau calls/teases the Millennials” in his texts] from “bad thoughts”, anti-racists dreamed of a world where race didn’t matter.
A white man was like a black man and a black man was like a white man.
Today, some anti-racists have elevated race to the rank of a supreme identity marker.
Not only do these activists see race everywhere, but they only see that.
Race, race, race.
For them, race explains everything. It is the be-all and end-all of our identity.
It determines whom we are.
Unlike Martin Luther King, they do not judge people by their character, actions or ideas, but by the colour of their skin.
There would be a black way of thinking. A black way of viewing the world. A black way to vote. A black way of loving [Bambi will allow herself to add her own voice to the text here: as if there was one single group of blacks and they all have to think the same].
It’s funny, that’s exactly what some racists think: that there is a black “essence” that distinguishes blacks from whites.
Unlike the anti-racists of my youth, these new anti-racists do not want to abolish the concept of race. They want to magnify it, celebrate it, sublimate it.
Make it essential. Expand it until it takes up all the space.
I vote for someone because she is black. I listen to another person’s records because he is black, etc.
A TRAITOR TO HER RACE?
This week, on the QUB radio show (called “We don’t have to agree”), Varda said that, for her, the idea that black people should encourage black-owned businesses does not seem like the best way to fight racism.
Result: she was harshly attacked by activists on social media.
As if she were a “traitor to her race”.
As if there was only one way to be black!
As if black people should all think the same, all vote on the same side, etc.!
I’m sure Morgan Freeman would shake his head with sadness when he will hear these anti-racists speak. He would find their speech absurd, ridiculous.
Because Freeman does not consider himself a “good black actor”. But a “good actor, period”.
A HUMAN
George Floyd was killed because he was black. When his killer looked at him, that’s what he saw. Not an individual, but a black.
Now, when we saw Floyd being murdered in the middle of the street, we saw a human being dying before our eyes.
Mr. Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada (+ a couple
of his peers, Federal Ministers who behave more like a Council of junior high
school students sometimes), participated in an “anti-racist” demonstration in
Ottawa this afternoon.
Here is just one of the many media articles about this
story, in addition to Mr. Trudeau’s own official Tweeter account:
The picture above, which will surely soon tour the
world, speaks volume about the self-righteousness of our political elites.
It is also sadly a prelude to the dark years ahead of
us, both as a country and as a world full of radicalism and lack of substance.
Mr. Trudeau is just the symptom of where we are at in Canada
today and in our world.
He was at a demonstration organized by radicalized (not just “racialized”) groups. With his presence and theatre, he is encouraging the radicalization of our youth ☹.
Once again, this is no longer about Mr. George Floyd,
sadly ☹.
Some forces (unclear whom) have been politically using
this tragic story of police lynching to weaken our neighbouring country, Bambi
is afraid.
Mr. Trudeau with his theatre of silence, the other day, and posture today is shamelessly encouraging these forces.
At that demonstration, we can hear in the videos circulating
in the mainstream media people chanting anti-American (i.e. precisely anti-Trump)
slogans. He was there and his presence appeared to endorse.
When he knelt to the ground, was this genuine? Or just
another political drama?
Does he realize the meaning of his words, silences,
and postures?
Does he realize that whatever forces are trying to destabilize the United States to make it fall, Canada will fall with it (+ the Western world)?
We are doomed if he realizes it and does it on
purpose.
We are doomed if he does not realize it.
Mr. Trudeau, during the railway crisis, Bambi posted that, even if she has voted for you the first time (and historically almost always for your party), she thinks that you are perhaps the worst PM of Canada. Well, today, you have proved her wrong.
Mr. Ouellette was “a real joker, a handy man, a
good dancer, and a go-to man”, as his son Michel said.
He also seems to have had a good taste in hockey: a fan
of the Montreal Canadiens, as per the lovely screenshot picture above.
Bambi cannot help not to think of Henri, her friend Rita’s beloved uncle who lost his battle to covid-19 in Montreal in April (he was also in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease).
Bambi has dedicated a short dance video produced by the famous Caracalla Lebanese dance group during the lockdown to him, as a tribute from his country of birth. The latter also had a tough day with 50 new cases of covid-19 (after just a couple here and there), 42 cases in the same village infected by a repatriated expatriate who did not follow the health authorities’ instructions (quarantined herself for just 7 days only):
Today, if she may, Bambi would like to dedicate the following beautiful hockey moment to Mr. Ouellette. Bambi does not know if his favourite team had won this game. However, she recalls having enjoyed hearing Mme Ginette Reno singing our national anthem. Well, for you Mr. Ouellette, she will imagine that the Canadians had won following this nice singing moment!
May you rest in peace/“Que votre âme repose en paix”.
If this is Ms. Mohammad’s second visit to Sackville only, perhaps she should not be so self-righteous about our community?
Had she looked just across the street, she would have seen the delicious pizza place owned and managed by a Lebanese-Canadian family.
Around the corner, we have other delicious restaurants with ethnic food (South Korean, Italian, Japanese, Chinese a little bit further down, etc.).
Had she driven by the Bridge Street exist, she would have come across the business of a big entrepreneur in town also of Lebanese origins. This without mentioning the university’s, hospital’s, and schools’ own diversity.
As per the title of this post, everyone is busy earning a living or helping sustain the economy in pandemics. This even if everyone also and naturally wants our world to be free of violence, respectful, and welcoming to all.
Bambi does not know about others but she also hopes to keep seeing our community free of the coronavirus. Despite masks, are demonstrations across towns the wisest idea now?
The last time Bambi checked, climate change was the
hot topic in our town/country.
Today, it seems to be “systematic” racism.
Who is funding these demonstrations across our country?
Bambi’s own hypothesis is that all this may not be about the brutality to Mr.
Floyd at all, sadly ☹.
It may not be about Canada even. Just like climate change radicalism maybe, but
that’s her own personal hypothesis.
Anyhow, Bambi is not talking about the well-meaning
folks on the streets of Sackville for sure. However, without realizing it, all
these demonstrations are tools serving other purposes.
Who gains from politically using a tragedy like the torture/death
of Mr. Floyd ☹?
Or is it the long confinement and boredom that is pushing
people on the streets?
Who is with torture/brutality? Who is all for racism?
Do you know anyone who would be?
Why are we radicalizing our thoughts/ourselves like
that then, bringing the American issues to us?
The New Wark Times article refers to Ms. Robyn
Maynard. Bambi has expressed her thoughts about Ms. Maynard last year: For her,
this speaker was not the wisest choice made. She was not of high calibre like
the other much stronger speakers.
Ms. Maynard lectured us on “our” racism whilst she is a
stranger to the Maritimes and to our small town.
She knows nothing about our provincial social development
sector, our health sector, our schools, our police services, etc.
It is no secret to anyone that Bambi is not “local”,
even if she considers herself a proud Maritimer and surely a proud Canadian.
Although we are far from being perfect (no country, no
entity, and no human beings are), we are NOT systematically racist. Saying the
opposite would be delusional… or we would be once again emptying words from
their meaning.
We do not have systematic racist regulations (based on
race, etc.). We do not systematically discriminate, as Mr. Trudeau has unwisely
said.
Yes, some individuals here and there may be racist but this is not institutionalized.
In order to state something like that, perhaps our PM must assess it first and not repeat silly clichés or force his cliché into our brains. If he does not measure his soc-called systematic racism, perhaps it would be wiser to refrain from lecturing us about it.
To come back to Ms. Maynard, contrary to her, Bambi knows the attitude and the relations of Canadians/Maritimers with her own family members. For instance, she is involved in 2-3 different cultural or multicultural associations. She has diversity under her own roof and in her own/larger family (with over 8 different religions, some historically not getting along well). So, please give us a break Ms. Maynard and Ms. Lerch.
Bambi also knows how welcoming New Brunswickers are for
having been, with her spouse, foster parents for youth from all backgrounds,
including the African continent. They have also acted as host parents too.
Sackville and Moncton (+ Amherst) are the MOST welcoming and generous regions of Canada. The latter is a wonderful country… but it is being ruined in front of our eyes ☹.
Last bur surely not the least, Bambi and surely Ms.
Marilyn Lerch, if the latter recalls from their encounter in the United Church at
the memorial for the deceased mother of a friend in town (newcomers, escaping
from the Middle East). All the attendants were from different villages/towns from
NB and NS. Most were observant Muslims (clearly from their conservative
outfit). Once again, Sackvillians, including Ms. Lerch herself, showed their tolerance,
generosity and loving care to Bambi’s new friends.
Of note, Sackville welcomed this beautiful family first.
Then, later, the uncle who thank God managed to join them. Sackville also welcomed
another family from Syria and at least two others from Africa. Is this systematic
racism? Is this unconscious bias? Is this a micro-aggressive act of racism?
Bambi is still in contact with one of our Syrian
families who left us to another province (she acted as a translator. Now she
calls herself a friend). This amazing family is FULL of gratitude for Sackville
and its people, churches, university/students, official town.
If Sackville and Canada were systematically racist,
would they be full of gratitude like that?
If they hear about this demonstration, they will be surprised
and they may find Canadians being ridiculous, just like Bambi.
Before concluding this post, we learned tonight that a
former politician resigned from the Board of Directors of Telus for having said
that there was no systematic racism in Canada:
We are collectively becoming insane Bambi is afraid,
not systematically racist.
So, no Mr. Ivan Okello and Ms. Lerch (or perhaps your favourite politicians too), there is NO systematic racism in Canada. Saying the opposite would be not only false or silly narrative, it would be a crime in the long-term, if we Lebanonize Canada ☹.
Doing this to ourselves is precisely what made Bambi
escape from when she immigrated to Canada…
His name is Dr. Elmer Melvin Tory (1928-2020), Professor Emeritus in mathematics and computer science
at Mount Allison University.
His grieving family members are his “son Kevin
(Christine), grandsons Pavel and Michael, and several nieces and nephews”. “He
was predeceased by his wife Audrey, sisters Marjorie Tory and Lucile Peacock,
brothers Alan and Cecil, and daughter Heather Austin”: https://www.jonesfuneralhome.ca/obituaries/146729
Whilst lighting a candle for him, the hearts of Bambi and her spouse go to his family members’ hearts… May he rest in peace.
To honour him, Mount
Allison University lowered its flag to half-mast today, thank you.
All those who have
known him in our town are sad today.
Dr. Tory has enriched his field of research (“sedimentation of polydisperse suspensions”, publishing scientific “articles into his 80s”). He taught and mentored generations of students. He also invested time and energy, contributing to make his beloved university the best workplace it can be. For instance, he served on several university committees and acted in many roles within the Mount Allison University’s community (as a university as well as in the union of professors, called the Mount Allison Faculty Association or MAFA). This in addition to also having acted as the President of the Federation of New Brunswick Faculty Associations.
All the above is a
source of inspiration, thank you Dr. Elmer Tory!
However, perhaps even more meaningful than all this fantastic professional legacy is the humanity of Dr. Tory…. The “Elmer” whom Bambi and her spouse met 10-12 years ago. He was their (MAFA) party friend, so to speak. Celebration after celebration, term after term, they spent time chatting with him and sometimes laughing :). Elmer had a beautiful sense of humour in addition to his sharp mind and gentle presence. He was fun and everyone was fond of him, including them.
Obviously, we are
all going where Elmer went on May 27, 2020. It is called death and it is an integral
part of life.
We die, for sure, but when we do so, it is our reputation that remains eternal, transcending death (through memory). It is the human part of Dr. Tory that will be missed perhaps the most… The next MAFA parties will not be the same without you Elmer ☹ .
Bambi recalls how you once joked after your last birthday, telling us “that you have relatives who lived beyond 100 years. So, perhaps you have those good genes (for longevity)”.
You surely had the
“genes” of humanity/sweetness, so to speak.
Thank you for whom
you have been… Rest in peace now, please.
