Category: Sackville’s Memorial park

OK, let Bambi be clear: There is nothing funny about seeing one of the most welcoming and truly progressive places in the entire world being constantly misunderstood, mischaracterized, linguistically and culturally attacked!

Second, let Bambi be also clear: we have all the rights to not like a place, a culture, a group, a person. Perhaps this is what Dr. Amir Attaran (from the University of Ottawa) suffers from in addition to an absence of nuances despite his HIGH intelligence! Despite his good intentions, he may be blinded by his wokeism. Anyhow, Dr. Amir Attaran is a Professor of Law and Medicine. Bambi regularly reads and enjoys reading his tweets, even those that disturb her as they insult her Québec.

One of his best tweets ever is pinned by him and every time Bambi reads his response to a critic by someone, she laughs and finds him funny.

Bambi also likes all his relevant comments about pandemics, vaccines, constructive criticism, etc.

Of course, he has strong opinions about the USA, about Canada, about Québec, etc. Bambi does not share many, if not most, of them… but Bambi thinks he is free!

So is Professor Verushka Lieutenant-Duval, mind you! She committed the error of apologizing for having used the so-called N-word in an educational setting. She also did not benefit from the support of neither her high administration, nor of some of her colleagues.

Academic freedom and freedom of expression must apply to all. No double standards.

Same for anti-racism. It must apply to all. No double or even triple-standards.

Lately, Dr. Attaran called Québec the “Alabama of the North” and accused a respectable Opposition political party called Parti Québécois of celebrating the birthday of Hitler, of using anti-semite slurs, and N-words… just because its Leader, called Mr. Plamondon, publicly complained about his “Québec bashing” (and will write an official letter to the University of Ottawa’s President, Mr. Frémont). Sadly the other Opposition party called Québec Solidaire seems to have lost its beautiful left-leaning tendency about true social justice to replace it with wokeism (or so-called racial justice; in other terms divisive identity-politics).  

He is free… even if he is highly disrespectful for Québec. He calls the latter’s Prime Minister white-supremacist ? and he tells the world in his tweets that Québec resorts to medical lynching of “racialized” patients (BIPOCs, etc.). Maybe there has been one or two… or 10 or more cases of racism. Maybe the latest (sadly also tragic one) is still under investigation. Maybe some are more due to incompetence than racism?

Anyhow, in today’s world, words have been emptied of their meaning. Plus, who knows? You may not like Québec yourself. You may be into wokeism… or you may see a merit and a ridiculous aspect in all the above. Regardless, Bambi hopes you still have a sense of humour to appreciate the brilliant cartoon of Mr. Yannick Lemay from the Journal de Québec. It is about two University of Ottawa students discussing their new courses. One asks: “What course did you register in?” The other student answers: “Introduction to Québec bashing!” ?.

Can the world help those (Lebanese politicians) who do not want to help themselves or rather their citizens (democratic processes, reforms to address corruption)?

To what extent can the still more solid yet struggling countries of the world help other more vulnerable states? Should they keep doing it, especially without any anti-corruption reforms?

Until when will Paris, Washington, London, Ottawa, and all the countries and entities of the world (UN, Vatican, etc.) keep urgently calling for the Lebanese politicians to go into elections and to form a new government?

And what if Lebanon goes into elections? Will these elections be transparent and honest… or will history repeat itself, at least with some candidates?

And what if the elections are the most democratic in the world, will the Lebanese citizens choose to re-elect the same sectarian and/or corrupt politicians?

What about those honest politicians or aspiring politicians who truly want to be able to save their country? Will they be able to do so?

What about all these innocent people (not connected to any of the words starting with “M”, namely mafia and/or militia)? They are hopeless because their politicians collectively failed them.

Is it too much to ask for a basic quality of life in 2021?

It may seem odd, anti-environmental, and not very civilized to burn tyres in the middle of streets and to block highways and roads. True… but do these people have any choice?

It is surely sad to watch from far away and see a Red Cross ambulance carrying a Covid-19 patient stuck in the traffic. Bambi watched a Naharnet news video with citizens carrying one senior sick woman on their own backs between the cars.

Well, Bambi will stop here… as there is nothing much that could be said about the tiny, bankrupt yet dignified Lebanon… but until when?!

Why should history have to repeat itself? Why should the problems of countries of the Middle East and elsewhere become the reasons of massive immigration to other welcoming, beautiful countries (European mainly, but also here in North America, in Africa, South America, Australia/New Zealand, and elsewhere…)?

Shouldn’t we help countries save their own issues in their own places first?

If we do not do this, older, recent, and new immigrants will all keep singing songs like the following one… beautiful yet very moving words (French with English subtitles). It is entitled “Adieu mon pays“. Thank you Mr. Enrico Macias for your immortal talent!

Is there a life conspiracy against French literature teachers?

Yesterday, our world lost Professor Nadia Jammal (she died in Beirut).

Today, we lost you Professor Khalil Smeira (you died in Montreal).

Of course, that was meant to make you both smile from heaven… The SAD reality is we are in the middle of a Covid-19 pandemic. Bambi is still speechless as this tiny yet mean coronavirus took your life too early :(. We are ALL mourning your loss DEAREST Khalil (Mr. Smeira)… from as far as Beirut, Lebanon and all the way to Montreal, Québec and Sackville, New Brunswick.

It is unbelievable how your survived wars, Montreal winters, surrealistic port explosions, pandemics in broken countries…. and recently managed to make it safely back to your beloved Canada to be with and take care of the rest of your family. You literally gave your last breath caring for your beloved spouse (and indirectly/directly for your children and grand-children…).

You recently became a grand-father to your/our cutest Baby Lucas. Welcome to him and good-bye to you… you are now his angel, watching over him and all your loved ones!

Bambi’s heart is heavy with sadness yet light with gratitude and love toward you and your family. This love that transcends incredible war-memories together. This love that transcends geographic distance… and even death!

Bambi’s dad and mom are deeply sad today. Yet grateful to life for decades of friendship. Same for Bambi’s sisters. Same for Bambi’s spouse who had the chance to meet you/your family. We celebrated weddings, summers, and beautiful memories.

Dearest Mona, Chady, Ralda, Rayan, and Rawad (+ families) as well as your uncles, cousins, aunts, those still with us, those who left us too early too…. To your friends, colleagues, students, and former trainees, living in Lebanon or in Canada. All of us in Québec and in Atlantic Canada, we are one heart, one tear, one prayer with you…

May you rest in peace Khalil. May this pandemic know how to end. May we all collectively contribute and keep contributing to making it end.

For those who do not read Arabic, Bambi will translate this beautiful sentence at the very start under the cross sign. It reads: “Those who believe in me, even if/when they die, they will live“. It may not mean much to those who do not believe or share this faith…. but for Bambi this piece of wisdom actually transcends humanity as it is simply about hope… Hope of something larger than our own little egos. This thing (or this so-called God, G-d, Gods, Creator, or whatever you wish to call it) is all about love that has the potential to overwhelm our hearts and we simply melt in it, if only we want to be open to it or welcoming. Love is selfless. Love is all about forgiveness. Love is kind. If we believe in love, we will be eternally remembered… and thus, we will live even when it is the time to die.

Bambi loves you Khalil and Mona et al. She was blessed to have the chance to tell you so to both of you a few weeks/months ago. She is grateful to life and also proud of herself to have taken time to jump to see you whilst on a 2-day trip. We laughed. We took pictures. She even had the chance to meet your adorable grand-daughter :).

To conclude this post meant to pay tribute to Mr. Khalil Smeira, Bambi will end with two stories. One dramatic and one too funny :).

First the dramatic memory: Bambi and one of her sisters got stuck in your elevator in the darkness under the sudden and heavy shelling. The incident was scary, especially for two young girls. It is your voice Khalil and your tenderness that kept us hanging on. Thank you!

And now the funny moment is related to the French language. Professor Smeira asked one student who was being disturbing in the classroom to leave to go see the school Director. He ordered him the following: “Assez maintenant. Prenez la porte SVP“. This means: Enough is enough. Get out and see the school director, please. However, “prendre la porte” literally means “take the door” 🙂 (although the true meaning is: “Get out of the classroom”). Well, it was a historic school with those old doors that could be removed easily (especially after shelling and sadly casualties…). The student was a large guy with a big sense of humour. He stood up, managed to remove the door, and carry it on his shoulders whilst walking in the hall to go see the director. Everyone laughed… including Mr. Smeira (who had an elegant sense of humour in life) and Bambi’s brother-in-law who was his student. Bambi sends her condolences to him, hoping this funny memory will comfort him too.

Rest in peace our Dear Khalil Smeira. Your memory will surely be eternal!

Yesterday evening, one of Bambi’s dear friends from Ontario shared a moving news video with her. In it, we see a senior citizen with his eyes full of tears, looking at his bank branch, whilst explaining to a journalist that he made plans to leave his Lebanon. He reported that a bank employee told him that the capital control is not the bank’s fault, but rather the government’s problem. Regardless of his confiscated money, can you imagine yourself having to emigrate in order to start your life all over again, not at age 27… BUT at 72 years old? And we are in a pandemic, by the way!

This senior Lebanese resident, in as much as he made Bambi have tears in her eyes, is perhaps “lucky” in his misery: He has the papers that allow him to dream to leave/leave the chaos, contrary to many of his fellow citizens or residents who are literally “stuck” in a country with an economy in a free, harsh fall.

Usually in life, the economy and national security of a country go hand in hand. When you have faith in a secure place, you invest in it. When you have an economically stable (enough) country, there is an increased social security. In turn, social security contributes to stabilizing the economy, etc.

You can imagine the risks that Lebanon is facing now, whether from external or internal forces, pushing it here and there, and/or perhaps even from an expected and understandably increased crime rate, simply meant to eat. Yes, to eat to survive or to feed one’s family.

Indeed, many months ago, Bambi posted a story about people breaking into a house to… just steal food from the fridge. No, not even the iPads, phone, or laptop on the table… just FOOD!

Another older story was about a man who stole a supermarket shopping cart from a woman about to put her grocery bags in her car. The story is accurate. It happened in the neighbourhood of Bambi’s parents. Had this man not been desperate to feed his family, he would have not resorted to deceiving this woman by telling her that they are calling her in the store. He took advantage of this moment to steal her paid food.

Well, these real stories may be older. However, this morning, Bambi learned from a loved one and from L’Orient Le Jour that the Lebanese pound (or Lira) passed the LL15,000 to the US dollar mark. Remember, a couple or a few days ago: It was LL10,000:

French (followed by the Google translate English version):

https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1255490/la-livre-passe-la-barre-symbolique-des-15-000-ll-pour-un-dollar-la-rue-se-mobilise.html

English (thank you Google translate!):

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1255490/la-livre-passe-la-barre-symbolique-des-15-000-ll-pour-un-dollar-la-rue-se-mobilise.html

And this is from yesterday’s edition of L’Orient Today (the English version of L’Orient Le Jour):

https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1255379/protesters-block-roads-across-lebanon-as-the-lira-drops-to-another-all-time-low.html

If Bambi understood well (Financial Times and chat with her loved one, etc.), it seems that the minimum monthly salary is worth US$42 now and the salary of the Prime Minister and/or President of this country is worth less than US$1000.

What’s next for tiny, bankrupt yet lucid and usually eternally resilient Lebanon?

Will the Phoenix bird (legend of Beirut, Lebanon…) still have the energy AND means to rise again from its ashes?

In its oddly named section called “Being black in Canada” (of course without an open readers’ comment section) we learn from the CBC the following about the province of New Brunswick:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/black-racism-new-brunswick-1.5948603

“The Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour says it will spend about $85,000 to create a team of researchers, including members of the New Brunswick Community College, the president of Black Lives Matter New Brunswick and two professionals.”

Furthermore, our Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister, Mr. Trevor Holder informs us of the following: “We know that systemic racism in New Brunswick is a significant issue and our government is committed to addressing it”.

So, here are some burning questions that Bambi can spontaneously think of now:

1. Why are we conducting a research study if we already know its conclusion?

2. It costs $85K just to create a team of “researchers? Isn’t this too expensive? Is it a good use of our public funds? Related to this, from where does this funding come from? As a non-expert citizen, Bambi is curious. Is she the only one?

3. Who is truly in charge of setting the research and societal agenda (report and recommendations, etc.) here: Mr. Martin (i.e. CEO of the BLM NB organization) or Mr. Holder (i.e. our majority government)?

According to Mr. Martin: “From every organization I’ve spoken with in regards to health and education, justice and social development, they are very [much] looking forward to these outcomes and being able to implement them and to begin dismantling systemic racism.”

4. One final question begs itself here and this brings Bambi back to her first question: What is “systemic racism”?

To conclude this post, a first logical step in a research process is to begin by defining a concept before looking at any metric related to it: What is? How do we measure it? What could be its so-called indicators, barriers, facilitators, etc. For instance, a cheaper alternative to this study could have been to have a scholar or teams of scholars conduct what we call a “concept analysis” on the meaning of this term to reach a clear or full consensus definition.

Another more constructive alternative approach (in the long-term at least…) could have been perhaps an approach similar to Québec…?

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1872926275564

Bambi listened to this most wonderful song in her playlist the other day. Today, she wants to dedicate it, first and foremost, to her loved ones across the ocean. Someone in particular will be likely smiling whilst reading this post… Well, this is to our beautiful singing memories in the car in Dutch, French, English, or whatever other language :).

Bambi would like to take this opportunity to also send this song to loved ones celebrating their birthdays today in Canada and Lebanon. Happy Birthday!

She will also send it to her own dad (he knows why)… and mom! To our beautiful family memories and also to those more dramatic memories related to war and to this beautiful city.

Of course, this song also goes to her Dear friend in Montreal… this is the place where our friendship and Canadian journey began together on a certain June 16/17, 1990….

Last but not least, Brel’s beautiful words are also and especially dedicated to friends/family who may be going through more rough times in our pandemic times.

May everyone be safe and sound… May music, health, healing, peace and love always prevail!

Bambi came across yet another thoughtful article by columnist, Dr. Joseph Facal, published today in the Journal de Montréal. Here is a quick translation:

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/03/13/universites-chante-en-chur-ou-tais-toi-sinon

“People outside academia have a hard time understanding what is going on there.

First, because it’s hard to believe.

Then, because the first instinct of university leaders is to put the lid on the pot.

Alliance

The gospel of Wokeism sweeping our campuses has three points:

“I suffer, therefore I exist.”

“I have to be right since only I can understand how I feel.”

“The freedom of expression to express disagreement is a weapon of the dominant to perpetuate his domination.”

The mistake of outside observers is to believe that this is confined to a handful of enthusiastic students and teachers turned gurus.

They do not see the establishment of a bureaucracy charged with tracking down supposed sins against this religion and re-educating staff through compulsory sessions.

Concretely, this takes the form of so-called “EDI” policies, aimed at equity, diversity and inclusion.

Presented like this, hard to be against. But we know where the devil lives.

These bureaucrats often have student associations as allies.

This alliance takes advantage of the fear of teachers and students of ending up on a blacklist.

At Laval University, under the leadership of Rector Sophie d’Amours, management has taken a courageous stand against censorship.

It will be accompanied by an EDI policy.

Last month, the graduate student association hosted a discussion on Zoom.

A student says that trans women should not be opposed to non-trans women in sports, that we should be able to make fun of all religions, that we can use the word “negro” in certain circumstances, and that we should not ban the words “man” and “woman” just so as not to offend a non-binary.

Here are excerpts from the email sent to her by the student association:

“[…] you made comments that were deemed unacceptable to the participants and to our moderator. These comments were sometimes racist, sometimes sexist, or even transphobic. Several members present felt hurt by your words […], we hereby warn you that we will no longer tolerate interventions of this content in the future. “

The student wanted to know exactly the incriminating comments. Impossible, he was told, since the session had not been recorded.

Feelings

Also in Laval, the student association in international studies and modern languages ​​elects, during the General Assembly, a person named “the guardian of feelings”.

The statutes specify that this person “has the right to take a priority turn in order to address relations of domination or discomfort […] during the meeting”.

You can “go to the person at any time … to let them know about unease related to unpleasant attitudes on the part of a member or the terms used.”

“This post arose out of feminist demands aimed at deconstructing the relations of domination stemming from sexism, racism and homophobia. “

Right now, believe me, people who think otherwise are crawling close to the ground and whispering to each other.”

This morning, Bambi called her parents in Beirut to check on them. They got their second vaccine dose yesterday after precisely three weeks since their first one. Note that this took place in their destroyed and now partly rebuilt hospital. Thank God and bravo for this inspiring yet not surprising resourcefulness! Indeed, the rest of Bambi’s beloved senior family members are or will also soon be more protected from the coronavirus with a second dose of vaccine. Sadly, this was not the case for too many people, both seniors and younger ones, who lost their lives, even shortly before the availability of vaccines (developed in a record period of time, thanks to the clever scientists of our world). May they all rest in peace.

Isn’t Beirut a strange place? On the Covid-19 battle front, the vaccine distribution seems to be going relatively smoothly (i.e., ironically and apparently, even faster than in Canada)… but on ALL the other fronts, the lives of Lebanese residents have been described by demonstrators as being a “slow death” (original longer part of this English France 24 documentary shown below).

Indeed, and to conclude this post, Bambi would like to thank her friend Joëlle for sharing this brief heartfelt appeal about Beirut by Ms. Sarah El Yaffy. After listening to the latter, Bambi is speechless… there are no words that could be added beyond Ms. El Yaffy’s message to the world, but is anyone listening (starting with the Lebanese politicians themselves!)?

Before going to sleep, Bambi would like to share a quick translation of an article published today in the Journal de Montréal and signed by Dr. Joseph Facal:

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/03/11/cest-une-erreur-de-surproteger-nos-jeunes

For those who do not know this author, he is a highly respected academic (trained in politics and sociology), a journalist, and (a former?) politician in the Belle Province. As you can guess, he has mentored several trainees over his career [École des Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC) de Montréal and Concordia University], in addition to being a devoted father.

Bambi will not spend much time commenting his article. No, not because it is getting late. It is rather because Facal’s column speaks for itself. Whether we agree or disagree with his insights on education in the broadest sense, it is food for thought.

Without further ado, below you can find Dr. Facal’s translated words on how today’s society may be overprotecting its youth to the ironic point of contributing to hinder their growth, as human beings or citizens.

——

“The day before yesterday I wrote that I didn’t like our exhibitionist, whining and hypocritical era.

Meghan Markle’s interview with Prince Harry embodied them to the point of caricature.

I will clarify my thoughts now.

My parents instilled in me, less by their words than by their example, a few fundamental beliefs.

Shift

The trials we face and overcome build character and strengthen us.

Emotions are important, legitimate, but should not take up all the space and should be tempered by reason.

Human beings are complex. We must therefore be sensitive to nuances and not see everything as an apocalyptic confrontation between an absolute Good and an absolute Evil.

What has survived the centuries has proven its strength and, without necessarily approving it, must be treated with respect and with a concern for understanding its raison d’être.

Great artists, great entrepreneurs, great scientists, great political leaders have gone through hardships, fought battles that have forced them to draw on the best of themselves.

They often questioned themselves without giving up their nature or their ambition.

They knew where they came from. When they rejected the past, they knew exactly what they were rejecting and for what reasons.

Now, what do we see today?

Is an exam difficult? We make it easier.

Is a book disturbing? We take it off.

An inconvenient debate? The professor apologizes.

A youth expresses his feelings, his fragility?

You have to bend, adjust your environment, not hijack it, especially not say: hey, that’s fine, stand up and walk off.

If this youngster divides the world into good guys and bad guys, if he sees oppression everywhere, we shouldn’t reframe him, but rather question our own “unconscious biases.”

Perhaps it is he, from the height of his vast life experience, who sees more clearly than we do.

All of this is undoubtedly a consequence of a society in which many children are raised in cozy comfort.

Children who grow up in Africa or in our poor neighbourhoods have little time to probe their souls or censor works.

Don’t misunderstand me: I don’t blame youth.

It is their seniors who decide in the media industry, in education, in social services.

It is also not easy to be 20 years old today: uncertain future, academic competition, toxic social networks, etc.

But it is precisely because their future will be difficult that the way we go about it is bad.

Fault

A relative told me that instead of preparing youth for the road, we prepare the road for them.

Instead of strengthening them, arming them for life, we try to remove the uncertainties, we overprotect them.

A muscle strengthens when it is called upon. If it isn’t, it atrophies.

That goes for character, right?

Sorry, but we’re headed in the wrong direction”.

We learned this week (Le Figaro and AmoMama) that Professor Samuel Patty, who was brutally murdered in France by a young radicalized Islamist, was also the victim of a lie. Yes, a simple lie by a student who accused him of having taken Muslim students out of class to show the Charlie Hebdo cartoons. In fact, it turned out that she was not present on that day:

https://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/assassinat-de-samuel-paty-l-adolescente-a-l-origine-de-la-polemique-avoue-avoir-menti-20210307?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1615137392

https://amomama.fr/252660-meurtre-de-samuel-paty-jai-menti-confess.html

While the responsibility clearly and primarily lies with the murderer, it was a somewhat predictable consequence of her lie. This shouldn’t be the case, but unfortunately is in today’s France. As such, there is heightened responsibility for such statements.

This tragedy shows us one more time that facts (= evidence) DO and SHOULD matter in life. As lawyers, researchers, journalists, and as reasonable, logical citizens, this is what we must examine first and foremost in life to be as fair as possible to all.

For all possible reasons, younger or older people may resort to lies (i.e., perhaps in this story, there is a family context. Who knows?). In life, lies can be white or more serious. Regardless, the problem here is not the lie of this student in reality. It’s perhaps more how institutions, companies, communities, or entire countries forget that they have the responsibility to commit to facts and reason/logic… It is only facts that allow us to be as fair as possible to all parties and in challenging situations like this one.

May Mr. Patty rest in peace. May his family members find peace in their hearts… May everyone, young or old, pause to reflect on the consequences of their words or their quick (mis)judgment… The life of innocent people, like Mr. Patty, can be at stake.