They pick the wrong people. Here’s one guy I wouldn’t cry too much about if he got beaned with a brick:

Jesse MacBeth

The odious Jesse MacBeth made a splash on the anti-war front when he claimed to be a former Army Ranger who personally had participated in war crimes.

It was all a lie, of course. MacBeth had enlisted in the Army, but was discharged before even completing basic training for “unsuitability.” Soon after, he hooked up with Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) and started his campaign of smears against the good names of oh-so-many fine American soldiers. When he was quickly shown to be a fraud, he was subsequently prosecuted for receiving VA benefits to which he wasn’t entitled. Trust me, the punishment wasn’t severe enough.

MacBeth now claims he was a patsy of IVAW. If he wasn’t a lying liar, his story would have a good deal of credibility. John at This Ain’t Hell.. has been the go-to guy on this topic, literally for years. He’s made it his personal mission in life to hold these turds accountable. You do not want John to focus on you in that manner. Go visit John and give him some thanks for the great job he does following up on this loser and the horrible people at IVAW.

Crossposted at my place.

But I heard the comment on the show and at the time I actually thought I misheard. Quite frankly, I didn’t think someone in his position could actually make such a ‘stupid’ mistake. And, in all honesty, being a black man I would have credited with a little more awareness around issues of discrimination and how hurtful the casual, unthinking use of language can be.

But he has ‘fessed up and apologized. And even been challenged to a face off by a Special Olympian bowler.

And yet that’s not what I really want to talk about.

Except to offer a counterpoint to this, Sarah Palin’s video on the subject of the Special Olympics.

I don’t care what your politics are, Palin could well and truly teach President Obama a thing or three on this topic. Perhaps she could offer him a course, gratis like, as a service to the rest of the country world.

And lest we forget, best line ever:

What’s the difference between a hockey mom and a Special Olympics hockey mom? Nothing.

She definitely pegged that one, she did.

H/T to Take Five

Definition of “Ironic”:  The above 45-minute conversation with your nearly 13-year-old daughter where you essentially find yourself defending Bush and his actions given that you have never particularly been a fan of the man or his policies.

Definition of ”Satisfying”: Ending the above 45-minute conversation by explaining to your nearly 13-year-old daughter that although it’s great for her to have her own opinions with which others may disagree, she needs to make sure she has all the facts before forming to an opinion. For although she does not yet seem ready to catapult capitulate on her first opinion, she at least seemed to understand that last point.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission dismissed a hate speech complaint against Maclean’s magazine on Friday in a decision the complainants blamed on “inappropriate political pressure.”

Just to be clear, that would be the complaint claiming that an article written by Mark Steyn, entitled “The Future Belongs to Islam”, made a number of statements and assertions that were likely to expose Muslims to hatred or contempt.

So, in other words, the system can and does work, as I’ve said before.

For those interested, you can find the Commission’s entire decision here, courtesy of MacLeans. As best as I can tell, a decision has not yet been rendered in the British Columbia case. You know, the one that was live blogged. So for that, we wait.

Funny, though, I almost think I know that many will be disappointed in the result, despite protesting otherwise. The last thing in the world they want to do is admit that the human rights system can and usually does often work properly. No, they want the worst possible, most outrageous, decisions. To prove their supposed point and have more ammunition in their fight to scrap the entire system. Because, just as many might argue that the Islamers complainants in the Steyn/MacLean’s complaint had their own agenda, so too do they. 

And if you don’t believe me, try googling the name “Steyn” in the blogosphere today.

Which is why I think that perhaps something else good has come out of this controversy. Apparently an independent review of the Commission’s approach to hate speech on the Internet has been launched by the Commission’s chief commissioner, Jennifer Lynch.

And I actually think that is a very good thing:

And so the debate Elmasry sparked has become less about media attitudes toward Islam and more about the balance between free speech and hate speech, and whether Canada’s federal and provincial human rights commissions can rightly weigh it.

The last time Canada’s human rights hate speech law was examined in depth was before the advent of the Internet, in a 1990 Supreme Court of Canada decision about the operator of a neo-Nazi phone-line. In that case, the prohibition on messages that are “likely to expose” identifiable groups to hatred or contempt was judged to be a reasonable limit on the Charter guarantee of freedom of expression. But the extension of the law from telephone lines to the Internet in 2001 has resulted in a whole new ballgame.

So, let’s give it a look, says I. Give it a tweak here and there. Even overhaul the entire system if need be. So that it continues to work as advertised. Namely, to protect the rights of all Canadians not to be discriminated against on the enumerated grounds.

But those with a problem with even the concept that the government should have a role to play in protecting individuals from being discriminated against must realize that that is part and parcel of what makes us Canadian. It’s a choice we have made. No, perhaps not one that all Canadians agree with, but one that, I beleive, the majority of us still do. Which would kind of resemble a democracy, no?

Oh yeah, about that “inappropriate political pressure” comment …

Faisal Joseph, lawyer for the CIC, said the dismissal was predictable, given the political climate and the campaign against the commissions themselves.

“We are not surprised at the decision in light of the inappropriate political pressure that has been brought to bear on the commission and that has prompted the commission to set up an internal review of its procedures under (the hate speech section of the Human Rights Act),” he said.

Well, I guess that’s not surprising, I suppose. After all, they always say the best defence is a good offence.

Former Nova Scotian Cheryfa

“I want millions, seriously,” Ms. Jamal said Wednesday in a telephone interview from her Mississauga, Ont., home.

“I know it sounds greedy, but I don’t care. I want millions for what the kids have suffered and how much we’ve aged in this process.”

Perhaps the poor dear is a little confused. While it’s true that Herman Kaglik, Donald Marshall and Guy Paul Morin were all awarded in excess of $1 million as compensation in wrongful conviction settlements, those men were actually wrongfully convicted and spent from four to ten years in jail for crimes they didn’t commit. And, by the by, Norman Fox only recieved a paltry $275,000 after spending 10 years in jail. Maybe your man is more in line with Richard Norris and Wilfred Truscott ($507,000 and $36,000, respectively).

Or maybe not. Norris and Trescott were actually convicted of crimes they didn’t commit. Your man wasn’t. Neither were they implicated in a terror plot in a post 9/11 world. Trust me, Cheryfa, when I say that many Canadians would be much more sympathetic to the ordeal that you and your family experienced if the first words out of your mouth weren’t “I Want Millions, Seriously”.

Seriously.

And as to your comments about not really missing Halifax, as it “would be very difficult” for you, “dressed how [you are] to go about [your] day” here”, let me tell you this; although there aren’t a lot of women wearing full veils here, it’s highly unlikely that you would be harassed or otherwise disturbed as you went about your daily business. In case you hadn’ t heard, Maritimers tend to be friendly folks.

But wait, you know that, seeing as how you use to be one, right? Come to think of it, maybe you are better off where you are.

And best of luck with that lawsuit, eh?

 Cross-posted at Free Falling

As always, some quality leaders seem to have made it, some politicians made it, and some downright heinous choices seem to have been made.

Oh, and let’s not forget the many fine leaders who got shafted. Could it be just an April Fool’s? Please?

To my darling husband,

Before you return from your business trip I just want to let you know about the small accident I had with the pick up truck when I turned into the driveway. Fortunately it’s not too bad and I really didn’t get hurt, so please don’t worry too much about me. I was coming home from Wal-Mart, and when I turned into the driveway I accidentally pushed down on the accelerator instead of the brake. The garage door is slightly bent but the pick up fortunately came to a halt when it bumped into your car.

I am really sorry, but I know with your kind-hearted personality you will forgive me. You know how much I love you and care for you my sweetheart.

I am enclosing a picture for you.

I can not wait to hold you in my arms again.

Your loving wife.
XXX

P.S. Your girlfriend called.

About two months ago, I wrote this:

I’ve read passing references to these vile plans for awhile, and like some half-remembered bad dream I’ve tried to ignore them, maybe hoping IVAW wasn’t really planning what headlines implied. But today John linked them and I finally read their website. Until that point, I’d thought “Winter Soldier” was merely critics’ characterization of the plans [not the actual name].

I suppose there’s consolation to be found in this: 1) They don’t seem to realize they will destroy any goodwill non-IVAW-member veterans might have had for the organization and its members, and 2) They’re making their intentions and ideological allegiances crystal clear to the rest of us. [snip]

There are no words to express my disappointment and rage at what I fear is to come…

What could the “vile plans” have been that provoked such a response in me? Well, if you click that “these” link in that quote today, this is what you’ll find:

The four-day event will bring together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan – and present video and photographic evidence. In addition, there will be panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists to give context to the testimony. These panels will cover everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans’ health benefits and support.

Cool! Except for the “GI resistance movement” part, it sounds a lot like a Milblogger Conference.

Except that’s not what it said on January 19, 2008 when I first wrote about Winter Soldier II.

The rest at my place.