Something Is Rotten In The State Of Denmark.

 

Rather, in the Province of Ontario, which is committed to introducing State Sponsored Pornography in our schools: in particular, graphic sex education for our young public schoolers.

This controversial curriculum, was first proposed by Kathleen Wynne while she was Education Minister in Dalton McGuinty’s Cabinet.  Now that she is Premier, Wynne is proposing to move to its implementation.

And what exactly is she proposing?

• sex education beginning in grade 1 (6 year olds)
• discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation for those in grade 3 (8 year olds)
• explanation of masturbation and oral and anal sex for our grades 6 and 7.

No doubt all supported with props, charts and pictures.

Of interest, her sex-ed curriculum was formulated in 2010 when one of her key advisors was then Deputy Minister of Education – one Benjamin Levin. And this is the same Ben Levin, U of T Professor, who was recently charged with child pornography offences including the actual making of it. 

For me, and I expect many of you, sex education should not be foisted on children below grade 6 and even for those in 6, 7 and 8, such education should not dwell on topics of masturbation / oral & anal sex.

If parents want to deal with those subjects with their own children – so be it.  It is not though something our educators should be concerning themselves with.

This week British Prime Minister David Cameron came out with a challenge to protect children from the damage caused to them by internet pornography and good for him.

I wonder what he would think about our provincial government’s effort to spread pornography amongst our young kids in the guise of sex education?

Some final questions for you:

1.  Do 6 year olds – still trying to learn how to tie their shoes – need sex ed?

2.  Do 8 year olds – still playing with kiddie toys need to know about gays and transvestites?

3.  Do 11 year olds need to be shown how to do anal sex safely?

If you said no to these questions I suggest you speak up before Premier Wynne is allowed to commit another grievous misstep one that could potentially scar a youngster forever.

As I see it…

"’K.D. Galagher’

THE BIG THREE …

 

Not to be confused with the Yalta Conference of February 1945, which occurred three (3) months before the end of WWII in Europe.  As an added note – Franklin Delano Roosevelt – one of the Big Three, had but two months to live, succumbing to a massive brain haemorrhage on April 12th of that same year.

But as I said, The Big Three does not pertain to that historic conference …rather it refers to Brighton’s (my home town) first Chinese Restaurant.  At least I think it was our first Chinese Restaurant but it certainly was not Brighton’s last …but I digress.

The Big Three, a strange name for a Chinese Restaurant even then, was located near the corner of Main (Highway Two) and Young Streets  It was located just a few doors in on the north side of Main and occupied barely 20 feet of frontage.

And yet, it soon became one of Brighton’s icon establishments during the heady 1950s and 1960s when I was growing into my teenage years.

The restaurant was owned and operated by Bill Chong and his wife Joan and they had one child…Larry, who would become as famous as his parents’ restaurant during their time in our fair village.  (Perhaps more on that another time).

I got to thinking about The Big Three earlier this week when I was listening to jukebox music.  You see, TB3 had a jukebox and my Sandford Street Buddy – Johnny and I would often go there to play our favourites of the time: Elvis; Del Shannon; Neil Sedaka; the Everly Brothers; Bobbie Vinton; Gene Pitney …the list goes on and on. 

In fact, for me, it was a time that music reached its zenith.  But then again, I have reached the age of olde fogey-hood so I am admittedly biased.

I told Johnny the other day that I thought I might do a blog on TB3 and we exchanged some e-mails…here is what he had to say:

A few things I remember about the Big Three was the jukebox terminals attached to the wall of each booth. When you came into the restaurant the was a counter on your left with spinning stools attached to the floor maybe 5 or 6.  Further along, the coolers with mirrors held the desserts like boston cream pie and rice pudding and in the front of that were two Beach Blenders for making milk shakes.

And of course – to your right as your entered were booths that ranged from front to back.

Many upstart establishments today try to copy that look but they all fall short – for me, there will never again be a Big Three.

Surprisingly, what I do not recall is ever having eaten chinese food there.  This was a time before Mickey Dees and fast food generally and I was accustomed to eating rather plain fare.  Plus, in those days, money was short for eating out.

I do recall though having chips (french fries) and a coke there – all for the grand sum of .25 cents (15 cents for the fries and 10 cents for the coke).  Fortunately for me, my allowance at that time totalled that very same sum – a quarter.

In fact, that is all I can recall ever having ordered there.  Well maybe on a special occasion a piece of the boston cream pie.

But just as important as the food for Johnny and me was the jukebox.  As I recall, it cost us a nickel a song.  Each of those terminals Johnny talks about above had loads of selections each selection marked with a letter and a number – like J3.  All you did was punch that in on the attached key board and your song played for all of 2 – 3 minutes. 

We loved it.

Now you might say with a 25cent allowance the cost of the cost of the chips and pop – where did we get the money to play the jukebox.

Great question.

I ran a bit of a scam back in those days and will leave Johnny’s name out to protect the innocent.

Back then little confectionary stores took pop bottles back and gave you 2 cents for a small bottle and 5 cents for a large one.

We did most of our dealings at Bonisteels – located on Young Street, just up from TB3.

By happenstance, right next door to Bonisteels stood the Macklin’s Bottling Works. They bottled popular soft drinks of the time and as part of their quality control, rejected bottles that were cracked or chipped.  They then threw these bottles out behind to await the trash pick-up.

Well we felt that the Macklin’s were a bit too picky in selecting their cast offs so every so often we rooted through their rejected bottles to find those least impacted and quickly took them next door to Bonisteel’s for redemption.  (I can never recall Bonisteel’s ever turning us down).

Bonisteel’s then sold those self same bottles back to Macklin’s …  In these later years, I often wonder how many times some of these inferior bottles got recycled?  I guess I am better off not knowing.

Anyway by the 1970s The Big Three gave way to progress and in the words of Joni Mitchell, “they paved paradise and put up a parking lot”.

Indeed Brighton has a lot of parking lots now but the memories of its institutions like The Big Three will stay with folks like Johnny and me a lifetime.

As I see it…

“K.D. Galagher’

 

Mere Pawns on a

 

Very Big Board.

I am speaking of the late Trayvon Martin and his recently acquitted killer, George Zimmerman.

Non-Blacks – tend to say that race played no part in this young chap’s death.

Blacks, on the other hand, say race had everything to do with it.

And the Blacks are correct, but not for the reasons you might think nor for the ones they espouse.

The ‘racist’ dye leading to this unfortunate incident was cast when the first slave arrived on America’s shores in the early 1600s.

And we all know the history leading up to Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Slavery was abolished from that day forward but had to await the end of the Civil War in 1865 to see it put into effect in the Confederacy.

Blacks though continued to be treated as lesser citizens, until the passage of the Civil Rights Legislation in the 1960s, most especially in the old south.

Since then, White America has moved on – racism is no longer rampant amongst them but sadly it continues to fester within the Black Community itself. Tragically, many Blacks harbour feelings of hate and ill will against their White Brothers. 

And who can blame them; how would we feel if our ancestors had been held in slavery for over 250 years? And how would we feel being the brunt of racism well into the last century?

But, as is the case of with our natives here in Canada, resentment against Whites only serves to keep them from fully participating in society – and most especially, economically. Blaming Whites gives them a scapegoat, but does nothing to alleviate their problems; and boy do they have problems.

So given this hatred, coupled with the following statistics, who can blame Whites for fearing their Black Brothers?

• 55% of all crime is committed by Blacks although Blacks make up only 13% of America’s population;
• 75% of all serious crime is committed by Blacks;
• 70% of black children are being raised without fathers;

So what exactly does this have to do with a young Black being killed in the streets of Miami some 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation?

One need go no further than to consider the reaction of Whites and Blacks following Trayvon’s shooting:

• White America came out saying let the judicial decide the facts and determine whether or not Zimmerman was guilty.
• The Black Leadership – the Reverends Al Sharpton, and Jesse Jackson came out quickly to say how this was just another case of a white racist killing a defenceless black person. (This despite the fact that Zimmerman’s physical appearance is Hispanic).
• And not to be out-done, the little guy in the White House too piled on saying that young Trayvon was just like the son he never had - suggesting thereby that Trayvon was faultless in bringing about his own death.

(Imagine you or I facing a murder charge here in Canada believing in our innocence and out comes the most powerful figure in our land – the Prime Minister to say he personally believed in our guilt before we were even tried!)

Zimmerman was part of Community Watch an organization which has sprung up right across America, along with Gated Communities. And an organization deemed necessary due to America’s high crime rate – one in which Blacks overly participate in.

On the night Trayvon Martin died, Zimmerman was trying to do his civic duty, but he made a mistake which would end badly.

After he called 911, he continued to follow Martin when he should backed off and let the police takeover. In the end he was found not legally guilty  but he most assuredly was morally to blame and he – as they say – will have to live with that for the rest of life.

But the evidence at trial showed that Zimmerman was no racist but rather if there was some minor racism evidenced that night – it was on the part of young Trayvon who called his follower at one point a “creepy ass cracker”.  But then again, here was a kid who innocently was out that evening buying some skittles. I would have probably called Zimmerman worse.

So for me, racism was not that evident on the part of either fellow.

But yes it was indeed present, it began hundreds of years ago and has hung on through great diligence and efforts on the part of Blacks and their Leaders. 

Perversely, racism gives their Leaders power to address boogie men when they should be addressing the very real problems that affect their people and racism excuses Blacks generally from for their failure to successfully integrate into modern society.

(If this is not the case – just ask yourself why immigrants of colour – especially those from South East Asia as well a Hispanics, do so well economically?)

So while White Society and American Society generally has moved on, Blacks continue to wallow in self pity.  It may be understandable, but it certainly does not help them in their cause for equality.

All the while, two star crossed actors played out their insignificant roles, ending with a preordained finish.

As I see it…

‘K.D. Galagher’