Would Wildrose have shut down Alberta’s Human Rights Commission

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Stephen Pate

Election win by Conservatives puts issue to rest but for how long?

Alison Redford, Alberta Premier on the phone jubilant at election win(photo credit - Todd Korol / Reuters)

Against the odds and Canada’s top pollsters and media predictions, Conservative Alison Redford has won a decided victory in Alberta’s provincial election.

Canadian human rights advocates can breathe a sigh of relief that Wildrose didn’t take the government. Wildrose leader Danielle Smith announced plans to close down Alberta’s Human Rights Commission, replacing it with a branch of the court system to weed out “frivolous” human rights complaints. Continue reading →

NDP have policy on disability Liberals and Tories have squat

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Stephen Pate

Jack Layton throws Hail Mary on human rights and disability rights for 4.4 million Canadians

Jack Layton, NDP leader with Jeanne-Le Ber

NDP Leader Jack Layton has released a substantive election platform for the much-anticipated 2011 Canadian Election.

Layton lays out a comprehensive program for women, people with disabilities, Aboriginal , multicultural and LGBT Canadians.

Where are the Liberals on human rights?

Stephen Harper has the RDSP, a savings plan for the upper middle class who have children with disabilities which isn’t much help.

Here’s the NDP platform for the disabled. Continue reading →

Gwynne Dyer to speak at AVC

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Gwynne Dyer

“Gwynne Dyer, internationally renowned syndicated columnist, author, broadcaster, and lecturer on international affairs will examine the world’s halting emergence from the dark tunnel of the past decase, a time marked by exaggerated fears of terrorism, futile and unnecessary wars in the Middle East, neglect of climate change, and financial collapse.

The talk takes place in the Atlantic Veterinary College Learning Commons Room on the UPEI campus at 7pm, Tuesday night, 19 October.”

Dyer is know to be controversial.

On one of his visits to PEI he predicted a world water shortage from global warming. He suggested Canada’s water resources made it a target for US aggression.

Another article suggested mass slaughter of Somalians since they were black and likely pirates.

The AVC Commons Room is off the main entrance adjacent to the Robertson Library.

People with disabilities will find the destination a trifle far from the parking lots, which is the way at UPEI. The motto has always been “Keeping cripples off campus.”

UPEI Disability Story

4 DVD Chuck Berry Hail Hail Rock and Roll part 2

Posted on April 19, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Awesome rehearsals and revealing “making of documentary” fill Disk 2 of 4- DVD Ultimate Collectors Edition of Hail Hail Rock and Roll

Chuck Berry Hail Hail Rock and Roll

(Updated to fix H.264 videos and some links)

The documentary Chuck Berry Hail Hail Rock and Roll comes as Chuck Berry – Hail! Hail! Rock N’ Roll 2 disk DVD
or the 4 DVD collectors edition.

The jam sessions on disk 2 are both entertaining and give you a glimpse into the musical genius of Chuck Berry. The making of video “The Reluctant Star” reveals more of Berry as a person and artist.

It also unwittingly pulls back the veil to show the condescension and racial bigotry of the the producers and to a lesser extent the director. The collection is worth owning if you like blues and Chuck Berry. Continue reading →

Canadian Apartheid at Vancouver Olympics Opening

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Our devotion to First Nations is reminiscent of Wild Bill’s Wild West Show

During the westward expansion of the United States, Native Americans were systematically abused through genocide and land appropriation.

Concurrent with the “Indian Wars”, one of the more popular entertainments was Wild Bill’s Wild West Show which featured lots of “Indians” in native costumes dancing and whooping it up for the crowds.

As the Vancouver Olympics opened with big native of First Nations fanfare, the hypocrisy of Canada’s apartheid was running around in my head.

Continue reading →

Blind Boys of Alabama Rock White House

Posted on February 12, 2010 by Stephen Pate

No one was sitting on their hands when Blind Boys of Alabama sang Free At Last

Blind Boys of Alabama

Performers get subdued when they play for the President of the United States. Bob Dylan becomes Unplugged. Yolanda Adams smiles during A Change Is Gonna Come.

It was left to two older groups to show the spirit to the well dressed White House crew: The Freedom Singers and Blind Boys of Alabama. My pick for rocking it out goes to the Blind Boys of Alabama for this swinging version of Free At Last.

They were infectious. People had to smile, clap, sway, tap their feet. Watch the bass player who has been more or less subdued all night. The Boys have him dancing on the stage on one leg.
Continue reading →

Ashley Smith how to drive someone to commit suicide

Posted on January 9, 2010 by Stephen Pate

The Fifth Estate exposes inhumane treatment of Ashley Smith in documentary Out Of Control

Ashley Smith driven to suicide by the system

Ashely Smith had everything going against her. She was a native female with a mental disability. The Canadian penal system drove her to suicide.

The CBC Fifth Estate program is hard to watch. It’s an emotional body blow to see a teenager driven to suicide by the Canadian government’s mistreatment.

Starting with teenage rebellion, Ashley was imprisoned for throwing a crab apple at a postal worker.

For that she was put in jail for 3 years of hell. She was put in isolation, tasered repeatedly, put in a cage that makes Hannibal Lecter’s treatment in Silence of the Lambs look tame.

Continue reading →

Ontario sanctions disability discrimination for another 15 years

Posted on January 2, 2010 by Stephen Pate

Premier McGuinty says people living with disabilities don’t deserve human rights until 2025

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, officially approved discrimination

PR Log (Press Release) – Jan 02, 2010 – Residents of Ontario living with disabilities are the only minority that has its human rights restricted by law until 2025 when Ontario is supposed to be fully accessible.

CBC News reported, “A new law took effect Friday in Ontario regulating how public bodies provide customer service to people with disabilities, part of a broader push to have the province be completely accessible by 2025.”

Women have their rights without abridgment. Racial, religious and sexual discrimination are against the law both by Charter Right and statute in Canada. Despite being enumerated in Section 15 of the Canadian Charter, people with disabilities are getting their rights doled out piece-meal on the government’s timetable.

It’s a step forward in Ontario now that the Province has issued a manual for public sector employees and organizations to treat the disabled with consideration for their human rights. Businesses will have to provide disability sensitive services by 2012.

Continue reading →

Are HP computers racist?

Posted on December 22, 2009 by Stephen Pate

The video tells the tale – HP MediaSmart computer will not recognize black males

Black Desi

With story from PC Mag – Employees in a computer store discover that HP face recognition software is racist. The camera will follow the face of white Wanda but not her black co-worker Desi.

Seems improbable but the video tells the story and HP is not denying it. “We are working with our partners to learn more,” HP said. “The technology we use is built on standard algorithms that measure the difference in intensity of contrast between the eyes and the upper cheek and nose. We believe that the camera might have difficulty ‘seeing’ contrast in conditions where there is insufficient foreground lighting.”

Continue reading →

Canada has no moral high ground on human rights with China

Posted on December 5, 2009 by Stephen Pate

Stephen Harper getting human rights award from Can Jewish Congress

Stephen Harper has been making loud noises about Chinese human rights only he now does it in the basement at 24 Sussex Drive

As a member of an enumerated group under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, my advice to Mr. Harper is fix your own problems before you tell a neighbor how to cut his grass.

Minorities in Canada have an uphill battle and those living with disabilities are among the those with the least human rights. Sorry if you are offended but if someone told you to go home and not enter a restaurant you’d be screaming bloody hell. If you were turned down for a job because of your skin color or hair color, you’d be outraged.

Continue reading →