A Double Edged Sword

I see in the news this week that a Sikh man is considering taking VIA Rail to the Human Rights Commission for not allowing him to board a train wearing his ceremonial dagger.

I can relate. I remember one time, at Ottawa International airport, security refused to let me board with my ceremonial nail clippers. In fact, the same thing happened to my wife, on her recent trip to Arizona, when she had to surrender her ceremonial travel sewing kit.

If all one has to do to justify boarding a carrier with a weapon is to declare the item "ceremonial", we'll soon witness the flourishing of thousands of ceremonial AK-47's.

Yesterday's Ottawa Citizen editorial on the matter, in my view, was the perfect take. I recommend its reading.

In Other News........

Ottawa City Council narrowly and technically voted down a ban on cosmetic pesticide use in the city this week. Understanding the sensitivity of the issue here in Ottawa, the debate has to continue at this level of heat before people truly understand all the facts and, considering the interest and the input council has received from the public on this one, Baseline Ward Councillor Rick Chiarelli level-headedly proposed the issue be put to referendum on the next ballot a year from now. Of course, level-headedness has yet to prevail with this clowncil and Chiarelli's motion was voted down 16-4 with one councillor suggesting that the public is not up to the challenge of deciding the issue. They may have a point. Look at the council we have: Less level-headed, more anvil-headed.

FYI.....

I got my autumn Liberal newsletter this week. It says the government is in the mindset to get things done. So, I scrolled down to see what all the excrement, whoops, excitement was about and I found a notice on the Aboriginal People's Commission Of The Liberal Party Of Canada. I thought, "this should be interesting" and I clicked the link to learn of a couple of appointments, that the APC met in Montreal last month and that "Many issues were addressed and updates were given, including one provided by the Honorable Andy Scott who talked about the plans for the upcoming historical meeting of the First Ministers on Aboriginal Affairs. This meeting is scheduled for late November in British Columbia." So, by the looks of things, life seems to be good for our aboriginal friends. Just thought you should know.