chimoku

. Well done, Canada ! .

Canada apologizes BRODIE FENLON Globe and Mail Update and Canadian Press June 11, 2008 at 7:22 PM EDT Prime Minister Stephen Harper has made a historic apology on behalf of the Canadian government for native residential schools and its decades-long policy of forced assimilation.

. This is long overdue , but thank God that our leadership is willing to acknowledge that mistakes were made. The large support behind Prime Minister Harper's decision to apologize for the abuses First Nations people, particularly children, experienced in the boarding schools, is an encouraging indication of the degree of the sense of social responsibility, compassion, and spirit of reconciliation there is among Canadians. Moreover it is congruent with the Lord's message to us on forgiveness. It moves my heart to say God Bless Canada ! ,

Two-thirds of Canadians support apologies for historical mistakes Juliet O'Neill, Canwest News Service Published: Sunday, June 08, 2008 OTTAWA - Three days before Prime Minister Stephen Harper issues a solemn apology to the survivors of Canada's Indian residential school system, a new poll says most Canadians agree with the practice of current apologies for historic wrongdoings. The Ipsos-Reid poll of 1,000 adults for Canwest News Service and Global Television says two in three Canadians agree that "it's about time that the government and Canadians come to terms with its past actions, and so issuing apologies for past transgressions and mistakes is appropriate." One in three disagree with the practice, endorsing the view that today's government and society "shouldn't be held accountable" for yesterday's wrongdoing, so no apologies are necessary. Harper is scheduled on Wednesday to issue a formal apology in the House of Commons to thousands of men and women who suffered mistreatment as young residents of a state-funded Christian school system aimed at stripping them of their aboriginal culture and connections. The apology comes soon after the establishment of a five-year Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission, part of a $2-billion settlement reached in 2006 among the government, churches and about 90,000 former students. John Wright, Ipsos Reid senior vice president, public affairs, said while the poll shows a high level of support for recognizing injustice through apology, it does not mean that apologies, in and of themselves, are enough. "If it helps heal a wound or heal an injustice or a past circumstance then it's appropriate," he said in an interview. "But an apology in and of itself in some circumstances, like the residential school system issue, is simply not enough for the group or the offended party, nor is it, I think, for the nation. It was a horrific chapter." Wright said an apology can "kick start" a process that, in the case of the residential school abuses, will involve the work of the truth and reconciliation commission. "The reconciliation council is one more piece of that and gives a chance for the communities of Canada to empathize," he said. "If you're sorry for something but you don't empathize, then you're really not feeling it as a nation. And I think that's what we really have to do in these circumstances - we must learn the history and the implications of it." The survey question cited apologies for past transgressions, ranging from the internment of Japanese-Canadians during the Second World War to the former head tax on Chinese Canadians and the abuses of students in the residential school system. The highest level of support for apologies is 70 per cent in British Columbia and the lowest is 58 per cent in Atlantic Canada. Sixty-seven per cent of Canadians aged 35-64 endorse apologies. That is more than 62 per cent of younger people and 59 per cent of older people. Sixty-four per cent of women endorse apologies, just slightly more than men at 61 per cent. Support for a specific apology was lower than for the general concept when the pollsters asked about a promised federal apology for the Komagata Maru incident of 1914. The incident involved all but a few of 376 mostly Sikh passengers from the Punjab aboard a Japanese ocean liner, the Komagata Maru, being turned away from the shores of B.C. in keeping with immigration law of the day. A slight majority of those polled, 52 per cent, agree with the plan to issue a formal apology, while four in 10 disagree. That apology is expected this summer. The results of the poll taken June 3-5 are considered accurate to within plus or minus 3.1 percentage points 19 times out of 20.

Tough-talking Obama vows to support Israel Presumptive Democratic nominee appears determined to project a hard-line image in address to powerful Jewish lobby group PAUL KORING From Thursday's Globe and Mail June 5, 2008 at 5:22 AM EDT WASHINGTON

. The way the story is reported here in Japan is at first, he thought that he was being robbed because food kept missing - and attempted to secure his home better . . But in spite of all his efforts , food continued to go missing. So then, he set up security camera linked to his cell phone , and saw that it was a woman in his home. The wonder is that she managed to stay quiet and undetected for a year. I hope they will ensure that she has food and shelter - and not throw the book at her. .

. I see Faith's point. However, we are already being . . . . . . . . well, if not controlled, then highly influenced . . . by all the messages that are overtly and covertly - even subliminally - transmitted and communicated around us . . . Nevertheless, ultimately, individuals still have and will have free will, and that moral dilemma will continue to rest on each one of us . . . thus we will be accountable to God for our decisions ( as Paul writes in Romans) . . . .

. Though I have reservations about animal experimentation, this neuro-techno breakthrough has a tremendous upside in that it can open up options for those with spinal cord injuries and amputated limbs and other diseases that impact mobility and coordination . . . .

. axxman: . You got it ! . Although I do not care for Bush - and most of what McClellan says does not suprise me - this kind of mercenary betrayal is repugnant to me . .

. He's got a charismatic ministry . I used to see him while channel surfing - off and on - on TV when I lived in Canada. . But I found him . . .ummmm .. . like I do many televangelists , too intensive . . and self promoting . . . Though I sure he's Biblically congruent. .

Colleen: And you know what compounds the tragedy is that women are going to use it even if they know the risks. . And no one will a darned thing when they die in their ensuites, or kitchen floors, or bedrooms ,or on their way to Emergency because of the extreme toxicity of this drug. . So its will become a double murder : the mother and the child. . It's unconscionable.

. the Kennedy's are a symbol an era , a time when USA was flourishing - so Ted's sudden illness is very sad news . . he represents a legacy And, I pray, he will make his peace with God . . . .

. More propoganda. . *** yaaaaaaaawn *** . Where's the video of Bin Laden or an actual interview ? If he's alive , how come there is always only an audio recording ???? . He's dead. He had kidney disease . . .

. . Without the evangelical constituancy, I don't think McCain is going to get the presidency. .

. . . .as for my thoughts re your statement / question. . . The media is a business. . It wants to make money. . Its an intensely competitive business. . Hype, sensationalism, tragedy, bad news SELLS. . That us one of the reasons the media does not give the same amount of time to positive news. . That is why it is important to read everything with a discerning eye - and not be easily controlled by what media sources want you to believe. . Yes - there is a lot of tragedy happeneing. . However, there is a lot of good happening as well. . This is God's wrold . When He had completed its creation , He said "IT IS GOOD". . Martin Luther was asked what he would do if he knew that Jesus was coming the next day. . He replied : "Plant a tree"