Today, in the House of Commons, a unanimous vote occurred in support of a Bloc motion to have our athletes wear sealskin as part of their outfits for the 2010 Olympics.
So let me get this straight. EVERY MP in the House of Commons feels politicizing our amateur athletes is A OK!?! Are you f***ing kidding me or what? EVERY MP thinks 60% of Canadians are wrong?
I'm not sure if anyone of these MPs are aware that many, many, many Canadians don't agree with the seal hunt. Not to mention a few non-Canadians over in Spain or something.
WTF? Are you deliberately looking for mass protests in Vancouver where the security cost estimates are already through the roof? I can tell you one thing my friends, had I been an MP sitting in the HoC, I wouldn't be putting my athletes in peril. That's a fact!!!!
11 comments:
On an even more practical level, I seal skin really a practical material for, say, a sprinter to wear in a race?
realistically it was a show move meant to try to look good to area's that (mainly in Quebec) live off the seal hunt. They knew the CoC and more importantly the IOC, who has to approve the uni's, would never go along with it cause a)the uni's have already been approved and put into production and b)its obviously politicizing the Olympics which they are against.
Whooee! Small pint, Andrew P. Nobody "lives off the seal hunt." The 2009 price for pelts is $15 each. Even if a Canadian could live on $10,000 a year, he would need to sell 666 seal pelts to make ends meet.
Sealing is supplementary income for fishermen in the off-season. When pelt prices were at their highest, $100 each, these guys earned 2 or 3 thousand bucks. In order for them to earn anything, though, they rely on taxpayer support. Taxpayers pay for aircraft used to locate seals and commercial sealers are led to the seals by Coast Guard icebreakers.
The, there's the inevitable search and rescue operations that cost hundreds of thousands. There was one such rescue just two days ago when a 66 YO sealer's boat overturned and he had to be rescued. Nevermind taht a 66 YO is eligible for full CPP and did not need to risk his neck for a few $15 pelts that nobody wants.
The MP's were nuts to put the negligible income of 6000 part-time sealers ahead of the 150,000 Canadians whose jobs rely on exports to the EU. It ain't like them fishers don't take a cent of EI. Give 'em a couple thousand a piece and quit sullying Canada's reputation and risking trade retaliations.
And James is correct. If 60% of Canadians are opposed to the hunt, how could 100% of MP's give a nod to this confrontation resolution?
JB
"Small pint" Ha! Should have been "small point." You can have a large pint on me, Andrew.
All I can say is...I agree with you James 100%!!
This is a completely obtuse move by all MPs of all parties. Will there be a non-seal option for people with a moral objection to wearing animal products? Because wouldn't look look stupid, as the host country, if some of our atheletes refused to participate in the ceremonies or wear the uniforms.
What the hell do the Olympics have to do with seal hunt? Why are they dragging the athletes into this?
What if some atheletes are against the seal hunt?
Stupid move, if you ask me. This is regardless of whether one is for or against the seal hunt.
Personally, I could care less about the seal hunt. I sure as hell wouldn't subsidize it, but, then again, I'm not losing sleep because someone clubs a seal or kills a cow for a t-bone either.
However - you are 100% correct James that politicizing our athletes in this manner is disgraceful, but, in this atmosphere of "anything to get elected" it's perfectly understandable.
I mean a Bloc MP touted the motion, and, like suckling pigs that they are, both Liberal and Conservative MP's lined up to make sure they wouldn't step on any Quebecois toes.
The broader issue is most disturbing, namely, that it is clear that the Lib's and the Con's will do whatever it takes to avoid losing Quebec.
Suzanne, regardless of what MP's do, the IOC and COC have already said it won't happen. The uni's are already approved and this change wouldn't be allowed anyway as they don't want the event politicized
Rather than have the athletes do their bidding for them, what don't the MP show their support for the seal hunt by wearing seal in the House.
They might as well kill two birds with one stone and vote to ensure the lining the seal skin suits is done with Asbestos from Quebec!
Post a Comment