Hey Theresa(Bikerchic)

[DavidMn]

So whats the deal with these terrorists that were arrested in Toronto? is it really serious?

[bikerchic]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

So whats the deal with these terrorists that were arrested in Toronto? is it really serious?

Damn. I was hopen you hadn't noticed.

Yeah. It's pretty serious. They lived about 15 minutes from me. Canada is now known as a hot bed for terrorists. Love.ly.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

Damn. I was hopen you hadn't noticed.

Yeah. It's pretty serious. They lived about 15 minutes from me. Canada is now known as a hot bed for terrorists. Love.ly.

I remember this one A-hole that got caught around the time of the Millenieum trying to cross the border near Vancouver with a bunch of explosives. No offense to you lovely Canadians my dear, but I'm starting to wonder if we need to pay more attention to the Canadian border than Mexico.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

...I'm starting to wonder if we need to pay more attention to the Canadian border than Mexico.

I've been wondering that for YEARS.

Another thing to add to my "Reasons why I hate the current administration" list.

Ok, where's that "Please Mr. Senator, start the impeachment proceedings" petition?

[bikerchic]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

No offense to you lovely Canadians my dear, but I'm starting to wonder if we need to pay more attention to the Canadian border than Mexico.

What you need to pay attention to is the turbins that are driving tractor trailers! My husband works in the transportaion industry and the paki's are cutting rates, running mostly Canada (because of the hassle at the border) and are ALWAYS on the phone when they are driving. Yes, maybe its because they're talking to their dispatcher (because they're lost and they can't read f**king english!!!) or is it because they're keeping in touch with one another, plotting and planning? I don't know, but what I do know is that they are seriously hurting the trucking industry! (and it's image). My husband's company cannot compete with the cheap rates that they set! I'm not saying all middle easterns are bad but the ones we have dealt with are arogant and rude and the terrorists have ruined it for their race. I just hope that I'm not on that bridge when that bomb truck blows up!

[catinthedark]

Originally Posted by DavidMn

So whats the deal with these terrorists that were arrested in Toronto? is it really serious?

sorry - but i find that question really depressing.

do you watch the news? read a paper? sorry if that sounds harsh, but it led the american networks every night since the weekend. this is not "just a canadian thing." in fact, there were 2 more arrests in the UK wednesday which are linked to tihs operation. and investigators are trying to figure out if the 17 arrested here are linked to 18 detainees in 6 other countries - including the United States. i live in toronto, and i work in TV news here. so yeah, i know a fair amount about this. i've been shocked that it didn't even cause a ripple around here. yes, it's a major thing - but no, i disagree with theresa (sorry) that canada is a "hotbed of terror." no more than any other country these days. and contrary to what your president likes to spout on about, canada is not totally lax when it comes to letting people into this country or letting them over the border to the US. i hate to tell you, but the people who police who ENTERS the US? are AMERICAN border partol agents. if someone gets in who shouldn't be there.. who fell down on the job?

Originally Posted by bikerchic

What you need to pay attention to is the turbins that are driving tractor trailers! My husband works in the transportaion industry and the paki's are cutting rates, running mostly Canada (because of the hassle at the border) and are ALWAYS on the phone when they are driving. Yes, maybe its because they're talking to their dispatcher (because they're lost and they can't read f**king english!!!) or is it because they're keeping in touch with one another, plotting and planning?

and holy crap - that is unbelievably racist and offensive. all people from pakistan are plotting and planning? do you assume that all muslims are extremists, too? fact: every single one of the 17 men arrested saturday were CANADIAN. just as the london bombers were british. there is profound misinformation and misunderstanding about islam and muslims. not all muslims are extremists. not all muslims are terrorists. there were hundreds of thousands of muslims who were just as shocked and dismayed and disgusted by Sept. 11, the london and madrid bombings, and these arrests.

[skcin]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

and holy crap - that is unbelievably racist and offensive. all people from pakistan are plotting and planning? do you assume that all muslims are extremists, too? fact: every single one of the 17 men arrested saturday were CANADIAN. just as the london bombers were british. there is profound misinformation and misunderstanding about islam and muslims. not all muslims are extremists. not all muslims are terrorists. there were hundreds of thousands of muslims who were just as shocked and dismayed and disgusted by Sept. 11, the london and madrid bombings, and these arrests.

It's what I've been saying for years. You just can't trust those damn Canadians.



Seriously, though, I agree Cat. Theresa's obviously speaking out of anger and fear based on personal experience that she's had with a specific group of people. And she did state that she doesn't think all people from the Middle East are terrorists. It's easy for us to say "oh, don't say that, they're not all at fault, you're being racist" but it must be hard to have your business suffer when you're trying to support your family. When the people involved all happen to be the same nationality, it's hard not to lash out at an entire group of people. I'm not saying she's right, I'm saying I understand where she's coming from.

Now SIMMER DOWN, Theresa! Don't make me come up there & kick your ass!

[bikerchic]

Originally Posted by catinthedark

and holy crap - that is unbelievably racist and offensive. all people from pakistan are plotting and planning? do you assume that all muslims are extremists, too? fact: every single one of the 17 men arrested saturday were CANADIAN. just as the london bombers were british. there is profound misinformation and misunderstanding about islam and muslims. not all muslims are extremists. not all muslims are terrorists. there were hundreds of thousands of muslims who were just as shocked and dismayed and disgusted by Sept. 11, the london and madrid bombings, and these arrests.

Racist? Yes. Unbelievably racist? No. I think that after 9/11, London, Madrid and the recent arrests in Toronto, I have reason to feel this way about Middle eastern people. I just say, what most Canadians are thinking (any Canadian that I have spoken to). They are not welcome in our country. Some of those 17 terrorists were landed immigrants. And the ones that were born here were the offspring of extremists. These terrorists planned to use trucks as bombs and when you see a middle eastern man driving a big truck, it makes you wonder. I said it before and I'll say it again, they are really hurting the trucking industry. You ask any Canadian trucking company and if they are being honest they will say the same but they can't, for fear of being racist). They are running old pieces of unsafe junk up and down the highways, with five or six men/women to a truck (the same way they live in their homes). They have a pot in the truck that they **** and piss in. They stink, they don't shower and they are rude! I'm just informing you on what is going on out there on the highways. This is my experience. And I didn't say ALL middle easterners. Again, I'm being honest when I call them Paki's, turbins, pull starts, whatever, that's what we call them.

I don't know if you have been to Pearson International airport lately, but have a look at who's working in Security.

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by chiliD

I've been wondering that for YEARS.

Another thing to add to my "Reasons why I hate the current administration" list.

Ok, where's that "Please Mr. Senator, start the impeachment proceedings" petition?

http://www.impeachbush.org/site/PageServer

[bikerchic]

Originally Posted by skcin

Now SIMMER DOWN, Theresa! Don't make me come up there & kick your ass!

Poor Mark, we'll never get him to cross the border now

You're right, I am mad, damn mad! This is what I am dealing with on a daily basis and it does affect me immensely. It pisses me off to no end that these terrorists come into Canada (so easily) and threaten our great country and smear its image. Canada is their gateway to the United States.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

Poor Mark, we'll never get him to cross the border now

You're right, I am mad, damn mad! This is what I am dealing with on a daily basis and it does affect me immensely. It pisses me off to no end that these terrorists come into Canada (so easily) and threaten our great country and smear its image. Canada is their gateway to the United States.

Well we know 99% of canadians are good people.

[catinthedark]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

Racist? Yes. Unbelievably racist? No. I think that after 9/11, London, Madrid and the recent arrests in Toronto, I have reason to feel this way about Middle eastern people. I just say, what most Canadians are thinking (any Canadian that I have spoken to). They are not welcome in our country. Some of those 17 terrorists were landed immigrants. And the ones that were born here were the offspring of extremists. These terrorists planned to use trucks as bombs and when you see a middle eastern man driving a big truck, it makes you wonder. I said it before and I'll say it again, they are really hurting the trucking industry. You ask any Canadian trucking company and if they are being honest they will say the same but they can't, for fear of being racist). They are running old pieces of unsafe junk up and down the highways, with five or six men/women to a truck (the same way they live in their homes). They have a pot in the truck that they **** and piss in. They stink, they don't shower and they are rude! I'm just informing you on what is going on out there on the highways. This is my experience. And I didn't say ALL middle easterners. Again, I'm being honest when I call them Paki's, turbins, pull starts, whatever, that's what we call them.

why not just feel this way about the people who actually perpetrated the crimes? instead of painting an entire cultural community with the same brush? the thing they have in common is that they wage war in the name of extremist islam. but not all muslims are extremists. not all people from pakistan, or saudi arabia, or india, or egypt, or morroco, or libya are terrorists. some terrorists were born in england. some were born in the united states (timothy mcveigh anyone?).

i guess i have a different perspective. one of my dearest friends is born in pakistan, a muslim, and lives in toronto. he is one of the gentlest souls i know. i live and work in downtown toronto, the most multicultural city in canada, and so i have a great many friends and colleagues who you'd call pakis, turbins, what have you. they are all hard-working, honest, kind individuals. same as my white canadian friends. they have all suffered undue racism since september 11th, and probably prior to it. it is something i, as a white woman, will never fully understand. i try to. i went out with the friend i mentioned first above on wednesday night, and we talked for about an hour about how people perceive him just based on the colour of his skin or his name. i was floored to hear the kind of treatment he gets.

i'm sorry your experience has been so bad. but i implore you not to make a sweeping generalization that they are all islamic extremists and all plotting attacks. the ones you know may not be good truck drivers. they may not have the best personal hygiene habits. it doesn't mean they are going to blow up a site in downtown toronto. there are some pretty bad caucasian truck drivers out there, too. some who don't wash. some who live with lots of extended family. doesn't make them terrorists, though. i wonder why not?

[Red]

Originally Posted by bikerchic

I just say, what most Canadians are thinking (any Canadian that I have spoken to). They are not welcome in our country.

Um, sorry Theresa, but I am Canadian too and I absolutely DO NOT feel this way, nor do any of my friends or family.
I am sorry that a small group of people have negatively affected your place of work, but I strongly feel that does not merit racism in any way, shape or form.
My boss is a wanker...however I don't hate all men because of it.

[DavidMn]

Originally Posted by Red

Um, sorry Theresa, but I am Canadian too and I absolutely DO NOT feel this way, nor do any of my friends or family.
I am sorry that a small group of people have negatively affected your place of work, but I strongly feel that does not merit racism in any way, shape or form.
My boss is a wanker...however I don't hate all men because of it.

Those are good points.

[bikerchic]

I'm sorry if I offended anybody, and like I said before, I DON'T feel this way about ALL middle easterners. I was just letting you know what is going on in the trucking industry.