I just find it hilarious that of all legal issues that TAs tack on to and insist on punishment for, it's the disruption of traffic?

Are there not greater injustices happening than the disruption of your schedule?

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Originally posted by gummybear people say, Canada shouldn't get involved or that it's not our issue..well maybe not..maybe the richest and most powerful in the world should stay out of the plight of the underdeveloped, non north american, third world contries...why bother..let them all rot..and social conciousness..fuck that too...if that was the sentiment our government and several other governments had during world war 2...we would possibly be living in a society far worse than the one we have to navigate through now.. it's easy for all of us to judge when we have no personal connection..but i do know that there are many people on this board that come from immigrant families..and i also know that none of us can imagine the desperation of the tamils in this city..i don't know what i would do if my family back home was being killed..i don't know how i would eat, sleep, work..etc...knowing that i could get a call at any moment with horrible news....and MAYBE if i was desperate enough, scared enough..I would jump on the Gardiner and protest..maybe i just would.. so in the words of a great man.. FUCK TA!

As somebody from an immigrant family, from that part of the world, with family in those areas, to me the logic is flawed.

Fine these people are desperate, but they need to recognize where they came from. They know exactly why they move, what they were trying to escape, and how much work they had to do to get here. Canada cannot go traipsing around in every conflict, there is just too fuckin much of it out there. We do not have the resources (money, people, machinery) to 'help' everybody. What we can do is pick our battles, and we do a damn good job of it. What we have also done, is develop an immigration system to allow in those people who have partly helped them selves.

I am from India, and there is a whole lot of bullshit there. Many people are drying in Kashmir, due to a fucked up war with Pakistan. Am I going to start crying to the federal government here because those two countries cannot get their shit together? No. I understand that Canada has limited (if any) influence on the situation. I also understand that they provide humanitarian aid to India, and Pakistan, and help with infrastructure there. I understand that Canada makes it a lot easier for businesses here to ship jobs out there, all making India a better place. Canada can only do so much, and they already do a lot.

Desperation has nothing to do with it, its complete lunacy. Sri Lankan's are not stupid people, but the Tamil's maybe. Or is it greed? Come here, escape their country, do not stay behind to help on the ground, but enjoy all the immenities of Canada, while condemning the same system at the same time.

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Originally posted by Skipper I just find it hilarious that of all legal issues that TAs tack on to and insist on punishment for, it's the disruption of traffic? Are there not greater injustices happening than the disruption of your schedule?

You absolutely suck at making a point. Do you not notice a trend between threads?

The traffic is not really the issue, it is just the latest example of a flawed strategy. It is the most visible, most recent example of actions that people do not agree with. We got the message with protests on University, on Queen's Park, on Parlimant Hill. We heard them. We decided we did not need to listen because of who they are supporting.

Escalating their protests when the majority of citizens have already granted consent (through silence) will not help their cause, and will only make people more angry.

So are people upset about the traffic jam? Sure they are. Is that what they are actually upset about? No.

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Originally posted by gummybear so in the words of a great man..

If they are so concerned why don't they go back and fight their war themselves?

Oh and to support them I'll take care of their younger girls, they'll be much safer here.

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Originally posted by Orko You absolutely suck at making a point. Do you not notice a trend between threads?

My point is pretty clear actually. Most of you are being a bunch of princesses.

The strategy of the tamil's is working perfectly. Think the government would have publicly declared they'd listen to them if they sat on the lawn at queens park? Nope. Think anyone would learn anything about the situation if they hadn't blocked university ave for 3 days? Nope. You can dislike the strategy, but you can't deny it's gotten them further than any other strategy would have.

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Originally posted by Skipper Maybe they should subscribe to the jayx1 school of thought and bitch about it on a message board instead of stepping up and drawing attention to an issue they care about.

I am honoured that i have made such a big impression on you

WELL....looks like hitler missed a few....

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Originally posted by exstasie To be on topic, who would be the best party to receive the $3 Million in funds? Do you honestly think that our Canadian Government, the who's whom have declared the LTTE a terrorist group, is going to give aid to the LTTE? That's why there is so many issues with these protests. Like someone else said, maybe LKD, this whole thing would be a different story if they were protesting for aid for the civilians with the Sri Lankian and not for the LTTE with the Tamil Tiger.

well it should've been given to a reputable foreign aid agency so that the money can go towards the affected area. But of course, the Sri Lankan government ISNT allowing foreign aid workers in the affected areas because the government wants to pinch off any way of food and supplies getting to these people in horrid conditions. And the AID isnt for the LTTE, its for the dying people. Thats just the whole problem. Other countries are demanding the Sri Lankan government to open up to allow them to at least treat these injured people, but they are not budging. I can understand the frustration to know that, lets say my mother, who has a minor injury, but is bleeding out to death because of lack of medical supplies that ARE being offered by other countries but have been cut off the the government.

I completely agree that the LTTE shouldn't be supported(which angers me because they shouldnt be bringing that group into the mix), but the bottom line is people are dying. If anyone was allowed to go into that territory, people can help. Every reporter that was in the region did say that it was the Government that was shelling on the people in a region that was declared by the Government as a safe zone. Hence why they were deported immediately.

Its a really bad situation. The LTTE should be dealt with seperately, but the innoncent tamil people the in country shouldn't be punished because of this group. Theyre pretty much being cornered and bombed on.

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Originally posted by Skipper The strategy of the tamil's is working perfectly. Think the government would have publicly declared they'd listen to them if they sat on the lawn at queens park? Nope. Think anyone would learn anything about the situation if they hadn't blocked university ave for 3 days? Nope. You can dislike the strategy, but you can't deny it's gotten them further than any other strategy would have.

lol wut?

I'm just surprised that a lot of people seem to be more focused on the inconvenience factor that the traffic caused more so than the fact that someone may have been hurt or killed in the incident, i.e. 911 vehicles trying to get by not to mention that there may have been a stampede had the officers there not exercised restraint.

I'm still puzzled as to how the police didn't manage to prevent this from getting to the point that it did. The cops have pretty much been around at every protest so far and tracked the activity of the crowds. 3000+ people moving down along Spadina isn't something that's too hard to miss?

As for why the protesters are doing what they do, I wouldn't hesitate to guess it's because Canada has had some involvement in UN peacekeeping and other humanitarian efforts in the past. So they probably feel that their plight deserves no less attention.

I don't agree with what they did, but at the same time it doesn't surprise me that they did it (if out of desperation). Unfortunately it's still against the law, not to mention a threat to public (and their own safety) and people are going to be made accountable.

Apparently there's supposed to be a snake in the downtown core tomorrow starting at noon.

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Originally posted by Skipper Apparently there's supposed to be a snake in the downtown core tomorrow starting at noon.

lol which Facebook group did you join?

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Originally posted by Skipper Apparently there's supposed to be a snake in the downtown core tomorrow starting at noon.

This is what I pictured: