Carolyn Parrish

[Joe-2]

I see in the news that Ontario MP Carolyn Parrish has developed another case of verbal diarhea. Since Mr.Martin or the voters in her riding don't seem to have the class to rein her in,maybe some of you other Ontarians could step in and do our country a favor. Maybe someone could sit her down and explain the concepts of diplomacy and statesmanship to her.If that doesn't work maybe duct tape her fat mouth shut!!

[farmers_son]

"explain the concepts of diplomacy and statesmanship to her". Maybe while you are at it you would care to explain the concepts of diplomacy and statemanship to Bush and the Republicans who attempted to destory the United Nations and attack Iraq and other innocent countries for the very worst of reasons. Yes this may not be the best time to point out the shortcomings of the U.S. administration but in Canada we still believe in freedom of speech.

We are told that Bush will open our borders, lets hope that is right. Does that make his foreign policy right, no it doesn't. It does highlight the need for Canada to have a strong independent agriculture so as a nation we can speak up against tyranny and injustice whenever and whereever we see it. One more reason why we need a Canadian packing industry.
If the U.S. controls our agricultural infrastructure then they can influence and control our Canadian foreign policy and our ability as a nation to take independent international stands for what is good and right.

[bombay_43]

I don't know if I agree with everything that Ms. Parrish says... but I like this lady!

She has "testicular fortitude"! Something other political figures lack. She speaks her mind, and passes on the feelings of many Canadians in her riding, without the fear of what the "Party" or "Leader" think!

I think it's called "freedom of speech", and it's one of the things that makes Canada, a Great Country to live in!

[cakadu]

It does leave one wondering what is going to happen in the short term when Bush vows not to give up on the war on terror and the war in Iraq.

I also wonder how many strings are going to be attached to the border opening and what unspoken agreements are going to have to be adhered to in order to get that border open.

The biggest mystery to me is why we seem to be so complacent about waiting for the border to open so that things can happen as before. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Guess that holds true for a great many things.

[Joe-2]

The point I am trying to make has NOTHING to do with the "right or wrong" about the war in Iraq.It has everything to do with a member of our federal government publicly insulting the President of the US and the 51% of voters who re-elected him.I don't have the exact quote in front of me but her words were to the effect "Bush is warlike...this just shows how out of touch the American people are....blah,blah,blah."
Put the shoe on the other foot for a minute....WHAT IF a member of congress or cabinet in the US had made similar remarks ,in public,about Canadians who re-lected the Liberals,being "out of touch with reality"?????
I suspect that Ms.Parrish would bluster away ad nauseum about how inappropriate those remarks were and would scream loud and long for a public apology.
Funny you people should mention "freedom of speech" while defending a Liberal MP!!!! Let's see...how many gag laws have the liberals brought in???? Maybe she should be charged with "promoting hatred against an identifiable group"!!
Thats the thing about you Liberals,its do as I say not as I do and I want it both ways!!!!!

The point is ,a representative of of the Govt.of Canada should show a little more class than your Ms. Parrish!!

[jensend]

think about all the things individual american legislators have said about canada or other countries and you'll see that parrish would fit right in down south. she is no different from byron dorgan, tom daschle, jesse helms or a bunch of other respected (at least by some) americans.

[cakadu]

I gotta kinda lean with bombay on this one Joe. We may not always agree with what outspoken people have to say, but at least they say it. One always hopes that there isn't mental constipation and verbal diarrhea when people speak, but sometimes it happens.

I'll play devil's advocate here and ask can one deny that Mr. Bush is warlike, particularly when he continues to make statements about not giving up the war on terror etc.? Sometimes the truth hurts or is ugly, but it is still the truth. He has no more right to bring democracy to the middle east than they have to bring their ideals to us in the West.

I don't support the Liberals, so I can't be accused of defending them. I will support being tactful and respectful when telling the truth.

[cowman]

I would suggest that Paul Martin should be sitting down with Ms. Parrish and telling her to keep her mouth shut? What is the point of saying inflamatory things when it isn't going to accomplish anything anyway?
George Bush made a major error when he decided to go on his little adventure in Iraq. He now has a tiger by the tail and can't let go! The American people are going to get their lesson...they don't need some idiot in Canada telling them how stupid they were!
If Martin doesn't sit on her real hard, he is only going to send the message that the Liberal government agrees with what she said? He can shut her up if he wants to. It's called party discipline and he has the power to get it done.

[cowman]

I agree 100% cowman ! If Martin really wanted to he has options which would certainly shut his loose cannon up, including dismissing her from the party. Her stupidity reflects on all Canadians, and it is the Prime Ministers duty to deal with it before she makes us look even more foolish.

[jensend]

emrald1 - she's got martin by the proverbial short hairs because he has a very shaky minority as it is. martin would take anybody into the liberal caucus these days.

[bombay_43]

Let's take a look at what Joe had to say in his first posting. Something about maybe people in Ontario could get her to keep her mouth shut.

This I totally agree on. Those within her own contituency, have every right to deal with her. They voted her in, and she is suppose to represent their views.

Just because we, or the "party" or the "leader" may not agree with those views, does not mean that she does not have the right to speak them.

So 51% of Americans voted for Mr. Bush. Keep in mind the other 49 voted against him. Maybe Parrish has a better understanding than the rest of us do, when it comes to US relations.

I hate the idea that so called "gag orders" can exist. Who gets the next order to "shut up"? Our agriculture minister?

If you can't call it, as you see it, someone else is running your thoughts, and freedom no longer exists!

Incidently, I do not support the liberals either!

[cakadu]

As Bombay has pointed out 49% of the Americans did not support Bush either. Does that mean that they aren't allowed to speak out against Bush?

Who among us has not said the right thing at the right time and tasted a little shoe leather? Granted, leaders should be held to a higher standard but they are still human.

I'm really beginning to get concerned about how our individual rights and freedoms are slowly being eroded away, as is our ability to speak our minds. Political correctness has gone WAY, WAY overboard so much so that we cannot even say Merry Christmas anymore without fear of offending someone.

Mr. Bush himself declared that anyone who didn't stand with the US was as good as being a terrorist themselves.

Our most basic and fundamental right should be to be able to speak our minds - the responsibility to know when to make those statements also lies with us.

If we cannot question leaders or have the expectation to be heard, then what have we got?

[cakadu]

I agree that we should have the right to speak our minds, BUT an elected official, municipal, provincial or federal is fully aware that anything they say reflects on their party or government, and they should confine their personal views to matters that will not embarass their country.

[ivbinconned]

farmers-son I just about choked when I read your comments about the wonderful United Nations. You do know plenty about about the beef industry but your view of wordly politics is sadly quite shallow.
I would like to suggest that you go to the rural issues section and look up; Chirac's War for Oil ...Canadian connection?? entered on May 4th.

This information has been widely written about and it is clearly a given that the United Nations is corrupt to the core and Jean Creatian and his French conection in no way were driven because of some high moral principle.

[cowman]

Bombay: Ms. Parrish is definitely representing her constituents views. I believe the area she represents is heavily Moslem and they share her obvious hate of the USA?
I would agree that she has a right to voice her opinion on George Bush and the USA. However every Canadian needs to realize just how much a loose cannon like this hurts our interests? Perhaps we need to stand up and condemn her for what she is? Her rantings are money out of our pockets? And while I think George Bush made a huge mistake going to war in Iraq, I would rather stand with him than with a bunch of murdering terrorist animals!
George Bush was not elected because he went to war in Iraq? He was elected because the 51% believed in his vision of America? He stood up for things like family values, less abortion, no same sex marriage? That is what really got him elected and that in reality is what burns Liberals like Parrish?