Christmas Shootings in Surrey

Two separate shootings in Surrey on Christmas Day, one in Surrey Christmas eve and one in Langley on Boxing day. What a deranged world. This level of gun related violence is totally unacceptable.

Slain man's mom blames a drug addict.

Then what shall we die for?

Alright you 666 scaly wags on either side of the bench, enough of the candy ass Christmas flower power. Back to your battle stations solders, this be a war. It's a war over the hearts of the children of men so it is. What grown man would call himself a follower of 666? Even Vincent Price knows that's the number of the beast and even he knows that his time is short. There is no L&R on that side of the battlefield. Mark my word.

A big shout out to the brothers and sisters on the east coast - New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Where the MC rides free and the devil is trying to oppress the free rider by claiming everyone who rides must approve their patch through the 666. Bullshit I say brethren. The seas be ours and by the powers where we will, we'll roam.

The Boxing Day message is a call to arms for the New Year and a tribute to the Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End. In the opening scene of that movie, England makes an oppressive decree:

"In order to affect a timely halt to deteriorating conditions and to ensure the common good, a state of emergency is declared for these territories by decree of Lord Cutler Beckett, duly appointed representative of His Majesty, the king. By decree, according to martial law, the following statutes are temporarily amended:

Right to assembly, suspended.
Right to habeas corpus, suspended.
Right to legal counsel, suspended.
Right to verdict by a jury of peers, suspended.
By decree, all persons found guilty of domestic terrorism,
or aiding a person convicted of domestic terrorism,
or associating with a person convicted of domestic terrorism...
Shall be sentenced to imprisonment without charge in your local Guantanamo bay."

We have enemies on both sides of the line so we do. We have enemies from outside and enemies from within. Organized crime and corrupt politicians consumed with greed. Greed fuels the 666 not loyalty or honour. Far from it. It's not just about making money. It's about making more and more money while oppressing others and betraying their own to satisfy their colossal greed. Whether it be David Giles making $30,000.00 in a few months through Dave Revell or Goldman Sachs aiding and abetting the investment fraud that caused the Greek Financial crisis, it is clear we are living in troubled times clouded by lies and cons.

Then of course at the darkest hour in the movie we have Keira Knightley's Braveheart speech asking the brethren "Then what shall we die for? The Brethren will still be looking here to us, to the Black Pearl, to lead. And what will they see? Frightened bilge rats aboard a derelict ship? No.

No, they will see free men and freedom! And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons. They will hear the ring of our swords, and they will know what we can do. By the sweat of our brows, and the strength of our backs...and the courage of our hearts. Gentlemen... hoist the colors. Hoist the colors!"

On that note someone recently sent me a moving quote from Martin Luther King. For some bizarre reason they claimed it was cited by the defense in Paxton's torture trial which would make it highly inappropriate in that context. Yet in the context of fighting the abuse organized crime inflicts on the public it is highly appropriate.

"You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be. And one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls you to stand up for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid…. You refuse to do it because you want to live longer…. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab you, or shoot at you or bomb your house; so you refuse to take the stand.

Well, you may go on and live until you are 90, but you’re just as dead at 38 as you would be at 90. And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.” Martin Luther King Jr. Indeed, all of us die. Some of us are already dead before we go to the grave. Remember Brittney Irving this year and rat out the real rats.

The Spirit of Christmas

There's been a few more stories in the news that I've bookmarked to report on after Christmas was over. More stories about the Hells Angels including the arrest of Paul "Sasquatch" Porter as well as some more stories about police brutality and cover ups. I didn't want to hide negative press about the police, I just wanted to wait until after Christmas to post about it because this Christmas I really wanted to salute law enforcement. After all, where would we be without law enforcement? The rule of law protects a peaceful society like traffic lights protect the flow of traffic. When we talk about the spirit of Christmas we can joke about the wide range of symbolism that has for different people. The first image that comes to mind is road rage. I was joking about Christmas road rage with a friend at work and he shared about how he was recently in a long line at a store. There was a lady behind him in the line obviously in a hurry. She was obviously irritated by the long line. She was huffing and puffing then budging forward every inch the line moved. She kept banging into my colleague in the back with her parcels. Finally he was like Lady, this is a line. Pushing me isn't going to make the line go any faster. The same with tailgating in traffic. That's how you get multiple car pile ups on the freeway. Ever heard of a safe following distance? Sure the idiot going slow in the fast lane is very irritating. Yet so is the weasel that cuts in line at the last minute. Idiots and weasels raise the level of road rage. Yet not doubt all of us could do well to slow down and smell the roses so to speak. Life really is too short. I saw a picture of a snowman in the city with the sign "I will be dead soon." Indeed. Relatively speaking won't we all. The question is, what are we going to do while we are here? Life does not end at death. Surely there is a higher purpose behind this mortal probation. If life is a test, then how are we doing? There's something about Christmas that strives to help us put things in perspective. No doubt there are commercial distractions. I remember one year they put a huge sign on the over pass at Guildford Mall that said have a Big Beautiful Christmas. I was somewhat offended by the idea of having to come in to the mall and spend a lot of money to have a Big Christmas. That was somewhat self defeating and missed the real point. We talk about Christmas magic. Well when the kids were young magical it was. My kids were like "other families open their presents on Christmas eve" and I would always be like "well we're not other families." I realize that's a big tradition in Europe and more power to them. I just found that opening all your presents Christmas eve diminished the magic of Christmas morning. When a young child wiping the sleep from their eyes lights up in excitement. That is magic. We talk about the Christmas miracle which can take on different meaning for different people. For Christians the Christmas birth is a profound miracle. Any birth of any child is a miracle. Two years ago I talked about the Christmas miracle on the battlefield in WWI. In many ways, I'm cynical. Why would two groups of people be shooting and bombing each other, take a few moments out to give each other presents, then go back to shooting and bombing each other the next day. Somehow the intent of Christmas is to last longer than a few hours once a year. Yet there is a certain magic about Christmas that when it materializes it does give us hope. It gives us hope that if something good or charitable can happen on Christmas, then it can happen at other times too. Christmas then becomes liberty's light illuminating the path to a better way. Even in Surrey I was told about a woman in a grocery store having trouble with her bank card. She had to step aside and phone her bank to find out what the problem was. The man behind her in the line forgot his debit card when he paid for his groceries. When he came back for his card he saw the woman still struggling with the bank on the phone. He told the cashier he wanted to pay for that woman's groceries. Are you sure the cashier said? It's over $50. Yes he replied Merry Christmas. It's nice to hear that real charity still exists in the world, even in Surrey. That's the kind of thing that makes you proud to be human. Aspiring to something higher. Spending last night cleaning decorating and wrapping with a chain of not so traditional Christmas carols playing in the background including the seasonal Trans Siberian Orchestra, I couldn't help but notice the reoccurring theme of forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption. They say to err is human and to forgive is divine. I remember someone I knew asking for my forgiveness once. I told them forgiveness is automatic, reconciliation is not. Sometimes the Christan concept of forgiveness can let us be trapped in an abusive relationship. All of us could to well to forgive more and judge less. Yet the people that really need to hear that don't listen while the people who are really forgiving take that message to heart and sometimes end up trapped in the cycle of abuse. I don't think God wants any of his children to be in abusive relationships. Sure anybody can change, yet that change doesn't come without honest disclosures and admissions of wrongdoing. A sincere confession comes with genuine sorrow and remorse followed by effort and hard work. After this sincere honesty comes the power of redemption and that truly is a miracle. They remixed a Tupac song with an old song called Changes. In that song it says things changed, and that's the way it is. Then the chorus repeats: come on That's just the way it is, Things'll never be the same, That's just the way it is. So which is it? Things will never change or things will never be the same because they have changed. Then after repeating the old slogan of things will never change a voice pleads don't you believe it. Things can change. That is the Redemption of Christmas and it is a miracle. We are still free to chose and in the words of Led Zeppelin in Stairway to Heaven it isn't too late to change the road you're on. As Ozzy Osbourn said, see you on the other side. To be perfectly honest, I'm surprised I'm still here. So Merry Christmas everyone. Even to my enemies. From a distance, we look like friends. Don't forget Anakin Skywalker was a talented Jedi. Luke was right. Darth Vader was capable of change. Don't you forget it. Come on dear brother, since the war is past, for friends at first are friends again at last.

Vancouver Christmas Market

We finally made it out to the Vancouver Christmas Market this year. Now that's what I'm talking about. I saw a stand with some amazing hand crafted Christmas ornaments and asked the guy where he was from and if he was located in Vancouver. He said he was from Munich and I paused and said really? He said yes he flies back home on the 26th. We bought some amazing ornaments from him.



The whole thing is a great idea. From mulled wine and apple cider to roasted nuts, Bavarian sauce and German noodles with live music. It's all good. They even had a chocolate fondue.



It's a wonderful taste of a traditional Christmas. Sometimes it's nice to remember the old ways in a sea of commercialism. Tradition can be good. I even got some mulled wine from a nice guy from county Kerry. Imagine that.



After all, the Germans may have given us Hitler, but they also gave us Santa. Good and evil. Each of us are still free to choose so we are. Choose wisely. As we sow, so shall we reap.

Helena Guergis is suing Stephen Harper

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Clause. People are finally starting to see through Christy Clark and Stephen Harper finally gets sued for slander and bullying. Oh happy day. I'll admit the Helena Guergis case is a strange one. You have to wonder if it's not like Alfosno Gagliano suing the government for quoting the New York Times and claiming he was a made member of the Mafia in Montreal. Gagliano sued for defamation and lost because there was enough evidence to substantiate the government's claims.

Not like Brian Mulroney who lied in a court application and sued the government for claiming he received a kickback in Airbus. That matter never went to court because the government payed him a $2.1 million settlement. Then of course it turned out he totally lied about his business relationship with Karlheinz Schreiber and thus defrauded the Canadian taxpayer out of $2.1 million.

Helena Guergis' allegations were much more personal and extreme. Her husband had an impaired driving charge just like Gordon Campbell and Rob Ford. Only his DUI included a cocaine possession charge which was dropped by the crown because they said it was difficult to prove. Which of course opens the door wide open to where the speculation came from. We know the Harper government slandered her greatly. There was talk of her doing a line of cocaine off a prostitute's stomach in a wild threesome with her husband. Those kind of allegations, if true clearly make you want to stand back a bit. Yet if they were false, wow. Harper does have a habit of firing and slandering whistle blowers.

Raynald Desjardins charged with the murder of Mafiaso Salvatore Montagna

Raynald Desjardins, of Laval, is expected to be charged with five others with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Salvatore Montagna. Desjardins served 10 years of a 15-year prison term, from 1993 to 2004, for conspiring with the Hells Angels to smuggle more than 5,000 kilograms of cocaine into Canada.

Those arrested in Montagna's murder included senior figures in the Montreal mafia - as well as those with links to the Hells Angels, the outlaw biker gang that is heavily involved in organized crime and drug trafficking in Quebec, sources told the New York Post.

Remember the Death Riders take over in Laval? May 4, 1987 the President of the Death Riders, Martin Huneault, was shot to death in a Laval bar. No one was ever arrested for the murder, but just hours after Huneault's funeral, Death Riders Mario Martin and André Richard were seen meeting with Hells Angels Maurice "Mom" Boucher and Normand "Biff" Hamel. Boucher and Hamel received their colours after the incident and Huneault's murder allowed the Hells Angels to completely take over drug trafficking in Laval and the lower Laurentians area.

B.C. Conservatives 'cannibalizing' Liberals

Well this is refreshing news. Christy Clark's disapproval rating hits highest level. On the front page of today's Vancouver sun it claims that the B.C. Conservatives are 'cannibalizing' Liberals.

If you want to vote for a conservative, do so. Don't vote for a neo con like Christy Clark and Gordon Campbell. The ballooning debt they created within BC Hydro by ripping off consumers was outrageous. Cummins was first elected under the Reform Party banner in 1993. That's a good sign.

"I learned that the best way to get things done is to listen to what the voters are saying," he said Tuesday, "to stand up for what you believe in, and never back down on something you know is right."

In announcing his leadership bid, Cummins revealed one policy of his platform - he wants to see donations for political parties from corporations and unions banned in British Columbia. "If a party cannot raise money from the voters, it has no business representing them in the legislature," he said. That's refreshing.

"The choice between the Liberals and NDP is like a choice between airline food and hospital food," Cummins said. "We can do better. British Colombians deserve a choice they are actually excited to vote for, not two parties they have to hold their noses to support." Feisty too. I like him.

I do want to be clear about a few stereotypes though. Adrian Dix is indeed a hard worker. He does care about crime. Mike Farnsworth as AG would definitely be a breath of fresh air. The liberals keep saying the NDP will tax and spend us into a black hole yet they have been the biggest offenders. John Cummins opposes the gas tax.

When people complain that the NDP get support from the big unions I have to ask what unions? The nurses have a union, the teachers have a Union and CUPE have a union. All the others are fractured splinters of what they once were. The big unions don't exist any more. Now it's all about the big corporations ripping off the consumers. It's getting to the point that it's effecting our sovereignty.

I had a friend who was very involved with the federal reform party and then the provincial reform party. I asked him what the status of the party was and he bowed his head and said all we did is split the vote and let the NDP get elected. We're stuck with the liberals. Well I'm thrilled to finally hear we're not stuck with the liberals any more.

The Greater Evil

We've all heard the term the greater good. Well this week I've become familiar with the greater evil. Although I've expressed concern about laws that erode individual rights and empower the police and the military to abuse their station to serve and protect the public, this Christmas I do want to salute law enforcement.

A while ago one person commented on a thread about police brutality that when push comes to shove, it's the police we're going to call when a murder is on the lose and someone is trying to harm our family. True enough. Torture is something that concerns us. Tasering a prisoner that is hog tied is a misuse of the weapon. Yet when I see some of the animosity families of gang members have towards the police in general I can clearly see a greater evil.

When we look at gang members with no regard for the law we contemplate what kind of bad parent would raise such a monster. Often we find out that greed driven gang members come from good homes with broken hearted parents. Yet sometimes we find that in cases of the Bacon brothers and Robert Shannon, the parents were not only complacent but actively involved in their children's crimes.

In the case of the Bacon brothers, spoilt brats from the suburbs, wire taps revealed that the parents were in on the drug trafficking. That is something I would consider being a bad parent. In the case of Robert Shannon, we saw his dear old Dad smiling while on board his son's obscenely expensive motorboat with that outrageously expensive truck he had pulling it. One is forced to conclude that parent knew the toys their kid were playing with were the proceeds of crime. Turning a blind eye to that is clearly being a bad parent.

Yet it gets worse. A really bad parent is one that knowingly and passionately lies for their child. When confronted with a child's misdeed they not only deny it and say oh my child would never do that. They lie for the child and help to harass and bully anyone who dares bring the truth to light.

I have seen this parent in action. Not only did this parent display a passion for dishonesty, false accusations and denial, they also had a huge hate for the police in general. Something they consider to be the biggest gang on the planet. Although I am the first one to agree that individual police officers can screw up, be that with regards to untimely excessive force or off the wall inappropriateness with female coworkers, by far the majority of police out there want to do good and do what's right. After all we do believe in the supremacy of God and the rule of law.

Which brings us to bad parents using the name of the Lord in vain. Tony Terezakis used the Lord's name in vain. He was a born again Christian who shouted praise the Lord as he filmed himself beating and spitting on drug addicts who owed him money. When we are told by their fruits they shall known them, Tony was clearly a freak.

Some Christians get this crazy idea that as long as they make a one time confession that Jesus is the Christ, it doesn't matter what they do. They can rape murder and steal and they'll still have a place waiting for them in heaven. They even go to the bizarre extreme and claim anyone who denies this claims God is a liar and are from the devil. Ironic. When Christ confronted the religious leaders at the time they said he was sent from the devil and had him killed. Even the devil knows that Jesus is the Christ and that knowledge doesn't save him.

I find this general hate for the police to be misguided. I find this passion to lie for a child to be misguided. Oh my love for my son is so strong it will never be broken. Lady that isn't love, that is denial and it's dysfunctional at best. Christians are taught to have unconditional love for a wayward child. That doesn't mean condoning the bad behavior and lying for them to hide, continue and benefit from it.

Their bullying of anyone who tries to bring the truth to light is a greater evil that consumes them. It is no different than the bullying the gangs do to collect drug debts and eliminate the competition in the drug trade. It has nothing to do with Christianity. It has the hallmarks of being a bad parent.

Paxton trial update

The Paxton torture trial continues. A lot of very strange objections to strange technicalities that don't matter and not a word about who the victim told the police Paxton took him to to be beaten. If this guy walks over strange technicalities, that would truly be a real tragedy. The laws do not properly define torture in the criminal code as it is. Giving him nothing would be an outrage.

Gold, Frankincense and Pepper spray

Well this isn't very Christmasy but someone just sent me the link and I find it very disturbing. Perhaps it is a sign of the times. It does indirectly tie in with the Christmas message. It's a video of peaceful protesters being pepper sprayed by police at the University of California in Davis.

I cannot articulate how outraged I am. Then a right wing spin doctor media outlet had the audacity to claim the protesters were willing participants in being pepper sprayed. They were holding a sit in. They were sitting peacefully side by side in a political protest that clearly had merit. They didn't "want" to be pepper sprayed. You see one girl in particular on the right bow her head and cringe in anticipation of the pepper spray. This was clearly a misuse of the weapon. This graphic talks about how much more dangerous police pepper spray is compared to civilian DOG spray. Let's not forget the 84 year old woman the police pepper sprayed in Seattle exercising her right to lawful assembly.

They were told if you don't move we will pepper spray you. Their refusal to move was not an invitation to be pepper sprayed. It was a claim to their unalienable right to free speech and lawful assembly. Normally in sit ins police will physically pick up a protester and arrest them. The protester doesn't resit nor aide the arrest. It is a nonviolent symbolic gesture.

Martin Luther King was a man I greatly respect. Aside from being a great orator, he was a powerful activist. He walked the walk he didn't just talk the talk. He was also the champion of nonviolent civil disobedience. He did not make a public appeal for anarchy. He said when you are committing an act of civil disobedience, you break the unjust law but are willing to face the consequence of breaking that unjust law in an attempt to correct that unjust law.

Pepper spraying nonviolent protesters with such a casual disregard for the Bill of Rights is shameful and embarrassing. It diminishes all of us. It reinstills public concerns about the National Defense Authorization Act. Setting up military checkpoints on American soil with no regard for the Bill of Rights or due process is definitely something out of Star Wars alright.