FYI.. If Canadians Could VOTE!

[ClaireAvril]

You are right that we do have a lot of great things going for us.. but I still see a need for big change in this country.. at all levels of government.

-The amount of crime going on in especially in the major cities.. this needs to be controlled. Demolish that stupid young offenders act, we need tougher penalties for gun crimes.. oh hell ban that damn guns already! and we need tougher laws on DUI incidents to say the least!
-Money needs to be provided to cities to improve public transportation which leads to the state of the environment which is another issue.
-Also our troops overseas need to come home and take back their title of peace keepers instead of warriors
-We need more affordable education and job stability ESPECIALLY for the middle and lower classes
-We need more money in our elementary and highschools. We need to keep the arts and sports in our schools. More councillors and after school programs so that children have something proactive to do instead of joining gangs and making trouble.
- The homelessness in major cities is a problem too

There are so many large issues that need to be dealt with and we need a prime minister on the side of the people not the rich bastards and corporations!!

 

[Shadowy Lady]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaireAvril You are right that we do have a lot of great things going for us.. but I still see a need for big change in this country.. at all levels of government. -The amount of crime going on in especially in the major cities.. this needs to be controlled. Demolish that stupid young offenders act, we need tougher penalties for gun crimes.. oh hell ban that damn guns already! and we need tougher laws on DUI incidents to say the least! -Money needs to be provided to cities to improve public transportation which leads to the state of the environment which is another issue. -Also our troops overseas need to come home and take back their title of peace keepers instead of warriors -We need more affordable education and job stability ESPECIALLY for the middle and lower classes -We need more money in our elementary and highschools. We need to keep the arts and sports in our schools. More councillors and after school programs so that children have something proactive to do instead of joining gangs and making trouble. - The homelessness in major cities is a problem too There are so many large issues that need to be dealt with and we need a prime minister on the side of the people not the rich bastards and corporations!!

Oh I agree (that is if you were addressing me) with most of your post except for the crime part. Yes, we do have crimes, but honestly, the number of crimes here in Canada is nothing compared to the rest of the world. Also, the crime rate has declined by 10% since last year (I saw this on CTV).

I also favour a different government, always preferred the Liberals TBH. The problem is that Dion was not a good leader so the Liberals didn't make it

All that said, I don't really think that Canada needs as much change, especially when it comes to how we're perceived in the world.

 

[ClaireAvril]

I've heard this thing too about crime going down - I don't believe that. Aren't they comparing 2006 to the national average in 2005? That is not accurate .. its 2008! That is out of date information!!!

Back in 2006 the rate of crime may have decreased but the amount of serious offences were at the same amount and the amount of crimes committed by young offenders was on the rise!

in Toronto almost every day there's a new killing.. the gun violence is insane and these people are moving out to the burbs like Brampton/Missisauga and causing trouble here.
last weekend a woman got shot in front of a club while she was having a cigarette.. she had nothing to do with the intended victim.
Someone was murdered in their car and the car was dumped on a residential street with the body in it!
Some kid got stabbed just around the corner from here for no apparent reason. Why is this happening? At his funeral his mother was screaming for him to come out of the casket so she could take him home. Can you imagine.

I think the problem is a lot of people just aren't concerned with what is not happening in their front yard... until it does.

 

[Shadowy Lady]

^^ it was on the news Tuesday night, I also heard it on the radio on my way to work the same day. Both sources said 2008.

I know we have crimes, it's naive to think this is a prefect country. But as much as I don't like or support the Conservatives, I don't think we can blame them for the crimes.

Toronto does seem to be pretty bad. Knock on wood Ottawa's been relatively safe.

 

[ClaireAvril]

i don't blame the conservatives, i said we need someone to take the initiative to make a change. How bout I blame everyone in this country equally for the crap that's going on?

Anyway.. nice debating with you..but trust me.. nowhere is "safe".

 

[SparklingWaves]

As an American, I find this thread very informative.

 

[radarlove]

Lately I find that I'm thankful every day that I'm Canadian. I don't know, it just seems like America has gone downhill so much. They are hated throughout the world (though most don't realize it!), so many people don't have access to health care, in many areas racism, intolerance and discrimination are still prevalent...it seems like parts of America are like a 3rd world country.

I know Canada isn't perfect, but I really believe it's one of the best places to live. I'm so proud that gay people can get married in my country, everyone has access to good quality health care, secularism and freedom of speech are valued highly, and people are generally very progressive and tolerant (I know some parts of Canada, especially rural areas, are different). We're also really lucky to have so much space and natural resources!

We need to improve though, especially in the area of the environment - we should be a world leader when it comes to environmental issues. Also, the government's treatment of Aboriginal people is a really bad mark on our record and is still a big problem...more Canadians should be informed on these important issues so that they are brought to light and can be fixed.

But yeah, I love Canada a lot, I feel so lucky to live here - I think only places like Scandinavia rival it for best place to live

 

[Shadowy Lady]

^^ that was the point I was trying to make previously too. I have traveled a lot and wouldn't live anywhere but here

 

[user79]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaireAvril A lot of Canadians are apathetic. It's like they don't want change or they are scared of it. A lot of people don't vote because they say.. well what is my one vote going to do.. its not going to change anything.. while there are tens of thousand of people saying that. Or every time I vote no change really happens so why bother. Does Canada need to have a mega crisis like the states to actually get people moving? There are also a lot of stupid excuses.. I was watching the news just before the elections and a lot of the younger people were being asked if they would vote and they said no.. because they just don't know much about the parties running. WTF is that? That is no one's fault but your own educate yourself.

I think one big reason that Canadians don't vote is because Canada desparately needs electoral reform. The system is based on the old English system and is terribly outdated.

 

[PMBG83]

Quote:

Originally Posted by radarlove Lately I find that I'm thankful every day that I'm Canadian. I don't know, it just seems like America has gone downhill so much. They are hated throughout the world (though most don't realize it!), so many people don't have access to health care, in many areas racism, intolerance and discrimination are still prevalent...it seems like parts of America are like a 3rd world country.

Oh believe me when you talk to other ethnicities that are here they will tell you how much in their home countries ppl dont like americans. If not that ya can catch cnn sometimes when theyre doing documentaries about it and see all the rest of the world(or a damn good part of it) saying how much they have distain for us. Particularily after Katrina they thought we were ridiculous and with this economy weve pretty much become a laughing stock. A commenter on youtube actually was in favor of China becoming a excuse me THE new top world power b/c weve pretty much been deemed pathetic.
That was one thing Katrina brought, ppl didnt know there were ppl actually living like that in addition to out houses still being in use.

 

[ClaireAvril]

Quote:

Originally Posted by radarlove Lately I find that I'm thankful every day that I'm Canadian. I don't know, it just seems like America has gone downhill so much. They are hated throughout the world (though most don't realize it!), so many people don't have access to health care, in many areas racism, intolerance and discrimination are still prevalent...it seems like parts of America are like a 3rd world country. I know Canada isn't perfect, but I really believe it's one of the best places to live. I'm so proud that gay people can get married in my country, everyone has access to good quality health care, secularism and freedom of speech are valued highly, and people are generally very progressive and tolerant (I know some parts of Canada, especially rural areas, are different). We're also really lucky to have so much space and natural resources! We need to improve though, especially in the area of the environment - we should be a world leader when it comes to environmental issues. Also, the government's treatment of Aboriginal people is a really bad mark on our record and is still a big problem...more Canadians should be informed on these important issues so that they are brought to light and can be fixed. But yeah, I love Canada a lot, I feel so lucky to live here - I think only places like Scandinavia rival it for best place to live

I am very proud to be Canadian.. I couldn't see myself living anywhere else..
except for Jamaica or Barbados.. but that's just a dream.

But I am not going to say: oh well the violence here isn't as bad as some other parts of the world so I should just be content and thank god I am not living there. No. We have a problem.. and just because the problems here aren't as high as in other areas in the world doesn't mean it isn't a large issue!!

I don't care to compare our problems to other countries.. I don't live there .. I care what is happening here.

But don't you think what is happening in the states could happen in Canada..if we're not careful? the economy here is already changing..WTF happened to the value of my work's RRSP (lol) people are losing their jobs.. and the strength of the dollar has dropped.

But you're right.. though we do have racism here.. the racism in some parts of the states is really different.. just take a look at what some people have written in some of the race related posts on this site.

And you're right about the environment and the treatment of natives.
but in both situations we the people have to motivate ourselves to make a change and not only depend on the government to make changes.. that will take forever.

 

[ClaireAvril]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SparklingWaves As an American, I find this thread very informative.

I am glad you're willing to educate yourself about our country..

Today at work I had someone from Minnesota call me and asked if we celebrate Halloween in Canada.. WTF?!??!?!

One time when I was in Virginia Beach some people ran up to me with wide eyes... they said.. You're from Canada right? Does it snow there ALL the time? What the?!??!?

We know so much about the states but there are a lot of Americans that don't know much about us.

Thank you!!

 

[Shadowy Lady]

^^ I have a french accent as I learned French before English. Everytime I go to the US and ppl find out I'm from Canada, they're like: "oh, that's why you have a French accent, coz you guys are French!" hmmmm, not everyone in Canada is Francophone :/ I also get a lot of blank stares when i say I'm from Ottawa. Most ppl I met in the US didn't know that Ottawa was our capital.

Going back to the topic, only 4 days left till we know who'll be running the affairs in the US. I can't wait!

 

[SparklingWaves]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ClaireAvril I am glad you're willing to educate yourself about our country.. Today at work I had someone from Minnesota call me and asked if we celebrate Halloween in Canada.. WTF?!??!?! One time when I was in Virginia Beach some people ran up to me with wide eyes... they said.. You're from Canada right? Does it snow there ALL the time? What the?!??!? We know so much about the states but there are a lot of Americans that don't know much about us. Thank you!!

I am very interested in other countries and their viewpoints, way of living, politics, etc. I look at other countries news all the time and I am saddened that many serious news stories in other countries never make it to our mainstream World news media outlets. I realize that our media cannot cover everything, but some of these issues are just too profound and defiantly need some mention.

Back to the poll, whoever wins this election in America has a great deal of challenges before them.

 

[MACLovin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadowy Lady ^^ I have a french accent as I learned French before English. Everytime I go to the US and ppl find out I'm from Canada, they're like: "oh, that's why you have a French accent, coz you guys are French!" hmmmm, not everyone in Canada is Francophone :/ I also get a lot of blank stares when i say I'm from Ottawa. Most ppl I met in the US didn't know that Ottawa was our capital. Going back to the topic, only 4 days left till we know who'll be running the affairs in the US. I can't wait!

Hey, Ottawa! I just saw your hockey team last night!

The Senators beat the FL Panthers though

Boooo.. It was my first hockey game, so although we lost it was still fun, haha