New Citizenship Guide Chock Full of Hypocrisies And Double Standards and All We Can Do is Slam Justin Trudeau For Semantics?

I wonder if Jason Kenney worded his new citizen’s guide in the way that he did purposely to cause trouble so as to deflect the media and the public at large from his party’s own transgressions? I wouldn’t put it past him, but at the same time, I also believe that ol’ Jason, being the typical hypocritical neo-con theocrat that he is, was simply being Jason. Master Steve must be oh so proud.  Here’s the exact wording in question:

“Canada’s openness and generosity do not extend to barbaric cultural practices that tolerate spousal abuse, ‘honour killings,’ female genital mutilation, forced marriage or other gender-based violence. Those guilty of these crimes are severely punished under Canada’s criminal laws.”

Words, I’m sure, that would make Tarek Fatah feel just all warm and tingly.

Take heart, boys ‘n’ girls, he did add one sentence acknowledging gay rights and same sex marriage though. Warning to new Canadians though, gay bashing crimes aren’t really taken seriously here much of the time. Remember poor Jake Raynard?

The fact of the matter is, even if Justin Trudeau hadn’t have spoken, the damned document oozes hypocrisy. Funny how Justing Trudeau’s remarks make more waves than the glaring hypocrisies.

Let me explain, because, it seems obvious most folks are overlooking them.

The document says that acts like forced marriage, conjugal violence and honour killings are ‘culturally barbaric’ not even simply barbaric. It implies that those acts are exclusive to certain ethnic groups, usually non-whites and non Jewish/Christians. This is what makes the statement inflammatory.  I don’t even think such words like ‘barbaric’ are used in the criminal code.

Trudeau gives an explanation this morning that I agree with:

“My problem with the use of the word barbaric is that it was chosen to reassure Canadians rather than actually change unacceptable behaviours,” he said on Twitter.

“The subjective value loaded into that word makes it easy to dismiss as an insult, rather than a statement of basic, simple fact,” he added.

Instead, he suggested describing such acts as “totally unacceptable,” a phrase he says is “clear, strong, and objective, without being ‘us civilized, you not.’”

Bingo!  

Like Polygonic, I am reminded of the time when oh little town of  L’Herouxville came up with their laws against stoning women and such some years ago which led to the Bouchard-Taylor Commission on Reasonable Accommodation. Given that L’Herouxville is a tiny rural town in the Mauricie region, it basically has no immigrants; all white, Catholic and unilingual Francophone. I saw their laws as nothing more than a stunt to get them their fifteen minutes of fame, besides, of course, making it clear to new immigrants that they are not welcome in their little town.  I’ll bet any amount of money that most Canadians probably agree that L’Herouxville’s bylaws simply displayed them for the ‘typical Quebecois racists that they are’ but have no problem with the words ‘culturally barbaric’ in Jason Kenney’s new guide. Further evidence of double standards.

Another thing, Jason Kenney is all of a sudden showing concern for the safety and rights of women? How conveniently precious! Kenney, Stevie Spiteful and his party have demonstrated time and again that they really don’t care about such things. Remember, to them, women are nothing more than ‘left winged fringe groups’.

Perhaps they need to be reminded:

“It’s disappointing that the Conservatives think that a mention of violence against women in this guide is a sufficient strategy to actually combat violence against women,” a senior Ignatieff official said Tuesday morning. “If Stephen Harper claims to be concerned about violence against women, why has his government refused to develop a National Violence Against Women Prevention Strategy that the House of Commons unanimously endorsed in 2008?”

They’ve demonstrated that they don’t care about conjugal violence. It never comes up when they talk of their tough on crime mantra.  Even when that idiot, Scott Newark spoke of ‘unreported crime’, conjugal violence and rape which often do go unreported was never even mentioned.

Super Vic Toews appeared to have a rather cavalier attitude toward it when Liberal MP Marlene Jennings called him on it during the Long Gun Registry Debates.

Speaking of Super Vic, he appears to have an equally laissez-faire attitude toward rape as he aspires to change the legal language of ‘sexual assault’ back to the harder to convict ‘rape’.   Speaking of Harpercon attitude toward rape, let’s not forget the words of Judge Robert Dewar, a Harpercon appointee out in Manitoba as he issued that woefully light sentence on a convicted rapist. Far from being called ‘barbaric’, was he?

Of course, how about that Mormon cult out in Bountiful, British-Columbia? No one really talks about that anymore, do they? Wanna know ‘barbarism’? There’s a classic example.  Dirty old men forcing young, often under-age girls (often as young as twelve) into marriage, sex and of course, bearing their children.  Underage marriage and rape happening on a regular basis, illegal; in the criminal code, yet these men never seem to get charged with anything or if they do, the charges never stick. Pale wrote a great piece last month about this cult of exteme fundamental Mormons last month, called Pimpin’  Out the Kiddies For Jay-zus . I suggest you read it to get more details.  Although we never hear of it, I’m pretty sure that if one of those women or girls attempted to run and got caught, there would be hell to pay. Perhaps even a so-called ‘honour killing’, only of course it wouldn’t be called that, simply because it would be committed by white Christian fundies and not Brown Muslim people.

As Antonia Z said Femicide is femicide no matter no matter who kills her or from what ethnic background he is from or what his motives are.  In other words, as it would apply here,  the term ‘Honour killing’ should also be removed from the guide.  After all, when gang members kill each other to somehow restore ‘honour’ in their ranks, that’s not even referred to as an honour killing in the criminal code or in the courts.

Not that I really need to say this, but murder is already in the criminal code, which is applicable (or supposed to be) to all  Canadian citizens, immigrants, residents and visitors.

De Beaux Os from Dammit Janet has much better wording that could’ve been used in the Canadian Citizenship guide:

It would be more precise to state in the citizenship study that crimes against women will prosecuted and none can be justified by using religious beliefs.

I’ll have to agree with De Beaux Os here. Min Jason Kenney would never use that kind of wording as it would just go against his theocratic sensitivitivities and those of his followers. Read the rest of her post here, she brings up more of Mr Kenney and his brethren’s good ol’ Con hypocrisy and double standards.

I would also add that it would have to make them actually practice what they preach and actually ensure that ALL women’s rights are respected and that ALL crimes against women are prosecuted.  Don’t think that’ll happen though.

Inflammatory language in a citizen’s guide won’t deter violent acts, if anything, it may provoke them further.  Also, when writing rules in such guides, be prepared to actually lead by example and practice what you preach.  It would be far more productive than slamming Justin Trudeau over the head over semantics.

Jason Kenney is obviously soothing and reassuring an angry and increasingly bigotted base more than keeping immigrant women safe. 

Justin Trudeau is only guilty of forgetting who he’s dealing with — that very same angry and increasingly bigotted electorate.

strong>A bit of trivia: Stoning of women actually comes right out of the bible. John 8:5 and Deuteronomy 22:21. ‘Honour killings’ are also preached in the good book. From Exodus 21:17, Leviticus 20:9, Leviticus 21:9. I’m sure there are more citings on those fun subjects from the bible if I continued looking, but I think you get the idea.  It makes one wonder how many Christian fundies actually still live by the old testament, inflicting those violent acts on their spouses and children? Not like the media is going to go out of its’ way to report it.