Remember!!!

Yesterday I had the grand displeasure of reading about Edmonton-Calder Conservative MLA Doug Elniski actions in this article by CBC. While I have come to terms with the fact that in general people are completely stupid and ignorant, I cannot fathom why they feel the need to open their mouth and infect others with their ignorance and stupidity.

While it is certainly bad enough that the people of Edmonton-Calder elected such a patriarchal, chauvinistic moron, it can be easy to be misled when you are voting on someone who has not served a previous term in office. I seriously hope that this serves as a reminder to everyone, not only in Edmonton-Calder, but in every single riding in this province. Remember what THAT person did, remember what their party did, remember every single thing that they did, and when you have 50 such incidents in 4 years then remember each and every apology that meant nothing. Remember that they are apologizing out of convenience and necessity rather then a realization that what they did was a horrible, horrible thing to do.

I am not referring to the instances where someone does something out of character without realizing the harm and apologizes because they realize what they did HURT. I am only referring to the all to common "convenience apologies." These are obvious when they are apologizing for something that is a part of who they are. They are apologizing, not for what they have done, but because they are part of the absolute scum of the earth, they know it, they just want to continue pretending for a little longer. They are trying to pull the wool over every ones eyes to conceal their true identity.

Doug Elniski is one of these people. He flaunts his male privilege, his chauvinistic attitudes, and his complete total disrespect for anyone who is not male. The fact that he actually spoke in front of a grade 9 graduation ceremony and attempted to spread his monolithic, self serving, patriarchal views is enough to require MUCH MORE then an "Oops, I didn't mean it that way, I'm sorry" Lets look at his past recent posts in public mediums to see what his character actually is, lets see him for who he displays himself to be, then we will examine his comments and the torridness of them with that perspective. I think it is important to keep in mind as we make this journey to understand the perspective from which this speech was given, that in general the face people allow others to see is FAR FAR nicer and more civilized then their true selves.

While I want nothing more then to NOT make this journey, in order to fully acknowledge the depths of depravity that these comments come from, and the EXTREME likelihood of either repetition, or worse, escalation, we must make walk down this path. So without further adu, lets get to business.

On June 13th, Doug Elniski posted on twitter

"bikini car wash 82 129 ave girls look cold (...)"

This coming from a man who has been married at LEAST 1 decade (likely 2 or 3 decades), and has THREE daughters!! This is a comment I could imagine a 17 year or, or a 20 year old making. I mean seriously, while the girls in question are obviously baring it for the intent to garner attention, and while I cannot condemn Doug for enjoying the view (although his wife certainly could, and should...), posting about it on a public forum where 387 people are "following" it is on much different level then elbowing your buddy and saying "hey look at that...." This is much closer to honking, driving around the block, leaning out the window, hollering at them, then going and pestering them to get their phone number etc. In my mind, this is near criminal behavior. Coming from a husband, father of 3 women, and an elected public official, this is SO far from "normal" that I would be terrified to have my children be ANYWHERE near him. This is very comparable to Hulk Hogan oiling up his bikini clad daughter's rear end a while back. Just plain disturbing.

Perhaps that was just a mistake, maybe his testosterone was abnormally high that day, maybe he just left Hooters, had feminine beauty on the brain and in an slightly intoxicated state accidentally violated normal behavior. So lets see the "big picture" here, maybe if we see what his other activities for the day were we can appreciate the perspective he was at in that moment...

On June 13th he also posted his speech that he gives to Junior High Students on his blog. So either he thought about Junior High Students and that put him in a leering objectifying women state of mind, or seeing scantily clad women and lusting after them made him think of the speech he gives at Junior High Schools....which ever one it is, it is near criminal and VERY disturbing.

June 13th he was also at the Pride Parade in Edmonton. Lets see if perhaps that influenced Doug Elinski's thought process. Perhaps his other twitter comments could shed some further light into his perspective and help us understand the person who made these comments...

"I am surrounded by bumping and grinding lesbians,"

Wait, this doesn't make sense, he sounds like he was participating in an orgy.... or maybe he just assumed that Lesbians were some sex crazed nut jobs that sleep with women not because they don't find men attractive, but because they exist solely to satisfy his erotic fantasies. Wow, he saw lesbians in a parade and correlated that with "bumping and grinding" and seemed to be bragging that he was watching them. Yes, Doug, they like creepy guys that stare at them. They like guys who stare at them who are married and have daughters of their own. They are there to satisfy your every desire. Maybe I can shed some light on this for you Doug, IT IS A PARADE NOT A PORN MOVIE.

So to recap, this is a man who in fairly quick succession, was fantasizing about lesbians who are not attracted to men, he was leering at scantily clad women and broadcasting that to others to come leer at as well, and then he thought about posting his speech that he gives to Junior High Students. Very, Very Sick Individual.

So now that we understand how someone like Doug Eliniski thinks, lets get to the real discussion about the speech his gives to unsuspecting, trusting, Grade 9 girls, (and boys.) This is my MAIN problem with this man. While the other actions are truly sickening, I would need to take action to see them. I would need to WANT to see what people like Doug Eliniski are thinking and saying in order to be affected by it. I seriously hope that I don't need to worry about any young women in grade 9 seeking out the thoughts of a man like that so that is not my concern. My concern is that these comments were made to young women who are just starting or are about to start the wonderful world of exploring their sexuality and starting to define their spot in the world. That these women did not make a choice to seek out his opinion, these women were subjected to that opinion. This is a SERIOUS problem.

"Ladies, always smile when you walk into a room, there is nothing a man wants less than a woman scowling because he thinks he is going to get s--t for something and has no idea what."

I'm sorry where does this jackass get off telling young women that they exist to please the men around him??!! Who the fuck cares whether or not a man (or a women for that matter) thinks he is going to get shit for ANYTHING. If they are too stupid or ignorance to know what they've done wrong why should ANYONE care. Why should anyone care if they are so self centered and think so little about those around them that they believe that when someone walks into a room scowling, it is because of them that the person is scowling. I mean get off your high horse. Whatever you do, don't tell them something like this ... "When you see someone walk into a room scowling, go and see if you can cheer them up. Make people smile wherever you go. Everyone likes someone who helps lift them up when they are feeling down." No, can't say that, that might give them the impression that they are important, and that they can make a difference, and that they can have an amazing positive influence on those around them. I guess if Doug Eliniski promoted ideals such as that he would have less women thinking they need to show off their "assets" in order to get attention, and he would have less bikini car washes to leer at, or less fuel for the porn industry to satisfy his lesbian fantasies. No people like him need to keep women down and tell them that they exist for the sheer purpose of keeping men happy. Creep.

Okay, breathe, take a step back, lets remember, perspective is important. I may be taking these comments completely out of context, lets look to other snippets from his speech, perhaps they can show us what he really meant...

"Men are attracted to smiles, so smile, don't give me that 'treated equal' stuff. If you want Equal, it comes in little packages at Starbucks."

WHAT!!! You want Equal go to Starbucks!!!, OMFG. Seriously why is this person allowed to be near young women, let along talk to them! I guess my attempt at trying to be fair and look at the broader speech simply showed that my initial impression was correct. An apology does NOT suffice here. How many graduating classes did he give this speech to? How many young women were told explicitly that their purpose was to "Smile" for Men's benefits? How many young women were told to forget about Equality and stick to the sugar packs at the coffee shop when they talked about being Equal. How many young women saw a successful, elected official, whom makes laws, display this horrible attitude. Worst yet, how many young men saw this as their role model. How many of our future law makers were shown that women are there to serve them, and that by treating women like objects, they too can succeed.

This is absolutely appalling that these actions have happened. I am terrified for the youth that were subjected to that. If my children were in that school, I would be screaming from the rooftops. Ed Stelmach has indicated that no formal discipline is being planned at this time. What better way to reinforce the message that these actions are ok, that our Premier agrees with these actions. Silence is the Enemy. Forgetting only lets this episode repeat itself.

Above all else, REMEMBER!!!

Cosmetic or Not?

In Alberta, Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS) has been talked about in most households across the province (and to a lesser extent) across Canada. Whether people are upset that it was funded in the first place, or upset that the Government removed funding, most everyone has an opinion on the matter.

Ultimately the decision on whether or not GRS should be funded will be resolved by the Human Rights Commission. Given the Hogan V. Ontario decision in 2006, the outcome is largely pre-determined, despite the fact that Lindsay Blackett's (Community and Culture Minister) opinion that "redneck" Albertans who are on the commission here will rule in the Governments favor. I have done my part to try and convince the Government the extreme foolishness of their actions and have been largely ignored, lied to, and misled, by the PC caucus. They refused to listen to sound reason, and logical arguments, so the Government, and by proxy the taxpayers of this province will pay a hefty price in legal costs along the way, fighting a battle they cannot win.

However, I feel I am digressing slightly. I am now talking to "Joe the Plumber" since that apparently represents the conservative mind in North America. An argument that is made time and time again is

"Why should cosmetic surgery be funded by the taxpayer? I can't get breast implants on the taxpayer dime, why should transsexuals get their surgery funded."

While this would be a perfectly sound argument, the premise on which it is founded is totally and completely false, and therefore, the argument is almost childlike. Since logic is not based on emotion, and opinion has no bearing on this matter, let me use facts that require little to no knowledge of GRS and are devoid of influence by my opinion, to completely debunk this argument and lay it to rest for the rest of eternity.

First of all, while all cosmetic surgery is plastic surgery, all plastic surgery is NOT cosmetic. Let me explain. According to Wiki, which we all know can NEVER be wrong **heavy sarcasm** but is fairly accurate in most cases, and unless proven false, we can proceed with it being an authoritative source on these fairly basic facts. Wiki says,

"Cosmetic Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery are two fields that comprise the medical specialty of Plastic Surgery."

Wiki further defines cosmetic surgery as,

"Aesthetic Cosmetic Surgery is defined as an autonomous and independent specialty of surgery that uniquely restricts itself to the enhancement of appearance through surgical and medical techniques. It is specifically concerned with maintaining normal appearance, restoring it, or enhancing it beyond the average level toward some aesthetic ideal."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_surgery#Cosmetic_surgery

So cosmetic surgery fits into one of three categories,

1. Maintaining normal appearance - GRS is clearly not this as the appearance was never normal to begin with and "Maintaining" is certainly not a word that would fit when describing what GRS is.
2. Restoring it (normal appearance) - GRS clearly does not "restore" normal appearance, again in order to "Restore" something, you must have "had" it in the first place. And for Transsexuals, they have never had the genitalia the surgery is creating. Clearly not restoring it.
3. Enhancing it beyond the average level toward some aesthetic ideal - GRS is clearly not about improving the appearance of our vagina's to some aesthetic ideal. Again in order to improve, transsexuals would had to have had one in the first place. Clearly not applicable.

Since regardless of what personal knowledge you may have about why GRS is performed, simple logic proves that GRS clearly does not fit into the definition of cosmetic surgery. To continue with this argument represents a fundamental lack of understanding of what cosmetic surgery is, and as such is childlike at best. Regardless of your opinion on GRS and any knowledge you may have as to why it is done, it is fairly easy to understand that taking a penis and creating a vagina (or vice versa) does not fit the definition of Cosmetic Surgery in any way shape or form.

So for those of you that actually would like to know what GRS is, let me continue. For those of you that want to hide from knowledge in order to justify your ignorance, thank you for your time, and please stop repeating the same argument over and over again. Consider it officially refuted.

So what is GRS then? Could it be Reconstructive Surgery? Wiki tells us

"Reconstructive Plastic Surgery is performed to correct functional impairments caused by: ... developmental abnormalities ... Reconstructive plastic surgery is usually performed to improve function, but it may be done to approximate a normal appearace"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_surgery#Reconstructive_plastic_surgery

So with that knowledge, lets explore why GRS is performed. To correct gender impairment between the physical body and the brain caused by developmental abnormalities that resulted in the wrong genitalia being developed by the body. It is performed to improve the function of genitalia for the patient and to approximate a normal appearance of the genitalia. Clearly this fits into the reconstructive surgery branch of the the plastic surgery family.

While I understand that Wiki is not "gospel" and can be less then accurate at times, unless the definitions of cosmetic surgery, or reconstructive surgery are radically different then what is stated on Wiki, the arguments are still 100% valid. And as such the question on whether or not to fund the surgery needs to be based on the same criteria that guides the decision on whether or not to fund other reconstructive surgery. Since Alberta has had a long standing record of funding GRS, and most every other reconstructive surgery, to pick one particular surgery, that affects such a small number of people in such a life altering way for a mere 19 pennies per Albertan, is tantamount to cruel and unusual punishment.

My faith in Humanity has been restored...

Well at least in a small way. I still think we are doomed to die a slow horrible death at our own hand due to our own ignorance, but that post is for another day. Today we are discussing hope and the capacity for sound logical discussion to actually influence people's opinions.

So you may be wondering what prompts this odd perspective of enlightenment? Well three things actually. First one is rather simple. I have been in self imposed exile within my home for the last week. Today I was forced to leave the house to drive my older brother to school so I could have the car to get my mother to the airport this afternoon. So I ended up driving my brother to school, and my wife to work and will be taking my mom to the airport this afternoon Even though it may sound obvious, just the act of getting out of the house improved my mood drastically.

Second factor contributing to my enlightened opinion today. I got accepted into the program I wanted at the University. Which in over itself is not a huge deal, but my program has one of the most competitive entrance requirements at this University with a minimum GPA of 3.4 for transfer students. In any case getting accepted required them using the best 10 classes instead of the last 10 classes. This left some uncertainty into whether I would get in or not, and as luck would have it, they used the best 10 classes. It is nice to see an institution be able to look past a obviously messed up semester and see my true brilliance for what it is (yes I know I'm laying it on thick, but I feel smart today so oh well)

Third, and most important factor. The ongoing feud my family has had with my wife's parents over the upcoming family reunion ended last night. We received an e-mail with a sincere apology, and a personal invitation to attend the reunion. Honestly this surprised me as much as the insistence that I not show up. What this shows though is a remarkable ability in my in-laws to humble themselves and admit they were wrong.

Most people hide behind their religion to justify their intolerant ways. In my dispute with them I used their religions doctrine to argue my point. While they initially refused to acknowledge the fact that I was not perverting their doctrine to suit myself, they have since realized that they were in the wrong. It is an amazing trait to be able to admit wrong doing, and while I still am very wary of them and their intentions, I fully intend to give them a fresh start.

Life on Earth would be a near Utopian existence, and Humanity itself would be generations ahead of where we now are if we could all learn how to openly admit our faults and mistakes. Only by acknowledging fault, or incorrectness, can we ever hope to improve ourselves. Today a small step in that direction was made, and I give credit where credit is due.

Welcome to Me!!

Welcome to the world that exists inside my head. I really don't care whether you like or agree with what I say, but I really would like what I say to cause discussion. Only through discussion, critical thinking, and personal investigation can we ever obtain the holiest of holy, the reason for life, and whatever else drives you or motives you to get out of bed every morning.....

The TRUTH.

Something I have learned in my far too many years, is that generally the "truth" is perceived based on perspective. However this is a large problem that plagues every facet of society, as The TRUTH is never changing and a simple unchanging fact of life. Everyone generally assumes that their own personal version of the truth is The TRUTH; however nothing could be more wrong.

I consider myself to be highly intelligent, and while it may seem fairly conceded to make that statement about myself, there are reasons behind that reasoning. I do not equate intelligence to knowledge. No matter how much you "know," it is rarely the TRUTH and as such knowledge is always in a constant state of flux. Intelligence, as I define it, is the ability to know that you don't know. It is the ability to talk about any issue and ask questions that increase your knowledge on the subject matter. It is the ability to critically think about other people's reasoning and "facts" and add them to your repertoire of "knowledge" or discard them as inaccurate or misleading. This process of constant discussion, debate, and investigation allows me to acquire an amazing amount of Perspective Facts that add to my knowledge base, and also help me to better understand issues from any perspective. All of this would still be for naught if I did not possess one very important ability, the ability to recognize that my Perspective Truth is wrong and adjust it accordingly. This last trait is one that I claim, but many people accuse me of the exact opposite. Do not mistake my willingness to discuss a topic ad nauseum with a superiority complex. I do not believe I am always right, in fact I know that I am rarely right. I am absolutely terrified of standing up for something that is wrong and as such I have an insatiable appetite for additional perspective truths to add to my current belief, or to prove my current belief wrong.

I am a huge X-Files fan, and while I do not hold the same level of conspiracy theory mania, that the show portrays, I do firmly believe The Truth is Out There, and that if we don't actively seek it, we will never find it.

One last note, I am a horrible writer and generally fail to articulate myself properly. I reserve the right to edit my posts at any time to clarify intended meanings. This does not mean I am trying to hide my errors, it is simply a tool to prevent further misconceptions.