Uprising against military exhibits

[GAP]

Uprising against military exhibits
By DEREK PUDDICOMBE, CITY HALL BUREAU 2nd June 2009
Article Link

Last weekend's military trade show in the capital may be the last.

A motion coming before today's meeting of the city's corporate services committee calls for a ban on future military trade shows that showcase weapons of war in municipal facilities, and asks the city to urge the federal and provincial governments to implement a similar ban.

Bay Coun. Alex Cullen authored the motion which says the these types of exhibitions have "little or no consideration of moral or humanitarian issues in that weapons can and have been used against civilians."

The military show at Lansdowne Park on the weekend was the first in the capital in 20 years since the former City of Ottawa passed a motion 11-1 to not allow military exhibitions. However, according to the city's legal department, the 1989 council motion no longer applied to Lansdowne Park so another motion is required.

PEACE GROUPS

Cullen expects a "lively" debate at today's meeting, with about 50 groups signed up to speak for or against the ban. Many of the groups who intend to speak are faith-based organizations and peace groups.

"Many Canadians don't know how deep Canada is involved in the arms trade," he said. "We're contributing arms and material to conflicts were innocent people get killed."

Last year, two military trade shows approached the city for use of trade show facilities at Lansdowne Park -- Secure Canada 2008 and CANSEC. Secure Canada eventually cancelled its plans, but CANSEC went ahead with securing Lansdowne Park for its trade show.

"It's not what the City of Ottawa should be supporting," said Cullen.

Peace demonstrators gathered outside last weekend's military trade show, but said it was the prelude to a larger protest expected at City Hall today.
More on link

 

[Kat Stevens]

So I guess no more auto, motorcycle, or boat shows, as thousands die every year because of them.  No more rock concerts either, they promote indiscriminate sex, drug use,  and disregard for authority. Shamefull stuff.    :

 

[PMedMoe]

Arms show debate stalls
Article Link

Committee meeting ends for lack of councillors

By Jake Rupert

A city hall hearing on a move to re-establish a ban on armaments shows on city-owned property had to be halted Tuesday when there weren’t enough city councillors to continue.

Under city rules, a majority of committee members must be present while business is underway.

City council’s economic-affairs committee, which started working at 10 a.m., was hearing submissions from the public on the issue and had just enough members present to continue until just before 3 p.m.

But then, with no hope of finding enough councillors to make a majority on the 11 member committee, vice-chair Gloucester-South Nepean Councillor Steve Desroches had to adjourn the matter until the next meeting in two weeks.

Mayor Larry O’Brien is the chair of the committee, but he’s stepped aside from his duties during his criminal trial. Desroches was present through most of the meeting, and so were councillors Alex Cullen, Peter Hume, Rob Jellett, Marianne Wilkinson, Rainer Bloess and Diane Deans. Deans was the last to leave before the meeting adjourned, joining other absentees in councillors Glenn Brooks, Rick Chiarelli, Eli El-Chantiry and Maria McRae. Desroches cited “previous commitments” to explain why they weren’t present.

The ending of the meeting didn’t anger most citizens who were attending to voice support for a ban, but Cullen, who brought the motion to re-establish the ban, was perturbed.

“I’m annoyed,” he said. “This is a major public issue, and we are paid to attend meetings to hear from the public and to decide public issues. I think the public should be appalled. This is a committee of 11 people and we couldn’t get six of them in the room.”

More on link

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Fine, lots of cities will take the revenue the show produces.....

 

[PMedMoe]

An excellent column by Earl McRae in the Ottawa Sun!!

Misguided missals
Dreamlanders wrong to launch campaign against military trade shows
Article Link

"Arms trade has little or no consideration of moral and humanitarian issues in that weapons can and have been used against civilians."

Alex Cullen

In the summer of 2007, city Coun. Alex Cullen, king of "moral and humanitarian issues," achieved what he said was his lifelong dream: He flew to Spain and ran with the bulls at Pamplona in the Festival of San Fermin.

You know the annual ritual, right?

It's where human beings force a bunch of innocent bulls, who have grievances against nobody, to charge through the streets of Pamplona for no other purpose than entertainment, the entertainment being allegedly-intelligent members of the human species running like hell ahead of the bulls, whooping, hollering, provoking them, hoping to make it to the finish line without getting gored.

Since it began in the 1920s, 16 homo sapiens have died, scores more injured; the last death in 2008, an Irish tourist.

Alex Cullen, king of "moral and humanitarian issues," might not have read what PETA says about the event, PETA being the People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals. Or maybe he has, and doesn't care.

PETA: "It's a pointless, abusive spectacle during which confused bulls are forced to run through the streets while rowdy, drunken revellers run alongside and poke them with sticks."

PETA can be sanctimonious and misguided, but with this one it's nailed it. What's needed in Ottawa is an annual Running Of The Idiots. City councillors tearing down Elgin St. while spectators with the brains and common sense not possessed by the councillors pelt them with tomatoes.

This would be a "moral and humanitarian issue" totally justified.

More on link

 

[McG]

Bay Coun. Alex Cullen authored the motion which says the these types of exhibitions have "little or no consideration of moral or humanitarian issues in that weapons can and have been used against civilians."

CANSEC exists for industry to promote its goods/inform the Canadian Forces and various Canadian security agancies.  As the banning of this event is the goal of Coun. Cullen, what the hell is he suggesting the CF has been doing to the end that such an event shows "little or no consideration of moral or humanitarian issues"?

 

[chrisf]

With it's ample conference facilities, plentiful hotels, fantastic nightlife, and large international airport, as well as a population generally supportive of the military and it's endeavours, I'm confident the city of St. John's would be more then happy to host any such conferences...

 

[McG]

The primary target audience is decision makers in NDHQ.  If it is forced out of Ottawa, I would expect to see it in Gatineau QC.

 

[retiredgrunt45]

PETA can be sanctimonious and misguided, but with this one it's nailed it. What's needed in Ottawa is an annual Running Of The Idiots. City councillors tearing down Elgin St. while spectators with the brains and common sense not possessed by the councillors pelt them with tomatoes.

Now that's a spectacle I'd love to see. Lets not just restrict it to just local politicians, get the whole gang out there federal, provincial and local.

 

[the 48th regulator]

Positive mission by Councilor
More on Article Link

Alex Cullen has further decided to champion the idea of a safe and free Ottawa.  He has proposed the banning of all pool halls, including establishments that make use of a Pool table.

"I was walking down the street the other day, and heard a couple of young fellows, with short hair, and they decided to go 'shoot some pool'.  I was shocked!  Young men, all ready for a night out, and the only thing they can thing of is shooting something!  Deplorable.  They then went to talk about hitting balls in the same sentence!  How can you use the idea of pain and pleasure in the same concept?!?!

Mr. Cullen has also suggested that the use of Ice Cream Trucks in the area of Ottawa was his next goal, stating that the Capital had a noise pollution law, and that the use of Ice Cream in common speech, promoted the breaking of the law by allowing people to state they would  holler.  Not to mention, that cute song that gets stuck in his head.



dileas

tess

 

[Journeyman]

The primary target audience is decision makers in NDHQ....

Based on my limited exposure to NDHQ today....

I walked through the main concourse and saw all kinds of uniformed people enthralled with displays of snakes and reptiles....some guy with a globe on his head and wearing a cape....and several people beating on assorted forms of garbage.

Personally, I'm glad NDHQ is distracted by whatever the hell that was -- it reduces their micromanagement of the deployed troops actually fighting a war.

 

[Bzzliteyr]

Details!!!

I LOOVE Snakes!!

 

[a_majoor]

That was the "New Age" Armex: the "Snakes on a Plane" delivery system was being showcased down the road at Rockcliff... ;D ;D ;D

 

[The Bread Guy]

Unanimous rejection of ban by corporate services committee - over to council next week.

Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act.

No ban for arms shows on city properties
Patrick Dare, Ottawa Citizen, 16 Jun 09
Article link

Despite impassioned pleas from peace advocates, councillors on a city committee on Monday voted against banning arms shows at city properties.

Councillors on the corporate services committee voted 7-0 against a motion from Councillor Alex Cullen to stop the shows. Cullen does not sit on the committee, so he could bring the motion but not vote on it himself.

Dozens of antiwar advocates spoke out against the shows in two days of committee hearings, some of them showing images of the horrific consequences of military technology such as cluster bombs.

The anti-war advocates wanted reinstatement of an old policy of the former city of Ottawa, set in 1989, which prohibited holding arms-technology shows at Lansdowne Park or other city properties. The new City of Ottawa rented out space at Lansdowne Park to Cansec in late May, holding that the policy of the former city did not bind the new city.

Most speakers at the committee argued that banning such shows at city properties is an important symbolic action.

“Our armed forces are engaged in wars of aggression,” said Richard Sanders, who argued that such shows fuel Canada’s offensive military operations abroad.

Councillor Clive Doucet, who is not on the committee, said a ban on military shows would be an important symbolic step that would send a message to cities around the world. But councillors on the committee felt otherwise.

Councillor Rick Chiarelli said the city is the home to the Department of National Defence and needs to help make such events happen, rather than shutting them down.

Chiarelli said that if military shows are shut down, exhibitions on health or foreign policy could be next.

The acting chairman of the committee, Steve Desroches, said the military exhibition business must be mindful that the community has limits as to what is on display at such shows. But he said Ottawa is a capital city with international defence obligations.

“We are a nation under threat of terrorist attack,” said Desroches, describing a ban on military shows as the “start of a slippery slope.”

Karen Raddon, who had attended an anti-arms-show demonstration with her parents in 1989 — when she was six years old — said she was “very surprised” by the 7-0 vote against the ban on military shows.

“I’m just so disappointed,” said Raddon. “It is an important thing not to promote militarism in any culture.”

Doucet, a strong supporter of the show ban, turned around, threw up his arms and cursed when not a single councillor voted for the ban. The councillors were Desroches, Rainer Bloess, Glenn Brooks, Chiarelli, Eli El-Chantiry, Peter Hume and Rob Jellett.

The decision goes to council next week.

 

[OldSolduer]

Maybe some smaller venues outside Ottawa would be more than happy to host this.

 

[c_canuk]

Our armed forces are engaged in wars of aggression,” said Richard Sanders, who argued that such shows fuel Canada’s offensive military operations abroad

Such as? Afghanistan is an Aide to a foreign civil power that was democratically elected, and serves Canada’s interests by denying safe haven to a small but vicious group of international terrorists that want to enslave all those that do not hold their beliefs.

Councillor Clive Doucet, who is not on the committee, said a ban on military shows would be an important symbolic step that would send a message to cities around the world

What message is that, why is it important and why should other cities care? The only message I can think it would send is "Ottawa thinks that if we were defenceless we would never need to defend ourselves"

“I’m just so disappointed,” said Raddon. “It is an important thing not to promote militarism in any culture.”

Why is it important to not promote militarism? why is it bad to promote an organization that provides national defence against foreign powers from interfering with our freedoms and assets, why is it bad to have a force that can quickly mobilise to provide disaster assistance/relief, why is it bad to be able to field a force that can cease hostilities between foreign powers that are killing thousands and destabilizing the world, why is it bad to be able to stop genocide?

We need a critical thinking component to the public school system.

 

[PMedMoe]

What message is that,......The only message I can think it would send is "Ottawa thinks that if we were defenceless we would never need to defend ourselves"

Basically, instead of teaching kids in Scouts (or a similar organization) how to survive when lost in the woods, they should just teach them not to get lost.  :

 

[c_canuk]

I think that might be their intent, but what it is effectivly is, if you don't have scouts to teach your kids map and compass, they won't get lost.

 

[Russoft]

You can say what you want about the States, but it seems they at least have figured out what side they're on -- theirs.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

As are we............................is there a point to your post?