People who protest the Winter Olympics are nothing more than “terrorists” with “limited intellect,” Liberal Burquitlam MLA Harry Bloy said in the legislature Monday.
Bloy’s comments come in support of a private member’s bill motion by Richmond Centre MLA Rob Howard to welcome the Olympic torch to B.C., and recognize the unprecedented economic opportunity the Winter Olympics and Paralympics will bring.
According to Hansard, Bloy expressed his pride at being Canadian and British Columbians particularly as the region gets ready to host the Games with the start of the torch relay.
Then he expressed his opinion about Olympic protesters: “You know, there was a disappointing factor about the Olympics. It was that 200-odd group of terrorists who came to Victoria from across Canada to interrupt the Games. Anyone who could support this group should be ashamed of themselves.
“They do not understand, these terrorists, the potential goodwill and economic benefits that come from these games, because they have a limited intellect and do not understand how the world truly operates.”
Thanks Newsbeat - you stole my thunder. In my own way, I am protesting the Olympics - and I do not consider myself a "terrorist!" If I am a terrorist, then Harry Bloy is an IDIOT!
I have no problem with the games themselves - I do have a problem with the Liberal Government and the way they govern. I am sick to death of fast and loose stewardship of the public purse. Legislating the paramedics back to work is just more of the same. Paramedics were legislated back to work because it just wouldn't look good to have our ambulance service ON STRIKE on the world stage. Imagine a news camera capturing a shot of an ambulance responding to a call at an Olympic Site with the huge ON STRIKE sign across the front and back of the unit! Damn it, the optics would not be very good! Explain that, Mr. Campbell!
My fear is that once the Olympics are said and done, the true costs will surface and we will all be in for the shock of our lifetime. Oh well, the government will do what the government always does - it will simply impose an Olympic Cost Overrun Tax on it's citizens.
And, does anyone really care about anything but hockey? Can anyone actually name any participants from Canada in any sport other than hockey? Just wonderin!
And, does anyone really care about anything but hockey? Can anyone actually name any participants from Canada in any sport other than hockey? Just wonderin!
Jasey-Jay Anderson - Snowboard Ivan Babikov - Cross Country Skiing Nathalie Bazin - Freestyle Skiing David Bissett- Bobsleigh Mylene Brodeur- figure skating Shelly-Ann Brown - Bobsleigh Ian Cockerling-Luge Bryce Davidson - Figure Skating Mike Douglas - Skeleton Sam Edney - Luge Pat Farrell - Snowboard Drew Goldsack - Cross Country Skiing Kristina Groves - Long Track Speed Skating Cody Hay - Figure Skating Glenn Howard - Curling Kaillie Humphries - Bobsleigh Jennifer Jones - Curling
Do I need to go on??
I really don't care if people protest the games...they have their reasons. BUT, to dimminish the effort, accomplishment and achievement our athletes make in any way shape or form is hitting below the belt. And your statement of quoted above does that.
Most protesters don't diminish the effort of the athletes. They are protesting the injustice and mismanagement of the Liberal government, corruption of the IOC, etc. I guess the days of 1984 have arrived in BC curiosity of the Olympics, when people can't protest against their own government without being labeled a terrorist, we have a big problem.
I'm not against the games in them self's , I just rather not fit the bill for the next 50 years... let some other chump city do it.
Jasey-Jay Anderson - Snowboard Ivan Babikov - Cross Country Skiing Nathalie Bazin - Freestyle Skiing David Bissett- Bobsleigh Mylene Brodeur- figure skating Shelly-Ann Brown - Bobsleigh Ian Cockerling-Luge Bryce Davidson - Figure Skating Mike Douglas - Skeleton Sam Edney - Luge Pat Farrell - Snowboard Drew Goldsack - Cross Country Skiing Kristina Groves - Long Track Speed Skating Cody Hay - Figure Skating Glenn Howard - Curling Kaillie Humphries - Bobsleigh Jennifer Jones - Curling
Household names all! See, I can cut and paste too!
Not diminishing the efforts of the athletes involved - good on them. My bitch is with the provincial government and VANOC who seem to think that the world revolved around the Olympics and to hell with the rest of the people of this province, many of whom are struggling to make ends meet in a depressed economy.
Most protesters don't diminish the effort of the athletes. They are protesting the injustice and mismanagement of the Liberal government, corruption of the IOC, etc. I guess the days of 1984 have arrived in BC curiosity of the Olympics, when people can't protest against their own government without being labeled a terrorist, we have a big problem.
I'm not against the games in them self's , I just rather not fit the bill for the next 50 years... let some other chump city do it.
He is right to an extent as most of these protesters are just raring for a protest and hopefully a riot if things fall into place the right way. They really don't care about the province, the public or the Olympics. They just want to raise some ruckus.
What turned me off of the whole anti-Olympic protesting was the site of that paraplegic who was devastated when the protesting meant he couldn't carry the torch in his neighborhood. The protesters probably looked at this as a victory but it really was a loss for them in the public mind.
The MLA probably could have said it a bit differently though.
To call us terrorists is the most ridiculous load of crap I have EVER heard. I think he probably welcomes the 2010 police state and the ever encroaching threat of fascism. How does such ignorance even get elected? talk about limited intellect....I have no opposition to the athletes dreams, go team Canada! I have oppostion to a handful of rich people getting even richer by exploiting the very people the games are supposed to benefit. WHEN the games leave a debt for us, IOC, RBC, COCACOLA etc etc won't care, they'll move onto next venture. The olympics aren't only about athleticism, they are about exploiting our resources to make a handful of the corporate elite a humpload of money.<-period
Why can't Canada show the world how good we really are? I'm sick and tired of Canadians always have to be PC and mind our tongues when it comes to these things. If you don't like your situation CHANGE IT!!!! I'm really sorry the BC Paramedics are on strike for their reasons, but aren't there still many folks out there with the training who would bend over backwards for a job?
Sorry, off topic, back to the Olympics.
This is Canada's chance to show the WORLD the kind of country we are, especially economically. It's our chance to develop new trading partners and long-time friendships with countries other than the US, so Canada CAN become healthy again. Don't kid yourself if you don't think the Olympics aren't a chance for major corporations to do business. It's about more than the sponsorships or the cost overruns... those will go away in time, but the economic ties forged during the games is huge.
Case in point... McDonald's. They're now ready to expand into China... where there's 1.3 BILLION people, thanks in no small part to the work leading up to and following the Olympics. When business is successful, we're all successful.
I guess if you consider mcdonalds growing bigger a success, then you have a point. Myself, I am also opposed to mcdonalds...you know, with the clearing of rainforest for cattle grazing and a whole host of other reasons that I don't care to get into (research it for yourself).
So, a bunch of folks will have the privilige of working for mcdonalds, wow! now that is progressive. My opinion is, average people will be able to afford to work for these BS multinationals, but not be able to afford to truly enjoy the splendors of what is supposedly going to 'benefit' them. Average joe won't be able to afford tickets for the olympics and probably won't be able to afford tickets to the events held in the venues after the olympics. They will be able to afford to work for them, so I guess they should be thankful.
We(Canada) are already highly regarded, BC gets 25 million+ visitors a year and will continue to. I fail to see how the olympics will bring anything but a month in the spotlight, a pile of waste and a pile of debt. just my opinion, but I know there are others who feel the same and the movement (like it or not) is growing.
I'm sure there are lots of others that share your opinion, no doubt about it. However, there are lots of people who also choose to not dwell in the 'mire' that the Olympics will supposedly bring. These people choose to Celebrate the Olympic games, and Celebrate Canada's success in hosting them.
Is anyone else tired of 'worrying' all the time? I am, and I'll be glued to the TV watching these Olympics, just as I have every other time a sports event of this magnitude is happening. I'm going to be a proud Canadian when I hear 'O Canada' playing when we win Gold medals, I may even have a tear in my eye when it happens.
Understand, I'm not saying people who are opposed to the Olympics are unpatriotic... everyone has their own set of priorities and opinions, and they're entitled to them. Getting back to the original point of this thread, are these folks who want to disrupt the torch relay terrorists? Not at all, they just want their voice to be head... they're just going about it the wrong way.
Please don't take my opinion the wrong way either, I have no opposition to athletes or their dreams, GO team Canada!! I will enjoy watching on tv (since I can't afford tickets) Canada win medals, especially in hockey. I would also love for the games to be a success, not because I agree with them, but so we aren't paying for them in perpetuity. Montreal took a looooooong time to pay their debt (30 years) and I hope our games are more like the calgary games, which only showed profit because the biggest venue (the saddledome) was already built, but it was seen as a success. For now, I guess I keep my fingers crossed and try to embrace it, because I know the games will go on no matter how much we oppose them.
I am quite offended by the comments of that seemingly ignorant and fascistic MLA and rightfully so. I don't know about you, but I fear 'terrorists', I don't fear people standing up for what they believe in.
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