Privatizing Road Care in Saskatchewan

A publicly run department like Saskatchewan Transportation has Pros and Cons.

I question how many people want to hear how well Alberta’s roads are since they privatized the work being done on the roads in Alberta.

I already hear Saskatchewanites saying, “Oh dear Lord, here we go again. WE are not Alberta; WE do not WANT to BE Alberta.”

To that I say, “Alberta is one of a kind. No other province or state will ever compare to the beauty of Alberta; they have their ups and downs, but always bounce back.”

I know when someone new comes along and starts criticizing how things are done the hackles go up, defensiveness kicks in and bitterness is the reaction instead of thinking that maybe, just maybe this person has some good ideas that might come in handy.

Saskatchewan’s publicly run transportation department could definitely use some restructuring and positive advice on how to cope with the failing infrastructure.

Several problems I see, being newer to Saskatchewan, is the transportation workers are not willing to work for the taxpayers’ dollars they receive and the work being done is inferior and a waste of the taxes the people of Saskatchewan are paying.

You know that old saying, “Do the job right the first time.”

(One job that you can’t rely on that happening is writing…believe me.)

But road construction is something that the transportation department should be diligent in striving for doing it right the first time.

When you are driving through a construction zone with 1 flag person at each end leaning on vehicles holding a sign out and not paying much attention to anything, 2 construction workers working and 3 young workers in a “lead vehicle” with music blasting, THAT is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

When I worked for South Rock in Alberta, we got breaks…but not sitting in a vehicle blasting music leading cars back and forth through a construction zone in +30 weather. We were in white coveralls with hard hats, no vehicles around to stand against. We were there to do a job, not lean against a vehicle and have another lead cars through the zone.

Winters are a disastrous time to travel in Saskatchewan.

During the winter it is almost impossible on the Saskatchewan side when there is a storm to travel to Alberta and back. The Alberta side is the easy part. It’s in Saskatchewan you are white knuckling it on snow and ice.

My father works for Volker Stevin and I know that they are on call during the winter 24/7 even Christmas Day. He has been called out during the winter to work on the roads right after the storm has dissipated enough to see what he is doing, the storm is still happening during the middle of the night, it has just calmed enough for them to do their job. Unlike here.

Here in Saskatchewan, you could be waiting days for roads to be cleared of snow after a storm in some areas. I don’t mean just after major storms and when they do end up on the roads, some of the workers are not doing their jobs safely. I have seen them driving while on cell phones, is that not against the law or are they like police officers and are allowed to talk on their phones while driving?

The plows only come out after the snow has completely stopped. I understand not throwing salt down before the snow has stopped, but plows are out getting the snow off the road in Alberta in case of emergencies, does that not make sense?

I have seen 4x4s in the ditches, people who thought they could make it to town to their jobs. Some may have been nurses or doctors. Some may have been just stupid idiots, but the point is these people would have been fine if the plows would have been out doing their jobs. The plows could have seen and done their jobs to keep the roads safe for these travelers.

I laughed at a story told to me of one lady who worked for the Saskatchewan Transportation department. She quit her job here and was hired in Alberta at Volker Stevin. After only working there for a short time she quit and came back to work for Saskatchewan Transportation department. Volker Stevin apparently made her work for her pay.

In Alberta when they are working on a section of highway they will tear up one side of the highway for only a portion of the road, the other half will stay paved and there will be flag people at either end directing traffic, before doing the other side of the road. Then they move further down the road.

When the Saskatchewan Transportation department leaves long stretches of a road to dirt, not Grid…dirt, that is irresponsible.

If you are traveling East on the #31 in Saskatchewan you will find that the Transportation department has come along and ripped up an entire section of road. Both sides of the road have been left as dirt now for several weeks; the wet weather has probably slowed the construction down, for about 3 kilometers. The #31 has needed repair, but I hope that it is not one of the roads they are planning on turning into a super grid.

The problem is many vehicles in this area would not make it down this road because of the wet weather but they need to use this road. Had the transportation department used the construction technique I described earlier they may not have gotten all of it accomplished as of yet, but none of it would have been a mud bog for cars to be caught in.

This area is booming of late with oil, the traffic on the #31 is busier than 5 years ago. So the road construction is going to be dealt with, but I feel for those who have the most dangerous roads in Saskatchewan. They are going without the attention they need because the roads that oil companies use have to be up to snuff. That is sad.

Personally, if the oil companies are so bound and determined to get the oil out of the ground, should that not be a part of what royalties are used for? Maintaining the infrastructure that is being used by these companies? I don’t know, I’m just a lowly pee-on…

Many of Saskatchewan’s grid roads are better taken care of by R.M.s, but turning paved roads back into super grids and making them the responsibility of R.Ms is not feasible and would be irresponsible of the Saskatchewan government.

Another issue is the signage.

I will say not one of my cracks or chips were from grid roads. The drivers are respectful on the grids, but when it comes to black top, anything goes.

Without enforcement, meaning RCMP, telling people to “slow down loose stones” is a mute point especially farmers in semis who are trying to get their product to market before their neighbor.

As much respect as I have for truck drivers (having my son, father and other family members in that career), I have very little for the farmers in their semis full of their cargo who think flying down highways with signs saying “loose stones” is okay because they have to get their grain to the train before the next farmer.

Within 5 minutes of my trip down the #51 heading East two grain semis went by me. One heading West the other East.

I have become rigid about following the speed limit here in Saskatchewan and slowing down when it comes to roads that are a disaster, especially when my daughter is traveling with me. 

  

The West bound semi was the first to pass and as I had already slowed down to 80k/h (posting is 90k/h) I started to slow even more since the road is so narrow. However, this farm semi did not slow down at all and because of that my daughter had the crap scared out of her when a rock cracked the windshield right in front of her on the passenger’s side. That rock flew across the road to her side of the car.

The next crack happened because an idiot farmer in his semi decided that because I was not speeding he needed to pass me. His mud flaps were not up to speed, but he was…he was driving way too fast for me to catch any type of license plate and I wasn’t about to put my daughter or myself in danger to try and get the plate number, then again what difference would it have made, farmers have the right-of-way in Saskatchewan, don’t they?...I know, I am ranting...not all farmers are this irresponsible.

Where a sign says “Slow, Loose Stones” does that not mean SLOW DOWN?

It isn't just about the money to replace the windshield of the person you just scared the shit out of people, it is about saving lives.

If that rock had spit up into my line of site at the wrong time and we would have been on the side of a hill, what could have happened?

Even an experienced driver could have had an accident and it would not have been blamed on the driver of the truck. Because how would you have been able to tell a rock cracked my windshield before I went over the hill if I and my daughter did not survive?

You wouldn’t, no one would be alive to say, “That jackass was speeding and spitting up rocks that smashed my windshield which made me lose control of my vehicle and I went over the hill.” 

On top of that, would the truck driver have even bothered to stop?

Lastly, when you fill the pot holes with asphalt and leave it for the local traffic to pack down all you get is another hole and chunks of asphalt that can and will fly up at the wrong time.

When the Saskatchewan Transportation department thinks they are “helping” by throwing some cold asphalt into a hole and allowing the locals to pack it in all they are doing is wasting more of the taxes you, Saskatchewanites, are paying every year.

The cold pack and even the warm asphalt, does not adhere if it is not packed properly. So when you see them drive along throwing black “stuff” into the hole and do not use some sort of packing device, they are wasting your taxes by doing a lazy job.

The Transportation Department still exists in Alberta. They just do not do the “grunt” work.

Companies like Volker Stevin, South Rock Ltd., etc. bid on the work that needs to be done on the roads in Alberta. These companies know that if they do not do the best job, they will not have jobs when the contract comes up for renewal or when another contract comes up, they won’t get the job.

Volker Stevin has the contract to take care of the roads in Alberta as far as up-keep. They make sure that the roads are clear of debris (blown tires, animal carcasses etc) they clear them after snow storms, and they clear the ditches of the garbage inconsiderate idiots throw out their windows or off the backs of their pickups and much, much more. These workers WORK for the wage they are paid.

I am not an expert, but with the little experience I had working for South Rock I cringe driving on your highways when I have to travel on any in Saskatchewan and I know you do too because I hear you complain as well.

Demanding better services from your politicians, from your service providers, for the taxes you pay is not against the law it is your right. Waiting for another 5, 10, 20 years for your transportation department to get control of its workers is unacceptable.

Privatizing the transportation department and allowing private companies to pave and care for your highways would save lives and save your tax dollars, because in the end they end up doing the job the right way the first time, not waste time doing it over and over…and over.

Charity Lotteries

Charity lotteries are a great way to generate money for organizations. The bonus is that people win prizes.

Many people would love to be able to help, but because of the cost of the tickets, can’t.

Donating ten dollars here and there to charities like Heart and Stroke or Diabetes can make a person feel good, but sometimes those of us who like to donate would like the chance to win something as well. Just like those who have the money to donate to the bigger charity events, like home lotteries, but cannot because the tickets are just too much money for us to spend.

My question is, why?

Why are lotteries such as these only for the people who have an extra few hundred dollars a month to spend on a charity event when there are those who could and would like to donate and would like to win the prizes but just do not have the kind of cash that the wealthy have to donate?

I get only so many tickets are printed and the charity has to make so much money to promote and pay employees for the event, but why are ALL charity event tickets between 50 to 100 dollars in Saskatchewan or anywhere for that matter?

There are so many people out there that would love the chance to donate and win a house, a truck and trailer, 50/50 draw, etc. but do not get the chance because of the cost of the tickets.

Why not print more tickets and reduce the cost giving more people the chance to buy the tickets?

Your odds are not as good, but more people who do not otherwise have a chance, get one. The 50/50 would generate just as much money or more as well.

I also do not understand why homes have to be worth over a million dollars. One, the taxes would be outrageous and I wouldn't want to see utility bills and two, why not a few homes worth 4 or 5 hundred thousand?

A new family starting out who do not have a hundred dollars, but might have $25 might have the chance to win a brand new home for themselves; they never have to worry about house payments.

A couple who have bad credit but can put twenty bucks towards a ticket to win a 4x4 may get the chance to never have to worry about being gouged by truck payments.

What a surprise and a relief it would be for them, but the way lotteries work, they are mostly for those who can already afford the prizes that will be awarded.

I understand that I shouldn't be able to afford to donate or buy a one hundred dollar ticket to win a million dollar home since I live on a disability pension. I live off the taxpayers, so what right do I have to win something as expensive as a 4x4 with a boat, a million dollar home or a 50/50 draw?

The poor are not allowed to enjoy nice things, even if they win them or if someone gives them something nice.

I don’t understand why tickets to charity lotteries are so expensive that only those who have few extra hundred dollars a month can afford to spend can donate and have the chance to win nice prizes. That is why I ask.

It has never felt right to me that only those who have disposable income are allowed to donate and win lotteries while those who could use those prizes cannot even afford the ticket to try. 

Sad. 

Garbage In...Garbage Out...

We all need to do our part to clean up the world; not leave it to the next generation…and then the next…and so on.

RECYCLE…

There are many times I see pop bottles in ditches on country roads or even in country dumps. I am not saying it is just people who live in the country but it is easier for country folk sometimes to just throw them in the garbage then to take them to the nearest town that has a recycling center to recycle.

This is unacceptable when there are schools in their districts that could use these bottles year round; bag them and take them to your local school, that’s easy.

Another issue I have seen on country roads is beer bottles and cans.

Where they are located you know damn well that it is farmers or their hired help drinking while on the job or it could very well be riggers stopping for a quick one with a buddy on the side of the road. They toss the cans out the door/windows because they cannot be caught with the evidence in the heavy equipment/work truck by the authorities or by their boss. It can always be blamed on the guy driving by, right?

Old technology can be recycled now.

Many people do not know what it takes to make computers, televisions, radios and laptops that are tossed into the dumps and are leaking into the soil. They are not interested in informing themselves either. It is junk and it belongs in the junk pile.

REUSE…

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.

A problem that bothers me is that the local dump in my home town, in many home towns now, does not allow people to reuse anymore.

It has been a long time since my dad has been allowed to “shop” at his local dump. One of his regular things to do on his trip to the dumps after cleaning up the yard in the spring and fall. Finding things that were other peoples junk that he could personally make use of or fix and make a couple of bucks at a garage sale was something he was good at…and he did, not that mom enjoyed his “haul”.

I know several people who were/are able to do this, but alas the local government has put a kibosh on that endeavor.

We refuse to allow people to do this so our dumps are starting to grow even larger. Our dumps keep growing larger because people keep throwing things out that can still be used by someone. Instead of putting it in the garbage bin or on the back of a pickup truck to take to the dump, put it on the front lawn or the back lane with a “free” sign or call a local shelter/Salvation Army “like” store to see if they could take it off your hands…you were going to throw it away anyways allowing someone to take it off your hands isn't a bad thing. Let someone who needs it, REUSE.

Give it away!

RENEW…

Renewing things isn't for everyone.

Not everyone has the time or is not into rebuilding a cabinet to suit a room, so it goes back to recycle or reuse. Sell it in a garage sale; give it to someone who has said, “Oh, what I could do with that cupboard/dresser/pair of jeans.”

I have family that are right into turning old furniture into beautiful works of art that can be used in any room again or old jeans that can be turned into coats or purses. I love to crochet and cross stitch, but do not ask me to sew; you will have seams bunched and uneven. I like to paint but I get it EVERYWHERE.

We all have to do our part with keeping our world clean; we have done a shitty job of it so far and we cannot blame only the baby boomers. There are lots of people from the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and so on that are just as guilty.

There will always be people guilty of this, it is just EASIER to throw things away and buy new than it is to reuse or recycle.

A flashlight that comes with a battery from a dollar store is cheaper to buy for a weekend camping trip then buying a new battery for an older flashlight, throwing the old flashlight with the dead battery out does not even cross most peoples’ minds as wrong.

History has shown us that if we don’t take care of our living space, disease happens.

It doesn't matter if it is rotting garbage or toxic dump, but when we have hundreds of thousands of people squished into one area and they produce garbage; we end up with mega tons of it and we end up with disease.

Again…

Mankind plunks itself down into one spot, lets itself grow until it explodes at its seam and then starts crying when smart people say…”this is what we need to do to survive…some will get sick, some will survive, some will die.”…

We do it to ourselves; whether we live in close quarters a major metropolitan or far a part on farms miles part down grid roads our trash will affect the ground, water and food we depend on.

We need to cherish it and preserve it. 

To Spray or Not to Spray, That is the Question

We have grown by 2 billion people since I was a child. I have four children…two were born by another mother, but I helped raise them, they are a part of me spiritually.

With more people we need more food. With more people we need to stop worrying about our mortality and start enjoying the life we have been given.

Diseases are horrible.

I was not at my best friend, Tracy’s, side while she had to give her 4 ½ year old son, Trey, chemo every day for 2 ½ years (only a mother of a cancer child can eat and clean up puke at the same time) we were in different provinces, at 8 he is in remission…knock on wood he stays that way for the rest of his life, but there are no guarantees.

She knows this, his father knows this, the family knows this and his siblings know this. They prepared themselves very early for the negative outlook because it was always possible they would lose this beautiful little boy. That possibility exists everyday for every person. 

We do not know if we will live to see our grandchildren or if we will only live to see our mother and fathers faces.

We have to enjoy the time we are given.

I was there when my mother went through her cancer treatments. Her treatments were very different then my nephews, as I consider Trey. Her cancer treatments were not as insidious as Treys were. She was sick through them, but the side effects were nowhere near as drastic as what my little nephew went through.

The type of cancer my mother had is very RARE. I want that stated before telling you who they usually find this type of cancer in. So rare that it is found in maybe 1 in 1 million people, realistically that would mean about 7000 people on Earth MAY contract this type of cancer…those people are usually farmers or people who work with farming products. 

For the very few years my parents were together my father worked at a grain mill in Medicine Hat before passing away in 1979 in a car accident, he also grew up and worked as a farmer/rancher. While it is rarer than my nephew’s type of cancer, it was also easier and more tolerable to treat than what this little boy had to go through.

I also want to point out our farm was not far from a Canadian/British military base that tested chemical warfare for many years. We do not know what kinds of chemicals were discharged that more then likely seeped into the ground and into the water supply (Our well water was unfit for human or animal consumption) and we will never know, so blaming farming chemicals for my mother’s cancer is mute as we have no clue what kind of chemicals were used on the military base for years.

(also, those people who may have to deal with the type of cancer my mother had to would be from the developed world, where we need to cultivate food by massive amounts, not third world countries where pesticides/herbicides are too expensive for peasants and they do not grow food with machinery that is bigger than their homes.)

We have 7 billion people on this Earth. Some are going to get sick; we know this from history, we know this from genetics. Realistically we cannot segregate ourselves in society all together, those who keep complaining about this chemical causing problems with the reproductive system or that chemical causing cancer may have the money, the know-how and the land to do so, but the rest of society does not.

We can stop growing food faster by not using food that is Genetically Engineered, but then how do we feed the massive amount of people at minimum amount of money?  

Do most people know what Genetically Modified means when it comes to the food you eat? Some actually believe that human DNA is placed into our food supply…not true.

It helps our food grow faster; it helps our food become disease resistant; those tomatoes wouldn't last as long on the shelf or in your fridge if they were not genetically modified. GMO has been happening for centuries. By the way, those seeds you planted in your garden are more than likely genetically manipulated at some point in time.

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/good-vs-bad-geneticallymodified-foods-3108.html

(The sites I use have both pros and cons to the GMO debate; I will always try use sites that do this on any topic. People deserve to “own” the choice they support. It is easy to find things on any topic, finding all the information, good and bad, however is something you have to take the time to research and many don’t take the time)

https://ca.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100217104751AAOZFGM

Can I ask, with the amount of people on this Earth, what is the problem with Genetically Engineered food?

http://classes.soe.ucsc.edu/cmpe080e/Spring05/projects/gmo/benefits.htm

Some people are going to be susceptible to these things, just like some people are susceptible to peanuts or have severe allergies to animals. I have cousins who could not be around cats or they ended up in an emergency room with a life threatening asthma attack. Let’s say you are allergic to nuts and something is modified with a nut, like soybeans, you may have a reaction.

I have been fed; I have lived 42 years, 22 years of those with beautiful children who I love dearly. 

I am 14 years older then my father was when he died. I enjoy every day that I am healthy and I fight my battle with my disease when I am sick so I can enjoy better days with my children and grandchildren, but I am alive now to enjoy those days. If I become sick because of the food that has kept me alive, so be it.

One thing people who keep fighting against GMOs and pesticides/herbicides keep forgetting…we all are going to die one day. If one of my kids or grand kids becomes a statistic, I will drop what I am doing and be there for them night and day.

Am I going to scream from the roof tops that Monsanto needs to pay for my heartache? No.

Am I going to yell that the government has to do something about GMOs having to be labeled on food? No.

We are human beings, which means mortality. We are only given so long on this planet we call Earth. If it isn't one thing that brings on our death, it will be another…it does not mean we will live longer or be able to reproduce or not have the same battles to survive from but from different reasons. 

Now does that mean I give free reign to companies to poison us? No. This has to do with feeding the MASSIVE population on the Earth. Not companies dumping toxic waste into our oceans.

We all have battles to overcome.

The child that these people claim will never have children because they ate food that had “Round-Up” sprayed on it, may end up in a car accident and have that very same problem. We never know, some believe it is called destiny, that there are reasons for everything we go through.

We should be grateful that we are able to afford the food that is in our bellies and nourishes our bodies. We eat what we can afford, unless you can make organic farmers lower the cost of their food, that is reality.

I was told as a child, and many of us were, there are people in this world who would love to have the food that was on my plate. 

Genetically modified, sprayed with chemicals it kept me from starving to death. It keeps me nourished and alive now. I would never want to know the feeling of starvation or cancer for that matter, but starvation can be helped with genetically modified food.

We grow, we adapt.

Not all people are going to live to a ripe old age and die in their sleep. We are given every day to live we are not promised a future. Eating food is a luxury in some countries, genetically modified and sprayed with chemicals or not.

Stop complaining about the chemicals. 

We need to be grateful for what we have. Civilizations have been lost because they could not sustain the massive populations. They did not have the technology we have today.

If you don’t want to eat food that has chemicals on them or is Genetically Engineered and can afford the organic foods that are sold or if you have the time and space to grow your own garden that is great, remember though, those seeds you are growing could have been altered at some point. 

With 7 billion people and 2 billion more expected by 2050 there really isn't much else we can do that is affordable for the masses because those people on the streets, those people that have their ribs showing through their skin…they won’t care a damn bit if a chemical is sprayed on the food that is handed to them or if the food is modified to make enough so they can eat.

Mankind plunks itself down into one spot, lets itself grow until it explodes at its seam and then starts crying when smart people say, “This is what we need to do to survive…some will get sick, some will survive, some will die.”

There are too many starving people who really do not give one damn bit what chemical is on their food, if it means their children don't starve to death before their first birthday and they get to spend even 10 years with their children to watch them play, something we take for granted...they may die of cancer, later, but they got to spend some time with their children.

People want to protect others from disease by not using chemicals or genetically modifying foods thus adding to the population of the Earth which is already bursting with people that are not being fed by the food being produced as it is, does this make any sense?

My view is, unless you can feed the Worlds growing population I suggest you Put up or Shut up. 

Overzealous Officers causes Friction

The death of police officers is always a crime, no matter what the killers reasoning and no matter the situation.

Peace officers take their career as seriously as any other person, most times...more. They put themselves in harm’s way, as these three beautiful souls did in Moncton, to protect those that cannot protect themselves.

The problem sometimes is they cannot protect us from their overzealous co-workers.

The issue that many people have is not that they disrespect authority or disrespect the police. Social media brings many bad apples to the forefront, including police officers. It started with Rodney King.

W-5 did a report on a case in British Columbia where a Canadian Veteran who served in Bosnia as a Peace Keeper and suffered from PTSD was shot and killed at home by a cop for assaulting his brother in September of 2012.

The man was shot and killed by an officer who had other options. Mr. Matters apparently was carrying a hatchet threateningly, but instead of sending his police dog, which is trained to handle this type of case, the officer shot a mentally ill Vet in the back. The officer with bean bag rifle had no idea how to use the weapon and they say the taser was not working properly. I give this link, but it does not give the same information as the W-5 story I watched.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/jury-makes-9-recommendations-after-inquest-into-rcmp-shooting-of-ex-soldier-1.1664018

The handling of this case was so bungled that even a peon like me could see it; a Veteran who suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder has a helicopter flying around his home, cops dressed in camo and no one would allow the family friend to bring Mr. Matters to the police station like originally planned, and which he had agreed to, they had him scared and wouldn't you be under the circumstances?

My questions would be why are you taking equipment into a situation that you have no clue how to use, does not work properly or you refuse to utilize?

Here a man, Mr. Matters, who served his country, a man with a mother, a man with PTSD, but a man who had assaulted his brother which brought the police to him, died that day because a policeman was determined to do things his way, instead of the right way. The police officer has been cleared of any wrong doing.

The case in which a bus full of people that was being held hostage, the passengers were cleared off the bus safely, but the assailant was shot anyways, how many times? I believe it was 9. The gentleman, Robert Dziekanski, in Vancouver airport being tasered, someone lost their son that day as well. There are numerous cases where police officers have “jumped” their own guns. 

Many believe that these are the officers taking the law into their own hands instead of using other resources to prevent the deaths of citizens and their fellow officers. They are the cause of friction between the public and the police.

I completely agree police have a most difficult job to do. Many times having to make decisions in a split second, but there are some decisions that are made too quickly by some police, sometimes they have the time to make the right decisions, but they choose to do things their own way. 

Those decisions are the ones that make law enforcement look bad. The best thing that Law Enforcement can do for itself is “weed out” its superiority people.

Two Codiac RCMP officers were cleared of any wrong doing in the death of a man named Danny Levesque. According to the police reports the man died because of a stab wound that was inflicted before the police shot him 4 times.

 http://globalnews.ca/news/1349567/codiac-rcmp-not-responsible-for-death-of-moncton-man-fredericton-police/

My only question then would be, if the man was dying already, why was he used for target practice?

If the police, with all the resources that are available to them, could not restrain a dying man (who according to their own reports was drunk and on drugs) then what do we the taxpayers need to provide them with so that they do not have to put themselves into this type of predicament where they have to shoot someone who is dying from a stab wound?

Canada is not a police state; we are allowed to question the decisions that are made by the police. I was not there when Mr. Levesque was shot; I was not there when he was stabbed. I do not know any of the victims, Mr. Levesque or the RCMP officers. What I do know, it is not my place to judge on appearance alone. I only ask questions and a question that keeps coming to mind is why?

Why was Mr. Danny Levesque shot at all if he was already dying from a stab wound? Why was he not restrained and taken to hospital?

According to the internet, Justin Bourques parents tried to get him help, they tried talking to the police…the police told them there was nothing they could do.

I have an issue with that, being Bi-Polar I have been told by doctors and by councilors that if they feel I am going to harm myself or someone else they have to report it to the police...so is it only from a medical professional that the police will take a threat seriously? Family and friends do not know a person well enough to know they will do something to harm someone or themselves?

It is time law enforcement start taking family seriously when they call to say my son/daughter/family member may hurt someone or themselves…is that not also part of an officers job, to take those calls seriously?

We have all heard of at least one case where a family member has said, “I tried to warn them, I tried to tell them, but no one would listen”. 

Would it have helped to have a couple of RCMP officers or a councilor sent to talk to Mr. Bourque after his parents contacted the police? We will never know.

http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/06/08/justin-bourques-parents-sought-help-for-troubled-son-but-police-couldnt-do-anything/

But...

Will law enforcement listen now? Because this is not the first time a tragedy like this has happened or does this have to keep happening?

Will the next small town be shocked by a gun toting “madman” because the police/RCMP would not take a family member seriously or because there is “nothing they could do”?

There is something that can be done, consideration. No matter who the victim of a crime is...whether they are wealthy, poor, a white collar criminal or a drug dealer...they have a family and they have friends who care about them. 

It is up to the police department to help those left behind to understand the reason for the death, not hide it, not give excuses, but to explain. What reasoning was there behind a "clean shoot" when the victim was dying from a stab wound.

I have a girlfriend whose child is having issues at his school; he is autistic and does not do well in the classroom setting. His fellow classmates feel they have the right to “nag” and pick on him about doing his school work in class. This young man is 14 now and the children are really starting to get on his nerves, I worry that one day he will throw a punch and someone will go home with a black eye. He is the one who could be charged. 

His teachers and the principal tell my friend that her son only needs to “do the work” and the other kids will stop.

My issue here is twofold, one being that the teachers and the principal should be telling the other students to mind their own p’s and q’s and two, my advice to my friend would have no meaning by the sounds of it. 

I suggested she take a proactive step and speak to the RCMP, because as far as I am concerned this young man is being bullied…not just by his peers, but by his teachers and his principal who are taking the stance that he is not being picked on by the other children, but that the other children are only trying to "help" him. 

This is a perfect setting of a child SNAPPING...and who will be to blame, not the teachers...they never saw it coming. Not the children, they were always so friendly to the disabled boy. It will be the parents fault. Right? 

My girlfriend has been an amazing mom to her autistic son, her only fault lies in not having the energy to home school or the money to hire a full time tutor to get her son away from the bullies at his abusive school, teachers, students and principal.

Would the RCMP take a proactive stance in this case? Probably not by the sounds of it, not until my friends child hurts someone, and that is the deplorable part.

Another issue just came up, a young lady I know had an accident at school, she should have been taken to a doctor because it was a hairline fracture but her father, who she was with at the time and is known to the police to be abusive, did not believe her…instead he twisted her arm behind her back until it actually broke. The mother reported it to the police, but it doesn't look like it will go anywhere. 

This in a city where a dog locked in a car gets more attention (three cop cars) from the police than child abuse does, that is unacceptable.

This is why police authority is questioned.

The general public would not get so frustrated if we saw some type of authority stand up and punish officers that let the power go to their head. 

The public wants safety, but we also want to be safe from the police who are only on the job for the supremacy.

When we see and hear of police brutality, we do not think all cops are like that. Not all police officers let their positions go to their heads. We know better, but we do think, “Is the cop behind me like that?” 

I do not condone the deaths of the three officers or the wounding of the two in Moncton, New Brunswick. I think it is unjustifiable.  

I do not condone the shooting of Mr. Levesque, he was already dying and needed the RCMP's help, not 4 bullets. I do not condone the fatal shooting of Mr. Matters in British Columbia. I do not condone any death that is done under retaliation or under the guise of authority.

Reprimanding and punishing officers that go past the limits of their job description would make the public feel safe from the cop driving behind them.

Officers’ being held accountable for their mistakes is not what undermines police officers and the jobs they do, hiding behind their badges after making a mistake is what undermines them in the public's eye. 

Police officers are human, they make mistakes like everyone. They do NOT deserve to be MURDERED for mistakes they or other police officers make. That is something that is reprehensible.

However with all this said, while those few bad apples do leave an ugly taste don't let them sour you to the good men and women who CHOSE to protect us day and night from the really bad people. 

People who choose to believe all police officers are like the few I have described, don't cast stones unless you have nothing to hide, there have only been a few saints on this Earth and I don't think you are one of them. 

I adore each and every officer I have had dealings with in the past. Mostly because they were all amazing people but a part of that being from my showing them the respect they completely deserve.

To all the amazing Officers past and present that I have had the privilege to meet and be helped by... 

It takes a certain type of person to do what you do...a courageous and selfless person...I thank you for doing it every day, please stay safe. 

Is Human Euthanasia Humane?

Each case would have to be reviewed, but not for years. People in severe pain deserve respect and may not have years to live. If they feel that they do not want to be here on Earth any longer, why do we feel it is our right to tell them otherwise?

Mental diseases are being talked about more, which is great, but in the grand scheme of things people with mental diseases are NOT a group that should be allowed to consider euthanasia. 

I do not mean to say that it would not be possible at all, I mean...I am Bi-Polar, if I make it to 80 years old, but crippled up pain with no hope of seeing 81...let me go, please? I am not living then, I am a shell at that point.

Many people live with agonizing diseases for the rest of their lives and can cause constant pain. Some diseases cause people to say or do things they normally wouldn't do and many diseases need medications which have their own side effects that are debilitating.

Some people, as much as we would like to see them come out of a coma, will never walk amongst the flowers again, being brain dead means they will never be able to do the things they enjoyed before. Keeping them on life support in a hospital bed is for us, not for them.

If we are religious, the brain controls the organs which will not function without the machines. That is not life that is death on a machine, the spirit is already gone we are holding onto the shell, would a God want that?

To make someone live a life that is drug induced with pain pills so we do not have to say good bye is, in fact, cruel. To make someone’s body function on life support in a coma, waiting for that miracle that rarely happens, is for our own selfish benefit…not theirs.

Would we allow veterinarians to make an animal live a life of pain? Yes, a dog is an animal…so is a human, but many do not want to look at it that way…we walk on two legs and talk. Our brains work in better ways, some would say. I beg to differ on that sometimes, but I will not go there today.

Why would we allow those people, who we love so dearly, live in excruciating pain, which will never go away or is never going to be treatable in their lifetime, to live on more pills than the human body should take?

In some countries they will put people to death for murder or even less, but will not put those who suffer from excruciating diseases out of their pain…this makes no sense to me.

Whether it is to keep our loved one with us longer or because it is against our religion to “pull the plug” making a person endure agonizing pain because we cannot let go, because WE are scared of death, is wrong. 

Euthanasia is a choice that should be allowed to some that are in heartbreaking physical pain or respected when a living will has been prepared.

Families are too emotional to make life decisions and politicians are too unemotional, the only person that knows…is the person who is affected.

Why Have an Abortion?

Why would women want to have an abortion?

http://www.upworthy.com/a-dude-trying-to-ban-abortions-is-asked-a-question-he-never-considered-its-so-obvious-it-hurts-8?c=ufb3

Growing up and in my 20’s I never even considered the idea of abortion. It took me so long to have my son and daughter that it boggled my mind to even think about it. I would never do it, but it is a woman’s issue and if a woman felt they needed to have an abortion that was their right.

Men, I understand you may become attached to the thought or idea of having a child, but you are not the one who has to carry a fetus.

Men are not the ones who, if raped, have to endure the constant reminder of that rape if made to carry a child full term.

I do believe that a man can be raped; I do believe they would have a difficult time moving forward from that rape, but to have your body change with the growth of a child made because of that rape, you will never know that feeling. It is not joyous like it is supposed to be, it is not a miracle, it is a jail sentence for women.

Finances are another reason, not a good one, but a reason…after a one night stand, men are not the ones with the financial burden of raising a child that is carried to full term if the woman does not know who the father is. Some women will rely on social services, free money right? Not all women are that greedy or lazy.

We all know this happens and the blame game can be played on both sides of the fence. A man knows how to use a condom and a woman knows how to pop a pill or have a needle stuck in her arm every few months.

Although men, a condom does more than save you from child support, it can save your life as well. While the “pill” helps prevent pregnancy it cannot protect you from disease, remember that when you place the blame on the woman for getting pregnant in the first place.

Health reasons for abortion are always acceptable, but which health reasons? Life or death seems to be the only acceptable reason, as long as the mother’s life is at stake she is allowed to abort a fetus.

Many people are made to feel guilt for having an abortion. Guilt is a stupid feeling when it comes to abortion and making people feel this way, is cruel. 

Why do adults feel that children and teenagers can control their emotions and urges any better than we could at their age? Teaching safe sex is the best way to prevent teen pregnancy, but even then when a teenager has to deal with becoming pregnant, why do we feel the need to pressure them into either keeping a child they have no clue how to emotionally, mentally or financially support?

Each person knows their body better than any other person on this Earth. We cannot tell someone what is best for them from one day to the next. 

Looking back, as a teenager I was not responsible enough to have a child even though I desperately wanted one. A child would have suffered under my parentage while I was a teenager. 

If a teenager can make the decision that abortion would be best for her future, then no one should stand in her way, she will be the one who has to make the sacrifices in the future. 

Anyone can say a teen girl should have thought about that before she had sex, I will serve the ball back by saying that there are not many women left on this world who would be able to say they "saved" themselves for their husbands, so before you cast that stone...make sure your house has no windows.

What about mental health reasons? Are they acceptable reasons?

Most people know I am Bi-Polar; one of the symptoms is an increased sex drive when in a manic phase, euphoria is another.

After I had my daughter I was put on the birth control shot, you are only allowed to be on this shot for 5 years after that an alternative is used. I would like to point out, my children have the same father and I was married to him our marriage did not work, one of the reasons being my disease. 

When I came off the shot I was in a manic phase and I had been looking at other options but never followed through. If you know Bi-Polar, you know "follow through" is a big problem when you are in manic/depression phases.

Remember I said I would never consider abortion?

When I was in my mid-30’s, already supporting two children on a disability pension/child support and I became pregnant from a complete stranger because I was in a Bi-Polar Manic Phase, I did what was necessary for the welfare of the children I already had. The son and daughter I have were not going to go without because I made a mistake, I was going to fix the mistake and it was an easy decision for me.

I chose to do what made the most sense. Instead of making the Federal and Provincial governments pay me more money for a child that was not conceived under the best circumstances, I had an abortion. Do I have regrets? Nope.

Some will say that adoption is an alternative.

I agree, but we see the statistics on children in foster care that could be adopted…but are not, even babies because of their background/history.

No one wants the burden, people want perfect children who will be little darlings, not children who may have disabilities down the road because a mother had a mental disease or the father was an alcoholic/drug abuser. I know people who are foster parents, in their 50’s, raising babies nobody wants or people cannot care for.

Do I know anyone that would have adopted the child?

Even if I did, I would not have felt comfortable knowing that one day, those people could have come back to blame me for this child having the disease I fight with everyday. 

I already worry about my two children having this disease and helping them through it if they do, worrying about another was too great. Abortion was the solution, the best solution.

When you give a child up for adoption, it ceases to become your child, having adoptive parents come to me and blame me for a disability was not going to happen and having a child end up in foster care because a family does not want to deal with mental illness was not going to happen either, and to be honest, that child would have been their child, not mine.

I would never presume to tell a man what they have to do or not do with their reproductive organs. 

Should we castrate rapists and pedophiles? Most people would say yes to this, but we don't for humane reasons.

Should we "snip" men who keep having children with different women? Probably another yes, but it would be unethical.

There would be more yes’s to "snipping" men in 3rd world countries, easier and faster healing time then for a woman to have surgery, governments will send money over to 3rd world countries to circumcise men before they will stop them from procreating. Go figure, they will perform cosmetic surgery but won't stop over population. 

So why should men dictate whether women have the choice to have a child or not?

  

When a man can carry a child to full term after being raped or when a man can carry a child after sleeping with a woman one night, never knowing her name, then a man will know what it feels like to have to make a very difficult, or sometimes very easy, decision of abortion. 

Until then, it is a woman’s issue and should always be thought of in that way.

Religious people use their book and their God to condemn those that do not agree with them on this topic.

Hypocrisy always has a way of coming around to bite us in the ass... 

Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged~Matthew 7:1 

Some call it Karma.