Hello ... hello? Is this thing on?

Only 660 signatures so far in support of Canadian artist Franke James - whose tour Steve is trying to shut down?

Seriously? That's all the support we can muster?


"The Government of Canada is trying to shut down an international tour by artist Franke James because of her criticism of its environmental record.

Top officials are using intimidation tactics to prevent her from being supported by any Canadian embassies or agencies. They pressured her corporate sponsor into dropping its offer of $75,000 in support. They tried to coerce Nektarina Non Profit in Croatia into rescinding their invitation. (Nektarina refused.)

This kind of anti-democratic intimidation must stop. Insist the Government of Canada stop trying to muzzle free speech.

We the undersigned urge you to support the international tour of artist Franke James and to put an end to the Government of Canada's intimidation of embassies and agencies who wish to promote her work abroad.

Ms. James is a credit to Canada. Her work is internationally recognized because of her ability to address difficult environmental issues through art and storytelling, without preaching or insisting on a particular viewpoint.

Canada's reputation as a free and just society will be enhanced by your leadership on this. Thank you for your consideration of our request."

Your signature here.

Thank you. Please pass it on.
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Assange : The Privatization of Censorship

from Wikileaks, "the publisher of last resort"

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Defense Dept. bans reporters from Gitmo

The US Dept of Defense has banned four reporters from Gitmo for divulging the names of two witnesses at Omar Khadr's kangaroo show trial. The reporters are Michelle Shephard of the Toronto Star, Steven Edwards of Canwest, Paul Koring of the Globe & Mail, and Carol Rosenberg of the Miami Herald.

Well it's a wee bit late for that, isn't it? Michelle Shephard already published part of an interview with one of the witnesses in The Star nearly two years ago :

"Sgt. Joshua Claus was a slight, blond soldier with little experience and lots of responsibility when he became Khadr's interrogator in the cavernous U.S. prison in Bagram detainees nicknamed "The Barn."

Claus would later be convicted for his role in the death of another detainee at Bagram – an innocent Afghan taxi driver named Dilawar. Claus pleaded guilty to maltreatment and assault in return for a five-month jail sentence in 2005. The 2,000-page confidential army file on the investigation into the case, obtained by The New York Times, quotes another soldier saying that Claus twisted a hood over Dilawar's head the day he died. "I had the impression that Josh was actually holding the detainee upright by pulling on the hood."

During the only interview Claus has granted, he told the Toronto Star any allegations of Khadr's mistreatment were false. "They're trying to imply I'm beating or torturing everybody I ever talked to," Claus said.

"Omar was pretty much my first big case," Claus added. "With Omar, I spent a lot of time trying to understand who he was and what I could say to him or do for him, whether it be to bring him extra food or get a letter out to his family ... I needed to talk to him and get him to trust me."

Khadr also described his interrogations, but the U.S. Department of Defense has censored some of the details in his sworn affidavit.

"During this first interrogation, the young blond man would often (censored) if I did not give him the answers he wanted," Khadr claimed. "Several times, he forced me to (censored), which caused me (censored) due to my (censored). He did this several times to get me to answer his questions and give him the answers he wanted."

Later he writes: "I figured out right away that I would simply tell them whatever I thought they wanted to hear in order to keep them from causing me (censored)."

A week ago reporters were ordered out of this same Gitmo courtroom while 'classified' video of an interview with Khadr was shown. The reporters adjourned to the media room and watched it on youtube instead.

Skdadl's source at Empty Wheel sums up the reporter ban : "So DOD is basically saying that once a reporter agrees to go to Gitmo, they lose the ability to report on stuff they have already reported on."
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Not "celebratory" enough for ya?

The City of Vancouver ordered the removal of the above mural from the public artspace outside the Downtown Eastside's The Crying Room gallery on the grounds it is "graffiti".

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Artist Jesse Corcoran works at a homeless shelter: "The oppressive nature of the Games is what I wanted to capture and how the majority is suffering for the minority."

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Gallery owner Colleen Heslin says it is the first time in ten years the city has ordered her to remove a work of art.

Vancouver spokesperson Theresa Beer says : "It has nothing to do with content."

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Sure.

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Robert Holmes, President of the BC Civil Liberties Association, has written to the city :

"Given the long and uninterrupted display of public art at this gallery, the tolerance of the City to date, the content of the mural, and the stipulations of the IOC and VANOC in limiting anti-Olympic expression, it certainly appears to be more than simple coincidence that the City has chosen this mural, at this time, to take exception to the Gallery's actions."

Yup.

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Film Etiquette : "Giving the finger" now officially less obnoxious than urinating on bystanders

The Ontario Film Review Board has added "giving the finger", seen here being demonstrated in the Canadian House of Commons, to its list of infractions that contribute to a film being reclassified "from a General (G) designation into the Parental Guidance (PG) category".

But wait! Here's the best part. According to the guidelines in the 32-page manual, "the gesture ... is rated the equivalent of an animal humping someone's leg - more obnoxious than "a little bit of farting, belching", but "less obnoxious than a teenager vomiting and his friend urinating onto bystanders".

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Unfortunately I don't have a HoC photo to illustrate that.

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Canadian Gothic : McVety and Day

Impolitical reports that blowface evangelical crusader Charles McVety, president of the Canada Family Action Coalition, is claiming credit for Bill C-10, an omnibus bill now before the Senate that would allow the federal government to deny tax credits for films that are "offensive or not in the public interest".

Or as McVety puts it : "films promoting homosexuality, graphic sex or violence"

So I guess a Canadian remake of that conservative values homo-erotic snuff film classic, "The Passion of the Christ" would be completely out then, would it?

Way to go, Chuck. Get that message out there before it clears the Senate!

McVety said "his lobbying efforts included discussions with Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day and Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, and "numerous" meetings with officials in the Prime Minister's Office", and "a number of Conservative backbench members that do a lot of this work behind the scenes."

Seems the amendment was tucked into a finance bill and no one who works 'front of House' had read it.

But now, thanks to the grotesque vanity and eternal grandstanding of Charles "The bible interprets itself" McVety, we will have time to contact our MPs and ask whether they are part of McVety's little support group, and if not, just what the hell they are prepared to do about it.

"Films promoting homosexuality" indeed.

Bloggers and friends, start your letters.

Update : Nice to see that letter writing still works.

From Dead Things ON Sticks an as yet unconfirmed report that C-10 may already be limping its way back to committee.

Couldn't have done it without your blowtard help, McVety!