Police set up a containment perimeter but - dis­appointingly - lost the suspect. Usually this would normally be news that we read on the pa­pers but this one gave me the shivers as it was so close to home. My wife and I would always have breakfast at most McDonalds on weekends, and in fact, we were on that particular restaurant with our one-year old grandson just the previous morning. This just reminds us to always be thankful for divine protection.
***
A couple of weeks ago I sent in my two cents worth to a local major newspaper about the start of the official bear hunting season using bow and arrow. This was a reaction to a published comment by an official of one of the orga­nizations advocating bear hunt­ing, which said that bow and ar­rows are ok as it was a humane method - that bears will not feel pain when they quickly die. My comments weren’t published, understandably, since I was a bit blunt to suggest gathering all those bow and arrow hunters al­together then letting them shoot each other aiming at their (bleep - posteriors) then see how humane it is.

I wouldn’t be identified with those farcical animal-rightists who would hypocritically denounce everything derived from animals but wear genuine leather boots, belts and jackets, but it’s the total disregard and disrespect of nature’s creatures by these hunt­ing advocates, who would justify anything just to satisfy their insa­tiable appetite for adventure; and we’re talking about Canadians who always portray themselves as champions of animal rights and the environment. Bah!

***
You’ve seen the news of that new baby borne by one of those Tamil refugees getting automatic Canadian citizenship. That’s ok, the baby has got a good chance in the future. The absurdity is that Canada, so pretentious to be recognized as compassion­ate and fair, fail to recognize the fact that there’s a whole world out there - more specifically a whole “third world” out there who, as we speak, has enterprising people already planning on their next shipment of would-be refugees, very assured that no matter what, Canada will not forsake these peo­ple. Remember a couple of years ago when Canada intercepted a refugee ship headed for the U.S. and diverted it to Canada? What a duh!

Again, I got nothing against refugees, it’s the farce I hate. Im­migrants who went through the immigration sieve - eligibility, qualification, interview, medical, fees - have to rough it out when they land - more fees, job-hunt­ing, putting food on the table while jobless, taxes, etc. while ref­ugees get government financial aid, shelter, groceries, and sup­port to help them start life here.

One of my friends who recently got an open-visa after two years working as a caregiver was very excited after finally getting the papers for his family rolling in the process. He has a lot to thank God for, as many of our pinoy contract workers could relate to. For someone who has a family back in the Philippines, two years is a lot of time, and sacrifices.

But then there’s still a huge pit hole in the system that I know many have fallen through, which is the condition that should any family member fail the interview or medical, everybody loses their application, including the princi­pal.

So, what’s wrong with this pic­ture - a family back in the Philip­pines waiting to get reunited with a parent here in Canada then that dream being quashed due to some technicalities, then at the same time a boatload of people who simply landed on the shores of Canada with the government on their side becoming legit im­migrants in just a matter of short time?

Nobody in the government seem to be caring to right this flaw in the system. Once they got through and get busy with their Canadian life, people wouldn’t care at all. And now I have anoth­er blunt suggestion - most appro­priately to the so-called leaders of our Filipino community.

Instead of putting all your ef­forts in ostentatious events, pa­rades and getting pictured rub­bing shoulders with politicos, why not aim to do a good deed and help shape the future of the im­migration laws of the land that will benefit our own immigrants. Let’s give those MPs and MLAs some worthwhile job to do in­stead of just showing their faces gracing those dinner dances and parades. Now we can find out if there’s any truth in their speeches praising the Filipino community and blah blah blah