Yup - 2 churches co-hosted a political forum - fairly controversial event, huh! The Anglican Church came up with the idea but their parish hall is up for demolition and the church wouldn't be the appropriate setting. So the Catholic church volunteered to provide the setting and serve coffee and juice.

I got there late and almost everyone was seated, so after I laid my stack of fliers on the table, I decided to go around, handing them out. I was almost done when a young pastor decided that he needed to police the situation.

Though I was just about finished, I still challenged his authority, explaining that although I was late, these people were entitled to make their best informed decision, regardless; but first they would need all the information. He wouldn't be reasonable so I decided to be diplomatic and retired, displaying obvious discontent, back to my table for the remaining few minutes.

Not a minute went by and the fellow I left off at, sauntered briskly up, gave me a big smile and took a half dozen or more of my leaflets to pass around :-) Two minutes later, it began.

Reverend Reed moderated, setting a comfortable tone with his wit and light-hearted charm, filling us all in on who'd looked after what, even considerately directing our attention to the location of the loo. (I made careful note and later I was glad I did!) His humour kept us all laughing, throughout. It was by far, the most pleasant forum that I've ever attended, either as a spectator or a participant. Reverend Reed was so delightful, I'm thinking of attending his service, this Sunday.

I talked about how my sister and I were the only to kids in our whole school that I'm aware of, who were in a single-parent situation. Then I told them about my friend's son, admittedly grateful to his Mom and Dad for staying together; he was the only kid in his class that had both parents at home!

Then I talked about the forum, last night, a child-care sponsored event and the thousands and thousands of spaces that were needed. I asked why any parent would want to give up those most informative years of their child's development, from infancy to 6 years old, to somebody else and lose that experience - just for some money.

At almost every forum that I've ever attended, I've heard from special interest groups and at the root of every issue, lay money - not enough of it. And that's the only reason that I can think of, why a parent would want to give up those most informative years of their children.

Then I went on about Bank of Canada, the good intention of the framers who included provisions for the establishment of a central bank and about the gaping hole in our money bucket that interest-based dollars were pouring out of, faster than we could throw them in.

93% of all federal taxes collected in '97, went strictly to interest and we never touch the principle, now 500 + billion dollars and growing - not good economic management! There'd be money to fix everything if we'd just plug the hole!

On political corruption, I pointed out that Harper wants more laws when we have some very good laws that are sitting idle; breach of public trust, misfeasance, malfeasance and treason - selling off our public utilities that should be paying us dividends - to private, foreign companies, against our wishes and clearly contrary to our best interests, is treasonous. Circumventing the jurisdiction of our central bank by instead indebting the nation to private banks, is treasonous.

"So what became of the RCMP officer who was sent to either Singapore or China to investigate immigrations? He quit the force or something, didn't he?? - and we never heard the conclusion. There's certain nationalities have come flooding in and they're all politically beholden to the party that let them in; they vote based on that loyalty - yet I've met several skilled trades-people from Britain who've been turned away."

"Refugee appeal is a must because mistakes have been made; I met a woman who voiced her critical opinion of a politician and it was published in a newspaper. There were repercussions and she lost her child and then fled to Canada. I have a copy of her appeal file and I see several inconsiderations. Most assuredly, the present supreme court route cost money and most political refugees have little, if any."

I got to damn NAFTA, numerous times, mention Nuremberg, the UN and the foreign policies of certain nations that were in contravention, fomenting political unrest in 3rd world counties to pave the way for corporate plunder - deep integration - Fortress North America's downright scary!

A question on porn vs.. art came up - child porn - Robin Sharpe! I got to talk about you, John; and Rob and a certain Chief Justice and what he had to say to Rob! I mentioned some pages on my site; Bushman, A Tale of 2 Lawyers and then follow the link to Robin Sharpe. They're gonna find Judicial Piddlers on the way ;-)

When it was over, some guy came up and heartily shook my hand, saying; "You gotta go to Ottawa!" He slipped 20 bucks in my pocket. He was wearing a Conservative button!