Constant Conservative

I lived in Canada for about 6 months as a child and for some reason have always remembered that time with fondness (despite getting pneumonia and being treated via the national health care system). Suffice it to say that I was pleased to find a thoughtful, conservative Canadian voice one day while browsing the interwebs.

I’m not sure when I first ran across Kate’s blog, but it was probably a year or more ago. However, I really started paying attention about last April, when the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) started paying an inordinate amount of attention to Kate and several other Canadian writers for exercising their right to say true but not necessarily “nice” (make that “warm and fuzzy”) things about some not-so-nice people.

Like many of us, the author of Small dead animals is a person with a regular occupation who has found in blogging a certain avocation.

The range of topics covered on the blog range from personal observations (it seems as though these have become more rare in recent days) to political ponderings on the current presidential race here in the US as well as tracking a number of interesting Canadian politicians and other public figures. And, of course, full coverage of the adventures of the CHRC. I must say that the more I learn about Canadian laws and governance, the more grateful I am that we have the legal basis which encapsulated in the US and state constitutions.

Instead of one or two rather lengthy posts, the site usually contains a half-dozen or so quicker posts in a day (though that varies with the news cycle, weather and how much sleep the writer is getting).

In addition to the main blogger, various guests may participate from time to time (as is the case when other responsibilities keep the author from as much writing as she would like).

I enjoyed the following piece (written by one of the guest bloggers) recently about the not accidental treatment of Sarah Palin by media personalities.

The recent shameful treatment of Sarah Palin and her family by the American media and by our own CBC’s Neil McDonald put on open display a disturbing sense of entitlement on the part of some progressives to use questionable tactics, including that of attacking politicians’ family members, without compunction, when the target holds conservative views. It may be the case that the apparent lack of shame in such ongoing, open, unashamed displays is just the cultural fallout of a received wisdom that holds conservatism as a force for bad in the world and the left a force for good. No matter what the cause, though, something has clearly gone wrong when it gets to the point where the political views of, say, a thoroughly decent, hardworking conservative/right voter who loves his family, gives to charity — maybe goes to church –and who participates in community events and treats everyone he encounters with respect are presented as clear evidence of a bigoted, warlike, racist and misogynist world view, while the political views of any self-identifying leftist, no matter how ridiculous or unrealistic those views, are always presented as being somehow thoroughly grounded in high-minded ideals like peace, justice and fairness.

Good stuff from north of the border. Thankfully, the kerfluffle with the CHRC has largely died off with Kate and friends still writing away. Go, read, and learn.