I really debated on doing this post today.  I know what September 11 means to the world.  I will never forget the deep boned chill we all felt on that morning.  But in a way it’s almost timely as I don’t want past mistakes coming back and I can see that happening in the world today.

I’m normally very light hearted in blogging but today I am not.  This is going to be long and probably rambling but I only hope I can get my point across.  I am very worried about Canada’s neighbours to the south.

We here in Canada are also facing an election soon.  I don’t imagine it’s even on the radar of the average American but our day to vote for a leader is Oct 19/2015.  We have 3 major parties; the Conservatives led by Stephen Harper have been in power since 2005.  The closest they can be compared to in American parties would be the Republican Party, though there are many differences.  The Liberals are led by Justin Trudeau, the son of a popular previous Liberal party leader Pierre Trudeau.  The third main party is the New Democratic Party which is known more as a labour or union party.  While they have held power in various provinces, they have never led the country.

There are a few fringe parties to, the most well-known being the Green party which sprang from environmental issues.

I'm sure this brief synopsis would horrify many but I've tried to make it simple and up to even my limited understanding.

In the past I’ve voted for all three at one time or another and I’ve been trying to decide which one to vote for this time round but the one I know I absolutely will not vote for is the Conservative Party.  They have been in long enough and the longer a party has power, I truly believe the more corrupt they become and there are a number of things not adding up with Stephen Harper and his team.

But the big issue lately and the biggest reason I refuse to vote for him, and the issue that saddens me so much about the United States is the refugee crisis going on right now in Europe with the refugees from Arab countries, mostly Syria, but also other Arab nations.

These people are fleeing the leaders of the country; they are fleeing the terrorists that have risen up because of the civil war that has gone on for five years now.  This is a nation whose leaders have turned on its people to the extent of using poisonous gas on them.

So many are fleeing for their lives now, headed towards Europe by the hundreds of thousands.  This has become the biggestrefugee crisis situations since World War 11 and some European countries are lining up tohelp them.

The vast majority of Canadians want to help, we want to take them in but Stephen Harper up until the last day or so has been dragging his feet and it has now become the biggest political issue of the lead up the elections.  I refuse to vote for a person who is so hard hearted as to ignore what’s going on.  He cites the need for scrutinizing for terrorists but that is bogus.  What is seems to have become is an anti-Islam stance and I’m embarrassed at such a thing happening in the country I live in.  Before all else these are people.  People who are suffering.  People who are leaving everything behind them to seek a safe place to live.  People who risk their lives to escape horrors we can’t even imagine.

The other potential leaders have promised to do more.  Even if Stephen Harper changes his stance now, it’s too late.  The change would only be to try and stay in power and that has the opposite effect on me.

So now I’m starting to get to the crux of what I find so disturbing.  I watch a lot of news both Canadian and America.  I don’t get Fox News but I do get CNN and I am so very discouraged that this world crisis is barely even mentioned.  Instead the vast majority of the news seems to focus on the upcoming American elections which don’t even happen until 20016.  A lot can happen.

I’m discouraged that Donald Trump seems to be doing so well.  This frightens me.  I get that he is different from you average politician and many voters in both the US and Canada are sick of the average politician.  I get that - I am too.  But he is a buffoon, a dangerous buffoon.  He is an egomaniac and a narcissist.  I listened to a telephone interview on CNN last night and it was scary.

While it pains me no end that the refugee situation is barely mentioned in main stream news in the US, what I am certain of is that he would be opposed to offering shelter to these people.

Canada is offering to take in 10,000 refugees in the next four years.  There are 10,000 people A DAY looking for safety.  We need to take in so many, many more.  This is a humanitarian crisis.  There is a ground swell of regular Canadians looking do what they can to increase the numbers; sponsoring people, welcoming relatives of Syrians and other troubles Arabic peoples already living in Canada.  We don’t care if they are of a different religion and culture; they need help desperately and they need it now.

How many is the American government willing to take?  It’s hard to find out since this isn’t even on the radar of mainstreamAmerican news, but what I could find out, it’s 10,000.  That is the same number as Canada where the United States is 10 times larger in population.

Think of what both Canada and United States were born from.  They were born from people running from persecution.  Well there are people today running from the same thing.  I wish with all my heart that the US media/government would get their heads out of their own navels and look around.

Many of the catastrophes going on are the end result of the American governments meddling in years past.  Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya – are any of these countries better off now?

Is the world a safer place?  Or has it become cold and fractured with hate filled groups rising up all around?

There were many of Arab descent also killed in the Twin Towers in 9-11.  We can’t let fear mongering that has been propagated for personal gain – and that is what a lot of it is – rule us and rob of us of our humanity and compassion.

Anyone reading this, I urge you to look into what is going on outside of your own borders.  Be the compassionate people I know you are.  Start living in the world, not your own nation governed and ruled by media.

I’m sure I may stir some people up with anger, but I hurt when I see what is going on and I simple can’t stay silent.