JD> The tolerance in a lot of cases is already gone. See the attacks on JD> muslims, and their institutions after the Paris attacks. Not just in JD> the US, but here in Canada as well.
The US I understand, but Canada surprises me. Fear is contageous.
JD> I also note that a bunch of cowards are attacking women and children JD> here, just because they wear a scarf over their heads.
I understand that quite well. Intentionally segregate yourself from the society you live in - particularly public and visible segregation - and you take your chances when people of your group shoot down or blow up a few hundred innocents. For the same reasons I think people who wear burkahs and face veils in public in western countries are simply fools and deserve everything they get. Religion or not, either you're a German, Canadian or whatever - or you're not and want to show that to everyone in the most public way possible. The long beards are another example, but not as extreme as the rest, as they're meanwhile socially acceptable in western societies.
I can't walk around (in summer) with my penis hanging out because my "religion" supposedly "demands" it. The "assimilation" Mr. Erdogan loves to term "genocide" here in Germany (while anyone who mentions a kurdish "genocide" in his own country is slapped into jail and tortured) is simply the old "When in Rome, do as the Romans", and is as valid today as it was 2000 years ago. Do what you want in your own home (except beating or murdering your wife, kids or anyone else - or planning to do so), but if you act like you were in Turkey, Syria, Afghanistan or whatever in _public_, don't be surprised at the frequently unfriendly reactions.
JD> I can understand increased security, what I cannot understand is the JD> loss of freedoms that the US has instituted...
A natural reaction. More security means less freedom. I'm not happy about that either, but I certainly understand the reaction.
JD> ... and that our former govt, started before it soundly defeated them JD> in the last election.
For that reason? Excuse me if I doubt that. And if I do, just wait until 200-300 people are killed by so-called "religious" crazies in Ottowa or Toronto. It won't take a week before the government changes it's stand.
JD> That is not to say that the new govt under Trudeau will stop that all JD> the way.
He won't, since it's not up to him. The crazies have the guns and explosives, and want to use them. They love headlines and don't care how they get them.
Cheers, Bob
P.S. On a different subject: I was interested to hear the name Trudeau again, since Pierre was prime minister when I lived in Canada. Is his son as flamboyant as Pierre was?
