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Rob Ford's Toronto

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nfitz said:
I've said nothing of the sort in days. I don't see what this has to do with anything.

How does this justify people here possibly making anti-immigrant innuendos, when they want the same picnicing rules applied to Canadians?

I never mentioned it as part of this (though it's hardly a claim - a definition of bigot is "a person who is obstinately devoted to his or her own opinions" - surely this applies to Ford's view on certain subjects) - I was pondering the anti-immigrant innuendos of one of the posters here ... not Rob Ford.
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Ok, you're forgiven! :)

I do appreciate the extra explanation. Thanks.
 
ShonTron said:
Nfitz:
Yeah, you are a little too quick to lay the bigot claim. It is tiring.

AG:
You seem to like controversy yourself, and your posts can be tiring as well. And you are wrong about picnics.
Here is the relevant municipal code with regards to parks.
http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/municode/1184_608.pdf

Picnic is explicity described "PICNIC — Social gatherings of between 26 and 200 people." The relevant section is § 608-11.

There's all sorts of prohibitions on activities with regards to parks, mostly to regulate permits for organized sports, prohibit motor vehicle access, impose a curfew between 12:01 and 5:00 AM, prevent dumping, control animals, to respect other park users, and control areas such as gardens and work areas. Nothing to stop a family or a small group of picnicing in a park area not explicitly signed otherwise, while not consuming alcohol, and properly disposing of trash.
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A nuclear family of 4 would not need a permit to have a picnic.

An extended family of 12 can have their supper without a permit.

An small company gathering of 20 employees don't need a permit.

More than 25 people, move into your own backyard, just like some politicians do.
 
Or your parents' backyard. Rob or Doug Jr. never hosted events (that I know of) in their own backyards. Ford Fests and the invitation-only events have been in the late Doug Sr. and Diane Ford's yard, which is actually quite nice and lends itself well to large social gatherings.
 
ShonTron said:
Or your parents' backyard. Rob or Doug Jr. never hosted events (that I know of) in their own backyards. Ford Fests and the invitation-only events have been in the late Doug Sr. and Diane Ford's yard, which is actually quite nice and lends itself well to large social gatherings.
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People in the 19th century had picnics in graveyards because of the lack of local public greenspace back then. Of course, they weren't filled up back then, with empty spaces for future occupants. High Park was too far out in the suburbs, separated by the Village of Parkdale which was only being annexed in 1889.
 
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neubilder said:
Huh? Are you suggesting the mayor is not a bigot?
Mayor Rob "Do you want your little wife to go over to Iran and get raped and shot?" Ford?
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neubilder said:
(!?)
When Ford finally gets the boot, will you be going with him?
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You don't think you (and nfitz for that matter) Hyperbole is over the top?
 
neubilder said:
Huh? Are you suggesting the mayor is not a bigot?
Mayor Rob
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1) What bigot would have 3 Councillors of visible minority (Thompson, Minnan-Wong and Palacio) in his circle?
2) What bigot would welcome 'everyone' to his house for a BBQ?
3) What bigot would have 'anyone' work on their election campaign?
4) What bigot would have a press secretary that is a visible minority?
 
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W. K. Lis said:
People in the 19th century had picnics in graveyards because of the lack of local public greenspace back then. Of course, they weren't filled up back then, with empty spaces for future occupants. High Park was too far out in the suburbs, separated by the Village of Parkdale which was only being annexed in 1889.
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I'm not so sure about Toronto in the 19th Century, but the taboos we have here and now about cemeteries are far from universal across the globe and throughout time. In some cultures, it is quite normal to go and visit deceased loved ones, to sit around picnicing with them, &c. In many places, cemeteries are filled with benches and tables set up specifically for eating (check out a Georgian cemetery, for example). Perhaps people picnicked in cemeteries at the time not due to a lack of green space, but because cemeteries are greenspaces. The notion that cemeteries are off-limits for many activities may be a more recent innovation. Again, I am by no means an expert in this matter, but it is an interesting topic to muse about.

Juan_Lennon416 said:
1) What bigot would have 3 Councillors of visible minority (Thompson, Minnan-Wong and Palacio) in his circle?
2) What bigot would welcome 'everyone' to his house for a BBQ?
3) What bigot would have 'anyone' work on their election campaign?
4) What bigot would have a press secretary that is a visible minority?
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No offence, but this sounds like that old "I'm not racist! Some of my best friends are black!" refrain. That you know, work with and even like certain people does not always reflect your wider views and prejudices.
 
@ Juan_Lennon416 & denfromoakvillemilton

The comment "Do you want your little wife to go over to Iran and get raped and shot?" was an actual statement of Rob Ford's, not a hyperbolic statement on my part.
 
Juan_Lennon416 said:
1) What bigot would have 3 Councillors of visible minority (Thompson, Minnan-Wong and Palacio) in his circle?
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One of these things is not like the others, and I would say it is Thompson. I'd consider neither Minnan-Wong or Palacio visible minorities, unless surnames and accents define visible. Although I don't really know why I'm debating this, since none of your four points mean much as to whether or not the man is a bigot. The man says stupid, thoughtless things and thinks in crude absolutes. Fool or bigot or both, doesn't really matter.

People in the 19th century had picnics in graveyards because of the lack of local public greenspace back then.
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I cut through Mt. Pleasant cemetery on my bike on Sunday. One garbage can was overflowing on to the surrounding ground with picnic debris and chinese food boxes. Looked awful disrespectful in a cemetery to me, not to eat there, but to allow the garbage afterwards to spill all over.
 
Juan_Lennon416 said:
1) What bigot would have 3 Councillors of visible minority (Thompson, Minnan-Wong and Palacio) in his circle?
2) What bigot would welcome 'everyone' to his house for a BBQ?
3) What bigot would have 'anyone' work on their election campaign?
4) What bigot would have a press secretary that is a visible minority?
Click to expand...

In case you have been living in a vacuum, this should get you up to speed: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...rsy/article1678543/singlepage/#articlecontent
 
Bringing large amounts of food to eat in a cemetery is not unique to Western culture.

York Cemetery (which has a few sections devoted to Chinese people) during the Tomb Sweeping Festival has many Chinese families visiting their loved ones by sweeping their graves (hence the name), worshipping them, and offer them food, beverages, and lit incense sticks for prayer. Some see this as having picnic with one's ancestors! Paper money (the joss variety as shown below, not the legal tender variety or the Monopoly money variety) is usually burned during the festival to wish for good fortune.
410px-HellBankNote.jpg


Note that my parents practise this custom, while I stopped doing so (because my life is busy and I am a secular atheist) and yes, it is important to respect one's ancestors by visiting them. I find this an interesting aspect of Chinese tradition brought overseas, though there is often a very large mess of ashes from burnt joss money around people's graves soon after the festival, as well as seagulls eating whatever food was "sacrificed."
 
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