Ralphie-Boy!

As much as my hubby Guy loves books, he's not one to pay attention to author events, and for the most part, he's not really compelled to meet the authors of his favourite books. But there are a few writers that he would really love to meet before he shuffles off this mortal coil, and thanks to me, that list is slowly getting smaller.

Last weekend I noticed in the Globe and Mail that Heather Reisman, CEO of Indigo/Chapters was going to be interviewing Ralph Nader on Thursday May 10th at the Bay & Bloor Indigo. Nader has written a new book, The Seventeen Traditions, and he was in the city doing the promotional tour.

Nader's new book is quite different from his previous works – it's a much more personal look at the early days of his life, growing up in Winsted Connectitcut, and how he was profoundly shaped by the love, warmth and wisdom of his parents. It's a small, lovely book, printed in warm brown type and full of soft, gentle sepia-toned illustrations. Each chapter discusses one of the seventeen traditions that were a part of his upbringing which instilled in Nader such a strong sense of responsibility towards community, be it on a small or large scale. Everything from The Tradition of Health to The Tradition of Scarcity to The Tradition of Charity to The Tradition of Solitude are discussed in the book.

It was certainly a fascinating night. We came early, and so got front-row seats. Nader is not the kind of guy that 'fills a room' like say, a movie star – he's quite ordinary and unassuming. But very, very bright and funny. I had no idea that he had such a great sense of humour. He shared quite a few amusing and delightful stories about his childhood and his parents, who from Nader's descriptions, seemed like extremely thoughtful, intelligent, caring people. I would have loved to have asked Nader what compelled him to write this book now, which to me seems very much like a homage to his parents; I think he wrote it because both his parents had recently passed away, having both almost reached the age of 100. (Obviously The Tradition of Health worked for his parents!)

But you see, I didn't get a chance to ask that question. After the interview a few people managed to pose questions to Nader (including my hubby who naturally wanted to know if Nader was going to run again for president, and Nader's not sure if he will, since the U.S. has made it so difficult for a third-party person to run a presidental camapaign), but it was all cut short when a group of people from the Coalition Against Israeli Apartheid began a noisy protest, accusing Heather Reisman of supporting Israel's military effort, through her organization HESEG. As the protesters bellowed their accusations against Heather, she stood up, gripping her microphone in her hand, her face clenched into this bizarre tight smile, her eyes shiny and seething. She said that she would not engage with these people, and that their accusations were not true, and that unfortunately the question/answer period had to come to an end. Then the protestors starting ranting at Nader, trying to shame him for associating with Heather and Indigo. Nader was very calm – obviously he's encountered this kind of response before – and he tried to engage these people in a dialogue (which Heather's people, I think, did not want to happen; they were about to take away Ralph's microphone when he told them that no, he wanted to respond to these people). Heather had left by this time, and so it was just Ralph trying to calmly talk to these guys, who just kept shouting at Nader and ranting about Heather. Nader even made a funny quip about one of the chapters in his book being The Tradition of Listening, and that these guys could benefit by reading it. By this time police and security were escorting most of the protesters out of the store. Ralph left for a bit, while security tried to settle things down (there was one old lady in an electric wheelchair who kept screaming and ranting – I wasn't sure if she was screaming at the protestors, or about Ralph – I was pretty distracted by then).

I know nothing about this organization, nor HESEG, so I really can't comment on it at all. I certainly have other issues with Indigo, but I came there last night because I wanted to hear what Ralph Nader had to say, and I wanted to give the hubby the chance to finally meet a man he has admired for many, many years (I think Guy's admiration for Nader began after his book Unsafe At Any Speed first came out. One of the cars Nader warned the public about was the Corvair, the car my husband was in as a child, in a terrible car accident. My husband almost lost his leg in that accident). Quite frankly, the protesters came across looking like idiots, and it really wasn't the time or place for that kind of demonstration, but it definitely made for a very interesting night.

Eventually Ralph came back to sign books (as he walked down the aisle of chairs, a big smile on his face, everyone clapped and someone even patted him on the back). After Nader signed Guy's book, Guy wished him well and shook his hand. Then we had a late dinner, spending the rest of the night talking about Ralph, life, the universe and everything. What a night!

If you're interested, here's a clip from CBC's The Hour, with George Stroumboulopoulos interviewing Ralph Nader discussing his new book, The Seventeen Traditions.

And if you go to Nader's site for his book, www.seventeentraditions.com, you can even email in your own family traditions that are important to you, and they will be posted on the site.

UPDATE: Here's a link to a short video clip of the actual night. Would have been nice if they had shown more of how that crowd of protesters went after Nader...

Stay tuned for the first week of June, when I will discuss what Guy is getting for his birthday – tickets to see Gore Vidal talk at the Eglin Theatre!

Comments

[Steven W. Beattie]

Does Guy read the blog? I guess the Vidal tix aren't a surprise?

[patricia]

Oh yeah, it's not a surprise – I asked him first if he wanted to go, and he shook his head for joy like a puppy dog. It's kinda neat because the event falls on Guy's actual birthday – June 6th!

[Beth]

What a thrill to see Ralph Nader (my, he's looking good) but what shame such an unseemly "incident" took place.

[patricia]

Yup, Ralph looks great. I think he's about 73 now. Sharp as a tack.

[Elizabeth]

Where have the years gone, was my first thought on seeing his photo. Why is it that as we age we forget that "names" do as well?

[melissa]

I was at the event too and had a completely different reading of the protesters. I was really intrigued by what they had to say, but the event was cancelled before a discussion could take place. I learnt afterwords that Heather Reisman supports the Israeli military, in concrete financial terms. Her wealth is directly tied to Indigo and the protesters were calling for people to boycott the store until Reisman cuts such illicit ties.

It should be noted that on the day of the event, Maha Katumi from Al-Ein Beit El-MA (no. 1) refugee camp near Nablus in Palestine was shot in the stomach by an Israeli soldier. She was 7-months pregnant, and the unborn child could not be saved (it appears Israeli soldiers delayed the evacuation of the ambulances from the refugee camp).

Palestinians over the last few years have been killed at a rate ot 8 Palestinians for every Israeli. 3.5-million people live in the open air prisons of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Israel is constructing a 730km barrier to enclose Palestinians between walls and fences. Another 5-million Palestinians cannot return to their homes, constituting the world's largest refugee population.

Israel is an apartheid state that practices legislated racism against Palestinian citizens and the Palestinians it controls in the illegally occupied territories. Israel is the nation with the most UN resolutions against it for its repeated violations of international law. Israel's illegal military occupation is in its fortieth year. Western governments have abdicated on their responsibility to uphold international law or defend the human rights of the Palestinian people.

As a non-violent response to this situation a growing movement of boycott, divestment and sanctions was launched by Palestinian civil society organizations (precisely the type Nader advocates on behalf of). The aim of the campaign is to boycott Israeli apartheid and those who benefit from and support it until Israel complies with international law.

Heather Reisman is one such person and she should be confronted. A coalition of Palestine solidarity groups, progressive Jewish organizations, students, unionists and artists has come together in support of the boycott Chapters/Indigo campaign throughout Canada. The aim of this campaign is to educate people on the effects of Israeli apartheid and to advocate for a boycott of Chapters/Indigo until its majority shareholders sever their ties with HESEG (a foundation that supports Israeli soldiers).

This and much more could have been learned by listening to the engaged individuals at the event whom I spoke to after and learnt a lot from. In fact the young women who had her mic cut, worked for an organization that Nader founded (the PIRGs). It's sad that the lessons of Nader's books seem to have been lost on Reisman, who cut the mics and cancelled the event - prefering to deploy a phalanx of police and mall security instead of opening up the floor to dialogue). If there's anyone we should be angry at it for ruining the evening it is Ms. Reisman who put the interest of preserving her image before democratic principles.

[patricia]

I'm not going to make any political statements about these people, Melissa, because I don't know enough at this point to form a firm opinion.

I do think, however, that it was very rude of that group to hijack a night that was devoted to listening to Mr. Nader discuss his book. It wasn't a night to discuss the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Nader was very gracious with those protesters, who as far as I saw, did not give Nader much of a chance to speak his point of view. There was in fact no discussion with those people, just yelling and accusations. I don't think their protest was very effective.

I do agree, however, that Reisman did not exactly behave very well in the entire event.

[todd]

It may be worth checking out what the fuss was about from the proverbial "horses mouth" :) ... CAIA has a website that I found: http://www.caiaweb.org with more information on their campaigns. They are tied to the global boycott, divestment and sanctions movement launched by over 170 palestinian organizations two summers ago. Some other important resources include the PACBI website (http://www.pacbi.org/) and the Stop the Wall website (http://www.stopthewall.org/). Ralph was informed about the issues by close personal friends it seems and asked not to appear as an act of solidarity with the Palestinian people. It is to his discredit that he nonetheless appeared, going against Green Party policy, which officially supports the boycott and violating the call by Palestinian environmental NGOs precisely on these issues. Nader's talk was afterall about the politics of the everyday and the centrality of civic engagement in building strong and healthy communities. From my perspective this was just what members of CAIA and their supporters were engaging in. And for this they should be commended! Thanks for a great blog btw... keep it up! :)

[patricia]

But Todd, like I said, there was no 'engagement'. These people were not prepared to get involved any type of discussion – they just wanted to yell and scream their position and to hell with everyone else.

And really, when you think about it, Ralph did them a favour by showing up – had he not come, the people coming to see Ralph would not have known about this situation, and well, I would not have written a post about it, giving it more attention to a wider audience.

[todd]

hey patricia, that's a good point! but i still must respectfully question who disrupted the possibility for "engagement." the mics were cut and mall security and toronto police officers were used to clear the group out. not very engaging behavior on the part of indigo books to say the least. such repressive behavior in a literary environment is disconcerting. plus it seems from melissa's comments that the group was willing to engage people interested in what they had to say. i'm sure there were some 'hotheads' in the group, but it seems like most of the members were well behaved and engaging. the group seems organized, broad and diverse from the research i've done. which is a good thing... let's hope we hear more from them. i applaud their courage to stand up for their beliefs and hope they'll be given more venues to publicize their crucial campaign... seems like some influential people in the cultural scene are already catching on, including john berger and ken loach who've supported the boycott campaign..

[patricia]

Well, Todd, all I can say is, you weren't there. There was a lot of ranting and yelling of their position, but not a lot of listening. I cannot stress this enough. Probably one of the reasons the mics were cut, to be perfectly honest. And like I said before, that event was for Ralph Nader to discuss HIS BOOK. And they were not 'given' this venue to spew their point of view – they hijacked Ralph's venue in order to get their point across. Quite frankly, on some level they spoiled our night, a night I was very much looking forward to as was my husband, to hear a very respected political activitst talk about a new book he has written.

[melissa]

Hi Patricia:

Just to quickly jump to Todd's defense, I was there and I loved the intervention! The members of CAIA, of which there were quite a few, were very well behaved during the whole event (there was a few old men ranting AT THEM the moment they spoke up). It was only during the question period that one of their members (a young woman) began asking a question. Her mic was cut and at that point other members of the group insisted that she be allowed to finish her question. Thus the cutting of the mic happened before any disruption occured.

I really have to admit, the intervention made the evening for me, and I think it is precisely the type of civil engagement that Ralph advocates on behalf of. Until that point in the evening I was really begining to wonder why I had even come out. Hoping to be inspired by Ralph, I came to be very disapointed by his rather bland talk.

I was expecting to hear an advocate for the environment and social justice, as I new him while he ran for the Green Party. With so many burning issues in the world and our Conservative government playing such an unconstructive role in the world, I was really wondering what he'd say to inspire me, to inspire us! (I must admit looking at the news I get quite depressed).

Instead Ralph only engaged common platitudes, that while heart warming (and at times humorous), did very little to engage the issues that were obviously on many peoples minds. Thus, I actually found Ralph's whole talk quite disapointing.

It should be noted that prior to the question by the young woman, there had been another question posed to Ralph by someone unasociated with the group - as I later found out - asking about the situation in Lebanon (where Ralph's parents are incidently from).

Since Ralph spoke about children, this man (who might have been from Lebanon himself) asked about the situation of children in Lebanon who are still to this day dying because of the thousands of cluster bombs dropped by the Israeli military on that country over a 38 day period. Ralph, in his response, didn't even touch on the question asked, speaking of other campaigns and issues.

However, all I can say is that we have differing oppinions on the evening. I left energized and inspired. Our government is currently complicit in the sanctions regime against Palestine that has left almost every house destitute and on the brink of starvation (the Conservatives were the first to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority last year). It should be noted that this is the first time a people under occupation has been subjected to international sanctions - spearheaded by the world's wealthiest countries with Canada leading the pack.

It is this injustice in Palestine, in Iraq, and in other places that is fuelling all the violence we see. It is admirable that the members of CAIA used a dull forum like this one, to politicize the event and inject some real issues into the evening. Their use of non-violent methods in a violent context is examplary. Indigo cannot expect to host public events with Ms. Reisman, when as majority shareholder she funds programs to support individuals (i.e. Israeli soldiers) who disrupt the everyday lives of Palestinians through checkpoints, raids, shootings, sniper attacks, aerial bombardments, arrests, beatings and torture.

I hope I don't sound too crass, but the issue involved are slightly more important than our ability to ask a quesion or not (which btw I was able to do afterwards when Ralph was signing books). Ralph should of course be applauded for begining to engage the participants, but it was a little hard for them to engage in a calm dialogue seeing as they were being cleared out by police and mall security. I think our condemnation of Ms. Reisman should be strong indeed, as Todd suggests, for injecting such repression into the Canadian literary scene.

I honestly think that if the mic hadn't been cut, and if such a repressive response wasn't immediately implemented, things might have calmed down a little and your husban may have gotten a chance to ask his question and maybe we all could have benefited from the dialogue between Ralph and the members of CAIA (actually their intervention reminded me of the story of the lady from his town that wouldn't let go of Prescott Bush's hand until he promised to look after a dam in the community).

Either way I hope you're enjoying your copy of The Seventeen Traditions! I would love to hear what you think about it once you finish...

[patricia]

Melissa, as boring as you may have thought Ralph's talk to be, he was there to talk about The Seventeen Traditions, the book that he wrote, which you claim to be interested in. I've been to many book launches and book talks, and all authors are treated with respect, because the people who come to these talks are there to listen to what the author as to say about THE BOOK THAT THEY HAVE JUST WRITTEN. You seem to be missing that rather important fact. Quite honestly, I think you could benefit from reading Ralph's new book, especially the Tradition of Listening, because you don't seem to be listening to what I've been saying, or what Ralph was talking about either. Ralph did not come to Indigo to discuss 'bigger political issues' that night, he was there to talk about his book which was as he said, 'a love letter to his parents'. What right have you or anyone else for that matter, to twist that evening into some other political agenda? You heard what Ralph had to say about those issues, but as I stated before, that was not the time and place to discuss the matter. Demonstrations like that will not be taken seriously unless they act in a more responsible manner.

Personally I think the mic was cut because the girl speaking was getting pretty damn agressive in her tone. I was there listening to what she had to say. She was not ready for any type of a dialogue, she was there for a confrontation, and a chance to have a platform for her views. And those people didn't start chanting just because her mic was cut – they were very, very prepared, carefully situated throughout that area, chanting like a greek chorus, blocking any opportunity for anyone else to speak. Quite frankly, I was almost ready to stand up and tell them to shut the fuck up. I didn't come that night for a political protest, I came to hear Nader speak about his family and his childhood and how it shaped him as a person. Fine, you may have found that dull, but as far has I recall in the ad for the event, it said nothing about Ralph speaking about the Palestinian/Israeli situation, a subject which is yes, very important, but not the focus of last night.

[patricia]

And quite frankly, there are many horrible injustices that are going on all over the world every day. Are we to condemn Ralph last night for not focusing on those issues as well? Jesus. The man is over 70, he has lived an amazing life, contributed so much to society to make it better, it just insenses me to no end that these young people think that they know so much more that this man, that they can stand in judgement of him. What true concrete things were accomplished by ruining that evening, compared to the multitude of accomplishments that Nader has achieved in his life? What have any of those protesters done that in any way can compare with how Nader has lived his life? And so he writes a sweet, gentle book about simple things that all people can do in order live in a more civil, just society, and he shares it with others. Yes. How dull. How very, very banal to listen to an old man share the wisdoms of a generation gone by.

[melissa]

wow patricia! i'm suprised at the contempt you show for young people!! don't you write books for children? do you not care that millions of palestinian children are growing up under an oppressive apartheid regime? doesn't it incess you that heather reisman supports such a regime?

and for the record, since i spoke to them, some of the young people there were survivors of israeli attrocities. so yes, in many ways they new more than nader about what they were taking about.

[patricia]

Don't manipulate the situation Melissa, or dare accuse me of not caring – because I or any of those other people didn't appreciate that demonstration does not have anything to do with how I feel about injustices in the world. Grow up.

[Guy]

I’m not the enemy!

It’s encouraging to see so much passion for public awareness on social issues in these days of corporate consumerism and the “me” generation. It’s also encouraging to see that readers of Patricia’s blog possess some of this passion and are not simple-minded automatons concerned exclusively with the world of art and refinement. I never realized that such a fervent exchange might result from Patricia’s posting on Ralph, either. I also hesitate in expressing my opinions too quickly, for fear of alienating others through the unintentional use of invectives.

There is an irony here that should be pointed out; the CAIA members have effectively expanded the dialogue on their particular issue to yet another blog – Patricia’s. That’s exactly what they want to do. Get people talking about their cause. Just as Ralph Nader’s book talk was co-opted into becoming a forum for expressing their concerns, so too has Patricia’s blog has become an unintended venue for highlighting their cause.

Let’s not adopt the same, close-minded stance of George Bush however, who said when he “declared war” on terrorism that “you’re either with us, or against us”. How wonderful it would be to live in a make-believe world where everything is black and white, and clearly delineated. That being said, please believe me when I say that I’m not the enemy, and neither is Ralph Nader! Don’t shoot me; I’m just the piano player!

What is happening in the occupied West Bank territories is wrong and the lack of response by the international community is equally reprehensible. I doubt that any enlightened individual today would disagree with this statement. Nor would anyone reading this blog, I think, disagree that apartheid policies still dominate the lives of forgotten human beings in Chechnya, Kosova, Nigeria, Sudan, Liberia, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. If one cares to be truly honest, an argument can be made to demonstrate that the same policies of racial segregation and economic discrimination are being practiced here in Canada, albeit in a “milder” form - against many ethnic groups, not the least of which are Native Canadians, (who have simply suffered longer). Look closely at the world and you will see man’s inhumanity to man oozing from every pore, in virtually every country and in every conceivable situation.

With so much injustice surrounding us and eroding the very fabric of civilized society, how do we choose a priority among causes worthy of our collective attention? How have these activists chosen the Palestinians to support over all others equally worthy of their attention? Why aren’t they fighting for the rights of the Natives at Ipperwash? Are you? Should you be? Why not? Are their claims of occupation and discrimination any less valid? Well, Melissa, you pointed out that among them were “survivors of Israeli apartheid”. Good for them, just like the mothers of MADD that Ralph pointed out in illustrating how people become socially active through personal motivations. We need to be careful, however, that our personal priorities do not infringe upon the rights and legitimate priorities of others. Isn’t that the point of eliminating apartheid practices, to restore or create equal rights to begin with? Isn’t that what Canada is all about, having the right to talk in public about a book you wrote?

Boycott Chapters? Boycotts can be effective. Do you own anything made in China? Look closely Melissa and you will find virtually everything sold in Canada is made in China or another truly repressive country. Want to put an end to apartheid in Tibet, end the slave labor of millions of children, murder, torture and lifetime imprisonment for political dissidents? Boycott products made in China. Could you make the personal sacrifice? Give up your daily luxuries? Should I condemn you for hypocrisy if you do not shed the clothes from your back made by children in China, discard your shoes from Bangladesh and smash your cell phone from Taiwan because they were made by slave labor? Perhaps you feel I exaggerate? Take the time to investigate what I’m saying. And what I’m trying to say is that we need to keep the CAIA members’ message in context. You’re still going to go on living your life, aren’t you? You’re not going to drop everything and join the cause, are you? If you don’t, does that make you a hypocrite?

Am I supposed to drop my life’s priorities and adopt yours? Why? Who besides the Prophet himself has the omniscience to direct me in my life’s obligations - members of the CAIA? Is Ralph Nader now to be condemned as a hypocrite and dismissed for affiliating himself with Heather Reisman, despite a lifetime of social activism that has both saved millions of lives and enriched the lives of millions of others? This statement is no exaggeration, Melissa, but may seem so to those unfamiliar with Ralph’s lifetime of work on behalf of others. Any naivety of Ralph’s record I would attribute to the ignorance of youth, or the nefarious corporate media that intentionally ignores or denigrates him wherever possible, since he is their enemy. They prefer to trivialize him and his historical impact by highlighting accusations intended to discredit him, such as those hurled so glibly and easily by well-meaning but naïve activists on Thursday evening. Ralph is on their side and always has been! It was Heather Reisman they really wanted to confront and she wasn’t having any of it.

It is this very same corporate media that deprives groups such as the CAIA of venues for expressing their entirely legitimate stance on truly significant issues. The “news” is infotainment. You are being lied to.

What is really at issue here for me is the appropriateness of the CAIA members’ choosing to inject themselves into Ralph Nader’s question and answer period after discussing his book. I don’t know if they’ve attempted this strategy repeatedly at Indigo book talks. Does anyone know if they tried to address these issues with Bill Clinton when he came to Toronto, or Jane Fonda, another well-known “supporter” of the underdog’s cause? Katherine Zeta-Jones? Probably not, I would say to you, Melissa, only because a true “phalanx” of security as you described would have been there, not the two or three puny, minimum wage, visible minority “rent-a-cop” types I saw. Crickey! These poor 150 lb. fellows I could have knocked over with my baby finger! They looked more afraid of the protesters than anything – they were just trying to collect a minimum wage paycheck and found themselves in the middle of an actual security situation! No one was roughed up, Todd. They unfurled their banner without being battered by batons or pushed and shoved out and they carried on for several minutes, so being there myself I can say that your description of security ushering them out as “repressive behaviour”, based on Melissa’s description of events, is unsubstantiated.

I work in a library and give book talks. As legitimate as the CAIA’s concerns may be, would that justify them injecting their agenda into my presentation? Remember, Todd, that Ralph’s appearance Thursday was a book talk promotion, not a legitimate opportunity for activists to debate issues with Mr. Nader. In all fairness, too, the young lady who had “had her mic cut” was not just asking a question; she was making a statement interspersed with several rhetorical questions. Ralph was not there to debate the ills of the world with young, well-meaning activists, though he tried to be accommodating as best he could. Initially, when he tried to answer them, he was chanted down. Melissa, why should you have expected “ a discussion to take place”? This was a book talk. Why should Indigo have been receptive to “opening the floor to dialogue”? This was a book talk. Really, think about it. Nino Ricci will be speaking at the Oakwood Public library on June 4; should the CAIA members afford themselves of this opportunity to garner some publicity? Ricci’s books are sold at Chapters and he has made multiple appearances at Reisman’s stores to promote his books. Shouldn’t he be challenged on his political position? It’s possible that the CAIA would make the papers; Ricci is a notable author. No, it was Heather Reisman at Indigo they wanted, and Ralph was caught in the crossfire.

And speaking of security, the activists were encouraged to quiet down, then afterwards allowed an opportunity to listen to Ralph’s reply, despite it all. They were allowed to stay several minutes longer, until they started up again. This is “repression”? I don’t think you’ve ever been beat upon by a cop, Todd, as I have, if you do. I don’t believe an answer was really expected by the group. They were planning to unfurl their banner and chant regardless of what response came from Nader. They couldn’t go to all of that trouble and not use the banner! Face it – they wanted publicity, not a dialogue. Get the message out. and feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins – I’ve been there as a protester. How wonderful it would have been for them if this mild act of civil disobedience had made the newspapers!

Regrettably, after all of it, the messages of Ralph’s book were lost in the shuffle. I’m sorry that you found it to be a “dull forum”, Melissa, but you see it wasn’t a forum for anything except Ralph to talk about his book, as dull as that might have seemed to you. Perhaps you could join another “rally” of the CAIA if it’s excitement you’re looking for, heheh. Sorry, just a joke, just a joke – don’t take it personally and don’t shoot me!

Shouldn’t the CAIA be picketing our government, which is “currently complicit in the sanctions regime against Palestine”? Wouldn’t that make the news? Maybe a martyr for the cause should get themselves beat up and arrested to bring the appropriate level of media attention to the plight of these people in the Middle East – surely the severity of the situation warrants it? Or does their commitment to the cause stop some point short of being unreserved. Interrupting innocuous book talks will bring about change in apartheid policies in Israel? They have no imagination. Why don’t they stage a 24-hour vigil on Heather’s personal home and inform the media? A new protester could be arrested every day. That would certainly capture the publics’ attention. Perhaps they don’t have the commitment or fortitude to carry their convictions that far. But seriously, spoiling Ralph Naders book talk? Sad guys. Really sad. Harassing criminals and the morally corrupt as blatant as Bill Clinton I can see, but to despoil the few moments I had with a man who has really made a difference in our world and continues to "fight the good fight" on his own terms, well, that's just pitiful.

It did bother me too, that they encroached uninvited on my evening’s pleasure. Usurped my rights, as it were. Yes, forgive me for expressing selfish sentiments. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to meet such a great man. My appreciation for him has not been diminished by events, but my understanding of Heather has grown. I had no idea what kind of person Heather Reisman was or the things she was involved in until Thursday night. But they could have informed me otherwise.

They handed me a flyer encouraging me to boycott Chapters/Indigo in the middle of all the chanting, telling me why they were doing what they were doing. They could have handed leaflets to me outside. It occurred to me that if they really wanted ME to boycott the store, they would have spoken directly to ME before I got into the store to buy something. They didn’t know I came to see Ralph, did they? I could have been just another Indigo customer buying any book. There were no protestors outside, no pickets, and no banners to inform me of Reisman and what she was up to. I had no idea this protest was going on and ongoing. If they had told me what was going on before I got into the store, before I had bought Ralph Nader’s book, hmmm, maybe I could have bought it somewhere else. Naw, I wanted Ralph’s signature!

Regards to everyone...

[Beth]

Guy - What a wonderful, reasonable and well thought out comment.

[cipriano]

Really great blog, Patricia.
I wish I was there, at the Indigo.
Last time I heard Nader speak on television, [and it was at the time he was running] I remember thinking to myself, "I would vote for this guy, if I were an American!"
You blog has given me occassion to remind myself how much I hate protesters, no matter WHAT they are protesting about!
-- Cip

[melissa]

Hey Guy:

That was a very poetic post! Well worth reading. Do you write/blog? I would really like to see some of your stuff!

For the record i work with indigenous communities here on Turtle Island and try to be a conscientious consumer. That's why i was at Ralph's talk, interested to hear what he had to say.

Good to see that he was able to stimulate people to talk - and yes, his Green Party does support the BDS campaign in solidarity with Palestine. Either way, i think we're all better as a result of that night and the discussion we've had here. All the best to everyone!!

Mel.

[Patricia]

Guy is very good at this kind of writing – he has a real passion for it, and he expresses himself much better than I can. He has written quite a few essays on a variety of subjects, including an excellent essay on Ralph Nader (entitled 'Requiem For Ralph'). I have been encouraging him for quite a while to get his own blog. He does have one, it's just a matter of getting him to do any actual posts on it...

If Guy's blog ever does come to life, I will certainly give it a plug on this blog.

[Roberto Bobrow]

Hi Patricia and Guy. Just wanted to express my understanding of your feelings. I was an activist for the rights of Palestinian people to his own country from my 16's (1969) quitting my then progressive zionist party (mapam) to engage with more radical organizations. While in Israel (1977-80) I sided with Uri Avnery, Meir Pail and other former IDF officials openly against the colonial settlement of the territories that is at the core of the apartheid-like sufferings of the Palestinians and the corruption of Israeli souls.
If I must tell what was the greatest succses of the Israeli Right, I'd say it was to discredit the secular, nationalist Palestinian leadership at the eyes of their people by means of frustrating any achievements from signed treaties, so leaning them towards the islamist camp that, at first, refused any mutual recognition (and thus got boycotted). With time, they will eventually come to terms with reality and accept the coexistence principle (after a lot of suffering, certainly); and the best their supporters overseas can do is to encourage them to do so. The sooner they get it, the sooner the Israeli voters will disengage from its belicist profiters as showed by their support to the withdrawal from Gaza, regrettably hampered by the dim and contraproducent launching of "quassams" from the new positions.
No wonder regular people aren't easily convinced to hear to loud shouted rhetoric in these conditions.

[brian]

Dear Patricia,

I have encountered your blog while doing a follow-up of this CAIA matter.

Your instincts are 100% correct. This interruption of the Nader booksigning was a little piece of assymetrical warfare by pro-terror and antisemitic anarchistic radical assholes.

You see this Nader booksinging was merely a vehicle for them to gain some publicity fodder for their little cause. And that cause is two-fold. Firstly, they have been brainwashed to believe that Israel has no right to exist. Has no right to defend itself against terror attacks on its civilian population, and must be disenfranchised, defamed and destroyed.

This was an attempt to embarrass the owner of the bookstore for her afiliation with a cause that they do not approve of and to hell with Mr. Nader and the people who came to meet him and buy his book.

Secondly, thank you for exposing their childish, violent and anti-democratic arguments.

Goon tactics like this do their "cause" no credible good. If their cause is the freedom and dignity of Palestinian Arabs,, then they are very poor representatives indeed.

[Patricia]

Yes, Brian, I would agree that this group are poor representatives for the Palestinian cause. The Israeli/Palestinian issue is not and never will be a black and white issue, just like many of the wars in our history. Both sides have suffered, and sadly, continue to suffer.

I read an interesting item, by the way in this weekend's National Post about the CAIA. According to the article, this group intends on boycotting and protesting an Israeli coffee shop that has recently come here in Toronto. The coffee shop, is called I believe Aroma Espresso Bar, and it's a well-known chain in Israel, and apparently this is the first of the chain to come here to Canada. The owner has stated that they have no political affiliations, they are firm believers in peace, and just want to run a business.

So why do these people want to picket this shop? Hmmmm...

[Brian]

So why do these people want to picket this coffee shop?

I suppose that's a rhetorical question to which we already have a number of cogent answers.

1) It's an attempt to demonize, disenfranchise and delegitimize anything to do with Israel because in the fevered fanatical mind-set of these twisted children...

2) Israel has no right to exist.

More anti-democratic, pro-terror thug tactics. Goes well with this week's news about the senseless internecine butchery of the primitive lawless chaos that is Gaza.