I got a real lift today when I got this e-mail, and not just because it wasn’t another quasi death threat or liberal mouthing off at me with outrageous language and name-calling. No, this one is a nice one and gives us all something to ponder a little too.
The writer is referring to our sister site, ProudToBeCanadian.ca.
Here it is:
To Joel,
Bottom line- I am Canadian. I’m new to politics, live in Japan (totally socialist, government controlled) and have limited knowledge about politics, anything Canadian and political DISCUSSION. I check your web page everyday, often several times a day. I haven’t written anything because, honestly, I’m embarrassed by my lack of knowledge. You may think that’s ridiculous, but it’s true. Currently I live in a ‘small’ town in Japan and own and run my own school. And I’m a woman.
I found your site via a search for Fox News. We had it in Japan which was pulled at the end of July. I was searching for anything about the subject. As a result of about 140 (a miniscule number) loyal viewers’ hard work and a Fox News employee who went above and beyond the call of duty, Fox News is now available in Japan (for a price) through Muracam.
I was never interested in Canadian politics before living in Japan. Possibly a product of growing up in Canada.(???) At first I received Fox News free, part of a package deal when I purchased a satellite dish (my aim was to get TV in English-what a bonus!). Soon I was hooked. Bill O’reilly, in particular, offered ideas I had never heard before, but I liked it! Within a couple of months, FNC was to be taken off the air(July 2002). A massive petition and possibly a mention on The O’reilly Factor of the whole ordeal convinced the satellite company (SkyPerfect or SkyImperfect/SkyDefect) to keep it available with a 1,000yen monthly charge. More than 4,000 subscribers (SkyDefect’s unsubstantiated numbers) forked out that money. Then, two years later, it was dropped with the same number of viewers (again, SkyDefect’s UNsubstantiated numbers). And as stated above, it’s now offered by a small company, Muracam (end October).
Through that time, I have been reading your columns, and in the same way Bill O’reilly inspired me to learn more, so do you! I have checked out all your links as well, and because of that I am learning more and more. I thank you for that! I became a member because it was a way I thought I could show you my support. I’m not in a position to know, all though I do care, about Canadian politics on an everyday basis. I am reading your column to stay in touch with Canada, but more importantly, to define my own politics.
A thought: In the same way the democrats in America misread the American people I think the conservative party may be doing the same thing in Canada. Stay with me, it goes this way. The American people voted conservative. Most media and information sources are Democrat. In Canada, if everyone is fed socialist values, the opposite needs to be done. As well as underestimating the ‘likeable’ quality of Bush, the dem’s also underestimated the conservative Christian vote. For me, as a small town Canadian girl, it seems there’s a need to be ‘into’ politics to be conservative. Liberals accept any victim, and proceed to treat them as such. Conservatives are smart and informed. This is a positive force but at the same time the discussions can be daunting to the socialist-fed. I mean, how can I comment when on your board the most prominent women are from ifeminists and Ann Coulter? I know those aren’t the only ones, but for someone just coming to terms with her political beliefs, this is a really high bar. If there could be a thread encouraging elementary discussion on the ins and outs of how the Canadian government works, that would definately help me. I honestly don’t know much about how things work in Canada, and I’m Canadian. (shame! but I can guess I’m not the only one).The American system is much more transparent (although the electorate and key states are a bit of a mystery).
I want you to know that my silence is not malicious or even apathy. Your site means a lot to me!
Interesting story: My grandmother and mother came for a visit to Japan a year ago October to Japan. At that time, we watched The O’reilly Factor. My grandmother (85 at the time) thought he (O’reilly) ‘had sparkly’ eyes and was amusing. A big compliment. This year, 2004, I was discussing how disappointed I was in losing FNC and O’reilly when my grandmother expressed her disgust with ‘that O’reilly guy’. When I questioned her about why she changed her mind, she said ‘we get clips of him in Canada and they aren’t flattering’. I grabbed my laptop and dragged it down to the living room and got them to read articles from your site. It was then, for the first time in my life, that I proudly proclaimed ‘I am a conservative.’
[name withheld by Joel]
It turns out I have been pondering the lack of clear-cut, understandable political discussion on that site too, because I’m only too well aware of the lack of political acumen in Canada. There is a real lack of even the most basic understanding of politics in Canada.
The last time I had the time to do anything about it at that web site was when I created the “Conservative Values” category of forums, which as you’ve noticed if you’ve ever visited isn’t very busy, discussion-wise, but I ran out of time and haven’t gotten back to helping create more interest in that section yet. I had intended to expand it quite a bit.
I have tried and continue to try to get some more good women writers both here at ConservativeGroundswell.com and at ProudToBeCanadian.ca (because I really think more conservative women need to come into the tent and who better than women to do that?). But also I’ve been thinking about ways to explain Canadian politics and “conservativism” to people as well (…and I don’t mean to suggest that the two concepts—women writers and understandable discussions—are necessarily mutually exclusive!)
Anyway, I’ll have more on this as time goes on.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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