Taking it a little too far

flash9286 · April 3, 2003, 21:50

http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecov...003/4/3/101702

Quote:

Canadians Tell U.S. Kids, 'America Sucks'

A busload of American "PeeWee" hockey players got a taste of the rabid anti-Americanism that is festering in Canada: They were hooted at, our National Anthem was booed, and people in the street gave them the finger or displayed other rude gestures.

The Massachusetts kids were in Montreal for a PeeWee tournament when residents of this French-speaking city treated them the way one would expect an enemy to be treated: with scorn and hostility.

According to the Toronto Globe & Mail, the 11- and 12-year-old boys from Brockton had been looking forward to the hockey tournament in Montreal. But parents who accompanied them said they were unprepared for the depth of anti-American hatred over the U.S.-led war against Iraq.

During their four-day visit, the young Americans were horrified to see the Stars and Stripes burned and hear the National Anthem booed. When traveling in their bus emblazoned with a red, white and blue "Coach USA" logo, they saw people on the street make angry gestures at them.

Even worse, while playing hockey their Canadian opponents told their American guests that "the U.S. sucks" and shouted other anti-American insults, the boys recalled.

"It was a shock to go to a tournament and have kids saying this to us. These are our friends that are doing this," Brockton Boxers coach Ernest Nadeau told the Globe & Mail. "We didn't expect Canadian players - especially young boys - would take things to that extreme."

Why Spend Your Money in Quebec?

One parent, Bill Carpenter, was so upset he canceled his family's vacation to Quebec this summer. "We were very offended by the whole thing," Carpenter, who accompanied two sons on the trip, told the newspaper.

"I understand the opposition to the war. But we were made to feel unwelcome just about anywhere we went. Montreal is a five-and-a-half-hour drive for us. It's not like we were traveling to Syria or France or Germany," he said. "As Americans, we felt in the past that Canada was our closest ally and friend. No one told us we were heading into unfriendly territory."

According to the Globe & Mail, the trip took a turn for the worse almost as soon as the children reached Montreal, when their bus entered the city's downtown just as hundreds of college and university students were marching through the streets in an appeasement demonstration.

Police cruisers spotted the U.S. bus and escorted it to its hotel on Sherbrooke Street as a safety precaution. A police officer even urged the visitors to remain in the bus until the protest passed.

The children watched in shock as demonstrators made obscene gestures toward the bus. An American flag was dragged through the street.

"We felt horrible," Nadeau told the paper. "How would you feel if the Canadian flag was dragged down the streets in the U.S.A.? This is a country that's supposed to be our ally."

That night at a game between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Islanders game, the U.S. national anthem was widely booed by the crowd, further upsetting the boys.

"The kids were just questioning, 'Why are they doing this?'" said David Cruise, who was there with his 12-year-old son. "It's hard for them to realize we weren't in America any more; we were in a different country. I said, 'They're booing our national anthem because they don't like us.'

"Whether you're for or against the war, we have guys over there dying," Cruise said. "The next time, we'll stay in the States. I'm not going back there again."

The boys recalled that during a game against the Beverly Bandits, a team from Beverly, Ontario, anti-American comments continued when the Canadians hurled insults during face-offs and at other times.

"They told us we sucked, gave us the finger and said 'Down with the U.S.A.' or 'The U.S.A. sucks," Nadeau said. At one point, a Canadian player made a disparaging remark about the United States "and the referee turned around and said, 'I agree with you.' "What stunned us was that the referee, who is supposed to be unbiased, is agreeing with the boys on the ice."

His players "wanted to retaliate" against the Canadians, but Nadeau said he urged them "not to do anything foolish."

Fanatics Cheer Iraqi Flag, Burn U.S. Flag

During a walk downtown with his two children Saturday, Carpenter watched another anti-war demonstration when he saw the crowd cheering a man atop a traffic light waving an Iraqi flag and a U.S. flag. The crowd cheered the Iraqi flag and booed the U.S. flag. The man then soaked the U.S. flag in kerosene.

"It went up in a puff of smoke and flames, and the crowd went wild. They were all cheering," said Carpenter, whose 24-year-old son, a U.S. Marine, was sent to retrieve bodies of Americans killed in the 2001 terrorist bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen.

On the way home, as the bus crossed the border into the United States, cheers went up in the bus. "We were very, very happy to get back home," Nadeau said.

Note that not all Canadians are hate-filled lunatics. A pro-U.S. rally is planned for Friday in Toronto. Numerous Canadians have e-mailed NewsMax that Quebec is the hotbed of anti-American fanaticism and that they are ashamed of these French degenerates.

It's clear that the cowardly French are hopelessly corrupt whether they stay in little France or spread their germs to other countries.

Really that is just sad.

Drake Tungsten · April 3, 2003, 21:52

Quebec doesn't represent all of Canada, just as Arkansas doesn't represent the rest of America...

Pekka · April 3, 2003, 21:53

I think this was in other thread too. But yeah, this is taking it too far. It's kids were talking about. Kids sports.. shouldn't be like this.

JohnT · April 3, 2003, 21:55

Look, the kids and the hippies have to have something to protest against. Glad we could oblige them.

Pekka · April 3, 2003, 21:58

Anyway, kids shoudln't be put in a position like this. They can't handle it like adults. This does nothing good, even to anti-war cause. I mean, if they're anti-war adn against US policies, maybe they should give the kids something positive, or informative, but not negative things like this. This does nothing good.

Urban Ranger · April 3, 2003, 22:00

You used Newsmax as the source? That's ranked below Iraqi TV and barely above Weekly World News.

notyoueither · April 3, 2003, 22:19

Why, UR?

That stuff happened. It's disgusting, but it happened.

Urban Ranger · April 3, 2003, 22:24

Don't you have a better source than Newsmax?

Tingkai · April 3, 2003, 22:28

Quote:

Originally posted by flash9286
http://www.newsmax.com/showinsidecov...003/4/3/101702
they were unprepared for the depth of anti-American hatred over the U.S.-led war against Iraq.

If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. The US told the rest of the world to bugger off when it decided to unilaterally attack Iraq. If you're going to throw your weight around, you better be able to handle the criticism.

Quote:

Originally posted by flash9286
During their four-day visit, the young Americans were horrified to see the Stars and Stripes burned and hear the National Anthem booed. When traveling in their bus emblazoned with a red, white and blue "Coach USA" logo, they saw people on the street make angry gestures at them.

Did they get attacked? No.
Did the bus get damaged? No.
So what's the problem. This is called free speech.

Quote:

Originally posted by flash9286
Even worse, while playing hockey their Canadian opponents told their American guests that "the U.S. sucks" and shouted other anti-American insults, the boys recalled.
"It was a shock to go to a tournament and have kids saying this to us. These are our friends that are doing this," Brockton Boxers coach Ernest Nadeau told the Globe & Mail. "We didn't expect Canadian players - especially young boys - would take things to that extreme."

He didn't expect trash-talk from Canadian hockey players? Did he think his team was playing against Europeans? This is hockey.

Quote:

Originally posted by flash9286
"I understand the opposition to the war. But we were made to feel unwelcome just about anywhere we went. Montreal is a five-and-a-half-hour drive for us. It's not like we were traveling to Syria or France or Germany," he said.

This can't be for real. This has to be from the Onion.

Quote:

Originally posted by flash9286
Police cruisers spotted the U.S. bus and escorted it to its hotel on Sherbrooke Street as a safety precaution. A police officer even urged the visitors to remain in the bus until the protest passed.

Oh those evil Montreal cops!

Quote:

Originally posted by flash9286
"The kids were just questioning, 'Why are they doing this?'" said David Cruise, who was there with his 12-year-old son. "It's hard for them to realize we weren't in America any more; we were in a different country.

Yup, yer not in Kansas anymore.

I can see why it would be hard for them to understand that they're in a different country. Yet another American education success story.

Quote:

Originally posted by flash9286
His players "wanted to retaliate" against the Canadians, but Nadeau said he urged them "not to do anything foolish."

Well this guy won't get any sympathy from Don Cherry

Quote:

Originally posted by flash9286
It's clear that the cowardly French are hopelessly corrupt whether they stay in little France or spread their germs to other countries.

Well it's good to see someone taking the high road.

notyoueither · April 3, 2003, 22:42

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai
Well this guy won't get any sympathy from Don Cherry

I think you'd be surprised, if and when Grapes ever gets to have a go at these jerks who think that a bunch of 12 year olds should be harassed based on their nationality.

Richelieu · April 3, 2003, 22:44

Quote:

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
Quebec doesn't represent all of Canada, just as Arkansas doesn't represent the rest of America...

Just as these idiots don't represent all of Quebec.

notyoueither · April 3, 2003, 22:48

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Don't you have a better source than Newsmax?

Good point, but the piece itself seems to be based on a Globe and Mail write up.

And that bit at the end is a bit... over the top. flash is an instigator, hense his choice of quotes, I would guess.

However, the real point is the involvement of adults (I'll use that term loosely, since their mental ages can't be that much past 10 or 11) in the harassment of children based on where they are from. It is disgusting, and nothing is going to change that.

Tingkai · April 3, 2003, 22:48

Quote:

Originally posted by notyoueither

I think you'd be surprised, if and when Grapes ever gets to have a go at these jerks who think that a bunch of 12 year olds should be harassed based on their nationality.

Cherry would have sent the entire team over the boards, even if they are just 12-year-olds.

notyoueither · April 3, 2003, 22:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai

Cherry would have sent the entire team over the boards, even if they are just 12-year-olds.

We'll see. I have a feeling Saturday night might be a good time to tune in.

Pekka · April 3, 2003, 23:02

Tingkai, what's that supposed to mean about european hockey players? I played until I was 16, and we were making very nasty remarks about others mothers and what they could do with them, and if they didn't, what we would do with them. When we were 10-12 years old

My friend coaches a a hockey team, they're 11 I think. Every time I enter their dressing room, it's crazy! All the foul language they use, it's confusing. They talk about womens private parts in a way that would make sailors blush. They also claim to have slept with many women, and describe in details what they do with them, lies naturally, but I'm telling you, hockey players are just nasty from the beginning!

Drake Tungsten · April 3, 2003, 23:07

Quote:

Just as these idiots don't represent all of Quebec.

Oh, I think they do.

Felch · April 3, 2003, 23:24

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai
If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. The US told the rest of the world to bugger off when it decided to unilaterally attack Iraq. If you're going to throw your weight around, you better be able to handle the criticism.

Define unilateral. Then explain to the families of the mopre than two dozen dead British soldiers how it applies to this situation.

monolith94 · April 4, 2003, 00:25

Interestingly enough, my high school's marching band just went up to montreal for adjudication a few days ago and encountered nothing like that.

They were from Masachusetts too.

KrazyHorse · April 4, 2003, 00:32

We played a few exchange games against Massachusettsers when we were kids (Boston and Montreal have a whole series of exchange programs going on).

We were 8-9 they were 11-13

IIRC we beat them by more than 10 points every game we played.

Quote:

Even worse, while playing hockey their Canadian opponents told their American guests that "the U.S. sucks" and shouted other anti-American insults, the boys recalled.

As I recall, we said that too. And the kids we were playing against said the same sort of **** back...

Cry me a river.

Adults should know better. But I suppose it would be more fitting if one of the kids' fathers had just beat another one to death...

MRT144 · April 4, 2003, 00:36

Newsmax, editorializing news since its inception

Dr Strangelove · April 4, 2003, 00:41

Quote:

Originally posted by Pekka
Anyway, kids shoudln't be put in a position like this. They can't handle it like adults. This does nothing good, even to anti-war cause. I mean, if they're anti-war adn against US policies, maybe they should give the kids something positive, or informative, but not negative things like this. This does nothing good.

Yeah, particularily the obscene gesture part.

KrazyHorse · April 4, 2003, 00:43

I think any adult should have refrained from mentioning it to any kid, actually.

Kids, of course, will use any and all ammunition against each other. And I don't see the problem with that...

Tingkai · April 4, 2003, 01:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Felch X
Define unilateral. Then explain to the families of the mopre than two dozen dead British soldiers how it applies to this situation.

The US wanted to attack Iraq, and made a decide on its own to attack, the Brits decided to support the attack.

notyoueither · April 4, 2003, 01:07

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai

The US wanted to attack Iraq, and made a decide on its own to attack, the Brits decided to support the attack.

And this has what to do with a bunch of 11 and 12 year olds?

Tingkai · April 4, 2003, 01:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Pekka
hockey players are just nasty from the beginning!

Ya, terrors on ice.

Although the strange thing is a lot of the hockey goons that I know are the most peaceful people off the ice. It's like a Jeckle and Hyde (sp?).

Same thing with the pros. They get on the ice and they'll smash each other and do major trash talking, but sports say hockey players are almost always polite during interviews. Baseball players are apparently the worst.

So my theory is that people who play hockey burn off their agression on ice. So if we could get the entire world to play hockey, the world would be a more peaceful place.

Tingkai · April 4, 2003, 01:12

Quote:

Originally posted by notyoueither

And this has what to do with a bunch of 11 and 12 year olds?

These kids were probably in a typical greyhound-type bus. Odds are the protesters only saw the USA painted on the bus and reacted to it. They probably never noticed who was in the bus.

Then again, if the protesters knew it was just a bunch of kids then, ya, the protesters were jerks.

But I think it is more likely that the protesters didn't see the kids.

Felch · April 4, 2003, 01:13

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai
The US wanted to attack Iraq, and made a decide on its own to attack, the Brits decided to support the attack.

Then it wasn't unilateral. At the very least, assuming you want to (for some silly reason) ignore the Kurds, Australians and Poles, who are all contributing forces, it's bilateral.

Asher · April 4, 2003, 01:15

Quote:

Originally posted by Tingkai
They get on the ice and they'll smash each other and do major trash talking, but sports say hockey players are almost always polite during interviews.

Most hockey players are Canadian.

KrazyHorse · April 4, 2003, 01:17

No, it would be bilateral if the Iraqis agreed to have the Americans attack them.

At least that's the way it's generally used.

And multilateral generally means that you got permission from some sort of governing body (the UN, the Arab League, etc.)

Tingkai · April 4, 2003, 01:18

Quote:

Originally posted by Felch X
Then it wasn't unilateral. At the very least, assuming you want to (for some silly reason) ignore the Kurds, Australians and Poles, who are all contributing forces, it's bilateral.

No, the US unilaterally decided that it was going to attack. It made its decision on its own. The US then went to other nations and said join us. The majority of the world said don't attack. A handful of nations offered support to the US attack.

The decision to attack was not a group decision. Therefore it was a unilateral decision.

But let's stay on topic which is hockey!