Sweet-heart, get me re-write.

The following story from one of Canada's most prestigious national newspapers is so badly written that I felt a need to do it for them right, perhaps to the point they'll come asking me to write for them on salary.

No need to thank me, Globe and Mail, just send the money direct to my bank acct.
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Protests give Harper food for thought

SEAN PATRICK SULLIVAN

Canadian Press
TORONTO

— Prime Minister Stephen Harper may have gained brownie points from some for picking up Canadian evacuees from Lebanon in his personal jet, but a protest Saturday showed he hasn't impressed everyone.

Pleas for peace at the rally were offset by cheers and jubilation at word of a Hezbollah claim that 22 Israeli soldiers had have been killed during a limited drive into southern Lebanon.

Harper was roundly criticized for the government's position on the growing crisis in Lebanon as about 2,000 people took to the streets to call for an end to the violence.


Mostly of Lebanese origin, in Montreal hundreds of people gathered downtown to protest the Israeli airstrikes.

As scores of rockets fired by Hezbollah rained down on Israel, similar peace rallies were planned in up to 20 other Canadian cities [while Israel] continued its air, naval and ground assault on the extremists' bases.[....]

"Everyone here today is carrying Lebanese flags and Palestinian flags against this aggression.," said Mohamed Kamel of the Canadian Muslim Forum.

Daniel Saykaly, a spokesman for Palestinian and Jewish Unity, wondered out loud

whether Harper is really Canada's prime minister

and not Israel's

because of his failure to

call for a

ceasefire.

"We are all with the leader of Hezbollah," said Hussein Hammoud. "God bless him and we are praying for him to defend us, and defend our children."

[C]heers and jubilation at word of a Hezbollah claim that 22 Israeli soldiers had have been killed during a limited drive into southern Lebanon. A protest organizer said the response was because the deaths would have been a victory for the Lebanese resistance....

[Well past the halfway mark in this article the following lines appear:]

In Winnipeg, a group of about 100 protesters were greeted by more than two dozen people who said they were there to support Israel.

Both sides accused each other of racism and ignorance and debated over the meaning of terrorism.

"When the bottom-line ideology of these people is to destroy Israel, then, you know what, enough is enough," said Ken McGhie, an Israel supporter who waved a large flag. "The enemies of Israel are the enemies of Canada."

Another group raised a large sign stating Canadian First Nations Stand With Israel.

"Israel has a right to defend itself," said Raymond McLean, a pastor at First Nations Family Worship Centre.

[....]

In Toronto, some posters bore slogans that denounced Israel's actions in Gaza, Palestine and Lebanon, while others carried an image of the prime minister with the words War Mongerer [sic] underneath.

Ausma Malik, a University of Toronto student, called Israel's actions "state-sanctioned murder."

"Today we unite as people of conscience . . . as people who will not be silent while a nation is torn to shreds, while innocent civilians are killed in the clear light of day," she told a crowd assembled outside the U.S. Consulate.

She called on Harper to get a "backbone" amid chants of "shame" from those assembled.

[It's not clear who the crowd felt was shameful, but the the writer of this piece is not very talented and the best guess is that the reporter wishes us to understand that the crowd is condemning Harper. I think. Even though it goes against common sense. Dag.]

"We Canadians who believe in our ethical and humanitarian role in the world will not forget his pathetic and inadequate response," she said.

Protesters demanded that Harper call for a ceasefire and speak out against Israel. Some speakers mocked his statement that Israel's attacks on Lebanon were a "measured response" to the Hezbollah kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers.

Earlier this week, Harper diverted his jet to Cyprus after a state visit to France instead of returning directly home to pick up several dozen evacuees from Lebanon.

[....]

"We are all with the leader of Hezbollah," said Hussein Hammoud. "God bless him and we are praying for him to defend us, and defend our children." Hammoud, his wife Maryan and their four children watched from the back of the crowd at the Toronto protest, peeking over hundreds of placards and Lebanese flags to see the speakers.[....]

"We are all with the leader of Hezbollah," said Hammoud. "God bless him and we are praying for him to defend us, and defend our children."

[....]

Pleas for peace at the rally were offset by cheers and jubilation at word of a Hezbollah claim that 22 Israeli soldiers had have been killed during a limited drive into southern Lebanon.

[....]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060722.wprotest0722/BNStory/Front
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Yeah, I think I did a pretty good salvage job of the article. If you read it in it's original sequence you'll come away thinking Harper is no good and that the Israelis are worse. G&M, send that cheque. Do it now. I don't want to have to remind you.
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Thanks to Stogie for the bumper sticker graphic above.

http://saberpoint.blogspot.com/2006/07/england-you-disgust-me.html

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