It is wrong. It stirs up discontent, it fosters miss-guided fears of others, helps create hatred, and it leads often times to violence.

UNFORTUNATELY, SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS

YESTERDAY (June 6th) WERE DISTRIBUTING THE IMAGE I HAVE INCLUDED WITH THIS POST, including the Facebook page for the BC Patriots.  Here's what it's important for you to know:

I read multiple news reports across what would be considered reporting from the right, through to the left. Not one single one from the Toronto Sun, through to the Huff Post and CBC indicated the shooting which occurred had anything to do with serving pork during Ramadan.

It's a shame BC Patriots posted this as it does not look good distributing what is obviously false information. A simple Google search for me was able to ascertain this in seconds. Don't believe me? Just type in, "four shot outside Pickering RibFest" and see for yourself.

When I said ... PLEASE, DO NOT CONTINUE THE CYCLE OF THIS CRAP, AND AID IN PROMOTING B.S. LIKE THIS ... I was told , "You're wrong about the Sun".   

In fact, I was not.

Yesterday (June 6th) I did multiple Google searches, and read many news stories across the board politically. The Toronto Sun, CBC, Global, CTV, City, and many more. Not one single one said what this right wing extremists crap indicated. That being the case then, it could only be interpreted as something meant to sow miss-information, and in doing so, spreading unrest.

As a small "c" conservative, I find it very sad to see anyone posting / re-posting this kind of thing.

Now today, and again on the same BC Patriots Facebook page, was a re-post they put online, that stated the federal government was not going to provide a pay increase for Canadian Armed Forces members.  I went "Wow ... that's not something I'd support", so a quick Google search using "pay rate freeze for Canadian soldiers" quickly indicated this was in fact untrue.  

From the Canadian Armed Forces:  "Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members will receive a compounded increase of 6.34% to pay and a lump sum back-payment starting June 30, 2017. This covers retroactive increases starting April 1, 2014 ... "  

From the National Post:  "Canadian Forces personnel will receive an increase of over 6% to pay and around 5% to some environmental and special allowances, according to the Department of National Defence ..." 

Not only that, this miss-information was a re-post from two years ago.  When I pointed this out, the page administrator indicated they were pleased / it was good that I could read, and that in fact they had indicated the post was from two years ago.  THEY DID NOT.

Regrettably they seem to have removed this post as I can no longer find it.  That said, why, if they were willing to acknowledge the post was from two years ago, did they decide to put it online in the first place?

Let me state once and again just so there is now doubt in anyone's mind.  Fake news, and miss-information of any kind, is wrong.  I don't care if it is from left leaning media like the Toronto Star -- the CBC -- or the Huff Post ... or from any right leaning media including the Sun newspaper chain -- Ezra Levant -- or anyone else.

It is wrong.  It stirs up discontent.  It fosters miss-guided fears of others.  It helps create hatred.  And it leads, too often, to violence.

You may be attacked, ridiculed, or called a liar for pointing out when miss-truths are put forward as fact.  Regardless, DO NOT hesitate to let those who are your friends know there is an ulterior motive for this being done -- and it's not a good one.

Then, also make sure that you comment on those posts to say they are untrue.  Why?  Because not doing so is really no different than condoning erroneous miss-information -- by default.  Don't let it happen.

There is LOTS out there, that is legitimate fact, to call out our Federal Liberal government on ... ditto here in BC with the GreeNDP.  Hit them with facts, not fiction.  It's the only way to make it stick because the truth, while not always so, should win out. 

In Kamloops, I'm Alan Forseth.  The floor is your now, and I welcome any comments you may wish to make.