Latest news with #Dutil
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Historian offers measured defence of Sir John A. Macdonald
Sir John A. Macdonald & the Apocalyptic Year 1885 Patrice Dutil Sutherland House Here's Canada's first prime minister in 1885 talking about the United States and its land-grabbing credo of manifest destiny: 'They desire to enlarge the boundaries of the country; they would like to add Canada to the United States … they said, 'let us hold off a little longer; let us refuse them reciprocity, and Canada will fall like a ripe plum into our mouths.'' Here again, a few months later, is Sir John A. Macdonald, reviled today as the architect of Canada's residential school system, pleading in Parliament on behalf of Indigenous rights: 'Here are Indians, Aboriginal Indians, formerly the lords of the soil, formerly owning the whole of the country. Here they are, in their own land, prevented from either sitting in this House, or voting for men to come here and represent their interests. There are 120,000 of these people, who are virtually and actually disenfranchised, who complain, and justly complain, that they have no representation.' These remarks are part of the record, and historian Patrice Dutil argues that they are but two reasons for pushing back against the blackening of Macdonald's name in recent years. 'It's hard to imagine a reputation being trashed so hatefully, so suddenly, and so thoroughly,' he writes in his new book, Sir John A. Macdonald & the Apocalyptic Year 1885. And he makes clear that he's seeking to redress a wrong. 'He was very much a man who was remarkably progressive for his times,' Dutil tells Postmedia by phone from his Toronto home. 'And I think that is something that has been underplayed when it comes to our understanding of Macdonald — especially today when politicians and activists are doing everything they can to denigrate his reputation. So I think these two quotes demonstrate that he was very much a realist politician who had great ambitions for the country.' He argues that in the age of Donald Trump, Canadians need to be especially attentive to Macdonald's commitment to a sovereign Canada. Trump's musings about annexing Canada represent thinking that's always been 'latent' in American politics, Dutil says. In fact he's 'staggered' that Washington didn't actually move against Canada in 1885. 'The Americans had an enormous standing army but they didn't mobilize and move north,' he points out. 'The only reason they didn't was that they still had ample land they could populate.' Meanwhile, Macdonald was setting his own agenda for defence against American expansionism. 'The territories had to be taken over. Rupert's Land had to be taken over … to tell the Americans that this was 'taken' territory.' Macdonald was sending a stern message south of the border: to invade, they would be taking on the British Empire. 'Macdonald understood the American threat,' Dutil says now. 'He was always awake to it. Yes, he wanted to trade with the Americans. Yes, he wanted a free trade deal, but the Americans resisted. So his National Policy was a response to American policy.' Dutil also suggests that Macdonald established a barrier 'that probably went a long way to protect Indigenous people out west. They would have been annihilated by an American army.' Dutil was setting down these thoughts in manuscript at a time when statues of Sir John A were starting to come down. This veteran historian's intent was to chronicle what he saw as a crucial year in Canada's history — 'yet I felt that I was having to overcome a great deal of prejudice in our country against Macdonald. It's not the historical record that's troublesome — by and large most historians have been very complimentary toward John A. Macdonald. It's the activists and political enablers that have transformed him into an ogre and attributed to him crimes that he simply never committed.' The resulting book, published late last year and already in its second printing, is scarcely a work of unblemished hagiography. We also witness the Macdonald who referred to Indians as savages, oversaw an expansion of residential schools, humiliated the Chinese Canadians who helped build a transcontinental railway and saw Louis Riel hanged on his watch. But Dutil argues that, although Macdonald often revealed the prejudices of his times, he must also be assessed within the troubled context of those times. 'He knew exactly what the stakes were, so in terms of being alert to the American threat, he demonstrated it time and again. His contemporaries saw that … which is why he was returned six times to power.' Dutil knows he is pushing back against contemporary judgment when he argues that Macdonald's policies toward Indigenous communities demonstrated 'openness of spirit, dedication to democracy and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom.' Yet he himself is also firm in saying that the residential schools left a shameful legacy. 'I do not deny that terrible things happened in residential schools,' he says. But, he asks, should Sir John A. be fingered as the primary villain for a policy which continued under the watch of a succession of prime ministers well into the 20th Century? 'The truth and reconciliation report demonstrated vividly that residential schools predated Macdonald,' Dutil says. 'It was part of the colonialist tradition. That's what people did. What makes Macdonald different is that he was a little more entrepreneurial. His intentions were I think noble. He want to provide an education for Indigenous children. I've tried to illustrate that in the west residential schools were part of a wider range of policy innovations that included model farms and massive budgetary expenditures.' But what about the famine which ravaged the plains during that decade? What of charges that the government was prepared to allow Indigenous peoples to die of starvation? This book offers a Macdonald in genuine anguish over famine in the west. 'Rations did run out,' Dutil concedes. 'But I have real issues with the demonization of Macdonald as some sort of genocidal maniac who purposely withheld rations to starve people. That's not the case.' Dutil chose to write about the year 1885 because it confronted Macdonald with a perfect storm of challenges — a predatory America, armed rebellion in the west, financial crises threatening the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway, protests against Chinese immigration, a smallpox epidemic in Montreal, pushback against his attempts to expand the franchise, and famine among Indigenous populations in the West. 'I chose to write about that year because to me 1885 seemed inescapable. I thought it would be a useful literary device to see how Macdonald performed as one issue cascaded after another. I wanted to bring out the dynamism of the era and show how he dealt with it — 1885 seemed to crystallize everything by crystallizing Macdonald in action.' Still the fact remains that Dutil is writing about a polarizing figure in our history. So you ask him the inevitable question. Is it currently possible to have a nuanced conversation about Sir John A. Macdonald? Dutil's answer is simple and to the point. 'Well, I'm hoping that my book can help.'
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Farmington Valley Relay for Life in 25th year, thousands expected. How to sign up.
The Relay for Life Farmington Valley is celebrating its 25th year milestone and more than 2,500 walkers are expected as the tradition continues next month, according to organizers. The 24-hour event will feature walkers from the Farmington Valley as well as West Hartford and beyond with the overall goal of raising $500,000. That number would put the event's lifetime earnings at over $7 million. The money has been used for cancer research, patient support services in the state that includes rides to treatment and free lodging at the American Cancer Society Hope Lodges. The walk will be held at a standard track in Avon at 99 Thompson Road on May 31. For 24 hours, participants, representing teams will walk continuously for the cause. The event also includes a 'Survivor Lap,' which honors those who have won their battles with cancer, followed by a luncheon. There is also a Luminaria Ceremony, in remembrance of those who have been lost to cancer. According to Dr. Harvey Dutil, the team recruitment chair for Relay for Life, the Relay for Life of Farmington Valley has grown leaps and bounds year-after-year. 'Relay for Life is more than a fundraiser in the Farmington Valley,' Dutil said in a statement. 'There is a community dedication and spirit that you can feel coming together each spring for the greater good of a cause that has affected so many.' This year's event has a carnival theme, with circus-themed performers, games, DJ, dancing, costume competitions and food trucks. 'To build upon this success, we encourage everyone who has been affected by cancer to form teams in memory of an individual or to walk as a champion for someone undergoing treatment,' Dutil stated. Last year's events had more than 160 groups and 100 local event sponsors. Registration remains open for those looking to participate as a team or an individual. Sponsorships are also still available. According to the American Cancer Society, this is the 40th year of Relays for Life nationwide. 'For 40 years, passionate supporters have come together to advance the American Cancer Society's vision: ending cancer as we know it, for everyone. Relay For Life celebrates survivors, honors caregivers, remembers loved ones lost, and raises funds to ensure that everyone has the chance to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer,' according to the American Cancer Society website. According to the American Cancer Society, The Global Relay For Life is held in 35 countries.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Man Allegedly Drives Into Crowd Of Anti-Musk Protesters, Declares He 'Stands' With Tesla
A Florida man was arrested and accused of attempting to drive his car into a crowd of people peacefully protesting Tesla CEO Elon Musk outside a showroom for the electric vehicles in Palm Beach over the weekend. Andrew Dutil, 44, was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill after deputies from the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office say he drove his black Nissan SUV toward a group of protesters on Saturday, according to an affidavit obtained by HuffPost. An attorney representing Dutil did not immediately respond to a HuffPost request for comment. Court records show he pleaded not guilty. Mark Offerman, who organized the protest on behalf of the Democratic Progressive Caucus Palm Beach County told The Palm Beach Post that Dutil 'drove into a crowd of senior citizens.' 'Everybody was able to move out, but two older women were really almost clipped. We immediately called the cops,' Offerman said. One protester told deputies she was standing on the curb when Dutil drove by the demonstration and began yelling at them, according to the affidavit. She said Dutil drove up onto the curb in his Nissan and approached her. 'She stated she was in fear for her life and believed that she was going to get struck by the vehicle,' deputies wrote in the affidavit. 'She also stated that if she didn't move out of the way she believed she would have been run over.' Another protester who alleged she was almost struck by Dutil told the deputy she also feared for her life. Multiple videos of the incident cited in the affidavit corroborated the protesters' accounts of the incident, showing Dutil 'driving on the curb in front of the dealership and almost striking multiple people,' before exiting his car. Offerman told WPTV that Dutil 'jumped out of the car and proceeded to throw his hands in the air and say: Don't touch the car, I just lost my electronics, I can't steer,' before entering the showroom. An employee inside the Tesla showroom told deputies Dutil walked in and 'stated that he stands with Tesla and walked out,' according to the affidavit. Deputies arrived at the scene shortly after the incident and observed Dutil parked outside the Tesla Center, surrounded by multiple people. He was taken into custody without incident. Dutil's arrest comes amid a nationwide series of protests against Musk, known as the 'Tesla Takedown.' The movement is in response to Musk overseeing President Donald Trump's so-called Department of Government Efficiency, which has caused chaos among federal agencies and employees in its efforts to slash federal spending. Tesla Trade-Ins Are At An All-Time High Trump Says Jan. 6 Rioters Were Nothing Like Those 'Terrorist' Tesla Vandals Trump Suggests Those Attacking Teslas Should Go To Prison In El Salvador
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Florida Man Attempts To Ram Tesla Protesters With Car
Tesla stores around the world have seen recurring protests against the company's eugenicist CEO, Elon Musk, and his continual wanton cutting of necessary public services in order to redirect government funds to his own companies (perhaps to offset his losses from Tesla's cratering stock). Now it seems the chuds are taking matters into their own hands to stop the protests, and doing so in their favorite way: Ramming protesters with their cars. Florida resident Andrew Dutil took matters into his own hands upon seeing a Tesla protest in West Palm Beach, according to the Palm Beach Post, and drove his black Nissan Pathfinder into a crowd. No one was injured, though a member of the Palm Beach County Democratic Progressive Caucus — the group that organized the event — told the Post that "[T]wo older women were really almost clipped. We immediately called the cops." Read more: Tesla Recalls Almost Every Car It's Sold In The US Dutil claimed to be an employee of the Tesla store, and also claimed his Pathfinder's brakes and electronics had gone out — a situation that may seem normal to him, if the former claim is true. Dutil was arrested at the scene, and the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office told the Post that he would be charged with assault. The state of Florida has tried in the past to legally protect drivers who hit protesters, but the legislation has been severely limited by the state's courts who decided it couldn't apply to nonviolent protestors. Florida may be sympathetic to the cause of car-assisted protestor murder, but the law may not be on Dutil's side. Driving your car into a crowd of older women doesn't seem to win you much sympathy regardless of what cause they're fighting against — it's just a bad look all around. Then again, the chuds have never much cared for optics, have they? Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Florida Man Arrested for Driving SUV Into Crowd of Anti-Tesla Protesters
A Trump-supporting Florida man has been arrested for driving his SUV into a crowd of protesters outside a Tesla dealership in Palm Beach County over the weekend, police have confirmed. Driver Andrew Dutil was charged with aggravated assault following the incident, which saw him mount his black Nissan Pathfinder onto the sidewalk and slowly advance towards the protesters, forcing them to disperse. 'He drove into a crowd of senior citizens,' said Mark Offerman, head of the Democratic Progressive Caucus for Palm Beach County who organized the event. 'Everybody was able to move out, but two older women were really almost clipped,' he told the Palm Beach Post. 'We immediately called the cops.' Dutil reportedly claimed at the scene that he worked at the dealership in question, but is in fact thought be an Army engineer and former Iraq War vet who has written about his love of Donald Trump. He arrived at the scene at around 1 p.m. to find around 150 people gathered to protest Tesla CEO Elon Musk's cost-cutting measures with the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. The peaceful protest, organized by the local Democratic Progressive Caucus, saw demonstrators wield signs which read 'Shame' and 'Musk is a rat' to largely supportive onlookers. Following Dutil's action, police towed his car and interviewed around five people on the scene. The rest of the demonstration appeared to pass without incident. The protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations which have seen Tesla showrooms, charging stations, and individual vehicles targeted as part of a pushback against the Trump administration. At least nine incidents have been reported in recent weeks, which include a Tesla showroom in Las Vegas set ablaze with the word 'resist' daubed across the building's front doors in red paint, and four Cybertrucks in Seattle attacked with Molotov cocktails. To date nobody on either side of the protests has been harmed, although Musk and other Trump allies have condemned the attacks on Tesla as 'domestic terrorism'—a charge the FBI is aware of but refuses to endorse. 'Was this terrorism? Was it something else? It certainly has some of the hallmarks that we might think — the writing on the wall, potential political agenda, an act of violence,' said FBI agent Spencer Evans following the Vegas attack. 'None of those factors are lost on us.' Last week the FBI released a public service announcement warning the public to be vigilant and to be on the lookout for suspicious activity at Tesla dealerships, citing concerns over arson, gunfire, and vandalism. 'Since January 2025, incidents targeting Tesla EVs have occurred in at least nine states,' the statement read. 'These incidents have involved arson, gunfire, and vandalism, including graffiti expressing grievances against those the perpetrators perceive to be racists, fascists, or political opponents. These criminal actions appear to have been conducted by lone offenders, and all known incidents occurred at night.' 'Individuals require little planning to use rudimentary tactics, such as improvised incendiary devices and firearms, and may perceive these attacks as victimless property crimes,' they added. During Trump's first term properties owned by the president became focal points for protesters; a role experts believe is now being filled by Tesla. 'Tesla is an easy target,' Randy Blazak, a sociologist who studies political violence, told AP News. 'They're rolling down our streets. They have dealerships in our neighborhoods.' 'We're outraged and we're appalled,' Offerman told the Palm Beach Post. 'What we hope to do here in Palm Beach County, where the nerve center of the GOP is, is wake everybody up to this fact. 'Mar-a-Lago is here. Trump is here. This is his home. We have big problems with the way that our government functions, and find it very anti-American. So we want to wake people up, and we're taking on this national call.'
