There is nothing in the nature of this person that would condone any violence rather everything in her nature to condemn it.
So as an apparent ploy to eliminate further criticism of a failing government under failing leadership - all political knives turned on Gerry.
So Thursday in the House of Assembly Ms. Rogers asked about the closure of the Family Violence Intervention Court and the Premier responded by saying:
"I personally have been engaged in, Mr. Speaker, all of my adult life, and I can point to shelters, I can point to programs, I can point to funding of transition houses. I can point to gender and diversity agreements, Mr. Speaker, because at the heart of violence is a lack of access to economic ways of supporting yourself and your family, Mr. Speaker. We are proud of the work that we have done as a government with regard to this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind everybody that it is important to understand the dynamics of violence in this Province and around the world. There has been, for me personally, a devastating ignorance of the impacts of violence and what violence looks like in the work of this government and the work of this House of Assembly during the last number of weeks.
Mr. Speaker, my record and the record of this government speaks for itself. Anti-violence has been something"
Well how about this!
As one peruses the Hansard and notices the condemnation of critics of the government - one can only be shocked at who these same people celebrate. In that context - I am happy to be condemned.
One can be a sexual predator and get kudos from the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General for ones hockey prowess. If you however are opposed to government's position on anything you may receive his wrath?
They will impugn you with haste and apparent delight, thumps and cat-calling - but a sexual predator??
Hansard - March 19th - 2013 - MR. KENNEDY: It is with great pride, Mr. Speaker, that I rise in this hon. House to pay tribute to one of the greatest sports franchises in the history of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
On Saturday night, March 16, the Eastlink CeeBee Stars captured the Herder Memorial Trophy for the eighth time in franchise history –
MR. KENNEDY: – and their fourth in the last eight years, pulling off what has been called one of the greatest upsets in the history of senior hockey in this Province.
This year's CeeBees team is a shining example of how hard work, heart, and determination in the face of adversity can pay off. After having won only seven games, Mr. Speaker, in the regular season, facing financial difficulties, and amidst rumours that the team may fold, the CeeBees made the playoffs on the last day of the regular season, defeating the Gander Flyers at home. They went on to eliminate the first place Grand Falls-Windsor team and then completed a sweep, Mr. Speaker, of your team, the Clarenville Caribous, before almost 2,000 fans at SW Moores Memorial Stadium.
Playing and winning in the face of adversity was personified by players like Terry Ryan, who returned to the lineup in game three just two weeks after he had been hospitalized with two broken ribs. Terry raised the Herder for the first time Saturday night. Ryan Delaney, named Herder MVP, was rewarded for his hard work and gritty play game after game. His line mate for game four, fourth liner Daniel Sparkes, played the game of his life and had a goal and two assists in ten minutes, including setting up the game winner. Players like Chris Sparkes defined the CeeBees spirit, after coming back in game six with staples in his lips because he did not want to miss the rest of the games. The CeeBees rode stellar goaltending by Mark Yetman and were led on and off the ice by their captain, veteran Keith Delaney, and assistant captains, Mike Dyke, Donnie Gosse, and Robert Slaney.
Special congratulations to Ian Moores, coach, for his fifth Herder, Mr. Speaker, and Peter George, who captured his fourth. I would also like to congratulate former coach Corey Crocker who, together with Ian and Peter, put together the team.
___________________________________________________________
So let's review this shall we?
Minister Kennedy has no problem as a lawyer, an officer of the court, a Minister of the Crown, a former Minister of Justice and Attorney General celebrating the sports accomplishments of a convicted sexual predator?
The Premier and her female colleagues have no problem allowing that celebration?
All one has to do is to read the "Surviving Sexual Assault" pamphlet Women's Policy Office regarding the make-up of sexual predators. Link HERE
And to make matters worse - subsequent to winning the now ruined Herder Trophy and the Minister's remarks in celebration of the predator - another shoe has dropped. In an agreed to Statement of Facts regarding the predator's third victim (a sleeping woman) - Yetman admitted to - in part - the following according to media reports :
The court heard Yetman and the other woman started getting intimate, but when she realized he didn't have a condom, she said he should leave because nothing was going to happen and she was tired.
"Mark Yetman had difficulty accepting her refusal," Settimi read from the statement of facts. "He initially held onto (the woman) and then followed her into the bathroom."
The woman was able to convince Yetman to go back to the living room, and when he did, she sent a text message to her own roommates to come get her and then ran out of the apartment wearing only shorts, a bra and a random jacket she found near the door.
Settimi told the court once she was out of the apartment, the woman started texting and calling the victim "in an attempt to rouse her from her sleep and warn her about the accused."
When Yetman realized the other woman had left the apartment, he went into the victim's bedroom.
While she was asleep, he removed her pajama bottoms and underwear and began having non-consensual intercourse with her, the court heard.
So this government is opposed to violence against women?
So this government respects women?
I believe that by celebrating a person who is now sitting in jail for three convictions of sexual assault - the Minister has offended every woman in the province.
Now let's go a step further - here is a picture of many young men huddled around their goalie - the sexual predator - as they celebrate his performance.
Then this quote in the same story:
Yetman's play has had a positive impact on his teammates as well.
“Players get so much energy and they have a sense of confidence when they have a guy back there, the goaltender, making all of these big saves,” said coach Ian Moores.
So in a place where if Gerry Rogers was only a Herder winning goaltender - not a word of malice would likely have been said - the Premier and her Ministers are yammering about violence, bullying, and the mistreatment of women?
Where is the media?
Do you remember the condemnation of Lance Armstrong for cheating by using banned substances? That condemnation was before he admitted guilt. The man at least has a charitable foundation for Cancer.
Further he has been stripped of all the yellow jerseys.
Is the Premier more fearful of Gerry Rogers or Mark Yetman?
The thinking surrounding Mark Yetman - is similar to some of the thinking behind the cover-up of the Mount Cashel affair. Can we say that one's station in life be it behind a frock or in front of a net - gets you different treatment from the powers at be?
So they might remove themselves from Twitter for a following by a porn participant or explicit content and attempt to crucify Gerry Rogers for being a member of a Facebook group of thousands - wherein Gerry Rogers did not make threats.
Let's see if Dunderdale even passes this test.
The House is, by tradition, intolerant of any apparent misuse by its Members of the privilege of freedom of speech. It is a powerful immunity and Speakers have dealt decisively with Members who have appeared to be taking advantage of this privilege. Speakers have often cautioned Members that in expressing their opinions, they should not unfairly or needlessly attack the reputation of citizens or groups.
Clearly in Newfoundland and Labrador the House is at it all the time. Where is the Speaker in this? Does Kathy understand "privilege"?
Premier does "privilege" mean if I were an Herder winning hockey player - you would not allow yourself or others to lie about me and others in the House of Assembly?
When Yetman was sentenced to three years for the third conviction of sexual assault the Judge said:
“Make no mistake, this is conduct on your behalf that is simply not tolerated in our society and can never be tolerated in this society,” Judge Patrick Flynn told Yetman in the Superior Court of Justice in St. Catharines.
Not only has it been tolerated by allowing him to play hockey in our Province's Senior Hockey League - but the man has been celebrated in the Legislature of Newfoundland and Labrador. In the Hansard and on the Sex Offender Registry at the same time? Yes we surely know how to combat violence here in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Judge added: “Protect other women from yourself and people like you,” Justice Patrick Flynn said as Yetman looked on from the prisoner’s box in the Superior Court of Justice in St. Catharines.
The fellow brought 40 letters of reference to his sentencing including those from Teachers, Billets, and others who knew him.
The judge said he’d never seen so many reference letters. “It says a lot about your character,” Flynn said, “but these events happened in the dead of night in the bedroom of a sleeping woman. All the hockey coaches and the parish priest in Newfoundland weren’t there.”
Flynn said he found parts of the letters describing Yetman as a role model to school classes he’s visited and to hockey players coming up through the ranks disturbing.
“Let’s hope when they look at your whole person, you are not a role model to them."
Headline from VOCM News April 21st. 2013
NL Has One of Highest Rates of Sexual Assault in Country
Should we really start asking some tough questions? Should we start by removing an automatic "privilege" for those playing hockey and winning some award?
The flap in the House of Assembly is NOT over - we have just scratched the surface. Time for us to clean up our act.
As it relates to Mark Yetman - should he be stripped of his "accomplishments" from his conviction date forward? Sure he should and we should demand it.
Perhaps the Speaker could rule on this issue and remove those from the House of Assembly who knew Mark Yetman was a convicted sexual offender but celebrated him despite it.
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