Stupid Statements (Part VIII)

What follows is Part VIII of my essays on people making stupid statements. We are all prone to making stupid statements but some people's statements are ludicrous as you will see as you read on.

Scott Roeder, 51 was accused of shooting George Tiller, an abortionist to death on May 31, 2009 as the doctor served as an usher at his Lutheran church in Wichita, Kansas. Roeder was also charged with aggravated assault for allegedly threatening two people at the church who tried to stop him. While incarcerated in the Sedgwick County Jail, he told the news media, “I am being treated like a criminal even though I haven’t even been convicted of anything.” Does he really believe that when witnesses saw him murder another person, he had not committed a criminal act? If someone commits murder, he is unquestionably a criminal who has committed a criminal act.

Canada's leading payday lender has agreed to pay $100 million to Ontario clients who complained they were ripped off by usurious interest rates. There was a class-action lawsuit filed in 2003 on behalf of 264,000 borrowers. Once the proposed settlement – it includes $27.5 million in cash, $43 million in forgiven debt and $30 million in credits – is approved by the court, the average payout will be about $380. In 2004, a Toronto Star investigation revealed payday loans carried annualized interest rates ranging from 390 to 891 per cent. From the Berwyn, Pennsylvania headquarters of Money Mart's parent company – Dollar Financial Corp. – CEO Jeff Weiss said in a statement: “While we admit no wrongdoing ... this settlement will allow us to avoid the continuing substantial litigation expense that would be expected.” Charging interest rates as high as 390 to 891 percent and then claiming that the firm is doing nothing wrong is like using the toilet for a week without flushing it and then saying that there is nothing wrong in refusing to flush the toilet despite its smell.

Cancer survivors and their supporters say they were astounded when Canadian Natural Resources Minister Lisa Raitt described that the shortage of isotopes used in cancer tests as a "sexy" issue. In a tape of a private conversation between Raitt and an aide, the minister says the isotope issue is hard to control, "because it's confusing to a lot of people. She then added: "But it's sexy ... Radioactive leaks. Cancer." The controversial comments came in a five-hour recording that was made January 30, 2009 and obtained by the Halifax Chronicle Herald after a Raitt aide misplaced her tape recorder. The word, “sexy” also means, ‘capable of arousing interest’ according to Penguin English Dictionary but it also means ‘sexually attractive’ according to the same dictionary. The word ‘sexy’ was a bad choice of words this dimwit chose to use. The word, ‘challenging’ would have been more appropriate.

“I am not poisonous.” That was the statement of Cécile Brossard that she made to the French court in June 2009 after she shot to death her trussed up lover, one of France’s most richest men because he wouldn’t let her have complete control of the million dollars he placed in a trust account for her. Then she had the audacity to exclaim, "I am just desperately in love with a man and I will be forever." She spent four years in custody waiting for her trial.

On June 29, 2009 an accused racist fighting a custody battle in Manitoba admitted he used his own kids on a poster bemoaning the future of white children. The man was trying to prevent Manitoba Child and Family Services from gaining permanent custody of his stepdaughter and his biological son. The man claims his constitutional right to freedom of expression was being violated. The province alleged the children were exposed to racism and alcohol abuse in the home. The children were seized after the girl was sent to school with racist markings on her body. The province alleged that the children lived in squalid conditions, and were exposed to violent racist videos and racial slurs. One social worker had testified that the girl calmly described how to kill black people using a ball and chain. Her father also said, “Adolf Hitler is the greatest man who ever lived.” He said about his role as a parent, “I am a good parent.” His concept of what a good parent is no different than saying that Hitler was also a good man. His statements were ludicrous.

On July 1, 2009, in Oxford, Florida, a 3-metre-long pet Burmese python broke out of a terrarium and strangled a 2-year-old girl in her bedroom in her home. Charles Jason Darnell, the boyfriend of the victim's mother, discovered his snake missing from its terrarium and found it on the girl with bite marks on her head. "The baby's dead!" a sobbing caller screamed to a 911 dispatcher. "Our stupid snake got out in the middle of the night and strangled the baby." It wasn’t the snake that was stupid. It was the two dummies (mother and her boyfriend) who were stupid. What kind of fools would keep such a large snake in their home when there is a baby in the home?

While fighting deportation to his native Jamaica, alleged drug trafficker Curlew Moulton was in the island nation when he was hit during a drive-by shooting that killed another man. Moulton then flew to Toronto and had his wounds treated. He was then arrested in a drug bust. Moulton's co-accused Eric Morgan, 41 was also arrested in the drug arrest in June 2009. Police seized 510 grams of heroin, 113 grams of cocaine and a pound of marijuana. Morgan arrived in Canada in November 1992 and was ordered deported in October '98 for two cocaine convictions in '93. He was sentenced to 12 months in jail. Morgan had his deportation, also based on criminality provisions, stayed in 2004. In an Oct. 19, 2004, Immigration and Refugee Board ruling quashing Morgan's deportation order, panelist Joan MacDonald ruled: “The appellant has shown that he is presently following a positive path of rehabilitation and he is more than unlikely to re-offend.” Her concept of who is unlikely to re-offend has much to be desired.

A couple in Sealy Texas was arrested on July 1st 2009 after a state inspector found several children locked in a tool shed behind an unlicensed daycare centre. State officials said the children were surrounded by lawn equipment, gasoline and insecticide when they were found. Others were hidden in the house or at a home next door. They were supposed to be caring for no more than three children. A child welfare inspector had gone there in response to a complaint that an illegal daycare center was being operated at the home. In all, there were 14 children, ranging in age from three months to five years, being cared for by the couple. Child Protective Services spokeswoman Gwen Carter said Thursday. The included several in the shed and others hidden in the house or at a home next door. Marietta Patek, 55, was charged with six counts of child endangerment. Her husband, Freddie Patek, 47, faced an evidence tampering charge. “They’re the sweetest people.” a neighbour, Christalynn Bell, told Houston television station KRIV. “They always think about the children first.” If you believe that, then I have a bridge I want to sell you. It is in Brooklyn.

Mel Lastman was North York’s mayor and later Toronto’s Mayor for many years. Often, he put his foot in his mouth when he opened his mouth to speak. Here are five of his really stupid statements he made while he was mayor of Toronto. 1. "Too many parents think all they have to do is give birth and walk away." Spoken in 1979, before it was revealed Lastman's mistress's children were living in poverty at the time. 2. "You will never be mayor of this city because you say stupid and dumb things!" Spoken to David Miller in 2002, a year before Miller was elected mayor. 3. "There are no homeless (people) in North York." Spoken during his 1997 bid to become mayor of Toronto, a day before a homeless woman was found dead at a North York gas station. Toronto’s, emergency shelters for the homeless took in an average of 6,500 persons each night that year. 4. "Take a look at Yonge Street. It looks like a flea market. It's the longest street in the world, but it looks like hell. There's a big store that hangs jeans and ladies' clothes outside, and that's bullshit." Statement made in 1998 during a media interview. 5. "What the hell would I want to go to a place like Mombasa for? I just see myself in a pot of boiling water with all these natives dancing around me." Said in June 2001, before Lastman's trip to Kenya to support Toronto's 2008 Olympics bid. Everyone is entitled to be stupid, but Lastman abused the privilege. Like many politicians, Lastman suffered from their common ailment; foot in mouth disease.

Fascist Griffin, a European Union MP, said in July 2009, "The only measure which is going to stop illegal immigration and stop large numbers of sub-Saharan Africans dying on the way to get over here is to get very tough with those coming over. Then he said, "Frankly, they need to sink several of those boats. Anyone coming up with measures like that we'll support." BBC interviewer Shirin Wheeler said the European Union was not "in the business of murdering people". Griffin replied: "I didn't say anyone should be murdered. I say boats should be sunk. They can throw them a raft so they can go back to Libya." How would any of the people on the rafts survive a trip to Libya? Further, how can this twit be sure that the currents will take them to Libya?

Outspoken London, England Mayor Boris Johnson came under trade union fire on July 14, 2009 with respect to the $460,000 second salary he earns for writing a weekly newspaper column for the Daily Telegraph. When asked about receiving that kind of money on top of his salary as mayor of London, he replied, “It’s chicken feed.” If that is what he calls it, then what does he call the £6 an hour his government pays the city workers?

In July 2009, Andrew Jones, 55 of Toronto was charged with elder abuse. First, his mother, 95 was removed from his house and three months later, his 60-year-old sister was removed. Both were found to be emaciated. His mother was near death when she was rescued. The police said that Jones’ sister had been starving for weeks and only weighed approximately 50 pounds when she was rescued. Jones was arrested and charged with two counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and two counts of failing to provide the necessities of life. When he was asked to account for his treatment of his mother and sister, he replied, “I'm totally innocent. They were homeless, I tried to help them.” They would have had a better chance at survival if they were living on the streets instead of in his home under his care.