Week of October 3, 2007, Issue #624
FRONT
Bill Whatcott is saying things that no other candidates are
CHRIS SALTEL / saltel@vueweekly.com
‘I want enough evidence out there, that if I ever stand trial for being a Christian, I will be found guilty as one,” Bill Whatcott told Vue Weekly, painting himself as a modern day martyr.Whether or not you’re familiar with Whatcott, you are certainly familiar with the issues he is building his mayoral platform on. Gay rights, the Kyoto Accord, gun control, parental rights and communist China are only a few among the multitudes of heavy issues Whatcott wields in his campaign.
When asked about the affordable housing crisis currently enveloping Edmonton, though, Whatcott said, “I’m a guy who believes a guy shouldn’t intervene too much in the free market.” Whatcott believes a laissez-faire attitude is all that’s needed in the Capital City.
Whatcott’s views are backed by his Christian values, or as he puts it, the fact that “no person can separate their values from the job they do.” (To be fair though, what Whatcott calls “Christian Values” are radical, and represent a very small portion of the Christian community.)
Those values have led to Whatcott raising hell around the country for some time now. He organized Regina’s first (and last) Heterosexual Pride Day in 2001. The event was slanted towards anti-homosexual displays and speeches, prompting the City of Regina to abandon the event since then. He has travelled to various Canadian cities distributing anti-abortion and anti-homosexual flyers. His activism has attracted the attention of legal authorities in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta, leading to multiple arrests and investigations. The drastic nature of his activities bought him an interview with Ed Helms on The Daily Show, an interview his supporters believe was slanderously skewed.
While gay rights are not usually an issue in a mayoral election, Whatcott said that Mayor Stephen Mandel has ventured into these areas, and Whatcott believes that Mandel has been the source of heterosexual persecution for some time now.
“Mayoral platforms have already dealt with these issues, such as hate crimes legislation, which protects homosexuals,” Whatcott said. “It’s not like we’re talking about chopping off homosexual heads—we’re just activists.”
He cites the gay pride parade as a municipal object of support for homosexual activity, but Whatcott will tell you he isn’t doing this out of a hate for homosexuals. “Homosexuals are dying of AIDS at 20 because of rectal intercourse,” he said. “And I want to change that.”
In a campaign flyer distributed to Edmonton homes, Whatcott explains how he will create a safe, socially conservative climate by disbanding the Edmonton Hate Crimes Unit, which, according to the flyer, is currently investigating him for the distribution of flyers criticizing homosexual behavior. The pamphlet sees the police unit as a threat to free speech and religious liberty, and a waste of taxpayer’s money. Whatcott would also like to prevent homosexuals from being placed in positions of influence within the Edmonton Police Service in order to protect the mandate “To Serve and Protect.”
A less contentious issue in Whatcott’s campaign is that of parental rights. “Unfortunately, in Canada, parental rights have been eroded,” Whatcott said. “A lot of municipalities want to hold parents accountable for the actions of their children, which is all right and good except they’ve taken away the tools to discipline your children.”
He also believes parents need to have more control over what their children are learning. “Many parents are not comfortable with their children being indoctrinated into homosexuality,” he said. “Parents are losing the right to raise their children.
“Other people who ushered in social change, Martin Luther King Jr, had to respond to critics who called them radical,” he continued, explaining how he deals with criticism of his political and religious views. “I believe that my views are right and that Edmonton is ready for it ... Does that mean I’m going to win? Not at all, but you’ve got to start somewhere ... Scripture is true and unchanging and that’s where I base my beliefs.”
Another major contention for Whatcott is the problem the Kyoto Accord poses to the economy. “As mayor, you have to deal with business, [and] when you can’t find a job, then Kyoto is a real issue,” Whatcott stated, noting that he doesn’t believe the mainstream inclination that emitted gases are destroying the ozone or raising the temperature of the earth. “Before cars were invented, volcanoes, cow farts, erosion and other sources released carbons into the atmosphere.”
Whatcott is unfailing in his disbelief of scientific facts, even that of some very reputable scientists. “David Suzuki has been wrong before,” he said. “He belongs to a group that wants to limit the number of people on earth, and just have animals running around.
“When I look at common sense, it’s actually lunacy to destroy our industries and ruin people’s lives,” Whatcott continued, suggesting that the science backing the greenhouse effect is flawed. “It’s just stupid to waste public dollars on discredited information.”
When asked if he intends for his personal beliefs to shape his political ones, Whatcott doesn’t deny the connection. “We all have morality that comes from somewhere,” he elaborated. “The teachings of the church are true and tested.”
Whatcott says that his goal is a simple one: “Bringing people back to the Creator and Lord.”
“Apart from the grace of God, there goes I,” Whatcott said about the basis for the ideas behind his campaign. “I was drug addicted and sexually immoral at one time, but the lord has saved me and I am only following his teachings.”
Some people are calling this civic election a circus, while others think that it is boring, suggesting that Mandel has no immediate competition. Whatcott is putting serious effort into his campaign despite these claims. The election will reveal, soon enough, how the free market reacts to Bill Whatcott. V