UPSTANDERS CANADA
ACTION ALERT:
COMMON GROUND MAGAZINE DESECRATES HOLOCAUST HISTORY
PLEASE SEE UPDATE AT BOTTOM - DECEMBER 8, 7 PM
Common Ground magazine is a free paper familiar to many in Vancouver and other Canadian cities. Founded in 1989, it had been focused on health and wellness, geared especially toward naturopathic remedies.
Recently, the magazine has veered into deep conspiracy territory around the issue of COVID-19 and vaccines.
On December 9, 2021, Common Ground is organizing a demonstration at the B.C. Legislature.
All British Columbians are free to demonstrate and debate around the issues of vaccines is a topic many families are facing.
However, the event is being held explicitly in conjunction with the 75th anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials, in which the perpetrators of the Holocaust were held to justice (such as justice was possible).
Common Ground is making the inexcusable association of vaccination with the Holocaust and equating modern medicine with Nazi medical experimentation. (Details here.)
This is obviously a gross desecration not only of Jewish history but of the very concept of justice itself.
We are asking you to take one or more of the following actions as soon as possible. (Discussion points are listed below):
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If your local grocery store, health food market or other retailer offers Common Ground on their premises, ask them if they know they are associated with this event.
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Email your Member of the Legislative Assembly and ask them to condemn this atrocious assault on the memory of the Holocaust. Find your MLA here.
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Contact Heritage Canada and tell them you do not approve of your federal tax dollars supporting Common Ground. Email:
PCH.fondsdesperiodiquescanada-canadaperiodicalfund.PCH@canada.ca
DISCUSSION POINTS
Important note: The strategy of Upstanders Canada is to fight antisemitism and anti-Israel hate through “organic” individual actions. We do not want this action to appear organized but rather want recipients to see it as a group of individual citizens motivated to speak up. Therefore, we ask that you do not reference Upstanders Canada and we hope that you will tailor your messages using your own words. If you require or would like assistance composing an individualized message, please contact us at hq@upstanderscanada.com. So we can measure our impact, please blind-copy (“BCC”) us on your messages. (Do not “CC.”)
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Common Ground magazine is organizing an event at the B.C. Legislature on December 9 in which vaccines are equated with the Holocaust and modern medicine is compared with Nazi medical experimentation.
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This equation is a desecration of the history of the Holocaust and is an insult to survivors of the Holocaust and all people who seek justice.
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[To your MLA]: I ask you to condemn this event and the historical revisionism it represents.
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[To other contacts listed above]: Your organization is associated with Common Ground. Do you support this event and its hateful message? If not, please contact Common Ground and withdraw your support.
Further information:
The Vancouver Sun’s Daphne Bramham wrote an investigative piece in October about how the once-legitimate magazine focused on health and wellness turned into a purveyor of false news about COVID and a hub for conspiracy theories.
UPDATE: DECEMBER 8 AT 7 PM
We have removed the contact information for Common Ground's advertisers.
A number of "advertisers" in Common Ground responded immediately and positively to our outreach. Each and every one that has responded explained that they DO NOT pay for their advertisements and, in fact, some have previously asked to be disassociated with the publication. They will be demanding AGAIN that their businesses not be associated with this organization.
The Land Conservancy of B.C. and the Health Action Network Society -- both of which have had their logos used inappropriately on the Common Ground masthead -- have said that they have previously demanded that Common Ground stop this. Legal actions may be pending.
Conspiracy theorists often like to say "Follow the money." Given that Common Ground apparently has few (or no) paying advertisers, we now wonder who is paying their bills ...
THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS IMPORTANT ACTION ALERT.