Ala Buzreba, the 21-year-old Liberal candidate in Calgary Nose Hill, has withdrawn from the federal election campaign after vicious tweets attacking readers were revealed.<\/p>\n
Buzreba apologized on Aug. 18 for the tweets, saying they were \u201cmade a long time ago, as a teenager, but that is no excuse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey do not reflect my views, who I am as a person or my deep respect for all communities in our country,\u201d she stated on her Twitter page.<\/p>\n
The University of Calgary student announced her withdrawal later that evening, on the same day she tweeted how proud she was to be part of Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau\u2019s team promoting real change.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the unfolding of today\u2019s events, I have decided to step down as the Liberal candidate for Calgary Nose Hill,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n
Speaking during a campaign appearance in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., Trudeau said, \u201cWhen someone makes a mistake, it\u2019s important that they own up to it and they apologize.<\/p>\n
\u201cAla has unreservedly apologized for her comments and I think it\u2019s important to point out that she was a teenager and that we all make mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n
The tweets that prompted Buzreba\u2019s apology and withdrawal employ vicious language to attack a variety of targets. One is a supporter of Israel, who in a 2011 tweet is told his mother should have used a coat hanger for an abortion. Another insults gay women, when Buzreba said her new haircut made her look like \u201ca flipping lesbian.\u201d And, in a third, she wrote, \u201cGo blow your brains out you waste of sperm.\u201d<\/p>\n
Responding to critics, Buzreba tweeted that \u201cyoung people, myself included, have learned a lot of lessons about social media. Those 2009-2012 tweets reflect a much younger person.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ironically, earlier this month Buzreba retweeted a tweet from Jerome James, Liberal candidate for Calgary Shepard, who spoke at an anti-bullying rally. It is, he stated, \u201cAn important cause to support.\u201d<\/p>\n