Wichita, Kansas – A man gets up from his church pew and walks into the foyer, pulls out a .22 handgun, walks up to George Tiller, and pulls the trigger. There are about 250 witnesses. What would normally be an open and shut case of first degree murder has been complicated by the fact that George Tiller is a doctor that performs abortions. The Judge in the case has allowed defendant Scott Roeder to present a defense of voluntary manslaughter, essentially justifiable homicide. Read more »
The debate regarding how well our Canadian Parliamentary Democracy works, and how well for whom, aside, Rick Mercer reminds us why it is so damn important for Canadians to know how our government works, and why it’s so scary that the majority of us don’t.
There’s this news story I have been following with great interest, and the deeper I research it, the more complex it becomes. A white man from South Africa by the name of Huntley has applied for refugee status in Canada on the basis of his experience of violent racial discrimination he claims is being perpetrated by the South African government.
What made this particular refugee claim newsworthy? Thousands of refugee claims are processed in Canada every year that are the result of violent racial discrimination and oppression. Why was Huntley’s case singled out as newsworthy… was it because he is caucasian? Is it SO rare that a white person from another country applies for refugee status as to make it newsworthy? Is it really that rare; are white people universally privileged and immune from racial oppression? Oh, but wait… this story gets better! Read more »
This is a brief and very interesting interview with K’Naan, a hip-hop protest artist from Somalia now based in Canada. His music speaks to the struggle people face living in his home country, and the government and warlords that prevent peace and prosperity. In this interview he talks about the origins of Somalian pirates from an angle that no other media source has addressed… watch on.
This song is called “Yesterday’s Halo”, and it seems to sum up nicely the barriers and battles that so many of us face. The second verse is my personal favourite – it’s so poignant that chills inevitably follow!
Do you want a new stadium in your backyard? How about a landfill or a nuclear power plant? I know what you’re thinking – who on earth would want to live with the noise, smell, or danger? I wouldn’t!
There’s a new buzz word that I really dig that’s being used to describe this conundrum – eco-discrimination. The hot topics of the day, such as the unanimous (albeit grudgingly) support in the Saskatchewan Legislature of nuclear power, or the equally hot debate surrounding Regina’s new stadium, often neglect that massive amounts of discrimination go into decisions like these. Especially when it comes to location – and the consequences are grave. Read more »
So here’s the question: does social media influence political policy? Over the last few years, the rise of social media as a medium in which to interact with people locally and around the world has created a dramatically different landscape for those hoping to be elected as well as for those in power. Social media exemplified by Twitter, Facebook, and a whole host of blogs, has produced an entire generation of people that can not only get their viewpoints out to the public vis a vie the internet, but also be contacted by politicians in a new way.
For instance, let’s say that you’re sitting at your computer when you hear a knock at your door. You get up, open the door and see a politician running in a local election. Now let’s say you’re sitting at your computer and you see that the same politician is following your twitter account, or has added you as a friend on Facebook; or maybe they made a comment on your blog. To which are you more receptive? Read more »
In the case of the SaskParty’s newly invigorated interest in whether religious figures are protected from having to preside over legal same-sex marriages, the question is once again becoming how to reconcile freedom of religion with equality rights. In Canada, our Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects your freedom of religion… but NO Charter right allows you to discriminate against others. Read more »
My oh my! Are the blogs ever hopping these days! Particularly over the SaskParty’s recent move to examine Canada’s same-sex marriage laws in the context of making sure those religious figures that don’t want to perform the marriages don’t have to. In regards to this topic, the majority of the blogs I have read contained nasty, repugnant, hurtful, and illogical low-blow comments, and hell… everyone has the right to an opinion. Ironically, these comments are being made by both those who support same-sex marriage, but also those who don’t. Read more »
There are some harsh words for my province circulating around the web.
Saskatchewan doesn’t want me…or other gay people. It’s an apartheid province.
The Saskatchewan Party government is proposing legislation that would allow the province’s marriage commissioners to refuse to perform same-sex marriages.
Where to placate its rabid hate mongering Christianist base a Canadian government is prepared to humiliate gay people, deny them equal rights, treat their love as something dirty, and turn them into second class citizens.
So, let’s break it down. You have a government job performing marriages. Not a church job, a government job – and you want special rights to refuse to perform your lawful duty, using religion as an excuse. Here’s a thought – get a different job. If your religious convictions are that strong that they prevent you from doing your government job, you could enter the seminary and become a priest or pastor.