Political Mudslinging Demeans Us All

By stacey

Why political mudslinging lowers us all while damaging our democratic system.

Do you know how our government works?

By stacey

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.

Students! Get out there and vote!

By stacey

Just in case you’re a student and you needed a good reason to get angry, or at least spiteful – Rick Mercer gives you a few reasons to get out there and cast your ballot!

Is this News? Refugee Claim in Review

By stacey

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 »

Cheers for Regina Enumerators!

By stacey

The enumerator came by tonight! This is incredibly exciting; there I was, entering my second hour in front of my computer, when my doorbell rang. Wondering whether to stop working, I finally made my way to the door… and there was the enumerator! Like the eight year old in line to see Santa at the mall, I broke into a huge grin and happily gave the pertinent information.

To me, voting is exciting because it’s an opportunity to participate in our democratic process. Yawn, right? Wrong. Read more »

K’Naan on the Origins of Somalian Pirates

By stacey

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.

When Mainstream Media Goes Too Far

By Greg Hluska

I am going to warn you – this video is disgusting.

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Dawn of a New Era

By stacey

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 »