The basic presumption of democracy requires us to try to understand one another rather than calling opponents murderers
Dennis Raphael, a professor of health policy and management at York University in Toronto, recently penned an opinion piece that represents a low point for discourse about public policy in Canada. Raphael describes the policies of the new Conservative government in Ontario, and specifically the decision not to increase the minimum wage next year, as “social…
Indigenous women are vastly over-represented among those sentenced to life
What’s wrong with mandatory minimum sentences? Plenty. Especially when it comes to murder. High-profile serial murderers come to mind when Canadians think of murder convictions: Bernardo, Olson, Pickton. Few turn their minds to the 18-year-old Indigenous teen who kills her abusive drug dealer. Such a situation can amount to murder in our law. When it…
We must embrace who we are as Canadians, the values that set us apart from the rest of the world
“Sometimes the medicine we need most comes from remembering who we were so we can reconcile it against who we wish to become,” writes Canadian poet Shane Koyczan. As we study the residential school system and its impact, it’s very important to remember that it wasn’t the fault of 21st century Canadians. It’s a part…
Without accountability within our organizations, we lack credibility. Without credibility, we lose our respect and become irrelevant
The Catholic church has faced increased – and justified – criticism of its handling of abuse cases. There are allegations that the highest authorities of the church turned a blind eye to the misdeeds of some of its leaders. The results were catastrophic at so many levels, especially for those people who were abused by…
It’s easy to get distracted by money, power and shallow relationships. But at our cores we know what’s right
During my rebellious teen years, I listened to an incredible band from Detroit (the Motor City) called MC5. On one of their live albums, recorded in the late 1960s, they made a statement that struck me and has never left me: “Brothers and sisters, the time has come for each and every one of you…
If we’re to rid the world of this horrendous theft of innocence, we need to approach it the same way we approached the Holocaust
In the song Sympathy for the Devil, the Rolling Stones repeat several times, “Pleased to meet you. Hope you guessed my name. But what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game.” In essence, the Stones are talking about the nature of evil and our relation to it. We see it but we often don’t…
Focusing on the residential school system alone fails to recognize and correct 200 years of bad policy and practice
There’s nothing simple about the story of Canada’s Indian Residential Schools. The system underwent considerable change during its 126-year history, with fluctuations in size, focus, and influence. Beginning as a collection of industrial schools and later transformed to the residential school model, the system had its origin in one school established in 1833 as part…
Should every Indigenous person who was required to attend day school be compensated?
CBC reports that a class-action lawsuit against the federal government has been authorized on behalf of Indigenous students who attended day schools in Canada. It seeks damages for every Indigenous student who attended. There are an estimated 100,000 such people alive. The lawsuit could result in a payout of at least the $5 billion that…
Sports needs to be built on a foundation of humanistic coaching. A tragic incident at the University of Maryland shows why
Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi has been dead for 48 years. Yet his treat-’em-like-dogs coaching style is very much alive in today’s sports world. The University of Maryland football program is but the latest example of reportedly tyrannical coaches allegedly going way beyond legitimate coaching techniques. It’s apparently another example of what I call Lombardi…
Decades after the ’60s Scoop, we're no closer to a successful model to help children from troubled homes
The ’60s Scoop is back in the news again. And we're no closer to a solution to a problem that has plagued the nation for generations. The federal government has set aside $875 million for Indigenous adults who were adopted into non-Indigenous homes in the 1960s, ’70s and early ’80s. Those who accept the money…
Dennis Raphael, a professor of health policy and management at York University in Toronto, recently penned an opinion piece that represents a low point for discourse about public policy in Canada. Raphael describes the policies of the new Conservative government in Ontario, and specifically the decision not to increase the minimum wage next year, as “social…
