Universities have become scary places for any student who doesn’t share the views of the minority
Universities have changed drastically since the beginning of the 20th century. And more change is needed. Universities had already evolved from their role as places where sons (not daughters) of the wealthy and noble could acquire some of the traditional culture needed to retain their status in the leadership positions they were destined for. Practical…
Oh, dear, the statue-defacing vigilantes are at it again! One of the latest targets is erstwhile Canadian feminist icon Emily Murphy (no relation). Her Edmonton statue got the red paint treatment in mid-July. Predictably, the ‘racist’ epithet was deployed. Indeed, the National Post’s news story went beyond merely noting the racist allegation. It accepted it…
Denigrating those who question the need for Covid vaccinations as “conspiracy theorists” is an attack on our liberties
In a recently re-opened Ottawa restaurant this week, a member of our party of five was forbidden from using a chair. He wasn’t sitting on it, standing on his head showing off some exotic yoga pose or, more pedestrianly, engaged in man-spreading to a degree that discomfited other diners. In fact, he was told he…
Let’s fix what needs fixing but appreciate what we have
I celebrated Canada Day. I took the day off from work. I wore red and white. I enjoyed a barbecue with friends. I’m very glad I live in Canada. Sad, tragic things have happened in Canada. A catastrophic event has been defined as one where little children die and we’re uncovering evidence of such catastrophes…
British Columbia Civil Liberties Association director Harsha Walia reacted to the burning of churches by tweeting ‘Burn it all down’
British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) executive director Harsha Walia retweeted a Vice News article on June 30 about two Catholic churches being burned down in Canada. These terrible incidents were reportedly related to the discovery of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at three former residential schools. A retweet wouldn’t have been noticed by most…
Let us celebrate gratitude for the good, humility for the bad, and thankfulness that failures were not worse
Celebration of anything or anyone requires one of two mindsets. The first mindset is make-believe. We pretend something is what it is not. We sing, dance, and light fireworks in false celebration. Eulogies about abusive drunks being great family men call us to false celebration. We pretend the bad did not exist, and we focus…
The more the critics bark, the more you’ll accomplish
Faith Wood knows how to resolve conflict. Her years in front-line law enforcement taught her how to effectively de-escalate any situation to a successful conclusion. Faith will use her knowledge of conflict management to guide you through the often stressful experiences you may encounter in your personal or professional life. Her Conflict Coach column appears…
We must find out the truth about residential schools if we are to heal from the wounds caused by our cruelty
The recent discovery of the bodies of 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School is tragic but not at all surprising. In 1907, federal medical inspector Dr. Peter Bryce provided a report to the Department of Indian Affairs regarding the horrendous health conditions at residential schools across Canada. Those conditions resulted in up to…
Roberto Alomar was a great baseball player but there’s more to being a human than athleticism. The real hero is the woman who reported him
Public opinion is fickle. We love to sing the praises of individuals and put them on pedestals, but we’re just as apt to demonize these same people in the court of public opinion. Is this type of thinking getting us anywhere? Aren’t we all simply humans with the capacity to do good or bad things?…
The University of Manchester has told its staff not to use the word mother while celebrating Mother’s Day in an attempt to promote diversity
Happy Mother’s Day! Oh, I’m sorry. Have I offended you? Please accept my apology, especially if you’re a student at the University of Manchester in England. I came across a story on the internet a while back with the click-bait headline “Manchester University bans the word ‘mother’ ahead of Mother’s Day.” I checked it out,…
Universities have changed drastically since the beginning of the 20th century. And more change is needed. Universities had already evolved from their role as places where sons (not daughters) of the wealthy and noble could acquire some of the traditional culture needed to retain their status in the leadership positions they were destined for. Practical…
