All students deserve a learning environment that is free of political indoctrination
If you’ve been around for a while, you probably remember the phrase “politically correct.” Being called politically correct was not a compliment. Instead, it meant that you had an unhealthy obsession with not offending anyone, even if you had to say some rather silly things in the process. For example, instead of saying husband or…
From the UK to Sweden to Italy, progressive parties are losing ground
Queen Elizabeth II’s death may have consumed most of the oxygen over the past couple of weeks, but other interesting things are happening. Across the Atlantic, three (non-Ukraine) developments stand out. United Kingdom U.K. political governance has four great offices of state – prime minister, chancellor of the exchequer, foreign secretary and home secretary. And…
Has Disney caught the wave of the future? Or will going woke harm The Mouse?
To be ‘woke’ is to have the approved left-leaning opinions about race, the ecology and all manner of social justice issues. Since 2018, the maxim “go woke, go broke” has declared that corporations that go out of their way to be ‘progressive’ suffer financially when consumers resist the message. Examples of the truth of the…
The country may be falling apart
Canadian citizenship is under attack. Over the past 20 years, the public’s commitment to Canada appears to be waning. With billions of dollars in emergency pandemic assistance and promises of almost free childcare, a targeted dental program, new investments in housing and health care, and a stream of almost “free” social programs, one would think…
How medical students are learning to provide safer, more inclusive care for all
“The most important way of reducing discrimination is to see yourself in your health-care system.” That’s how LGBTQ health activist Marni Panas summed up what transgender visibility means to her in episode 47 of The Re:Pro Health Podcast, a show about sexual and reproductive health produced by medical students at the University of Alberta. Panas, 50,…
Academic freedom is impossible when political attacks are given free rein
When discussing academic freedom with university administrators, there arises the question of how to distinguish political attacks from academic criticism. Certainly, there is no simple answer to this question, and the practical use of such a distinction would likely draw resistance from those who wish to impose their political views. Yet universities often make such…
The very symbolism of standing together to fight a common enemy is being irreparably eroded
We Canadians are always learning to respond to our own failings, the misguided policies and injustices perpetrated by previous generations and governments, and the many institutions that remain unchanged today. Sometimes, clearing the fog of bias, hate and injustice has been a slow process. Nonetheless, the lens is being cleaned, and everyone today has access…
The general approach should be to have experts in each sport come together and decide on the specific rules for allowing fair competition
Most of the sports issues I write about are pretty straightforward – at least in my mind. The solutions seem pretty clear. Do big-time college athletes deserve a bigger slice of the billions being made from their efforts? Undoubtedly. In an era in which childhood obesity is at epidemic levels, and teenage anxiety, depression and…
Two-spirit Indigenous nurse will share insights at upcoming Inclusive Health Conference
Pronouns are a matter of life or death for Keith King, a registered nurse who identifies as two-spirit and Métis. “When I greet a new patient I’ll say, ‘Hi, my name’s Keith, I’m a registered nurse and my pronouns are he/him. What can I do for you today?’” King said. “And that just sets the stage…
This obsession with identity can do nothing good for a society that values equality of treatment of all its people
On my desk is a commemorative plate honouring the 1966 Grey Cup champions, the Saskatchewan Roughriders. It includes the pictures of Canadian Football League legend Ronnie Lancaster and his teammates. A quick scan of these portraits reveals something odd: just three of the players are black. If one looks at the rosters of other CFL…