“It is the first responsibility of every citizen to question authority,” Benjamin Franklin said. Canadians may complain that we have a small population and aren’t major players on the global stage. We’re certainly not a superpower but we can be quite influential. In addition, our elected officials on the federal level represent far fewer people…
A look at the last 50 years shows a great deal of social change – and a great deal we should have misgivings about
I’ve been challenged by the content on social media (and televised news) of late. Several friends and colleagues are recoiling from it as well. It all feels so dramatic, so polarizing, so one-sided. How did we get here? How did we become those people? Did we stop trusting everyone suddenly or did the feeling creep…
First in a series on the crisis in policing. Routine traffic law offenders like myself are often struck with the arrival of each new ticket about how a lot of police enforcement is built around the model of ‘force.’ The point of issuing a ticket doesn’t really seem to be about changing behaviour but rather…
U of A sociologist recommends training, screening, higher education, more accountability and better gender balance
The global condemnation of the death of George Floyd, one of the latest in a constellation of officer-involved deaths of unarmed civilians, has grown into a worldwide social movement for disbanding or defunding police. At the far end of the debate, there are those calling for abolishing the police altogether. On the other hand, there are…
Colorado chose to give millions of dollars to someone who denigrates gays. We should all be offended
The Colorado Rockies recently signed free agent Daniel Murphy to a two-year, $24-million contract. On the surface, from a baseball perspective, it looked like a good move. Murphy has had some great seasons in recent years for the New York Mets and Washington Nationals, including finishing second in MVP voting following the 2016 Major League…
Only a free market will balance out pay inequities. If a company fails to compensate fairly, employees will simply move on
From conception to implementation, pay equity is a sham. It’s obscured in double speak, packaged in seemingly laudable goals and promises great results. However, it can’t deliver them because it’s based on false premises. Any good that comes of it is far outweighed by the harm. That’s why Canadians should be wary of any legislation…
Terri-Lynne McClintic shouldn't have been sent to a healing lodge. In fact, the very nature of such institutions defies fair practise
Terri-Lynne McClintic, convicted of the 2009 abduction, rape and murder of eight-year-old Tory Stanford, was recently moved from federal prison to a healing lodge. Canadians were surprised – to say the least – that the transfer of a convicted child murderer to a healing lodge was not something new but had being going on since…
The correlation between an educated populace and a vibrant society is clear. But B.C.’s education system is losing ground
Former American president Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard for democracy, therefore, is education.” I cherish democracy and the democratic process. I value the opinions of others, even when I disagree with them, and see respectful dialogue as vital to…
Stateless persons have difficulty accessing education, employment, health care, social services and freedom of movement
There’s been a lot of talk about getting rid of birthright citizenship. U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will issue an executive order that would do away with automatic citizenship for babies born in the U.S. Conservative Party of Canada members passed a motion that would end birthright citizenship unless one parent is a citizen…
A recent Supreme Court decision seems to have loosened the constraints, but will new legislation push such matters to the UN?
The Supreme Court of Canada’s Mikisew decision, delivered on Oct. 11, 2018, marks what could be a very significant development in Canadian law – possibly ushering in a more reasonable era, where courts intervene less in matters that properly belong to the people’s elected representatives. Let me explain: Section 35 was written into Canada’s brand…