Calling it ‘Islamic terrorism’ paints all Muslims as terrorists
Over the last decade and a half, there has been increasing violence at the hands of terrorist organizations, one of the most recent being the…
Jill Patterson
A bachelor’s degree is no longer enough
As someone who has completed two degrees and spent what some people would call a ridiculous amount of time in post-secondary school, I have met…
Living off the grid
Life Off Grid is a newly released documentary directed by Jonathan Taggart and produced by Phillip Vannini, who, from 2011 to 2013, set out across…
Marijuana legalization in Canada is coming…eventually
Since Justin Trudeau’s election there has been mounting pressure to see fulfilled his promise to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Although the criminalization of…
A vote for Clinton isn’t a vote for equality for women
The U.S. presidential hopefuls have begun their countrywide campaign to determine who will represent the Republican and Democratic parties in the upcoming election. The two…
Aboriginal History Month: essential, unknown
February is Black History Month. During February we reflect on the historical treatment of black people, who were taken from their homeland and carted across the Atlantic and, for those who survived the voyage, sold into slavery. That was just the beginning of the ill treatment of black people in North America, which continued well past the abolition of slavery and is still very much present today.
During Black History Month, we are encouraged to read books and watch movies that teach about the struggles that black people faced, and to reflect on and celebrate the accomplishments they have fought hard to achieve, such as the right to vote, access to education, and the desegregation of public spaces
Negative stereotypes still shroud “feminism”
In January, Manitoba celebrated the 100-year anniversary of becoming the first province to extend the franchise to women. In light of such a milestone in Manitoban history, it is worthwhile to reflect on how far women have come in terms of equality.
There are arguments to be made on both sides of the debate. On one hand, it has been shown time and time again that there is a gender wage gap. According to a UN report, women employed in the same profession, and with the same experience, make 24 per cent less than what men make.
The poor will be the first to bear the brunt of climate change
Climate change is this generation’s most pressing social concern that will, at some point or another, affect everyone if we continue down our current path. Although climate change does not discriminate its victims, it is the most impoverished individuals of society that will be the first to suffer the consequences and bear the brunt of the effects of climate change.
According to a recent report by the World Bank, the effects of climate change will force 100 million people into extreme poverty by the year 2030.
Systemic racism, dispossession still with us
In a recent CBC interview, Howard Sapers, the Correctional Investigator of Canada, outlined some of the most recent statistics on prison populations and incarceration rates in Canada. They show dramatic increases in the number of Aboriginal people incarcerated in Canada, which can only be described as proof of the systemic racism inherent in our country’s judicial system.
25 per cent of the incarcerated population in federal correctional facilities are of Aboriginal ancestry. In the Prairie provinces, this rises to 48 per cent. When looking at Aboriginal women independently, over 36 per cent of women in Canadian prisons are of Aboriginal ancestry.
These numbers are staggering, but even more so when compared to the statistics from previous years. To put this into perspective, Aboriginal people made up 4.3 per cent of Canada’s population in 2011 (the year of the last census).
The systemic issues behind Drumpf’s following
By now Donald Trump has made himself well-known for his rampantly racist and controversial political platform and the questionable comments he has made on his path towards seeking a presidential nomination. Notable examples include his plan to build a wall along the Mexico-United States border to keep Mexicans from entering the U.S. illegally, his proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the U.S., and his plan to end gun-free zones at schools, amongst others.
Although the idea of these policies actually being implanted likely seems laughable to the majority of Canadians, within the U.S. there is sizable minority of voters who openly and strongly support them and who would like to see Trump become the next US president.