Editorial

By not treating these issues equally, sporting groups demonstrate the lack of concern they have for racialized people. Those who are complicit in murdering the innocent and pursuing wars of conquest have zero place in athletics. It is time that the Olympics, FIFA and the rest of the sporting world take a stand against large-scale violence. If nations forge a path of destruction and division, then they should not be permitted to participate in the unifying nature of sports.

Comparing the past year or two to the end of a world war is distasteful. The conclusion, however, of the 1919 editorial excerpted below may fall on ears in which it rings true. Given the opportunities for the eventual return to classrooms, lecture theatres, buildings and spaces, it remains a timely call for the administration and the government to take responsibility and accountability “in developing a greater and finer University of Manitoba — Floreat.” The alternative: commarceat. The U of M must choose to bloom or wither.

Businesses should not stand to profit from climate initiatives. Instead, businesses should be required to contribute all fees collected and put them toward climate action plans. Without mandates on how to spend these fees, franchise owners may be tempted to pocket the money to make up for revenue lost as a result of COVID-19. Worse, they may be tempted to hoard the extra income for a rainy day fund to offset potential losses in the event that COVID-19 restrictions lead to more closures. We cannot afford to leave the decision up to businesses any longer — with the climate emergency we find ourselves facing, it is imperative corporations prioritize the environment over profit.

A valuable tool for those who seek to blur the lines of necessary action is to obfuscate terms. Today, people confront a variety of terms with distinct meanings under the umbrella of environmental concern daily. Under this umbrella, policies seeking to reduce the amount of plastic in the ocean, fossil fuels used by consumers and the protection of green spaces are all given equal merit. While all of these goals are noble, our current emergency requires us to examine, prioritize and institute specific actions to counter human-caused climate change.

The pandemic has disproportionately affected students and they are still feeling the residual damages caused by changes to the education system and the labour market. Although their situation is getting somewhat better, students’ lives have been changed permanently byCOVID-19 and they still lack proper support.