RE: Strengthening student media
Kudos to Craig Adolphe for so frankly and compellingly making the case for the value of a sustainable and independent student media outlet (Strengthening student…
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Signing the proverbial deal with the devil
Much was made of Prime Minister Trudeau’s support, during the COP21 Paris accords, of setting a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius…
‘One man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric’
If I told you there was a Twitter feud in November 2012, I doubt you would be surprised; Twitter has enough feuds to go around. However, the one I’m going to tell you about resulted in something unusual. This feud did not simply end with frustration, angry words, or hashtags. It ended in a courtroom.
The Twitter exchange between Toronto artist Gregory Alan Elliott and a group of feminist activists led by Stephanie Guthrie resulted in the arrest and charge of Elliott on two counts of criminal harassment. It wasn’t until three years later on Jan. 22, 2016 that a Toronto judge found Elliott not guilty. The judge’s decision is a resounding defense of freedom of speech.
Re: The grass can be greener on both sides
As Colorado has proven, re-legalizing cannabis makes money for government (The grass can be greener on both sides, Jan. 20, 2016), however, at the expense…
Strengthening student media
As of this past fall term, student fees paid to the Manitoban have gone up from $4 to $6 a semester. A proposal was put…
David Bowie is dead: it was bound to happen eventually
If you have Facebook, you know that David Bowie is dead. News of his death spread quickly through that lowest common denominator of communication, and…
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).
Louis 16 and Paris ’15
Jan. 21 marks the anniversary of one of the most important days in human history. The liberty that we enjoy on a daily basis made its transition from an idea to a reality on this day 223 years ago. It was the culmination of political, philosophical, physical, and mental turmoil resulting in an act by men and women who believed in the foundation of democracy. On Jan. 21, 1793, King Louis XVI was executed by guillotine. His head rolled no differently than the ones before it.
As we embark upon another year we can remember 2015 by celebrating our accomplishments, mourning our losses, and learning from our mistakes. To do so is intrinsic to our nature and integral to forming our motivations for the year to come. I thought it only fitting that my first piece written for the Manitoban be one of reflection. There are many events that have defined 2015, but for me there were no events more divisive or permanent than the terrorist attacks in France.
The grass can be greener on both sides
As a result of the recent federal election, the topic of legal and regulated marijuana has gone from a far-flung possibility to a nearly immediate…
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.