When words that demean others are spoken with impunity, they lead to further infringements on our dignity and rights
The greatest danger to our way of life is the culture of impunity we’ve created. It’s an assault on truth and human dignity. This became very clear in a discourse between two members of the American House of Representatives. Ted Yoho verbally accosted and demeaned Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for expressing her views on controversial issues and…
The charitable organization has done a great deal of good. And there are plenty of other issues that are far more problematic
It’s time to end the sensationalism about WE Charity. It’s true that the administration of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government showed a lack of judgment by handing the responsibility for a government-funded volunteer program to an organization that several members of the government and their families have been involved in. The federal Liberals have not…
Seven simple words help to understand the strength of a great man: humility, honesty, respect, courage, truth, wisdom, love
The world recently said goodbye to lifetime civil rights activist and long-serving member of the United States House of Representatives, John Lewis. In one of his most famous quotes, Lewis stated, “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to do something.” Lewis lived…
Regardless of how a survivor processes their trauma, simply speaking the truth is what’s most important
During the 2015 trial of former SS guard Oskar Groning, as presented in the documentary The Accountant of Auschwitz, Holocaust survivor Eva Kor forgave the man she was testifying against. The response to Kor’s statement was extremely varied. Some praised her, others were shocked and some even reacted with scorn. Forgiveness is one of the…
The whitewashed fences of racist lies, hidden behind the pages of history books, are collapsing when exposed to truth
On June 30, the 60th anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Republic of Congo, King Philippe of Belgium expressed regret for the “acts of violence and cruelty” committed by his ancestor King Leopold II. The day also saw the state-sanctioned removal of another statue of this forgotten villain of history. Leopold II was the…
It may be that the impact stress has on our health has less to do with its cause and more to do with how we think about it
Social science seems to have found the secret to a long and happy life. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal tells us, “Go after what creates meaning in your life and then trust yourself to handle the stress that follows.” In recent years, however, we’ve looked at stress as our enemy, seeking instead to live in complete ease.…
“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…
Unfortunately, the list of ethical failures by the current Liberal government is very long
Canada recently failed in a bid to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. It’s something neither Stephen Harper’s nor Justin Trudeau’s government has been able to achieve. The last time Canada was on the Security Council was when Jean Chretien was prime minister in 2000. Before that, it was during the…
It takes true courage to hear another person’s point of view, admit we were wrong, shift our beliefs and move forward
One of the most important qualities of a good leader is the ability to listen. It’s very easy to jump on a bandwagon and it’s easy to jump to conclusions. It takes true courage to hear another person’s point of view, admit we were wrong, shift our beliefs and move forward. To be honest, my…
Just as in his reality show, Trump’s need to crush opponents and win at all costs leads to chaos. History shows us how to defeat him
I admit Donald Trump is a lot smarter than I thought he was. In fact, he’s quite cunning. I also once thought that the U.S. president was very unpredictable. I just couldn’t make sense of what he was doing. The guile of Trump came into clear focus in a statement by Michael Nutter, the former…
We need to acknowledge the impact of racist myths. There is no good or bad race of people, there are just people
A video is circulating on social media of a white woman in New York City calling 911 to report being threatened by “an African American man.” The truth is that the woman was allowing her dog to wander in a bird-watching section of Central Park and the man asked her to put her dog on…
We need to acknowledge the impact of racist myths. There is no good or bad race of people, there are just people
A video is circulating on social media of a white woman in New York City calling 911 to report being threatened by “an African American man.” The truth is that the woman was allowing her dog to wander in a bird-watching section of Central Park and the man asked her to put her dog on…
The Specials helped calm racial tensions and drew broad attention to the unjust imprisonment of Nelson Mandela
It has long been debated whether you can change the world with a song. If it’s not possible, one band came incredibly close. The Specials (or The Special AKA) rose to prominence in England in the late 1970s and achieved international fame in the early 1980s. Their sound fused the music of Jamaican immigrants with…
If we have an awareness of our inherent greatness, we really don’t mind looking foolish. From there, all it takes is time and hard work
This phrase has become popular in the last several months: “Be brave enough to be bad at something new.” As a teacher, it would be easy for me to impose this philosophy on my students. We’re always telling our young people to try new things, be it a sport, school subject or art form. By…
Trudeau insinuated that if you support the rights of Palestinians, you must be anti-Semitic
I like to think I’m not easily offended, but a recent speech by Justin Trudeau at the Yom Hashoah Virtual Holocaust Remembrance Day Commemoration pierced my spirit. In this ceremony, Holocaust survivors and their descendants not only remembered the crimes committed against the Jewish people, they celebrated who they are and the beautiful traditions that…
The greatest danger to our way of life is the culture of impunity we’ve created. It’s an assault on truth and human dignity. This became very clear in a discourse between two members of the American House of Representatives. Ted Yoho verbally accosted and demeaned Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for expressing her views on controversial issues and…
