So, on Saturday, Jen Gerson published a column in the Globe and Mail titled “The Backlash Against Drag Artists Is Unfair, But It’s No Mystery Why It’s Happening”. I read it on Saturday, it’s taken me the last couple of days to calm down enough to write a response to
Continue readingTag: human rights
wmtc: judy heumann, rest in power
Judith Heumann, one of the founders and primary movers of the disability rights movement, died recently at the too-young age of 75. Judith Heumann was a force of nature. She was the consummate activist — a brilliant communicator, a charismatic organizer, and a warm, compassionate, attentive person. Judy was the
Continue readingPaul S. Graham: Justice for Hassan Diab
Professor Hassan Diab is a Canadian citizen and academic who is facing extradition to France to stand trial in connection with the 1980 bombing of a Paris synagogue. This even though Diab was in Beirut, Lebanon at the time of the attack, writing university exams. This is the second time
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: What about the atheists?
We hear a great deal about religious bigotry these days. Islamophobia so concerns the federal government that it recently appointed an anti-Islamophobia representative—Amira Elghawaby. (Ms. Elghawaby immediately got into hot water herself and had to apologize to Quebeckers for uncharitable remarks she had made about the good people of that
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Will Frances Widdowson get her job back?
Frances Widdowson was not Miss Popularity at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Over 6,000 people signed a petition calling for her firing. They wanted her gone. And gone she was. The tenured PhD was fired in 2021 after 13 years of teaching and shit disturbing. Her outrages against political correctness
Continue readingThe Cracked Crystal Ball II: Conservatives Are Dismantling Western Democracies
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind lately, but there are some very disturbing patterns emerging in the politics of western democracy these days. At the top of the list, is what appears to be a steady effort on the part of conservative politicians to dismantle western democracies, and in
Continue readingCanadian Dimension: The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism: a viable way forward for anti-racist action
The Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism accomplishes the task of clearly identifying antisemitism in such a fashion that it is unlikely to upset anyone, writes Taylor Noakes. Photo by Ted Eytan. Shimon Koffler Fogel, President of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), recently argued in the pages of the
Continue readingwmtc: in which i have nothing new to say: just write for rights #w4r22
It’s that time of year again: time to Write for Rights. Looking back on my write for rights posts for the last several years, it appears that I’ve been recycling ideas for a long time! And I’m about to do it again. Why spend more time writing this annual blog
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Notwithstanding politicians, the Charter prevails
“The government blinked,” read the CBC headline. The Ontario Minister of Education Stephen Lecce confirmed that his government will repeal Bill 28 “in its entirety.” He was referring of course to the infamous legislation that imposed a contract on 55,000 CUPE education workers while banning strikes and invoking the Charter’s
Continue readingPolitics and its Discontents: About Canada’s Much-Vaunted Reputation On Human Rights
Despite our politicians’ proud proclamations, there is actually much less to them than meets the eye: Recommend this Post
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Why I support Collin May’s lawsuit
In May of this year, lawyer Collin May was appointed by cabinet order as chief of the Alberta Human Rights Commission after serving on the commission for three years. Then he was “outed.” Some sleuth discovered that in 2009 May had written a book review that supported the thesis that
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Must we not criticize Islam?
Calgary lawyer Collin May began a new job last week. He was promoted to chair the Alberta Human Rights Commission after serving on it since 2019. Mr. May’s appointment was met with a storm of protest. Why? It seems that back in 2009 he did a book review that was less than
Continue readingwmtc: the end of roe: a day we expected for so long still has the power to shock and stun us
We’ve been expecting this for 20 years. More than forty years of anti-abortion legislation, escalating every year and every decade, then Trump, then finally, the leaked draft. So I thought I was prepared — mentally, emotionally. Hell, for more than 15 years I’ve been saying that Roe is irrelevant for millions of
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Saturday Morning Links
Assorted content for your weekend reading. – Dianna Chang et al. examine the correlation between social and political factors and COVID-19 spread and mortality. And Crawford Kilian discusses how Canadian society has failed the basic test of looking out for each other’s well-being, while Teresa Wright reports on the imminent
Continue readingAlberta Politics: Guest Post by Brad Lafortune: Edmonton’s proposed encampment strategy violates human rights
The reality about human rights is that while they may be enshrined in international and federal laws, they are negotiated and often ignored every day in our streets and communities, usually with no consequence. When it comes to encampment response in Edmonton, the so-called right to housing is no exception.
Continue readingwmtc: we can stand with ukraine but i cannot stand the hypocrisy
Every day brings new images of war crimes and atrocities, destruction and suffering in Ukraine. Every day brings new declarations of love and solidarity for the Ukrainian people. And every day I shake my head and seethe over the hypocrisy of the US, US media, and of many Americans, wondering:
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Friday Morning Links
Assorted content to end your week. – Kai Kupferschmidt reports on the recognition among scientists around the globe that the Omicron COVID variant is almost certain to precipitate another major wave of infections and hospitalizations. CBC News reports on the Ontario COVID19 science table’s recommendation of a circuit breaker to
Continue readingwmtc: take a social media human rights challenge: write for rights 2021 #w4r21
Advanced planning is no match for the calendar! Despite my early preparation, December 10 — Human Rights Day — still caught me off-guard. I haven’t reviewed any cases or set any time aside. I recently finished an excellent book called Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World.
Continue readingwmtc: get ready for write for rights 2021 #w4r21
Write for Rights, Amnesty International’s annual global human rights campaign, begins on December 10. I like to think of W4R as a month-long event, and generally spend the month of December — and often part of January — writing my letters. Amnesty recently sent this: 5 ways you can get
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: poisoner in chief: sidney gottlieb and the cia search for mind control — plus a few thoughts on conspiracy theories
Poisoner in Chief: Sidney Gottlieb and the CIA Search for Mind Control is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction. It is impeccably researched — nearly every page yields another revelation — but written in a clear, accessible style, a true page-turner. The story it unfolds is utterly fascinating. It is also
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