Share our pride
I am deeply concerned by the recent displays of hateful speech and protest directed at the HPL-hosted Drag Queen Storytimes. These fun, inclusive events are so important in helping the community see beyond heteronormative and gender-binary perspectives. Sadly, these events have been targeted by those harboring transphobic and homophobic beliefs. If you look to the south, these beliefs are resulting in unspeakable acts of violence and the dismantling of rights. Allies: we cannot be quiet, we must be louder. We must share our pride and normalize diversity.
Apples and oranges
I see all the neo-cons and anti-vaxxers are yukking it up about our prime minister supporting Chinese protesters. Double standard, they cluck, given his attitude towards Ottawa occupiers.
Apples and oranges. The Ottawa occupiers were protesting vaccine mandates and pandemic rules in general. Chinese people are protesting against being locked into their apartments while the building burns.
The fact that these brilliant minds cannot tell the difference tells you everything you need to know about the intellect of the neo-cons.
Double standard
Justin Trudeau is now saying COVID lockdown protests in China are OK. Why is that? Its affecting their economy, in fact its affecting the world economy. Is it OK because these protests are fine as long as its somewhere else other than Ottawa or could it be that the Chinese government embarrassed him?
Women lead
So Ronaldo scores in five World Cups. Again women lead the way with Marta Vieira da Silva of Brazil and our own Christine Sinclair having already accomplished that feat.
Last soccer rites?
As a soccer fan watching the antics of many of the players at The World Cup, falling, rolling over and over, grimacing and holding their faces makes me wonder if we will soon see a priest waiting to deliver the Last Rites.
Farmland losses
Today we are bombarded with news about urban boundary expansion and the loss of farmland.
The Ontario Farmland Trust states we are losing 319 acres of farmland per day to development of all types. This may seem alarming but we should put this into perspective.
A 2019 study by the University of Guelph determined that there are 160 million acres of farmland in Canada. Canada’s land area is 2.46 billion acres, of which 6.5 percent is farmland. The 319 acres per day amounts to a 0.073 percent loss of farmland on an annual basis. Not a significant number considering that technological advances are increasing crop yields.
And to bring this down to the microcosm that is Hamilton, it seems a weak argument to put families in concrete towers or residential basements in order for us to eat.
Mayor Skelly?
Doug Ford appears to be using every trick possible to ignore the many citizens who oppose his urban expansion. Don’t be surprised if he tries to replace Mayor Horwath with Donna Skelly.
Canadian backbone
If the reader who finds the sight of Canadians wearing masks depressing, perhaps they have lost their sense of proportion. A visit to an overcrowded hospital emergency room or a children’s hospital that’s trying to run at 140 percent capacity might open this person’s eyes.
How sad that this reader believes wearing a mask is a loss of freedom, when in reality it is a demonstration of social responsibility and altruism. It seems that in this “me-centric” world, the concept of freedom has become increasingly uncoupled from its corollary — responsibility. Freedom without responsibility is anarchy.
Nobody enjoys wearing a mask. But the unfortunate reality is that many viruses are contagious before symptoms appear, and some, like COVID, can be transmitted even by asymptomatic carriers. So while isolating infected individuals is valid, it isn’t foolproof. And depending solely on nutritional strategies isn’t effective against modern viruses like COVID or even perennial ones like the flu.
With our health care system collapsing around our ears, we need to do everything we can to help our beleaguered health care workers cope. We can do that by getting vaccinated and wearing masks, which have been strongly recommended again by health experts. Surely that is not too much to ask. Come on folks, let’s see a little backbone. We’re Canadians!
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