(**Sources to be added.) The problem of publicly-funded Protestant/Catholic schools was an outcome of the history of Canada. When the British defeated the French in 1763 Canada was populated with mostly RCs, but the official religion of the British Empire was Anglican (ie., non-Catholic). To avoid internal fighting the British govt gave the residents of
One of the most puzzling features of the Trump era in the U.S. is the unflinching support he continues to get from the evangelical Christian community in that country. It is puzzling because this is a man who has never professed to believe in the basic tenets of the Christian faith, and has never pretended
It is not uncommon these days to see people protesting the way authorities are “violating their freedom” by enforcing things like social distancing, encouraging the wearing of masks in public, or not allowing businesses like restaurants to openly conduct business. This type of protest is much more common in the United States than it is
The lockdown brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has meant kids of all ages are unable to attend school classes. This is particularly problematic for older kids – advanced high school and post secondary – because their future careers are being interrupted in a significant way. This is not so much a factor for younger
Another day, another series of Trump stories. This has been going on for almost two years now. Trump has infected American politics and there seems to be no antiseptic. He loves to dominate the news, and for almost two years now the media have willingly obliged him. The left-leaning media – CNN, New York Times,
I just listened to Sam Harris interview Andrew Yang about his proposals for a Universal Basic Income in the U.S. They also touched on Yang’s campaign to become President of the U.S. in 2020! If you don’t know, a the Universal Basic Income proposal (UBI) is the idea that every adult citizen would receive an
As of today, June 7, 2018, the results of the provincial election are still unknown. But it is a pretty sure bet that whoever wins, we are in for a few more years of chaos and mismanagement. It is pretty amazing how the PC party in Ontario has blown their chance to elect a powerful
I spent a few minutes in a coffee shop this morning reading a short book by atheist author D. Cameron Web called Despicable Meme – The Absurdity and Immorality of Modern Religion. This is Web’s first book so I guess he can be excused for his unusually zealous attack of religion. He takes a no
If you’ve ever had a discussion about religion with a zealous believer you will invariably be told religious beliefs are supported by some sort of “revelation”. The favorite among Christians is “It’s in the Bible”. For Moslems it’s the Koran. For Mormons it’s the Book of Mormon, and on it goes. Every religion has it’s
Prime Minister Stephen Harper once again showed off his musical talents at the Conservative convention this weekend. Harper sang and played the keyboard with the band, Herringbone for a 5 song, half hour set while a few Conservatives took to the dance floor. Pretty soon people will start thinking the guy is a real musician.
Rob Ford was on the radio again today addressing his faithful. According to police reports Rob Ford has been associating with the wrong kind of people, and the evidence suggests he is both addicted to alcohol and perhaps other harder drugs (like crack cocaine), and has been involved in an alleged extortion case with his
According to many who are involved in the “aboriginal problem” in Canada, the federal Indian Act is at the heart of the problem. Here is an interpretation of the place, importance and problems associated with and stemming from the Indian Act, and an analysis of moves by the current federal and provincial governments to make
With the current expenses scandal of Duffy, Wallin, Brazeau, and no doubt others, reform of the Canadian Senate is once again on the minds of many Canadians. This has been an on-again-off-again topic for decades. Back in the day. a younger Stephen Harper was committed to a “Triple-E” Senate – one of the Reform Party’s
The current senate-expense “scandal” has the media all worked up. I don’t have much original or insightful to say about this matter. Like most Canadians I have no way of knowing where the truth lies. Nevertheless, here are some of my observations…
There is something terribly wrong with a system that allows political “leaders” to manipulate the system of governance to score large salaries, while shortchanging the very people they are elected to serve. I know we’ve become accustomed to this sort of thing, but, really…? This was (humorously?) highlighted in the media story that broke this
Last week when the Ontario Elementary teachers union called a wildcat strike, inconveniencing millions of Ontarions in the process, it was predictable what our weasle Premier, Dalton McGuinty would do. Rather than confront the union and penalize them for holding an illegal strike, the McGuinty government put the case before the Ontario Labour Relations Board
Piers Morgan of CNN has recently raised the hackles of the pro-gun folks in the U.S. by inviting a number of those folks to his show, and essentially setting them up for what seems like a blatant gun control pitch. As many commenters have pointed out, Morgan and CNN have been losing viewers and this
I get shivers just thinking about Attawapiskat. Shivers as in cold and damp. The Indians of that community may have a long long history of living out there in the elements near James Bay, but I just can’t believe that makes it any more pleasant. This really is one of the big problems with communities
The recent horrendous slaughter of children at Sandy Hook school in Connecticut has once again sparked serious debate about gun control – mostly in the U.S., but in other countries (including Canada) as well. A few days ago, when I went to the Christmas concert at the school where five of our seven grandchildren attend
Canadians are a bit dumbfounded by the convoluted process involved in grappling with the current US debt ceiling crisis. Americans are being told “your government will run out of money if we don’t solve this problem” (raising the debt ceiling). So what results is brinkmanship and potential paralysis if the two (three?) sides can’t agree
