The Government of Canada welcomes an ex-convict who renounced Canadian citizenship, a man who defrauded seniors of their pensions and life savings. Indeed, the path for his return was cleared while he was still in prison! But people who refused to kill innocent civilians, who courageously defied the US military
Continue readingAuthor: laura k
wmtc: what should be done about election fraud? vote now.
Canadians, what do you think should be done about vote suppression and potential election fraud by the Conservative Party? If there is clear evidence that the party in power is responsible for, or complicit in, systematic election fraud, what should be done? ___ The individuals directly responsible should face criminal
Continue readingwmtc: harper and kenney’s refugee healthcare changes are based on lies – and people will die
The inhumane, unjust, and, under international law, illegal shredding of Canada’s refugee system by the Harper GovernmentTM will take effect at the end of June. Of all this Government’s policies, the changes to Canada’s laws regarding refugees are perhaps the least recognized and least contested. The people whose lives will
Continue readingwmtc: memo to children’s aid: people with disabilities can be capable parents
This story makes me so angry and frustrated. I can only imagine how the parents feel! I’ve reached out to some activists I know who are people with disabilities for suggestions on how we can support this family. A disabled couple in Mississauga are fighting to keep their newborn son
Continue readingwmtc: what i’m reading: what is the what by dave eggers
I’m in the middle of reading a pair of books that approach a similar subject in different ways. What Is the What is Dave Eggers’ fictional memoir of the Sudanese refugee who he sponsored and befriended. The full title is What Is the What: The Autobiography of Valentino Achak Deng,
Continue readingwmtc: occupy may day
Today is May Day, the International Workers’ Day, a day to celebrate our strength and our unity as working people. Although May Day is an official holiday in many countries around the world, many working-class Americans are unaware of it. 2012 might change that. There has been talk of a
Continue readingwmtc: linkathon part 5: the state of connecticut abolishes the death penalty. 17 down, 33 to go.
The US state of Connecticut has abolished the death penalty! This amazing and wonderful news is brought to you by Amnesty International, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and lawmakers who listen to reason. The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty joins with the Connecticut Network to
Continue readingwmtc: linkathon part 4: the talking pineapple is a window into for-profit education
You’ve probably heard about the pineapple. Eighth-graders in New York State recently took a standardized test (Canadian translation: students in grade eight wrote an exam) where they were asked about a talking pineapple. The Daily News broke the story. Students across the state are still scratching their heads over an
Continue readingwmtc: linkathon part 3: the human cost of zero tolerance
This story on the impossibly high cost of so-called zero tolerance laws reminds me of the breed-specific legislation (anti-pitbull laws) plaguing Ontario. Reacting to media-created public hysteria, legislators create laws that are inhumane and injustice. I say so-called zero tolerance because something tells me the Wall Street boys who abuse
Continue readingwmtc: linkathon part 2: charlotte’s web at 60
Two great books – both children’s classics, and both simply great books for any reader – had milestone birthdays this year. A Wrinkle In Time, which I’ve blogged about before, is now 50 years old. And Charlotte’s Web, one of my top-five favourite books of all time, turns 60. This
Continue readingwmtc: linkathon part 1: hawkcam 2012
I have a bunch of links I want to share, and no real post for any of them. I think readers don’t like linkathons, so I’m putting each link in a separate post. Coincidentally, many are from the same source, so kudos to the The New York Times for an
Continue readingwmtc: pete fornatale, 1945-2012
Pete Fornatale, a pioneer of rock radio, died this week at the too-young age of 66. I learned so much from Pete! Like many people, I especially loved his Sunday morning “Mixed Bag”. From The New York Times: Mr. Fornatale was at the forefront of the FM revolution, along with
Continue readingwmtc: m312: harper gets our message
So the first hour of debate on the not-so-stealth abortion motion did not go well for Mr. Woodworth. The Opposition parties came out strongly in favour of the 21st century and rationality. And as you know, only one Conservative other than Woodworth spoke – Gordon O’Connor (Carleton-Mississippi Mills and Conservative
Continue readingwmtc: new york moments
I’ve just returned from a lovely brief trip to New York City and points nearby. Apologies to friends who I didn’t notify that I was coming in; I was in dire need of less running around and more downtime. I had excellent quality time with my mother and siblings, enjoyed
Continue readingwmtc: m312: it doesn’t matter when life begins. that’s not the issue.
When does life begin? Perhaps this is a question for philosophers, or theologians. Perhaps it is a question for scientists. It is not a question for Parliamentarians. It is not a question for government. There are many different kinds of life. There are non-human animals. Some of these are eaten
Continue readingwmtc: what are people supposed to do? or, why we need socialism
As I read news stories, read blogs, skim headlines, one question keeps coming to my mind, over and over. What are people supposed to do? Income insecurity Wages have been slashed or have been stagnant for years. Corporations continue to eliminate jobs, forcing the survivors to work much harder for
Continue readingwmtc: add your voice to voices against motion 312
More to come, much more, so much more that I haven’t been able to post coherently about this because I have so much to say. So while I struggle with my inarticulate rage, make sure your MP knows exactly how you feel about this and exactly what you will do
Continue readingwmtc: happy diego day!
One year ago today, we adopted Diego. I had just gotten home from my spring New York visit. Allan and I had been looking at dogs online, and had decided Diego was our guy. I called Toronto Animal Services to ask about him, thinking we would go there in the
Continue readingwmtc: happy birthday, fenway park
One hundred years ago today, April 20, 1912, Fenway Park opened to the public. The Boston Red Sox have played their home games there ever since. Fenway is the oldest Major League Ballpark still in use. Until the 1990s, it was one of a trio of historic parks still used
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