Now here’s something we don’t see every day, although we should, and we could. The police are called to investigate “a vicious pit bull”… and they don’t assume the story to be true, don’t draw their weapons, don’t shoot the animal on sight. In fact, a police officer rescues the
Continue readingTag: bigotry
Montreal Simon: The Cons and the Attack of the Angry Doctors
OMG. I don't blame the Cons for thinking that Canada's doctors are after them. But that'll teach them to treat sick refugees as less than human. “There is a new way of thinking in medicine, which is that doctors, because of their stature, privilege and expertise, have a duty to
Continue readingwmtc: on the tahrir: "our course is the conscience of humanity. our final destination is the betterment of mankind."
This post is based on my notes on a talk by David Heap, supplemented by graphics from David’s presentation, about his experience as part of the Canadian Boat to Gaza. To see David’s presentation in its entirety, go here. It was videoed and put online by Paul S. Graham (with
Continue readingwmtc: gaza’s ark: trade, not aid, to challenge the blockade
As I mentioned, I recently had the opportunity to hear my friend and comrade David Heap speak about his experience attempting to bring supplies to the people of Gaza, as part of the Canadian Boat to Gaza. David concluded his talk with a look at a new initiative. I’ll begin
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Jason Kenney and the Monstrous Cons
I made this little Photoshop graphic a few years ago, but I see I was completely right to call Jason Kenney a freak. For only a freak would run a petition on his website inviting people to thank him for being Jason Kenney. Canadians who want to sign a petition showing their
Continue readingwmtc: jason kenney gets his wish: the anglicising of canadian citizenship
In some of the best work I’ve ever done for this blog, I compared “Discover Canada,” the Harper Government’s new Citizenship Guide, to its predecessor, “A Look at Canada,” which was published by several Liberal governments. The results were eye-opening. Based on my analysis of the booklets, I concluded that
Continue readingwmtc: in defense of drugs: anti-depressant medication saves and improves lives
Friends, if this post sounds like a conversation we’ve had, please don’t take it personally. I’ve had the same or similar conversations with many people. This is a subject that seems to arise periodically – here, on Allan’s blog, on Facebook, in any forum I frequent. That’s why I thought
Continue readingwmtc: homophobic much? queer man challenges blood donation law, is arrested
Someone check the calendar. What century is this again? Are queer men still denied the right and responsibility of blood donation in 2012? Do we think a response on a questionnaire is adequate protection against the HIV virus entering the blood supply? Of course not. All the damn blood has
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Alan Turing: Remembering a Gentle Gay Genius
I really liked the way that Google marked the 100th birthday of Alan Turing. Not because I was able to crack the code eh? I gave up trying to figure it out after about five minutes, with smoke coming out of my ears. Not for making me feel like a
Continue readingMinority groups should be united, not divided
Yesterday I posted an article title “Hypocrisy 101: The Black Church vs The Decision on Same-sex Marriage.” Now many people were upset that the article might start a backlash against the black community. There were also complaints that it’s not just the black community that are against same-sex marriage; also
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: racism, economic recovery (not), canada’s vietnam
This is the last installment of my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. This post is less complete than the preceding Marxism 2011 posts. They are Allan’s notes from the sessions I chaired, and two sessions he attended without me. Apparently Allan is not
Continue readingwmtc: marxism 2011 program notes: the fight for queer liberation today
These are my notes from the 2011 Marxism conference in Toronto. The series starts here. * * * * The Fight for Queer Liberation TodayTim McCaskell and Michelle Robidoux (Michelle not present)May 29, 2011 In this context, “today” means the political juncture we’re living in. The use of the word
Continue readingFive of Five: Dan Savage and the Economist
A few days ago the Economist magazine ran a short opinion piece on the Dan Savage “bible bullshit” speech and the predictable reaction that followed from the religious right. A good number of atheist and humanist bloggers that I read were not entirely happy with the Economist’s comments. I think
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 readingMontreal Simon: The Wild Hog Gang and the New Alberta
Wow. What a dramatic finish. The rednecks were squealing with anticipation. The beer was on ice.The Big Oil Barbie was so sure she would win. But in the end the old wild hog couldn't make it up the hill of its own excrement and bigotry.Read more »
Continue readingPolitics, Re-Spun: Challenging Homophobic NHL Fans
Having spent some time recently examining the NHL’s and NHLPA’s collective negligence about headshots, I was inspired to address the homophobia that surrounds hockey fandom last night. Sure the Canucks lost, but before that, someone called them a bunch of faggles in Twitterland. How did that all go down, and
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Danielle Smith and the Lake of Fire
Until about ten days ago I clung to the hope that all I ever needed to know about Danielle Smith was that she was the new Evita of the Alberta Teabaggers, and Big Oil’s Bubbah Barbie doll. The one with the big wheels. That she had vowed to make it
Continue readingMontreal Simon: Hate Crimes and the Fatal Blindness
I’m glad to see that reported hate crimes are down in Canada. It’s really good news for most people. Just not so good if you’re gay. The report said, though, that while the rate of racial hate crimes was down 20 per cent from 2009 and the rate of religion-based incidents
Continue readingwmtc: worthington: pit bull ban is "ku klux klan law"
I hate to agree with the Sun‘s Peter Worthington, who once penned a screed against US Iraq War war resisters, as full of lies and errors as it was bluster and false patriotism. But apparently on some issues Worthington is willing to consider facts: breed-specific legislation is a form of
Continue readingAccidental Deliberations: Thursday Morning Links
This and that for your Thursday reading. – Amy Minsky uncovers some suspicious-looking spending patterns underlying Robocon, while Postmedia also points out that election results in at least a couple of seats may plausibly be subject to challenge. Emma Pullman offers some more details on the Manning Centre’s voter suppression
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