The Power of Non-Violence
Never an advocate of violence, I have been recently thinking of the power of its opposite, non-violence or passive resistance, especially in light of the contemptible yet very casual pepper-spraying…
the toronto star
Jason Kenney Responds to His Critics
In a move that can hardly be described as surprising, Jason Kenney is fiercely defending his immigration officials and their decision to refuse a Canadian visa to Sayed Shah Sharifi,…
Reasons To Occupy Toronto
There are many Canadians, most prominently Prime Minister Harper, who dismiss the Occupy Movement as having little or no relevance for Canadians. In a column specifically directed toward the young,…
Criminal Teachers And Those Who Protect Them
As a retired teacher, I cringe when I read about wrong-doing by those in the profession. It enrages me that people occupying positions of trust and care would violate their…
Christopher Hume On Ignorance
As usual, The Toronto Star seems replete with thought-provoking articles and ideas. In a column by Christopher Hume entitled, If ignorance is no excuse, how do leaders manage to get…
Two Sunday Morning Links
Echoing some of the sentiments I expressed the other day, this morning's Star editorial endorses the Toronto Police Services Board's decision to deny promotions to nine officers recommended by Police…
A Failure of Political Leasdership
It is perhaps to state the obvious in asserting that our elected officials rarely represent our interests very well. Examples, far too numerous to list, abound. Probably the most obvious…
Such An Eloquent Letter
I have several times made reference to the enjoyment we derive in subscribing to The Toronto Star, a progressive paper with an official agenda that includes issues of social justice.…
Star Readers ‘Weigh In’ On Rob Ford’s Performance
Although not a resident of Toronto, I always find it difficult not to pay attention to the goings-on in 'The Big Smoke,' as its citizens are found of calling their…
The Star: Police Strip Searches On The Rise
As reported in today's Toronto Star, "Toronto police strip searched roughly 60 per cent of the people they arrested in 2010, compared to 32 per cent 10 years ago, according…
To Vote Or Not To Vote
Next to Stephen Harper achieving a majority government, for me the deepest disappointment in the recent federal election was the relatively poor voter turnout. Despite some really creative efforts to…
G20 Summit Police Tactics Continue to Outrage Canadians
There is a series of letters in today's Star that articulate the ongoing sentiments of ordinary Canadians a year after people had their Charter Rights ripped away by an out-of-control…
Canada’s Quasi-Police state
While the Premier of Ontario continues to blithely and glibly disavow any responsibility for the horrendous abuses of Charter Rights that took place during last June's G20 Summit, admitting only…
Some Penetrating Truths
While I always attempt to write as carefully as I can, conciseness and clarity sometimes elude me. Because of these lapses, I take the liberty of reproducing a letter that…
Some Food for Thought
Perhaps it is because I am currently reading The Trouble With Billionaires, by Linda McQuaig and Neil Brooks, but I have become especially sensitive to the increasingly shrill anti-union rhetoric…
Finally, a G20 Police Arrest
There is little doubt in my mind that the relentless efforts of the Toronto Star played a major role in the arrest of Toronto police officer Glen Weddell in the…
Star Editorial Recommendation
I really have nothing new to add to the continuing saga of the Toronto Police Service's obstruction of efforts to get at the ugly truth behind the G20 security debacle.…
Mark Pugash and the G20 Police Scandal
Mark Pugash is certainly earning his salary these days. The vexing and pugnacious Director of Corporate Communications for the Toronto Police has been loyally but, in my view, futilely acting…
Journalism You Can Sink Your Teeth Into
For those who think all journalists have lost their bite, I suggest they read Rosie DiManno's column today as she writes disdainfully of the Toronto Police Force and its consistent…
American Sweatshops
Since I started subscribing to the Toronto Star, one of the big difference I've noticed from the Globe's business section is its emphasis on the human, as opposed to the…