If you have ever lived in Montreal, you have almost certainly experienced or heard of on-going disputes between francophones and anglophones about language, tuition fees, or even religion. The most recent source of tension between the two groups emerged when an actor used blackface to mimic Montreal Canadiens superstar P.K.[Read More…]
Opinion
Opinions from our editorial board and contributors.
Editorial: Balancing peer support and inclusivity essential for progress
Queer McGill, as a part of its Rad Sex Week, will be holding a workshop on Jan. 28 entitled “Desires: A QT*POC Exploration,” an event open only to those who identify as queer or trans* people of colour (POC). The exclusion of white students in the workshop’s description incited significant[Read More…]
Editorial: Anonymous’ attacks ill-suited to address homelessness in Montreal
In the midst of plummeting temperatures, the Montreal police used bulldozers on Jan. 7 to clear out belongings from a homeless encampment at Viger Square. The police justified this action by asserting that the encampment posed a public health risk, and that it was too cold for the homeless to[Read More…]
Commentary: On the path towards equal access to education
Earlier this month, The White House released a short video on its Facebook and Twitter pages in which President Barack Obama made a proposal to make community college free for two years of each students’ education. As long as students attend half of the required classes and maintain a 2.5[Read More…]
Commentary: Who is Charlie?
Charlie is the hero of the freedom of the press. Charlie has, rightfully, taken freedom of speech to its very limits, pushing past the boundaries of political correctness. Charlie is a martyr. This has been the prevailing narrative since the shooting at Charlie Hebdo. But Charlie is not a supporter[Read More…]
Commentary: The American health care distraction
In the debate over health care reform in Canada, defenders of the status quo often resort to the tired claim that a greater role for competition, private financing, or private provision of health care services in Canada would mean the ‘Americanization’ of health care. Indeed, the claim is often made[Read More…]
Commentary: The destructive effects of divestments and boycotts
The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel has been gaining momentum recently. Around two weeks ago, the student workers’ union of the University of California school system voted favourably on a ballot to support the movement, urging the university and the federal government to divest from stock associated[Read More…]
Editorial: Dalhousie’s restorative justice – Just in theory, not in practice
Dalhousie University has opted for a restorative justice process to address a scandal in which a group of 13 male dentistry students posted misogynistic comments and photos about several of their female classmates in a Facebook group. The 13 men embroiled in the conflict are now back from suspension, but[Read More…]
Commentary: The inadequacies of a restorative justice process
In response to a sex scandal at Dalhousie University, in which 13 male dentistry students posted explicit sexual and misogynist comments about their female peers on social media, the university opted for a restorative justice process in an effort to curtail flaws in the traditional judicial process. Despite its theoretical[Read More…]
Off the board: Seinfeld, a show about everything
People are always saying Seinfeld is a show about nothing. Each episode is centred on the mundane, such as parking garages, rye bread, and fruit. (The peach, cantaloupe, and mango are all important actors in the show). But for a show so famous for its humdrum storylines, Seinfeld managed to[Read More…]
