College Tuition - How Much is Too Much?

Like most developing countries in the world, Canada is facing a post-secondary tuition crisis, specifically in the province of Quebec. Students there walked out of the classroom last month in protest of the governments tuition hike. Quebec has always had a legacy of being committed to providing affordable tuition for everyone, from all walks of life, but the provincial government has proposed a 75% tuition hike over the next five years. The percentage seems high, but averages out to an increase of $325, on average, per year, or $162.50 per semester if you are attending full time.

As a university student, almost by default, I absolutely endorse affordable post-secondary tuition, but I'm also interested in looking at the big picture. The province Quebec enjoys some of the lowest costs of living in the country, as well as the lowest tuition, in spite of playing host to Canada's most esteemed university. I live in British Columbia, a province that boasts the most expensive postal codes in Canada and has the highest costs of loving. Students here pay an average of $4852 per year whereas Quebec students pay an average of $2519 per year. There are of course a myriad of factors to consider, but while I endorse affordable education, I've been keeping a close watch on the protests in Quebec, wondering what it is that the post-secondary students there are hoping to accomplish.

While I realized that an absurd amount of students are crippled with debt at the end of their education, there are also a significant amount of students who come out on the other side relatively unscathed because they worked through their degree, rather then solely depend on the charity of the government and parents. If current and prospective students spent a little more time on how to find scholarships, and less time on demanding lower tuition rates in a province that already enjoys affordable tuition, the government might pour a little more money into grants, scholarships and bursaries.

On the flip side, this is Canada, and like our American neighbours, we enjoy the freedom of speech, and the freedom to protest, and if you want change, you have to make it happen. The question at the end of the day, at least in regards to this issue, is how do we put a price tag on our post-secondary education?

How Important is Class Size?

If you live anywhere West of the Rockies, here in good 'ol Canada, or if you watch the CBC News nightly, you may be abreast of what's going on with the BC Teacher's Federation has been shaking things up. They haven't distributed reported cards since the beginning of this year, they've went on strike the week before Spring Break and they're threatening more job action in the very near future. The current Conservative Government hasn't been very generous to the public sector since being elected into power. I use the term elected loosely since the Canadian turnout during election time was both pitiful and embarrassing. But nonetheless, here we are, an overtly Conservative government, and once again, for the umpteenth in the last decade, BC teachers, are among some of the lowest paid in the country, yet have to grapple with the highest cost of living in the country. But there it's not just a lack of funds that has teacher's screaming foul.

Classrooms around the province have been slowly increasing in size, with little or no recourse. Some experts have reported that the ideal number of students in a class is 15. If that was true, teaching jobs would be snapped up left, right and centre! But the truth is, the average class size in BC is 35. When you compare that with the population of an average lecture hall during a first year course, at a top notch university like UBC, you'd be looking at a class size of about 300-400. So, what's the big deal with a class size of 35?

Well, what many of you may not realize, is that of those 35 students, 4-5 of them could have special needs that require a great deal more attention than the average student. And with Special Education Assistants lacking, due to a substantial lack of Government funding, regular teachers are having to grapple with new challenges that they've not been trained to deal with, whilst trying to teach students who don't suffer from any number of learning disabilities.

The other issue with burgeoning class sizes is the inability for a teacher to properly address a disparity in learning abilities. Every classroom has those students that excel, and those that barely scrape by. The larger the class size, the less attention given to the students that need it most. Students who excel get bored and those who are failing, just, well, fail. Running a classroom is a delicate balancing act for the most accomplished teacher, and forcing them to take on more students, without providing them with the necessary financial support and resources just isn't fair.

The Great Kony Debate

About a week ago, I logged into my usual accounts, Gmail, Hotmail, and of course Facebook. I immediately noticed that my Facebook page had been littered with the same image over and over again, a clip from a certain YouTube video entitled Kony 2012. I ignored it for the first couple of days, thinking it was some sort of comedic clip of some teenager doing something ridiculous, or perhaps, an endearing animal video, but when my curiosity got the better of me three days later, for the next 29 minutes and 59 seconds that it took me to watch the clip, I was enthralled. So much so, that I put the video on pause, and summoned my boyfriend and two neighbours across the hall to come watch with me.

The 30 minute long clip had all the characteristics of a mini-documentary, but its' purpose was not only to inform,  it was emphatic call to action. The video in question was an introduction to the infamous Joseph Kony, an indicted war criminal, and so-called leader of the Lords of Resistance (LRA), a guerrilla group in Northern Uganda. Kony is believed to have abducted over 60,000 children, enslaved and repeatedly raped women, and forced his army of children to slaughter tens of thousands of innocent villagers over the last 20 years. The film has topped 72 million views on YouTube, and seems to gathering followers at an unbelievable rate. In spite of its popularity, the director of the film, and co-founder of the group Invisible Children, Jason Russell, is now facing a firestorm of criticism for a number of inconsistencies in the film.

Several journalists have stepped forward to dissect Jason's work and the charity group driving the Kony 2012 campaign. It has come to full light, that Joseph Kony is no longer in Uganda, and has been operating out of the DRC and Southern Sudan for the last six years. And there is little or no threat of Obama pulling out the Special Ops team he dispatched to the region, which is one of the incentives Kony 2012 creator is using in his film. And there is significant backlash from the Ugandan people who are crying "too little, too late". They also claim the nature of the issue has changed, and though Joseph Kony indeed must be brought to justice, the Ugandan Army has also committed similar crimes against their own people, yet they are not part of the campaign.

There are countless angles to the campaign. And if you want to sort through the truths and untruths, you need to become a detective of sorts. Kony 2012 is accomplishing an international awareness that has never before been accomplished through this particular medium. And though critics complain that the film oversimplifies the issue, it is because of this simplification that individuals are able to grasp the core issues. Wrong or right, this campaign is well-intended, with a limited particular political agenda. Whether it's six years too late, or sixty years too late, the children of Northern Ugandan bear the tragic legacy of Joseph Kony's actions, and bringing him to justice is the first step to healing the lost generations.

Birth Scams - Citizenship Troubles

There has been an alarming increase in what Canadian officials are calling incidences of "birth tourism". A foreign national will touch down and remain in Canada until their baby is born, so that the child can gain citizenship. These "passport" babies are causing a political uproar for a number of reasons. According to the Canadian Citizenship and Immigration Minister, the old law of "citizenship by place of birth"is extremely out-of-date and needs to be remedied. Apparently, the Canadian and American citizenship system is unique in the developing world, in that most nations in the world, immigrants  require a blood connection; At least one parent must have been born in that country or the immigrant will have lived there for a significant amount of time.

China has come under fire, as reports of fraudulent immigration consultants coaching pregnant Chinese women on how to conceal their pregnancies when they arrived in Canada. They are then told to keep out of sight, until the birth of their baby (of whom can take full advantage of the health care system, and educational system). After the birth of their "instant- Canadian", off they fly, back to China with the intention of using their babies citizenship to move the entire family to Canada at a later date. Canadian hospitals have been on the hook for paying the bills of several of these 'passport babies', as the mother's have disappeared before paying their bill.

This issue has only recently come to light within the Canadian public, and the reactions are mixed. Canada's natural population has a low birthrate, immigration is necessary to keep the population balanced, and critics of this possible new legislation are concerned that a drastic change to the law will discourage immigration, and harm the nation economically.

The concern at the end of the day, is how will this new legislation effect babies illegally born in Canada? Will they become stateless? Canada has signed international treaties stating they would never render a national of any country stateless. But in the same breath, how do we ensure that tax payers are not on the hook for unpaid medical bills? If Canada is to work on this issue and come to a resolution by the year's end, these are questions that cannot be left unanswered or unattended.

Voter Harassment Finally Comes to Light

When election time rolls around in either Canada or the United States, there isn't a lawn in town that isn't dotted with hundreds of election signs representing a myriad of political parties. Bumper stickers grace the cars of political enthusiasts, living rooms are invaded with aggressive slander campaigns and the news stations are buzzing with party coverage. An election, in theory, is representative of a shift in power and a totem for change. Canada is currently under the power of a majority Conservative government, that for the most part, is not only highly unpopular, but has attempted to pass some highly controversial laws.

But the latest controversy has voters screaming  foul when on May 2, 2011, callers from the Conservative Party were impersonating the Liberal Party and telling voters that polling stations had moved.  In ridings where the race was neck-at-neck between Liberals and Conservatives, voters were called all hours of the day and well into the late evening. The Jewish community in several ridings has complained that the fraudulent callers were harassing them during the sacred sabbath, a time when campaigners knew full well the Jewish voters would be home, and in in spite of Liberal MP's giving specific and public directions not to call these particular voters during this sacred time, they ignored orders.  Even Liberal MP Irwin Cotler was a target of the fraudulent calls! Where does the madness end?!

The question we need to ask ourselves as constituents, is where is the accountability? This of course isn't the first time our government has been accused of corruption, however, here in the free world, it's perfectly acceptable for a political party to use and abuse the very constituents they need to get the vote! The equation should be simple; If a political party isn't doing their job, or breaking the law, especially during the election process, why shouldn't their feet be held to the fire? Critics of the Liberal party argue that there is no way for the Prime Minister to know what's going on in every riding, and therefore can't keep tabs on rogue campaigners. Really? Is the public just supposed to digest that and move on? What if a legal assistant, working at a prominent firm gathered information for a case illegally, presented it to their boss, and it affected the outcome of the case in an untruthful way? They would be fired! Pure and simple! 

Much like the Bush Administration, the Conservative government here in Canada is nearing the end of it's tirade. Harassing voters in the comfort of their own homes, outside of regular business hours is at the peak of personal invasion. My hope is for Canadians to take a stand against voter harassment, and hold this current administration accountable. 

Women Absent from Birth Control Debate

Obama seems to be stirring it up again in Washington and getting Catholic priests all hot under the collar. President Obama latest policy calls for insurance companies to pay for contraceptives for women, but Lutheran and Baptist clergy men and and Orthodox rabbi came to the table with a Roman Catholic bishop to scold the administration for taking away the responsibility of the church and swinging it to the government. The church feels as thought its being undermined, and Representative Joe Walsh, Republican of Illinois, insisted: “This is not about women. This is not about contraceptives. This is about religious freedom." It is? 

That's really interesting, because I always thought that birth control was a woman's right to control her own reproductive system, and not the prerogative of the church to tell a woman what she could and could not do do with her own body. Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, president of the Lutheran Church, has stated that the President's proposed policy is an intrusion on Christian values. The majority of insurance companies would be required to provide coverage for birth control for all women, contraceptive drugs and devices approved by the Food and Drug Administration as well as sterilization procedures.

What is so disturbing about this issue, is that women seem to be completely absent from the conversation. As Bill Maher once said on a recent airing, speaking of the Catholic church, the decisions of contraception shouldn't be left up to "a bunch of 70 year old virgins who wear dresses to work". All jokes aside, the fact that once again, men are making decisions about women and their reproductive rights, sets us back fifty years. Women spent generations fighting the establishment, only to give up their voice for the sake of party politics.

I think what Obama is doing is honorable. He is dedication to the separation of church and reproduction, as it should be. Women shouldn't have to collaborate with their church to prevent premature child rearing. It's a decision that should be made between her and her doctor, simple as that.

Are Immigrants More Appreciative Citizens?

A recent Canadian poll revealed that new immigrants that come to Canada make not only good citizens, but at times, are far more appreciative of their citizenship than Canadians that are born here. Canada has long had a reputation of not only encouraging immigration to help supplement our low birthrate, and we  celebrate multiculturalism. As Canadians, we see the value in having dual citizenship, and those of us who were born here with parents born elsewhere, will often seek out a second passport so we have the ability to travel between two countries with ease. Our views on what it means to be a good Canadian citizen are somewhat varied, but the particular poll revealed that the top five responses were: obeying laws, actively participating in the community, helping other people, being tolerant of others and sharing or adopting Canadian values.

Not only do new-comers to Canada embrace these values, they often take them far more seriously than natural born citizens. Immigrants are less likely to break the law, more likely to pay their taxes, and participate in the political process. Because we're born into a free and democratic process here in North America, we often take for granted our ability vote fair elections. We also take for granted that we are born into a society that promotes tolerance and equality, something many countries do not enjoy. Individuals that are held hostage by the politics of their country, greatly appreciate that Canadians value freedom.

Many immigrants come from countries that suffer from a number of infrastructure issues, a corrupt government, and in some cases, abject poverty. They have made the difficult decision to leave what they have known their whole life, in an effort to pursue better opportunities in a new country. Immigrants have to work twice as hard to make a life for themselves and take it upon themselves to obtain the skills they need to succeed. For example, individuals who have business careers in their home country, often have to enroll themselves in educational programs to ensure that their skills will comply with Canadian laws and regulations. The percentages of immigrants that pursue post-secondary education is quite high in Canada, and provides a positive revenue stream for Canadian colleges and universities.

A Plan A for "Plan B"?

There has been a fury of press coverage in the USA recently about Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania and a vending machine that dispenses Plan B, also known as the "Morning After Pill", a form of emergency contraception. If taken within 72 hours of sexual intercourse, Plan B is as high as 89% effective. The controversial machine is not new to the campus, it was installed well over a year ago, but in light of the birth control debate simmering between impending Republican candidates and President Obama, the machine's existence was brought to light, and is now being hotly debated. Arguments from those opposed to the machine include a concern that there is some sort of financial benefit to pharmaceutical companies skipping over pharmacies and putting their drugs into vending machines. This is of course a concern if the vending machine in question was dispensing psychotropic drugs or anti-depressants, but we are talking about a drug that does not require a prescription and is readily available over the counter to just about anyone who requests it. According to federal law, the drug can be given to anyone who is over the age of 17 years old.

And then there is the age old religious argument. Fundamental Christians have long made the claim that dispensing Plan B is the same as supporting abortion, which they vehemently oppose. In fact, according to a website called Christian Family Planning, when discussing the birth control pill, say  "Christians would consider emergency contraception an abortifacient -- a drug that causes a very early abortion". This "dogma" also applies to victims of sexual assault. Plan B, if made accessible, has the potential to reduce the increasing teenage birthrate by almost half! That is a staggering, and hopeful statistic, in my opinion. The United States, as with many other industrialized nations with declining economies in the world, are suffering from burgeoning birthrates, and most are from uneducated, unemployed, at risk adolescents, so rather than pay for hundreds of thousands of unwanted babies, why not provide the opportunity for a young woman to right her wrong?

An argument put forth by the medical community convenient access to Plan B will serve to discourage sexual assault victims from going to a hospital to report their injuries. This is not a valid argument. The fact that a rape victim can purchase emergency contraception with near absolute anonymity, can be quite empowering for a rape victim. Walking into a hospital to be poke and prodded like a caged animal can be overwhelming, and if women can attempt to eliminate the possibility of being pregnant by their attacker, Plan B can be welcome option.

Online is Eternal

There has been quite a bit of controversy lately about what to do with online profiles like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social media and online accounts, whose account holders have passed away. It is a delicate subject, but it is a very real concern for friends and families who are reminded of their deceased loved ones every time they log-in to their own accounts. It is a curious thing. I have very good friend who passed away a year ago, and I was so deep in grief, it wouldn't have occurred to me to take her off of my friends list, I just assumed that her profile would've been deleted by Facebook eventually. A few weeks ago, it was her birthday. I saw the birthday reminder when I logged into my Facebook account, and memories of her beautiful face, her laugh and her kind voice came rushing back. I wasn't prepared for that. I clicked to her Facebook page, and discovered that there were still people who didn't know she had passed, and were conversing with each other on her wall, wishing her happy birthday, asking if they could give her a call when they were in town. 

The question is, what should happen to those profiles when the account holders have passed away? In the United States, several states are attempting to pass legislation that would provide loved ones with legal possession of social media profiles and online accounts of the deceased, giving them the ability to delete the accounts and memorialize them in their own way. There is definitely some concern, however, that there might be confidential information within such accounts, and there is the concern of the ensuring that the individuals past remains private, even after death. This is definitely a worthwhile piece of legislation, when it does pass, should serve as a reminder to all of us, to be conscious about how much of your life you share with the online community. This is also something to consider when you consult with a paralegal to draw up your will and testament. 

Teen Plastic - The Adolescent Obsession with Plastic Surgery

Britain's self-proclaimed "human barbie", Sarah Burge gifted her 7 year old daughter a voucher for $11,000 worth of liposuction. This isn't the first time the buxom blonde shocked the world, she's also gifted the little tyke a voucher for a $6000 breast augmentation when she comes of age. Naturally, this started a firestorm of controversy not only in the UK, but around the world. What business does a mother have inferring to her young daughter that plastic surgery is a necessary part of of being a woman?

In the United States alone, plastic surgeries among teenage girls has increased over 550% between the years of 1990 and 2010. Teens all over America are hitting up mom and dad for everything from chemical peels, breast augmentations, nose jobs, and ear surgeries.

Teenage girls are more conscious then ever of how they are perceived in eyes of their peers. Even with an increase of public awareness and several healthy body image campaigns, girls of primary school age are idolizing women with voluptuous fake breasts and overly sculpted bodies, believing that this is indeed a way a woman's body should look.

By the time young girls hit puberty, they've already spent countless hours coveting features they may not have, scrutinizing ever bump, every freckle, every flaw. And with the exception of a few sensible voices emphasizing more important advice like how to attain scholarships for women rather than how to apply long lash mascara and how not to look your age, it seems that everything in print and on tv is out to make your teen feel bad about being in her own skin!

But before we dismiss this alarming trend as a passing fad, we have to examine the reasons why young girls are going under the knife. Teenage girls are looking for an instant fix, they want to correct a physical feature that they deem unattractive, or a feature that their peers have commented on. They think that if they fix the flaw they see in the mirror, when they wake up from surgery, they'll feel better about themselves. It doesn't work that way and most teens lack this understanding. Grown women who go under the knife, while they might suffer from the same insecurity about one particular feature, they might have another agenda, like hiding a scar from domestic abuse, or rebuilding a body broken after being ravaged by breast cancer. They generally don't lack the maturity or cognitive abilities to make sound decisions about altering their bodies in drastic ways.

So is it ever okay to let a teen get plastic surgery? Well, it depends on the type of surgery they have their eye on. Breast augmentation is only appropriate for girls 18 years or older. If you're a teen with a small chest, you're just going to have to deal with it until you're of age. It doesn't matter what size you are, small is just as beautiful as full and voluptuous. Nose jobs, breast reductions and ear surgeries are all common cosmetic procedures, and every situation must be approached with caution. Teenagers should be interviewed, and accessed for their state of mind before they make the decision to cut into their skin. As parents, friends and loved ones, it is our responsibility to ensure they know how beautiful we think they are, flaws and all.  

Where is the Honour in 'Honour Killings'?

Burn Victim of Domestic Violence, Afghanistan

The image above may disturb you. Good. I hope it not only disturbs you, I hope it rattles you to the very core. The women depicted here refused a marriage proposal from a perspective fiance. He set the eighteen year old girl ablaze, claiming she had dishonoured him. And now, she will writhe in pain for the rest of her life as she is reminded how little she is worth in the eyes of certain men in her culture.

Jassi Sidhu - Murdered while visiting in Punjab in 2000 by her Mother
because she secretly married a man from a poor family.

An honour killing is any act committed by a family member, male or female that can be thought of as bringing dishonour upon the family. Though the media often reports honour killings as acts committed by members of the Muslim or Middle Eastern community, several cultures have participated in honour killings. Various South East Asian communities have also taken to murdering family members in an effort to restore honour to the family name. Young girls flirting with boys, wives accused of adultery after being raped by a neighbour, or sons marrying a woman in secret because her family bloodline is considered a lesser class are all justifications, in some fundamentalist cultures, for murdering the offending family member. Entire villages have been reported to arm themselves with stones only to carry out justice against a wrongly accused individual in a most egregious manor as depicted in the disturbing 2008 film, the Stoning of Soraya M.

Anthropologists, theologians, sociologists and psychologists have been closely studying the complex web of circumstances that surround such acts, and all struggle to gain a deeper understanding of such monstrous justifications.

Mohammad Shafia, Montreal 2011

Honour Killings have certainly not been a prominent part of the North American social conscious until now. With survivors of vicious attacks actively, though discreetly, seeking out venues to share their stories, their voices are often drowned about by reports on the failing economy, a new healthcare bill or foreign policy debate. Several recent cases have appeared in Canada, with as many as 13 cases since 2002. In a most recent case, Mohammad Shafia, was accused of murdering his three teenage daughters, spewing that his 13, 17 and 19 year old daughters were whores because they "consorted with boys and wore make-up". Police officers involved in the case have been grappling with details of the monstrous case. Callous statements made by the accused, his wife and son, have shaken all those watching breathlessly, waiting for the outcome. 

It's near impossible for the Western world to imagine committing such a crime against our children. Murdering your thirteen year old daughter because she was flirting with boys (or girls) and wore make-up to school. It's one of the most poignant stages of adolescence. To be robbed of something so natural, and then to pay with your life. Canada's sensitivity to cultural diversity and differences has the Canadian justice system reeling. Is this a cultural social norm? Absolutely not. This is a fairly new social phenomena in the North American social fabric and there are few experts in the field. However, countries like Canada and the United States are not only condemning all honour killing acts, but are vehemently campaigning against all acts of domestic violence in the name of restoring family honour. There is no place for such acts of violent intolerance and hatred, and there is no scrap of honour in honour killings.