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.