Category Archives: Politics

Condemn to Death? No. But There May Be Another Option

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By Jason Menard

As we enter the sentencing (and, likely, the appeals) phase of the Tori Stafford murder trial, the flames of passion sparked by our collective disgust at the crime have ignited the debate over capital punishment in this country.

There are Facebook pages gathering supporters for the now-convicted murderer to be given the death penalty. Others who have previously never entertained the concept now question whether some people are just beyond any sort of rehabilitation. Continue reading →

Christians Claiming Marriage? Then Let’s Take Everything Else Back!

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By Jason Menard

The recent North Carolina constitutional amendment that effectively bans gay marriage and all forms of civil unions has stoked the fires of the human rights debate. And since this argument is so often rooted in a claim of one faith’s dominion, perhaps it’s time for supporters of all forms of marriage to fight back using those very same principles.

First things first. Let’s deal with the actual debate at hand. This isn’t about preserving the sanctity of marriage – it’s about preserving the sanctity of the Christian definition of marriage. No more, no less. Continue reading →

Should ‘Pissing People Off’ Provide a Point of Pride?

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By Jason Menard

Contrary to what some people may say, if you’re not pissing someone off, then you may, in fact, be doing it absolutely right.

On a daily basis, in one form or another, I’ll see a variation or two of the old, “If you’re not pissing someone off, you’re doing it wrong” adage. It’s a great statement that allows us to embrace our inner counter-culture punk and lets us proclaim that we’re proud to rage against the machine! We are not part of the blindly following masses; we’ve been roused from our social catatonia and stand apart from the system.

It’s all very dramatic. It’s also pretty much a load of bunk. Continue reading →

Playground Games Norm on Twitter; Playground Behaviour Shouldn’t Be

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By Jason Menard

The more time you spend on Twitter, the more you realize that it’s nothing more than a glorified schoolyard – in both the best and worst sense of that term!

The value you get out if it is directly related to the choices you make: will you play Follow the Leader or be King of the Castle; are you going to isolate yourself, follow the whims of the so-called cool crowd; or invite everyone to play along?

Unfortunately, no matter how you choose to approach the Twitter schoolyard, other childish antics abound that can undermine the experience. From bullying to sticking one’s fingers in your ears, there are behaviours that compromise its value – and limit one’s opportunity to learn and grow. Continue reading →

Everyman Mayor Must Apologize for ‘Stupid’ Comment

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By Jason Menard

Maybe it was an off-hand comment. Maybe his intent differed from his execution. But whatever the motivation, a Mayor publicly disrespecting his or her constituents crosses the line – and every “average” Londoner deserves an apology from mayor Joe Fontana.

The alleged transgression came late on Monday night (Mar. 26) during a marathon council meeting. In discussing a measure that would potentially leave council open to a citizen-led Ontario Municipal Board challenge on the grounds of insufficient public notice.

Fontana’s alleged statement? “… the average person can’t understand what we’re talking about.” Continue reading →