What About Privacy?

When I hear about cases like Jamie Hubley’s, it really saddens me. Maybe it is because most of my friends are gay that it moves me like that, for I saw most of them suffer of this difference; not knowing how to tell their parents or friends, afraid of being rejected. Now things have been spoken, without big tragedy for most of them. Some are openly gay, others never tell if not asked, it depends on how they have accepted who they are.

Of course, homosexuality is not the big taboo it used to be, but there is still a lot of work to do before it becomes well accepted. However, the fact is that there is no effective mean to radically change a society’s moral. This makes me wonder on the relevance of Rick Mercer’s suggestion. Of course, we live in a society where “celebrities” are THE reference on everything and everybody wants to be like them, but as many well-known persons often already have a big part of their life exposed, shouldn’t they have the right to have a little privacy? Should they bear this whole issue on their own shoulders? I really don’t think so! Not everybody wants to militate for causes even if it touches them on the first level and it is not because you are publically known that you have accepted your situation.

I think that this responsibility belongs to everybody and as my parents thought me to accept homosexuality as a normal thing (I really do believe it is), I oppose every time that I hear homophobic comments or insults. I think that governments should develop more programs to educate people on homosexuality and that schools should act in order to reprimand homophobic acts. After all, we mostly condemn racist acts, now it should be time to reprove more severely, homophobic acts. However, change cannot happen on itself and leaving the task to well-known gay people seems absurd to me. It belongs to the whole society to militate in every way possible against homophobia.

Youth crime

A society without criminality is an utopia and there is no need to think much to realize that. There are no magic pills to “clean up the soul” or to eradicate “evil” but there are, at least, means that can be taken to reduce criminality. Of course, as there are many different mentalities, these means can be contested, even more when they have been proven to be inefficient or less effective than others. The bill C-10 proposed by the conservative government that intends to reduce youth criminal activities is a good example of contestable means, for it has already been proven to be ineffective, and the costs surrounding this law are to be way higher than they are now.

            I think that what scandalizes me the most in this issue is that the conservative Government keeps ignoring facts in order to follow its convictions on its interpretation of justice and the Justice Minister said it clearly: “We’re not governing on the basis of the latest statistics; we’re governing on the basis of what’s right to better protect victims and law-abiding Canadians.”[1] How legitimate is this to make laws, not in order to improve the justice system, but to make it in agreement with your principles and beliefs? In my opinion, this is inadmissible.

 Moreover, the government doesn’t consider the long term repercussions of this law on a social point of view. They intend to give more severe sentences to young offenders instead of focusing on prevention and rehabilitation programs. The fact is that prisons don’t make criminals become better citizens. It is like putting a bandage on an infected wound; it hides the problem but doesn’t solve it. This is exactly what forensic psychologist Dr. Teresa May-Williams expresses as she says: 'We can't ignore the fact that our "tough on crime" stance that puts a person in prison and assumes that their drug problem will somehow magically disappear while they're incarcerated and they'll never get out again and offend, is ridiculous!'[2] Also, how can you fully integrate a society if for 20 years you have had only contacts with criminals?  Would you feel as you belong to the community or to the criminal world?   From this perspective, prevention and rehabilitation programs aren’t means that can be ignored.

The fact that building new prisons is more expensive than prevention and rehabilitation programs makes me also think that the bill C-10 is not a brilliant idea. As we know that “Many programs that prevent youth crime or assist youth in the community are far less expensive than incarceration” [3], shouldn’t it be more rational, in an economic and reasoning way, to abandon this law project and try to improve an effective system that is already in place? How can previous cases be ignored like that when the financial issues are supposed to be the conservative government’s first concern? Many state governments of the United States like Texas have abandoned these ways “as it spent a fraction of the $2 billion those prisons would have cost — about $300 million — to beef up drug treatment programs, mental health centers, probation services and community supervision for prisoners out on parole.”[4] When Texas, a state known for its very conservative mentality, becomes more innovative then Canada as it is going in the opposite direction, we can start talking about serious regression.

After what I have heard and read, I can only come to the conclusion that this crime strategy is going to be a failure. Not only Harper government is denying the facts that its strategy could lead to long term social and financial issues but its reasoning on the subject is paradoxical to its economic policy. In my opinion, the real conservative government’s issue is not about improving the justice system, it is about unfounded convictions and beliefs and such  beliefs have no place in politics. I find it unethical and disrespectful toward the Canadian people and I find it shameful that it is done in the name of a so called security. This whole situation makes me wonder if we are not going to enter another “ Great Darkness” as Quebec have been between 1936 and 1959. After all, this is not the only case where Harper government is making Canada regress. I doubt that a total regression would be very plausible, but I think that we should be more attentive to what is going on with this government as it, in my opinion, doesn’t seem to act in order to improve our society.

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[1] Chase, S. (2011, September 20). Weighty Tory crime bill targets drugs, sex offenders, and ‘out-of-control’ youth. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from The Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ weighty-tory-crime-bill-targets-drugs-refugees-parolees-and-terror/article2172621/

[2]  Milewski, T. C. (2011, October 17). Texas conservatives reject Harper’s crime plan. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from CBC NEWS- Politics: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/10/17/pol-vp-milewski-texas- crime.html

[3] Centre for research on youth at risk . (n.d.). Fact Sheet. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from Myths About Youth Crime in Canada: http://www.stthomasu.ca/research/youth/myths.htm

[4] Milewski, T. C. (2011, October 17). Texas conservatives reject Harper’s crime plan. Retrieved November 1, 2011, from CBC NEWS- Politics: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/10/17/pol-vp-milewski-texas- crime.html

Community Service

Why is there a lack of participation?

I think that before answering this question we should ask ourselves why people get involved in community services in the first place. In fact, people get involved for a myriad of reasons like simply helping their community, wanting to know people and make bonds or because they are attached to a cause. Actually, according to many studies, the only cause that seems to motivate Generation Y is their very own person[1] and that may come as an obstacle when comes the time to get involved for the “Greater Good”. We are a generation that grew in a society where money rules everything and from what I’ve heard and seen, this might be one of the reasons why our generation doesn’t get involved; community service doesn’t pay much. There also seems to be a disillusion as to the real impact of one’s involvement as many people never get involved. In other words, as people are becoming more self-centered, they might help less and that creates a vicious circle, for some might think that they have no reason to do their part if the majority doesn’t; but always waiting for the others to act first is only the easiest way to be socially disengaged. Moreover, to get involved in something often implies that it means something to ourselves or at least, it is more likely to be less painful if we take this involvement at heart. If so, the fact that the Generation Y is less empathetic than the previous generations[2] might be one of the reasons why there is a lack of participation in community service; to be called by a cause implies caring and it is impossible to care with a cold heart.

           

Which is better? Volunteering or service learning?

            In my opinion, both volunteering and service learning have their pros and cons. Service learning sort of intends to instigate the students ‘reflection on their community as they get involved in it. It also brings an active way of learning which can be more interesting and practical than theory alone, and it surely helps to teach civic responsibilities as it can make students feel bonded to their community. However, every student might not enjoy this kind of learning and forcing someone to get involved in the community is not to help one’s vision on community service; it could turn against community’s advantage. On the other hand, volunteering is based on a person’s desire to get involved and this can only help one’s motivation for community service. Volunteers are more likely to volunteer for more than personal interests, it surely can bring pride and satisfaction to help others, but the effect on society can be more meaningful.

What is the best way to encourage people to get involved?

            I think that the best way to get people involved is to find issues that appeal them; no one can feel totally unconcerned about everything. However, the task of pleasing everyone might be a little more complicated as everybody’s interests may differ, but with the myriad of organisations that exists it would be difficult not to find something that suits the majority. As I first mentioned, a person’s interest is more likely to push this person to get involved; if someone’s relative dies of cancer, this person is more likely to get involve in cancer’s fund raising organisations than someone that has never seen the ravages of this disease.  As there are people that naturally get involved in community services, there are people that will never feel the need to volunteer and I guess it is part of living in a community.

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[1] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201006/is-the-me-generation-less-empathetic

[2] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/wired-success/201006/is-the-me-generation-less-empathetic

Tuition Hikes

The tuition hikes case is, in my opinion, a hard one to comment wisely for, it is one of those issues that raise the passion. However, I must say that in the first place, I find it revolting that tuitions will have increased of more than a thousand dollars while some students already plan to be spending their first years on the job market, to pay their debts. It also makes the situation more complicated in the present for, some students have to work a few hours more per week, sacrificing time they usually allow on studying, sleeping or relaxing.

On the other hand, we face a much bigger political issue than it seems. Unfortunately, our society has arrived at the time to make sacrifices. The fact is that the public system that was built in the 70's has been thought in the short term. The result is that the baby boomers took everything without thinking about the far smaller generation that followed. In other words, money is running out and the state is less able to contribute in order to ensure adequate services. We have to make a choice between lower tuition or adequate infrastructures and well financed programs. What is worth more, money or education?

In my case, the tuition hikes will not have a significant impact on my education since I am eligible for the government’s loans and bursaries program, that I have a husband to help me and parents that have the means and insist to help me a lot. I will probably have to buy less books and music albums but this is luxury I can live without.

Tuition hikes will probably prevent some young people from the poorest classes to drop higher education. Students could choose careers that may be paid or may choose shorter programs which could create needs for labor in certain sectors. The gap between the richest and the poorest will dig a little deeper as the less well fortunate will find it difficult to leave the wheel of poverty. In fact, the cultural elite is increasingly synonymous with financial elite.

Career choice

      Choosing a career is surely a very important thing in our society for it is, for a majority, considered as the key to success. Even have we begun to walk and talk that we are already asked what we want to do later. So do we start dreaming about being an astronaut, a doctor or a mechanic, not knowing that reality might hit you in the face when gets the time to really choose a career. To avoid this situation, it would be wise to be realistic about our abilities, consider our values, interests and priorities and to get informed properly on the careers that interest us.

    
  Being aware of our own abilities is always a good start to find a job that is compatible with ourselves for, finding a career is also to find a way to be achieved through what we accomplish and this is why it is important to choose a career in which it is possible to evolve and feel competent. In fact, one that wishes to become a surgeon but has absolutely no minuteness will never be able to become one even if this person perfectly knows the whole medical theory for, a surgeon's job implies to accomplish meticulous work like heart or brain surgery in which a tiny mistake can be fatal. Deluding ourselves on our skills can only delay the fateful moment when reality catches us up.

      
      Setting priorities is something of importance when looking for a career. It is primary to define what are the things that matter the most in a career and what are the conditions required for you to be pleased by it. It is quite important to evaluate if money imports more than free-time or family or vice versa before embarking on a journey that, in the end, could prove to be very painful. So, a person that wishes to spend time with his family shouldn't choose a job that pays very well but may require more that fifty hours per week for, this person will surely have a well-stocked bank account, but will never get to see the family in question. In this sense, it is useful to be aware of its priority, but listening to our deepest desires is even more.

      Once that priorities are set and that the capacities' limits have been established, it is now the time to gather good information about the careers that could agree with your needs. Gathering this information is quite easy for, it is everywhere! In fact, "government departments, sector councils and professional associations publish great information."[1] There are websites that are dedicated for this purpose and tones of brochures and posters that can give you basic information. Speaking with people that already work in a career that interest you can also be a great resource.

            Finding a career that reaches us can really give us a hard time for it requires us to know ourselves. It requires us to know your limitations and abilities, our values and priorities so we can fully enjoy and evolve in a career. Getting informed about the many different careers is also important before choosing one for, not knowing about it is obviously choosing blindly. In the end, some will find more than a career and some will find a really painful experience that will last until they retire. Since working is an obligation, the important thing is probably to go with our needs and values so we don’t regret the path we have taken.

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[1] http://umanitoba.ca/counselling/careers.html

[2] http://www.loosen.com/what-career-is-right-for-me/#more-42

Strong integration, a matter of belonging?

Actions don’t need to be big ones to really be significant.  In fact, only trying to interact with these people can help them integrate the society as it creates bonds and make them feel accepted.  It can also help them to improve their language skills. An action can be as simple as helping immigrants to familiarize themselves with a new lifestyle.  Of course, signing up for a community service organization  is always an excellent way to help immigrants and refugees since these organizations are often well established and know which actions need to be taken. A way to help immigrants and refugees avoid poverty would be in the first place not to discriminate them when comes the time to choose candidates for a job when they are, of course, qualified to accomplish the tasks. Knowing that in Quebec we will soon be in lack of specialized workforce, it would be beneficial for both parties to invest more in upgrading skills programs and provide more help for those who attend these programs so that people that have already studied in an area can meet the demands of a trade or profession.  In this way, immigrants who have certain qualifications can have a better access to good wages and then avoid poverty.

It takes me to the third question which is “should we get involved in helping immigrants integrate or should we leave it up to the professionals?” For myself, I think that the combination of both can only ensure that the aid given is optimal. Of course, organizations were created for this purpose and are therefore in a position to provide assistance on a larger scale but, as an immigrant or refugee, I would like to feel accepted by the population and not only by the organizations. I think that it is our role as citizens to help immigrants and refugees to properly integrate our society because belonging to a community means to create bonds, bonds with people we meet every day. If one doesn’t feel welcome in his own neighborhood, this person might not be as motivated to make the efforts in order to integrate society.

Lessons ... and a critic of society

Leaving your country, your family, everything you have ever known, must be hard decision to make and it sure takes a lot of courage to leave it all behind. A lesson that can be learned from her experience is that perseverance and self confidence is really important when facing hard times. She could have quit and return to her country and family but she stayed.

Of course she had support and this aspect is not negligible. This kind of program is necessary to help immigrants integrate. Her story also shows that immigrants do their part in their integration for, she is learning french to facilitate her interactions with people.

 I’m bringing this point because it seems to preoccupy the Medias and some politicians that are concerned about the preservation of french in Quebec. The fact is that they attribute the problem to immigrants and provide more drastic solutions that tend to want to curb immigration.

My concern in this problem is that this kind of news gives me the impression that intolerance toward immigrants tends to increase. Learning a new language might be hard for some people and I think that many of them (probably more in regions) really want to integrate and make the effort to learn french. What I mean is that we should not, as people, generalize and be intolerant in the name of a language that most of us can't even speak and write well!

The effects of poverty

The consequences of poverty on human being are both physical and social. Of course, hunger, thirst, homelessness and illness are the most evident effects of poverty on people. Poor people often live in unsanitary places, situation that increases the chances of contracting diseases. All these factors also increase the risk of death among infants and toddlers which, ultimately, greatly reduces the Life Expectancy of these people, particularly in developing countries.Poverty also affects the social sphere of those affected. People living in poverty often suffer from social exclusion and often experience a vicious cycle that prevents them from improving their lot. In fact, poverty is often linked to a lack of education which in turn is linked to child labor and unemployment.[1]

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[1] http://www.poverties.org/effects-of-poverty.html

What creates poverty

        Poverty is a tragic reality affecting more and more homes all over the world as liberal capitalism and globalization consume to the entrails of the earth.  Of course, even if capitalism and globalization might be part of the causes, there are less contested causes that must be considered such as: “overpopulation, the unequal distribution of resources in the world economy, inability to meet high standards of living and costs of living, inadequate education and employment opportunities environmental degradation, certain economic and demographic trends, and welfare incentives.”[1] Obviously, most of these factors are related to each other’s and tend to create a vicious cycle which is often perpetuated by the next generation. 

     Somehow, I believe that all these causes are leading to an ultimate factor: Men. Of course, I am generalizing and do not claim of any kind that my opinion is the only valid one, but my interpretation of the problem shows me that Men are at the heart of it. We live with a mentality that promotes individualism, success and enrichment at the expense of others and it surely doesn’t help to counter the situation but, in some way, it exacerbates the problem.

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[1] http://www.fightpoverty.mmbrico.com/poverty/reasons.html

What does it mean to be a part of a community?

Being part of a community is to participate to the community’s activities, to building relatioships, to help each other and to share . This may also mean that some of us have certain characteristics that bind us to others as in the case of the gay community or italian community. Being a part of a community  means to be and feel accepted  and to accept other. This means overcoming individuality in order to create something larger than ourselves.