My Comments

For some reason I can't comment on other peoples articles so I'm posting my comments here. :)

Paviya's Blog: The scourg of invisible racism

Canada is one of the most diverse countries in the world. Is Statistics Canada's prediction really that surprising? I think that by 2031 it is possible that 2/3 of Canada's population will be non white. Walking through Toronto today, 20 years before 2031, you can see people from so many different backgrounds everywhere.
Racism is an issue, it can be delt with, but I don't think it's going to completely dissappear. As long as there are people, there will be different beliefs, as long as there are different beliefs there may be racism.
I agree with Paviya's point. If people of a certain race label themselves depending on their skin colour, then people of other races are going to think it's okay to label them that way too. It happens all the time, for example, the 'Asian' corner on B 1/2. Or the 'brown' way of doing things. People at King talk about themselves and their friends that way. They don't mean to be racist, but it shows other people that thats how things are and its okay to refer to them that way. These little sayings may seem harmless but they are actually a form of racism.
In the article it says that people may be too scared to speak out about racism which could be true. But it is also possible that they are not even aware of it, as I mentioned earlier. If they are not aware of it or don't no how to identify it, racism will always be there.

Kitty's Blog: Halifax principal wrestles student to ground, escapes dismissal

This video was shocking to me. How is it possible that a school principal would do such a thing? Wrestle a student to the ground and drag him to the office for using a cell phone?! That was absolutly unnecessary behavior. What shocks me more is that Ken Fells was not fired. How can his actions be overlooked? If I were a parent, I definatly would not want my children attending a school with a principal like that.
It is understandable that he would be angry at the student for using a cell phone at school, but as an adult and the principal of the school, he should have handled the situation in a completely different manner. What kind of example does this set for other students? It is basically showing young people that if you hold a position of power, you are free to do as you wish. That is not the case. No matter how old you are, it does not give you the right to behave this way with those younger than you.
I completely disagree with the decision made to simply relocate the principal. If he lost his temper so violently over a cell phone, how would he react to a real problem? I think he should be dismissed.

Deanna's Blog: Harper government won't pay for Toronto gay pride festival

Although Tony Clement the Industry Minster says that the funding for the Pride Festival was only cut back because they want to support smaller cities, there are some very good points that suggest it was because of the homophobic views of some Conservative members. Last year the Pride Festival got $400,000 from Diane Ablonczy. Apparently the majority of MPs were not happy about the funding, and shortly after Tony Clement took Diane Ablonczy's place. This I think shows homophobia.
But it is true that the Pride Festival is popular enough to support itself without the governents help.

Alex's Blog: why Diversity Matters

I agree with Michaelle Jean. "Saying yes to diversity is saying yes to modernity, to opportunity, to the very future of our country." Diversity id the future of our country. Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in Canada. However there are still some parts of the country that are not so diverse. This is something that will need to change. People should be accepted and given equal opportunities no matter what their race, culture, gender, etc.
Relating this article to Paviya's article about racism, if 2/3 of Canada's population is going to be non white by the next 20 years, there is no room for racism. Each part of the country will have to be accepting to everyone. Diversity leads to better leadership, more creative thinking and better communities.
Already diversity is increasing and rasicm is disappearing. Younger kids are the most accepting because they see diverse communities from the start. They don't think about a person's race or culture. It's not just little kids, many people are very accepting of everyone. Hopefully, in the future many more parts of the country will be like Toronto.

Siv's Blog: Woman Fined for Face-Covering Veil

I think that everyone has the right to follow their own religion. The issues regarding Muslim women wearing hijabs, niqabs, and burqas are coming up a lot. I don't understand this at all. Why are they issues in the first place? No matter what culture, race or religion, people should be accepted for who they are wherever they chose to live. The fact that any sort of clothing that covers your full face is banned because of an anit-terrorist law is a bit stereotypical, even though the law doesn't specifically mention Muslim head dresses. Also what Franzinelli said about the mayor having to push the ordinance because children were scared when a woman wearing a burqa came to their school is pretty bad. Children are young so it's okay if they are scared of things they don't know or understand, but it is the adults job to make sure they do understand. The teachers should have taken this oppertunity to teach the kids about different cultures and religious practices. Responding to the incident in this way did not help at all, it just increases raciam and fear of differences.
When people read about incidents like the one in this article, are they going to want to go live in Novara? Are they going to think "Oh yes we should move there because it is such an accepting place where they make accomadations for everyone?" No. The same issue came up in Quebec, about reasonable accomadation. Less people of different backgrounds are going to be moving to these areas because they will not feel welcome.
Also, why was the woman fined? She allowed a female officer to check her identity, did she not? Then I don't understand what the problem was after that.
I think people need to be more understanding. Muslim women wear head dresses because it is part of their religious practice, and that can not be taken away from them.