ELA 30

Ms. Repski

March 19, 2018 

     The legal system in Canada that exist today, is it failing to acknowledge the diversity that this country has and the legal outcomes of cases which involve Indigenous People? The case of Colten Boushie, an Indigenous man who was shot in the head after he and four others drove onto the farm owned by Gerald Stanley in rural Saskatchewan.  The all white jury directed by a white judge acquitted Gerald Stanley of second-degree murder.  During the jury selection several Indigenous potential jurors where excused by Stanley’s lawyer using peremptory challenges.  This allows lawyers to reject jurors with no need to valid or explain why the juror is excused.  In order for change to take place, jury selection should change into one that would be rooted in diversity and impartial justice.  The question as to how many peremptory challenges should be allowed is something that needs to be investigated.  These allowable removals can be bias towards race and or stereotypes of citizens who may partake on juries in Canada.  Fair trails have to respect the rights of the victims as well as the rights of the accused.  With the outcome of this trial the legal system in Canada should be reviewed. The system should adapt to the culture of the nation which is inclusive to diversity.  The review  should include reviews on jury selection, Crown counsel, defence counsel, and judges.  Canada needs to seek legal reform through legislation and regulation.  This current event and the outcome not only stood out but resonated to the masses.  Rallies were held across the nation, attended by thousands disillusioned by the verdict and the absence of visible Indigenous people on the jury.  Canada simply must do better, an in-depth review of the legal system and full disclosure to outcomes must be made public. 

Work Citation

Burke, Ashley. “Boushie Verdict Fallout Sparks Allegations of Threats, Harassment.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 20 Feb. 2018, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/colten-boushie-verdict-online-hate-1.4536661.

Edwards, Kyle. “In Saskatchewan, the Stanley Verdict Has Re-Opened Centuries-Old Wounds.” Macleans.ca, 5 Mar. 2018, www.macleans.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan-racism-gerald-stanley-colten-boushie/.

Mitrovica, Andrew. “The Killing of Colten Boushie.” First Nations | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 19 Feb. 2018, www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/killing-colten-boushie-canada-hypocrisy-180219143228584.html

ELA 30

Ms. Repski

March 19, 2018

     When faced with intruders it is not unreasonable to defend your home and family which was the intent of Gerald Stanley.  On August 9, 2016, he was face to face with intruders on his farm.  During the invasion Gerald gave warning shots to scare off the intruders, panic and fear was created on the farm that day.  Living in rural Saskatchewan, many farmers are concerned for their safety because of the distance of the local authority.  Gerald Stanley believed this situation had the potential to harm his home and family. He stated he thought they were there to rob him and he feared for his family.  A freak accident occurred after he gave warning shots and one single bullet misfired and that bullet killed Colten Boushie.  It was never an intentional killing and this all occurred because of the unimaginable scary situation that happen.  Colten Boushie and four others created fear by entering the farm and Stanley had no indication by their actions that they were harmless, in fact the opposite was perceived.  Stanley was in fear of the situation, he dealt with the circumstance to protect himself and his family.  The reality is the gun just went 

Work Citation

“Fatal Shooting of Colten Boushie a 'Freak Accident:' Defence.” APTN News, 6 Feb. 2018, aptnnews.ca/2018/02/05/fatal-shooting-colten-boushie-freak-accident-defence/

There is evidence that the vast majority of consumers prefer companies that employ people with disabilities. In general, many Canadians tend to that the country is an inclusive place that celebrates diversity in all its forms. However, the reality for people with disabilities falls short in comparison to this idealistic vision of the people.

    Lisa Derencinovic, who suffers from a genetic eye disease, says that "Advances and progress have been made and we should be proud of those advances, yet there is still more to be done.” It is safe to say that Canada is about ten years behind when compared to the United States, and regional variations exist within Canada too, with Vancouver and cities in Ontario being more accessible than other provinces. 

I feel that what was left out in researching to better the conditions for the disabled are doing actual surveys and polls to understand the specifics of what they think have or will work the best. This is also a question that I have as I rarely come in contact with people with disabilities. Like the majority, I did not realize how much more we can do to create equality, nor did I know how much it increases the poverty rate among the disabled, as it is something I take for granted that does not affect me. In conclusion, after research, I believe that there must be way more to be done in order for Canada to close the great gap of accessibility between the disabled and nondisabled. 

Works Cited

“Building an Inclusive and Accessible Canada: Supporting People with Disabilities.” Building an Inclusive and Accessible Canada: Supporting People with Disabilities | Council of Canadians with Disabilities, www.ccdonline.ca/en/socialpolicy/actionplan/accessible-canada.

Hansen, Rick. “Accessibility and Attitudes about Disability in Canada.” Rick Hansen Foundation, www.rickhansen.com/Blog/ArtMID/13094/ArticleID/136/Accessibility-and-attitudes-about-disability-in-Canada.

Statistics Canada. “A Profile of Persons with Disabilities among Canadians Aged 15 Years or Older, 2012.” Government of Canada, Statistics Canada, 15 Feb. 2017, www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2015001-eng.htm.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) in 2005 aims to “make Ontario accessible to all people through the development, implementation and enforcement of new accessibility standards for goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises by 2025.” The Accessible Built Environment Standards Development Committee will consider access to, from and within buildings and outdoor street spaces, including business, industrial and multi-residential occupancies, hotels, motels, theatres, recreational facilities and transportation infrastructure, in developing a standard geared to identify and remove barriers for persons with a range of disabilities. 

Additionally, to decrease the poverty rate among the disabled, the government of Canada ensures that Job Bank has tools and services that can help persons with disabilities connect with employers. The website contains tools that allow for job matching, searching and alerts, along with access to tools and resources as well. 

Finally, there is increased awareness of the issue as well, an example being the Community Tool Box website, which educates about increasing access for people with physical disabilities in “Chapter 23. Modifying Access, Barriers, and Opportunities.” The website contains information about what it means to increase access, why organizations or initiatives should be more accessible, as well what what each individual can do in term of increasing access. 

Not only Ontario, but the government of Canada as well has already made many changes to better the issue, so the accessibility for the disabled should really not be a major problem of concern over other social issues at this point, all that is needed is time. 

Works Cited

“Employment for Persons with Disabilities.” Employment for Persons with Disabilities - Job Bank, 12 Feb. 2018, www.jobbank.gc.ca/report_note.do?cid=12203&lang=eng.

“Human Rights, Disability and Accessibility Issues Regarding Visual Fire Alarms for People Who Are Deaf and Hard of Hearing.” Ontario Human Rights Commission, www.ohrc.on.ca/en/human-rights-disability-and-accessibility-issues-regarding-visual-fire-alarms-people-who-are-deaf.

“Section 5. Increasing Access for People with Physical Disabilities.” Chapter 23. Modifying Access, Barriers, and Opportunities | Section 5. Increasing Access for People with Physical Disabilities | Main Section | Community Tool Box, ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/implement/access-barriers-opportunities/increase-access-disabilities/main.

March 18 2018

        There has been an ongoing battle for years now about dieting fads and healthy eating. I have seen many people I know get caught up in the “loose 20 pounds in a week” diets and trends only to stay the same weight whilst starving their body of the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. It bothers me because those diets are actually hurting your body way more than they are doing any good. One of the most popular dieting fads, that advocates for not only healthy eating but also to save animals, is the vegetarian diet. A vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat. Meaning they rely largely on fruits, vegetables and whole grains to obtain all the necessary nutrients a healthy person needs in one day. They may decide to become vegetarian for various reasons, weather it’s to loose weight, or because they do not want to harm the animals, however they are harming themselves by adopting such a diet. I read this article to further my knowledge on the subject and here is what I learned. 

By becoming vegetarian, you are putting yourself at risk for missing a lot of nutrients your body needs that are found only in meats. Meat is rich in vitamin D, specifically D3, which is only present in animal protein, and with lack of, can lead to brittle bones. This can make you more prone to injury. Another important nutrient believe it or not is Zinc. Zinc is found primarily in beef and lamb and plays a key role in your immune system. Your immune system is what identifies and kills dangerous bacteria that can make you sick. Meaning that if it is not receiving all of the nutrients it needs to function, like Zinc, your immune system can weaken and you can become more prone to illness, or become ill for longer periods of time over small things such as a cold. Meat is also a prime source of Iron. Iron helps your blood cells transfer nutrients throughout your body, and with lack of can cause fatigue and an increased heart rate, other wise known as anemia. So are you really doing your body a favour by becoming more “healthy” if your are just cropping out a series of key nutrients your body needs to survive? Becoming vegetarian is not worth it if you are just doing it to chop some calories out of your diet. Humans are omnivores and we’re designed to receive certain nutrients everyday, meaning that without them, our body cannot do its job, and that is when people get sick. Our body needs the nutrients found only in meat, and unfortunately that means animals have to die. It is the circle of life, you don’t see lions eating grass. The best part of all of this is, if you are eating healthy, you can receive all of the the same nutrients as a vegetarian and more. Because not only will you be eating the same salad, beans, nuts and fruit as them, but you will have a small portioned size of meat on the side delivering the daily dose of zinc, iron, and vitamin D that will keep your bones, your immune system, and your blood flow going. As long as you eat everything in moderation, meat will not hurt you. And as long as you are eating the healthy amount of fruit and vegetables your body needs, you can have the same health benefits of a vegetarian without the risk of starving your body. 

SNDT University. “HOME.” GOQii, 28 Nov. 2016, goqii.com/blog/vegetarianism-pros-and-cons/.

Another health benefit of becoming vegetarian is that it can improve your heart rate. A vegetarian diet is highly reliant on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These foods tend to be very rich in potassium and dietary fibre which have been directly linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, meaning a less likely chance of heart disease. 

Adopting a vegetarian diet can also lower your chances of kidney stones. Diets that are rich in animal proteins, like beef, chicken, and pork, cause your body to release chemicals such as calcium, oxalate, and uric acid, which are the three largest components of kidney stones. Vegetarian proteins do not cause your body to release such large amounts of these substances, making it less likely to form kidney stones. 

Becoming vegetarian also has benefits for diabetics and people attempting to avoid becoming one. People with a high intake of animal protein in their diet have a higher chance of getting type 2 diabetes. Where as a vegetarian diet improves the glycemic control contributing to diabetes. 

Adopting a vegetarian diet is capable of giving you all of the nutritional foods your body needs in a day, and can improve weight loss, due to its low fat intake and high fibre intake. 

This has been an ongoing issue for many years that has surfaced on the news, t.v, and in advertisements. A debate everyone has heard about. But as you can see above, a vegetarian diet, with all of its health benefits seems like an obvious choice to make. Not only are you supporting yourself, but you are supporting the animals, because nobody wants to eat a slaughtered piece of meat that was kept in a cage and forced to grow ten times faster than any living thing should. My only question now is after someone hears all of this information why would they not become vegetarian knowing you can receive all the nutrients you need whilst benefiting your health? And for you, is it worth it to hurt these animals only to get sick? 

Dabfm, et al. “9 Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet.” Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles, Global Healing Center, Inc, 30 Sept. 2015, www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/9-health-benefits-of-a-vegetarian-diet/.

Ms.Repski

ELA B30

March 18 2018

A rampant problem on our reserves today is the lack of resources available to our Indigenous people. The deterioration of housing, inadequate access to water and problematic distribution of money has led to reserve living standards being compared to those who are well below the poverty line. The state of living on reserves, in many cases, has been compared to those living in third world countries. Infrastructure is not supported economically to a correct standard thus the people have been suffering. According to the February 2011 report, 20,000 to 35,000 new units would need to be built to meet current demand (the Assembly of First Nations puts the figure closer to 85,000). Furthermore, almost half of the housing on Indigenous reserves require major repairs. 

This article focused more so on Ontario reserves, though many of these problems are found all over reserves in Canada. A specific reserve named Wasagamack First Nation actually has zero indoor plumbing thus they have been forced to rely on outhouses, slop pails and trips to a local water station. Some reserves that have remotely zero ressources have also been forced to house people in uninsulated sheds and wood frame tents. According to Kazi Stastna from CBC “Of the roughly 500,000 people who live on Canada's 3,117 reserves, thousands are still without indoor plumbing.” 

These conditions have also lead to an uprising number of suicides among young Indigenous people as in many communities, such as Pikangikum, 70 percent of the population is under 25. There have been children as young as 10 that have lost their lives to suicide and the belief rests that the living standards on reserves are largely responsible as living standards relate to longevity in life. Imagine your children being forced to learn in portables not classrooms, having to boil water as your community is under constant advisory or to live in a community that has had to state a case of emergency as the living conditions are so poor. The sad part in many of these rural reserves is that the living standards have had little to no improvement. 

There is also tension that has been created between neighboring reserves as sometimes for a reserve to receive a new building, such as a school for example, the money is taken from another reserve. These communities are also so small that it can be hard to make big changes among the community as it can be hard to find proper funding. As a large amount of the funding is done on a year-to-year basis it can also be hard to make future arrangements for a community as one is unsure if they will receive the proper funding steadily in the future. 

It is hard to imagine such living conditions when many of us live a life of privilege. I urge everyone to truly consider what they are grateful for and to take a step in the direction of extending a helping hand, even if that be in the smallest way possible. Education in regards to Indigenous issues are of the utmost importance as the problems cannot be resolved without it, then with that comes the roles of being advocates and friends to our Indigenous people. We’re all humans and it is important we recognize that though some things in our lives may differ, we owe it to one another to lend our help where we can. 

Works Cited:

Stastna, Kazi. “Shacks and Slop Pails: Infrastructure Crisis on Native Reserves.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 12 Apr. 2014, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/shacks-and-slop-pails-infrastructure-crisis-on-native-reserves-1.1004957.

Stastna, Kazi. “First Nations Housing in Dire Need of Overhaul.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 12 Apr. 2014, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/first-nations-housing-in-dire-need-of-overhaul-1.981227.

Stastna, Kazi. “Clean Running Water Still a Luxury on Many Native Reserves.” CBCnews, CBC/Radio Canada, 12 Apr. 2014, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/clean-running-water-still-a-luxury-on-many-native-reserves-1.1081705.

Ms.Repski

ELA B30

March 18 2018

The federal government has claimed that they are putting the utmost effort into resolving the problems on reserves such as lack of adequate water access, failing infrastructures and a barely established economy that is evidently present on reserves.. That it is in fact a problem that they understand is present, but are actively trying to resolve . Many Indigenous leaders have been confronting the government for the lack of responsibility in the effort to end racial discrimination and are in fact, accusing them of it. The government has defended themselves on all stakes, claiming that they have indeed taken responsibility for the wrongdoings of the past and insist that changes are being made, yet more time is just needed to see a difference. That some new ways of approaching the problem are necessary if we want to truly notice a change instead of just placing a band aid over top of the problem. As an example, Ottawa has even set aside a large sum of money to pay for healthcare under Jordan’s principle after a young boy passed away years prior as he could not receive adequate healthcare. This being a prime example of how the government has taken a step in the right direction.

    Certain people even consider the way First Nations were colonized as a redeeming quality as they were treated as nations and not conquered people. It is the viewpoint of many people that some of the resources that have been put in place for Indigenous people are actually hindering them. One article states that to make changes to the Indian Act is similar to dealing with a political mind field and ensures this is one of the reasons there has not been great changes, thus not by fault of our government today, but of past legislations and treaties that had been set in place. The article also states that the financial dependence of some of our younger Indigenous adults has created excess spending on the part of the government. The main part of this articles stating that though a large sum of money has been spent on Indigenous people and reserves there has not been changes being seen thus a different approach is necessary so money is not being wasted. The article also states that the constant reparations for past mistakes is also hurting us as a society as it bad for both sides. The basis is that the Indian Act should be reformed to make it more suitable to both parties in order to help us move forward as a society. 

Works cited:

Ballingall, Alex. “Federal Government Accused of 'Racially Discriminating' against First Nations Children.” Thestar.com, 23 Feb. 2017, www.thestar.com/news/canada/2017/02/23/federal-government-accused-of-racially-discriminating-against-first-nations-children.html.

Kline, Jesse. “Jesse Kline: Killing Aboriginals with Our Kindness.” National Post, 14 May 2013, nationalpost.com/opinion/jesse-kline-3.

Jones, Theresa. “Disadvantages of Being a Vegetarian.” LoveToKnow, LoveToKnow Corp, vegetarian.lovetoknow.com/Disadvantages_of_Being_a_Vegetarian.

Dabfm, et al. “9 Health Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet.” Dr. Group's Healthy Living Articles, Global Healing Center, Inc, 30 Sept. 2015, www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/9-health-benefits-of-a-vegetarian-diet/.

Stein, Natalie. “Pros & Cons of a Vegetarian Diet.” LIVESTRONG.COM, Leaf Group, 3 Oct. 2017, www.livestrong.com/article/196211-pros-cons-of-a-vegetarian-diet/.

Vegetarian ProCon.Org.” ProConorg Headlines, vegetarian.procon.org/.

oodman, Paul. “The Pros and Cons of Vegetarianism.” Soapboxie, Soapboxie, 12 Sept. 2017, soapboxie.com/social-issues/the-pros-and-cons-of-vegetarianism.

Home.” Healthy Futures, healthyfuturesva.com/proven-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-vegetarianism/.

ELA B30

March 26 2018

Nowadays we often hear the words pro-life and pro-choice and the heated debates going on from news channels to our health science class. Under this section i am going to write about the pro-life part of the argument. I personally think that life begins once the embryo forms, though there might be no life in it but the human body starts to develop and it would be an act of murder as you take away the embryo or the body formed till three months and this act does not respect the basic value of respecting a life. The major get away or the common phase used is an unwanted child or an unplanned child. I think that with increasing acceptance rates of foster homes and adoptions there might be very less chances of the child being unwanted. Abortion is not only harmful to unborn-ed life but it is to the lady who is going to get abortion will suffer through psychological pain and stress sometimes and maybe regrets as well. It can also cause many infections in the pelvic regions and it also reduces the chances of conceiving a baby again.Abortions are done by the taxpayers money and hence somewhere it is wrong to use the tax money to take away life. Hence i would like to conclude my point by saying that it is not only 

is an act of murder but can also be dangerous for the mother physically and emotionally.

work cited -
https://www.thoughtco.com/arguments-for-and-against-abortion-3534153

ELA B30

March 26 2018

The counter argument for my points for the topic could be that the abortion generally takes place in the first phase of development of the body and hence it completely is depended on mother and still is not alive so it is alright to abort just the body.secondly the cases of teen pregnancy have increased in North America and hence if abortion is not carried out then the girls who are underaged pregnant would have to drop out of school and the home. Hence reducing the education in society. Many woman especially in not much developed areas won’t have the facilities to avoid pregnancy as they cant afford it, like condoms or other contraceptives. Hence abortion should be an option to them so that they won’t have an unwanted child. Counterarguing the point of murder then there are many embryos produced by vitro fertilization which if not implanted on time then are thrown away so would that be considered as murder?? No. Looking at the conditions which people go through like teen pregnancy or unaffordable pregnancy it’s better to have an option of abortion and government should spend taxpayers some of taxpayers money on this as it is better than funding some wars.