Those who saw Margaret Somerville discuss her anti-euthanasia position last Friday might have felt, as I did, that her case was left wanting. The founding director of the McGill Centre for Medicine, Ethics and Law gave the lecture on the University of Calgary campus as the national debate on euthanasia grows in response to Bill… Continue reading Somerville’s wrong about us animals
Tag: Fighting Words
A love letter to Charles Darwin
This is a love story. It is one that has grown over the years and the relationship I have with this love is unique in one crucial way: it is based on evidence. My love, dear reader, is for the theory of evolution by natural selection. It all began one summer when I was working… Continue reading A love letter to Charles Darwin
The monarchy has to go
If you ask Canadians who Canada’s head of state is three out of four people will get it wrong. According to a poll taken last year, 50 per cent thought it was Steven Harper and one-third thought it was Michaëlle Jean, the governor general. Neither are correct, of course — Canada’s head of state is… Continue reading The monarchy has to go
Online Exclusive: Euthanasia bill has my vote
A proposed euthanasia bill is going through its second reading in Parliament. If passed, the bill would make euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide legal, so long as the patient is terminally ill and is in severe pain. The Canadian public is once again in a fierce debate: a recent poll shows 61 per cent of the… Continue reading Online Exclusive: Euthanasia bill has my vote
On the abolition of state-endorsed marriage
There’s no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation.” Pierre Trudeau first spoke those words as minister of justice, in defense of his Omnibus bill that decriminalized homosexual acts and legalized abortion and contraception. It was 1967 and while his measures instituted in that bill have progressed further — you no longer… Continue reading On the abolition of state-endorsed marriage
Polanski, priests and child pornography
If you’re going to get a lifetime achievement award, make sure the country hosting the ceremony doesn’t have a warrant for your arrest. To be more precise, make sure the United States hasn’t arranged with Swiss authorities to have you arrested. I confess this isn’t very valuable advice: for most this isn’t a problem, and… Continue reading Polanski, priests and child pornography
Whoa, Dalai! Problems with the Lama
There are certain things that, regardless of their results in practice, should be condemned in theory. A discussion of the Dalai Lama should treat both the theory and the practice, as it is a combination of what he stands for in principle, as well as the specifics of his leadership that together deserve criticism. That… Continue reading Whoa, Dalai! Problems with the Lama
The ethical dilemma of buying local
The last few years have seen a dramatic rise in attempts to act ethically when traveling around town, shopping and eating out. Along with this increase, a growing number of people are choosing to “buy local,” with numerous websites offering reasons to adopt this lifestyle. But no matter what the product is, the pros of… Continue reading The ethical dilemma of buying local
Human rights legislation in legal limbo
The recent ruling by the chairman for the Canadian Human Rights Commission has set a new precedent in human rights arbitration in Canada. The case was raised against Marc Lemire, a known white supremacist and the webmaster of a website that posted the text of a speech given by Kevin Strom, another well-known white supremacist.… Continue reading Human rights legislation in legal limbo
This little piggy caused a pandemic
Since the World Health Organization declared a worldwide pandemic in early June for the first time in 41 years, news about swine flu has slowly lost momentum. Now, with students going back to school in the northern hemisphere, and with fall on the way, experts are preparing for the worst as scientists try to predict… Continue reading This little piggy caused a pandemic