Andrew Lawton It’s difficult to imagine a lot less worthy of compassion than politicians, by and large. Much as politics may sap the humanity out of some, they’re people nonetheless – with the same messy histories that the rest of us have. I found myself mildly sympathetic with Justin Trudeau when news broke of his penchant for donning blackface for much [...]
Talk Turkey Josie Luetke Like most writers, I aim to stand by everything I say, but, alas, that’s near impossible. Still, it’s bothersome to have to amend something so shortly after writing it. In the July/August edition of The Interim, I stated in my article, “How to talk about abortion,” that it’s important to acknowledge that “pregnancy is very difficult.” [...]
Light is Right Joe Campbell "The Prime Minister dropped the writ,” Molder said. “He did what?” said Bimson. “I’m afraid we’re in for an election.” “I should think so. A Prime Minister who’s that careless is no longer fit to serve.” “The Governor General issued the writ today.” “I’ll bet she was angry when the Prime Minister dropped it.” “She [...]
Rory Leishman Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt, is a timely new book by Arthur C. Brooks that presents a compelling argument about how all people – left and right, pro-life and “pro-choice” – can best communicate their ideas to friends and fellow citizens about subjects on which they fundamentally disagree. As [...]
There are many definitions of the cynic. The one I choose for this article describes the person who is hostile toward the past that he knows and hospitable toward the future that he does not know. The clearest example of this form of cynicism about which I am aware belongs to a former colleague of mine who shall remain anonymous: “Marriage is [...]
Andrew Lawton If something is false, you don’t need to censor it. If it’s true, you shouldn’t. Nevertheless, there’s an inclination from those less confident about their beliefs to shut away uncomfortable truths things they can’t or don’t want to explain. Graphic abortion imagery forces viewers to confront the reality of abortion, which is why so many people want these [...]
Law Matters John Carpay Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Think back to the year 2000, or even 2010, and imagine someone telling you this: “The law requires every school to set up a Gay Straight Alliance for K-12 children. No exemption for religious belief or parental opposition. The law makes it illegal for teachers and principals to inform parents [...]
It’s been almost a year since General Motors announced that it would be closing its Oshawa, Ontario automobile assembly plant, ending over a century of car manufacturing in the city and putting nearly 3,000 employees and management out of work. This spring, however, the company announced that it would reinvest $170 million dollars in the plant, converting it to stamping and sub-assembly [...]
Josie Luetke It may just be my impression, but this past Pride Month seemed particularly vociferous. On numerous occasions, socially conservative friends and coworkers dutifully noted: “Pride cometh before the fall.” Now, I mean no offense to them and believe they were just offering a sincere warning, but it’s easy to see how this verse could be recited proudly, as [...]
Light is Right Joe Campbell So now I have to worry about sitting. Prolonged sitting, the media tell me, could shorten my life. They say it’s a risk factor like smoking, fattening and aging. Aging? Although I stopped smoking and fattening years ago and survived, no one I know of who stopped aging lived to tell about it. I’d rather [...]
A group of male pro-lifers arrived on the campus of Penn State University recently to dialogue with students about what is truly the most important moral issue of our time. The results were mixed. However, a few female students rigidly maintained that men have no business talking about abortion. Therefore, dialogue between men and women, in their minds, on the subject of [...]
Law Matters John Carpay In March of 2015, Alberta’s Progressive Conservative government rushed a bill through the legislature in a matter of hours, requiring every school in Alberta to set up a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) at a student’s request. Politicians promised the public that GSAs would merely be peer support groups, not political clubs that advocate for an ideology. Four years [...]
HBO’s miniseries Chernobyl arrived for streaming at a crucial moment for the company, just as the hangover from the end of Game of Throneswas starting to ebb. They needed a hit, and they got it with a five-hour story about the 1986 explosion at a nuclear power plant in the Soviet Ukraine. “Chernobyl is a thorough historical analysis,” wrote Sophie Gilbert in The Atlantic, [...]
Laying Down the Lawton Never doubt a group of politicians’ ability to find a cure that’s worse than the problem it is attempting to solve. This is truer than ever when it comes to the government’s efforts to curb online hate. Wishing to combat bigotry is a noble endeavour, but it isn’t the role of the state. Certainly not at [...]
Talk Turkey Josie Luetke What a whirlwind of a month, with abortion bubbling up in the public consciousness more so than ever before in my memory. The excitement began for me on the Tuesday prior to the National March for Life, at a screening of Unplannedin Ottawa. Friends who had already seen the film were raving about it, but I [...]