The Swiss aren’t neutral anymore

By Eric Mathison

Switzerland has long been known for its neutrality, but the attitude Swiss citizens have recently taken toward Muslims is calling into question its non-partisan reputation. On November 29 Swiss voters chose to ban all minarets in Switzerland. Minarets are the tall spires connected to some mosques and are used by the mosque’s leader to call… Continue reading The Swiss aren’t neutral anymore

Racism, Google and censorship

By Kim Nursall

Last week, Googlers may have happened across an atypical image of Michelle Obama, who is usually the very picture of style and grace. This particular representation depicted her face with ape-like features, eliciting a chorus of outcries for the image to be removed and Google’s content to be better regulated. The picture was described by… Continue reading Racism, Google and censorship

Somerville’s wrong about us animals

By Eric Mathison

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

Going for the green: Olympic torches for sale

By Sydney Stokoe

Don’t burn your hands, they might still be hot. Used Olympic torches from the 2010 torch relay have been popping up all over the Internet. Some of the torches were listed online before ever being lit, others are advertised as being covered in Olympic soot, which the buyer can clean off if they please. We’ve… Continue reading Going for the green: Olympic torches for sale

Online Exclusive: Euthanasia bill has my vote

By Eric Mathison

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

Citizenship week misses mark

By Ryan Pike

The government of Canada declared last week Citizenship Week. The week was commemorated by a series of events, including citizenship ceremonies across the country, designed to celebrate Canadian citizenship. While that notion seems great, the details given by Calgary Southeast MP and Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism minister Jason Kenney in the official press release seem… Continue reading Citizenship week misses mark