March 2013 Free BrantAdvocate.

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Local Content Locally Owned Locally Produced

March 2013 Free BrantAdvocate.com

Local Content Locally Owned Locally Produced

Freedom of expression is something some of us take for granted because we dont realize that more important than standing behind your ideals, is standing up & defending the ideals of others.

~ Paul Smith, Photohouse Studio.

Photography by Paul Smith, Photohouse Studio. www.photohouse.ca

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March 2013

Thanks for your help Officer

It was just after 5 p.m. on February the 6th. I was driving home from work, and I stopped as the van in front of me waited to make a left-hand turn on onto BurfordDelhi Townline Road. Suddenly, it hit me. Literally. The driver of the car behind me made an error in judgment and slammed into the back of my vehicle. After a few minutes of shock, I realized I was okay. The driver of the other cars nerves were shot, as were mine, but we were both physically okay. That was the important part. What I was unsure of was what needed to happen next. For some people, the sight of the familiar flashing lights of a police car sparks feelings of fear, sadness, disdain, grief and even strong negativity. But for me, the sight of those lights brought relief and relaxation. I had no idea what needed to happen next, but I knew they did. So once they were on the scene, I immediately started to feel better. I have had a solid appreciation for police since I was a teenager. While many of my friends and acquaintances feared the pending presence of the police, I had discovered that there was a sensibility to having them as well. Growing up, many rugby parties had been held in my own backyard, many of which saw the arrival of at least one police car. But in all of those cases, seeing that a parent was home, caused the officers to leave even the most raucous of celebrations. My brothers and I had been sensible in our planning, and the police had the good sense to realize that as well. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to become a member of the Board of Directors of Brant-Brantford Crime Stoppers. During my time on the Board, making countless trips to the police station, I was able to catch a closer glimpse at the work being done in order to protect our community. Law breakers were being punished, and law abiders were being protected. Many people tried to present arguments to the contrary, but none were successful in doing so. Then four years ago, I was driving home from my job in Tillsonburg on a snowy night just after midnight. Id taken the 403 exit on the 401, and just as the first bend was approaching, I felt a tire slip off the road and on to the curb. When I was finally able to jump back onto the road, my car spun out of control, landing in the ditch, facing oncoming traffic. When the officer arrived, he proceeded to speak to me about the error in judgment I had made. But I insisted that he look for a fault in the road,

by Andrew Macklin Twitter: @AMacklin

the 90 minutes or so it took me to get a tow truck, the officer stood with me and conversed with me as I waited. All too often, it is easy to blame others for our mistakes. Police officers, who have the difficult task of enforcing consequences for our errors in judgment and even brutal disregard for certain laws we disagree with, often become

Suddenly, it hit me. Literally. The driver of the car behind me made an error in judgment and slammed into the back of my vehicle.
Many also point the finger at genuine cases of innocence, or mistakes made by members of the force, as reasons to not trust police officers. Yet, those same people made mistakes at their jobs and in their lives, expecting all to be forgiven. They wont give police officers the right to make mistakes, but will happily give that right to themselves. I refuse to allow police officers to go unappreciated. Too often they are victims of other peoples terrible errors in judgment, and are constantly exposed to the worst that society has to offer. They are charged with keeping us in line with the best of societys intentions, and punishing those who refuse to have care for those around them. They have a job that I could never do, but am glad that someone else can. And I am glad for them on nights like February 6th, when I stood out in the cold, shocked at the aftermath of what had happened. Two officers were just doing their job, providing me with the information I needed to get back to business as usual. But that was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it. For what they did that night, and the work they do day after day to protect us and our community, I am eternally grateful.

one that I was sure existed. After much persistence on my part, he walked to the spot in question to find that part of the roadway had been carved away, likely an error by a snowplow operator. The officer returned, apologized for his actions, and had another officer put up road flares to mark the spot of the issue. For the rest of the evening,

the target of our frustration. We yell, scream, bitch, and whine while they stand by, working diligently to do the job they are qualified to do. Yet many plead their case with excuse after excuse, looking for a way to escape punishment, blaming the officers for catching them in the act of breaking a law.

Rebellion & Radishes

by Leisha Senko Twitter: @leishasenko

Richard Reynolds breaks the law. Day in and day out, sometimes while shrouded in the cover of night. His well-documented crimes have sparked a whole slew of copycats. So many, in fact, that the police in his native London, England, still make public statements condemning his unorthodox actions. In many ways, hes an infamous man. This point is only further supported by the fact that he has his own widely searched how-to blog and an extensive Wikipedia write-up. His charge, as it happens, is gardening. Well, guerilla gardening to be exact. This is the act of taking barren or abandoned space, particularly in high-density urban areas, and planting. From beautiful flowers, to actual foodstuffs like vegetables, fruits and herbs, its basically turning something cold and forgotten, into something beautiful. Its a movement thats proven to be pretty subversive. In fact, in many ways, guerilla gardening, and even community gardening, is downright radical. A classically feminine act, thats often forgotten, laughed off, or pushed aside, it can lend the impoverished and the marginalized a strong voice. It can empower

trampled peoples. Most important though, gardening lends neglected communities the key to their own well-being. Local agricultural initiatives have the capacity to completely change the face of our food production system. And, its a change that desperately needs to be made. Have you noticed how costly fresh fruits and vegetables are in comparison to highly processed foods? Have you witnessed the link between obesity and living below the poverty line? The truth is, the two go hand in hand. Chips are cheaper than cabbage, and a whole lot less work. This is unfortunate, considering the former is a whole lot gentler on the planet and your body. And yet subsidies, corporate monopolies and the enduring cheapness of high fructose corn syrup, means that a lot of people suffer needlessly. On top of the health element, gardening is a strong move towards grabbing back local space. Government bodies are rapidly facilitating the privatization of free meeting places. Parks and open fields are becoming shopping centers and parking lots. Libraries and community centers are becoming few and far between. The developed world is making us pay admission to our common areas. Gardening,

however, is free, interactive and contagious. It breaks down walls. It changes perspectives. It scares people.

Gardening, however, is free, interactive and contagious. It breaks down walls. It changes perspectives. It scares people.
With New Jersey recently allowing community garden food to be served in their public schools, and urban cities in California maintaining massive plots of communal agricultural land, the threat is intensifying. Cities are slowly coming to the haunting realization that importing food leaves one in a rather vulnerable position. Food is power, after all. But perhaps, its even more than that.

We need to face the fact that food is highly political. Harnessing it on a local level is a bold move. By breaking away from the belief that it doesnt really matter, we make sparks in our communities that ignite a massive fire. Richard Reynolds has done this in England, turning hollowed out wastelands into places where citizens can meet, share and exchange ideas. Liz Christy sparked a shift in 1973 in Houston, New York, refurbishing neglected and misused sites. Around the same time, the Peoples Park in Berkeley, California was created, and is still cared for. All of these projects sent shockwaves through their local areas, compelling people to get involved, bit by bit. In Brantford, we have a community garden project. There are opportunities for us to come together, to plant, and to share. As citizens though, farther away from these designated plots, we also have the ability to create our own gardens and enlist willing others in our immediate area. All around us are empty soil beds, barren rooftops and porches, and maybe even lonely window sills, crying out to be made useful once again.

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E. Pauline Johnson, A Transgressive Life

On a cold evening in January of 1892, before a packed house of 400 young Liberals in Toronto, a young woman stood on stage and recited by heart her dramatic poem, A Cry from an Indian Wife. Written from the perspective of a native woman, about the North-West Rebellion of 1885, the poem challenged the fervent nationalism of the recitals audience with its clear enunciation of native rights and condemnation of western colonialism: They but forget we Indians owned the land/ From ocean unto ocean; that they stand/ Upon a soil that centuries agone/ Was our sole kingdom and our right alone. While her recital was enthusiastically greeted with applause, few in the audience realized that the poems author and performer was herself one of the First Nations people about whom she wrote. The performance marked the beginning of the astonishing career of Tekahionwake, also known as E. Pauline Johnson. and physically represented the concept of cultural meeting in the homes design of two identical front doors. Raised to appreciate both her Mohawk and English heritage, E. Pauline Johnson continued her familys role as intermediaries in her poetry and stage performances. Following her first performance in Toronto in 1892, E. Pauline Johnsons career as a stage performer quickly took off. She travelled across Canada, the United States, and three times to England, reciting her poetry on-stage in dramatic fashion. Billed as the Mohawk Princess and Iroquois Indian Poet Reciter, E. Pauline Johnson adopted her great-grandfathers name, Tekahionake, meaning double-life, as her stage name. In her performances E. Pauline Johnson expressed the double-life of her mixed Mohawk and English heritage through costume. For the first half of her performance she wore a buckskin outfit (bought through the Hudsons Bay Company) that she adorned with rabbit skins, ermine furs, a bear claw necklace, feathers, wampum belts, and silver ornaments that once belonged to her great-grandmother. A mish-mash of popular Native imagery, E. Pauline Johnsons performance outfit accentuated her native heritage for an audience that knew very little about First Nations peoples. In the second part of her performance she arrived on stage in elegant Victorian dress, her long dark hair stylishly pinned up, the picture of the prim and proper Victorian lady. Yet in the late 1890s and early 1900s, E. Pauline Johnsons very public career was considered anything but ladylike, as her activities challenged the acceptable norms for women, and for Native people. Never marrying or having children, she eked out a living supporting herself through her published writing and stage performances. Her constant travelling across Canada, the United States, and to England demonstrated an independence and sense of adventure which, at that time was generally frowned upon for women. Her choice of career as a stage performer was also criticized by many, including her own mother, as a vulgar profession for a woman. Lastly, E. Pauline Johnson brought First Nations issues and perceptions to the forefront in her writing and performances, at a time when recent events such as the North-West Rebellion were still fresh in the publics

by Karen Dearlove
(1895), Canadian Born (1903), and Flint and Feather (1912). She also published a volume of native stories from the West Coast, Legends of Vancouver (1911), and various articles published in magazines. She retired from her stage career in 1909, settling in Vancouver, close to her beloved Stanley Park. While she intended to spend more time writing, E. Pauline Johnson was diagnosed with breast cancer and succumbed to the disease on March 7, 1913. Her dying wish was to be buried in Stanley Park. Following a packed funeral procession through Vancouver on March 10, 1913, E. Pauline Johnsons ashes were buried under a boulder in the park, in sight of Siwash Rock. In 1922, a monument to E. Pauline Johnson was unveiled at her burial site, which still stands today. Despite her premature death, E. Pauline Johnson left a lasting impact and legacy on Canada and beyond. An international celebrity in her era, E. Pauline Johnson paved the way for future women and native writers and performers. Her legacy has been honoured in Canada through the naming of five schools, located in Vancouver, Brantford, Hamilton, Burlington and Scarborough. In 1958, the Province of Ontario dedicated a plaque to E. Pauline Johnson at her home Chiefswood. In 1961, the Government of Canada issued a postage stamp of her on the 100th anniversary of her birth. E. Pauline Johnson was the first Canadian author and first Canadian native person to appear on a Canadian stamp. She was designated a person of national historic significance by the Canadian government in 1983, and her birthplace and childhood home of Chiefswood was designated a National Historic Site in 1992.

Yet in the late 1890s and early 1900s, E. Pauline Johnsons very public career was considered anything but lady-like, as her activities challenged the acceptable norms for women, and for Native people.
Born on the Six Nations reserve in 1861, E. Pauline Johnson was the youngest daughter of Mohawk Chief George H.M. Johnson and his English wife Emily Howells. George Johnson worked as an interpreter first for the Anglican missionary at the Six Nations and later for the Canadian government. George Johnson carried on the tradition established by his grandfather, George Martin, and father, John Smoke Johnson, acting as an intermediary between Native and European cultures. Chiefswood, the familys home, built by George Johnson, became an important meeting place for people coming from outside of the reserve to the Six Nations,

consciousness and one-dimensional native stereotypes abounded. She countered these stereotypes in writings like the article, A Strong Race Opinion on the Indian Girl in Modern Fiction, which criticized the representation of Native women as fawn-like or submissive. Besides her performances, E. Pauline Johnson published three volumes of poetry White Wampum

YOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANT

VISION VISIONEXPERIENCE

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March 2013

Life with Riley

And yesterday, his poop was orange! These words came out of my mouth. I broke the pact I made with myself to not be one of those moms, who cant help but discuss her babys bowel movements, but here I am. Oh boy. On January 26th, I was walking around Zehrs when my water broke. On January 27th, I was holding an 8 pound, 13 ounce baby boy around whose tiny wrist was a hospital band identifying him as mine. His name is Riley Jericho, and in my 100% biased opinion, he is the most adorable little tyke to ever exist. As I write this, Im only beginning my sixteenth day of mommyhood, but Ive already forgotten what life before Riley was like. Every little thing he does absolutely delights me. When he is hungry, he makes this ridiculous troll face, as I like to call it, and its absolutely hysterical. His little grunts and shifty eyes are hilarious, and even his little diaper gifts are interesting to me.

by Becca Vandekemp Twitter: @Beccavdk

So yes, I get excited about my babys poop. Bite me. Granted, the first day of Rileys existence was quite the blur. Between the drugs, the loss of an entire nights sleep, the stream of visitors, and the fact that I had just popped out a person, I really didnt have a clue what was going on. All I knew was baby. Just two weeks later, this little, huge miracle still blows my mind. Even the simple fact that Riley has all his bits is amazing. He may be small, but he is a whole person. The fact that he came from my body is incomprehensible. The fact that my Riley, in all his complexity, existed two weeks ago, only inside my belly, is crazy. Unbeknownst to me, he made those same faces, had those same little fingers, and arched his back the same way, all while in my body--so cool. Yup, I'm in awe. It's strange to look back over the last nine months and the journey of obtaining Riley. My unplanned pregnancy brought me through my life's most significant season of

learning. Remembering just how conspicuous I felt with my big round belly whenever I'd run into people who didn't already know I was pregnant, makes me realize just how much my heart and mind were forced to grow. How could I pretend to be all righteous and perfect while my body visually announced just how human I really am? I now know what it means to buck up and get honest. Those months of standing tall, facing my fears, dealing with frustration and anger, swallowing my pride, and accepting people's help, made me grow up more than I thought possible in a short period of time. (For more details, see my last article, which is available on The Brant Advocate website). Last time I wrote, I talked of a baby who had already changed my life forever. He sure has done just that. The calendar tells me hes only been in my arms for two weeks, but the memories I have of life before he was born seem surreal and strange. In such a short period of

time, so much has changed. Suddenly, it has become perfectly acceptable to be late for everything if Im obligated to show up at all, and not leaving home for days on end is normal. The substances with which my shirt comes into contact can range from milk, to poop, to puke, to urine, to food, to sweat, but I dare anyone to judge me. Living off a diet consisting primarily of foods I can consume with one hand, eyelids at half-mast with fatigue, here I am, a new mom at her finest. And, despite all the weirdness I just listed, Im so happy. My Riley is here; I am beyond blessed. Just like the labour pains, all of that other stuff has faded away in the light of his precious face. There are no fewer uncertainties in our lives than there were before, but I now possess a sense of hope strong enough to overcome even bigger things. Life before Riley, in many ways, was like character boot camp, and now I pray that life with Riley will be the embodiment of the hope, grace, love, and sense of wonder that eclipsed his colourful arrival in the first place.

When one door closes

It was 12 years ago this spring that I stood in front of an auditorium filled with people from the community who had all come together to try and save my high school. I remember pleading to the school board to keep my high schools doors open, ending my speech in tears as I handed the panel of directors my high school yearbook. I can picture that day in my mind like it was yesterday and feel as strong about Port Dover Composite as I did that day. Despite the community's best efforts over the last 12 years, the small town I have grown up and loved so much has closed the doors of its high school forever. When the announcement was made, I watched throughout the day on Facebook and Twitter as friends were voicing their opinions towards the decision makers, sharing their memories of good times with their friends and expressing their mourning for a loss of a piece of their history. Sadness began to surface for me as I read through not only my closest friends comments, but also all the other people on my Facebook who are connected to me, not only because they too are PDCS grads, but because they have a common outlook on what it means to live in a small town. As I looked through photographs posted of the empty hallways, it was as if someone had just taken the five years I had spent at PDCS growing up; learning lifes important lessons and having fun with friends. You would think, come on, its just a building, how could anyone form an attachment to concrete walls? But inside those walls we grew together as a young community and formed a loyalty and understanding of what it is to live in a small town. You might not realize it is there, or how strong it is until its being attacked. Its as if, by closing those doors, all of our memories are being washed away into the shadows. The hurt began to intensify as I realized that the connections we formed are not going to be built for the generations below us. I was surprised when my emotions began to surface as the realization set in for what this means for Port Dover now that my high school is gone forever. Closing that school doesnt only affect the students who will not graduate this year, or the next, it affects everyone in Port Dover. We have all been exposed to countless articles, radio interviews, blogs, Facebook pages, and conversations about how important a high school is to a

by Katie Sinkowski

small town. How will closing the school will affect local businesses that depend on students for after school shifts? How would keeping it alive teach a sense of community to our younger generations? I love that I can go to the Norfolk Tavern on a Saturday night and see familiar faces that I can strike up a conversation with, not because they are my closest friends and I had planned to meet them for a night out, but because we are from Port Dover and feel connected. We can thank PDCS for those connections that have been made. A small population allows you to accept and respect peoples differences and become friends with someone you may not have necessarily thought you would have been drawn to. In that, I think PDCS taught me one of the greatest of lifes lessons, and that is the closest thing to peace that you could imagine. I envy the people, and the communities, that are lucky enough to have a high school in their area now. It is more important than they probably realize, and it is my hope that they wont ever have to endure anything like what Port Dover has in its 12-year struggle to stay alive. From

this struggle though, there is something we can all learn, whether we were involved or not. Social media platforms can play an integral part for any community or group who is fighting towards reaching a common goal or saving something they believe in. From my parents generation of graduates who saw the doors of PDCS first open, all the way through to the students who will not have the pleasure of graduating from PDCS this year, Facebook allowed them to easily plan online how they could protect and fight to keep their community alive. When the struggle was finally over and the battle was lost, Facebook became a place for those to grieve, mourn, share memories and provide support to one another. It is kind of ironic that, in the effort to keep PDCS open, it proved that Port Dovers sense of community exists so strongly because of its high school. I encourage everyone to take a minute to reflect on your own high school years, the events and people that shaped and made them what they were, and how your community may have come together at times to celebrate achievements made by its areas youth. Then ask yourself, how different those memories might be, or how disconnected your community might have been if that high school didnt exist?

One Billion Rising

Engaging in community work directed at creating change can be heavy and dark. You need to know issues in order to work towards making any type of difference, which often means learning about statistics and hearing stories full of hurt and desperation. There is often not a lot of room for light heartedness because you fill your breaks with moments to breathe, and ponder, and hope you dont get paralyzed by the immense size of the issue. Emma Goldman changed my perspective. I read a quote from her one day when writing a history paper, and I realized that for a long time the women's movement had been taking a problematic approach to the issue of violence, which led it to lose people or keep people out of our struggle. Oddly enough, I discovered this quote at the same time that a shift happened in the movement. In the early part of the 20th Century, Emma Goldman worked strongly within the labour movement. She believed in the power organized workers had to create real, lasting change in society and to cause upheaval to the power imbalances that existed. But she also believed that as hard as we work in the struggle to create change, we also have to recognize every chance we get to celebrate our hard work, and all the changes that have already happened in order to keep up the energy. We need balance. She said, If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your Revolution. As I said above, this totally spun my head around and made me rethink my own work. Too much time, though it was needed, was being spent on raising awareness, talking in meetings, lobbying politicians, protesting in the streets, holding vigils and volunteering at front line services.There werent enough celebrations. It was so heavy. There was no balance. People became lost in the movement - burnt out. People felt excluded. Some were reluctant to become involved because of the nature of the work. It felt exclusionary and serious. There was no room for men to engage in movements for change. It was easy for politicians to silence the movement and label it as a special interest group because it was only women talking about violence. The movement was losing a lot of power, and the energy that existed was being used to maintain existing services or engagements. Its movement forward was coming to a halt. Then the Vagina Monologues came out in the late 90s. I feel like it was at the exact moment I was writing my paper on Emma Goldman. This was a play written by a survivor of sexual abuse, Eve Ensler, who was saying its not enough to bring the grim ugly reality of violence to the eyes of the world like we had been doing for so long. We needed to celebrate being women, being human and being agents of change. And that we must do this as a whole community and not just burden women with the task of ending violence against women. I was involved with several productions at McMaster University and at the Sanderson Centre and have attended the ones by my local women's shelter. All the productions have been unique, but there is a commonality. Its a great opportunity to bring a difficult issue to light, but also to celebrate our accomplishments and resilience,

by Carrie Sinkowski

and to raise money for local front line services. Ensler declared Febraury 14 to be an international day of action against violence against women. This year, in the true spirit of Emma Goldman, Ensler organized a global flash mob called 1 Billion Rising. The Sexual Assault Centre and Brantford Native Housing organized our local dance with CORE studio, based out of Paris. We were hosted by the Arts Block in their beautiful new space. We had over a hundred people attend our noon hour action, with representatives from the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, MPP Dave Levac, Brantford Police, Brantford Fire, Immigrant Settlement Services, Nova Vita, Family Counseling Centre, Childrens Aid Society and many other organizations and community members. It was an energy filled hour of laughter, tears, stories and celebration. It was very empowering for some, and very rewarding for all of us. It was a moment to step back and recognize that even though there is a lot of work to be done, we have already done so much. The dance energized our work. Violence against men does exist, but this day was about violence perpetrated against women. We called on men to join us and to be part of the struggle and celebration. Brothers from our community did join us and they did dance and share hugs and stories. They know one out of three women will be raped in their lifetime. This is a sad

reality that must be ended. More work needs to be done towards ending the fact that one man out of six is sexually abused. 1 Billion Rising took place in over two hundred countries with hundreds of locations within each one. Many took place in malls and parks, with some interesting exceptions like the European Parliament or a series of jails in California. Our own 1 Billion Rising took a journey to the office of our provincial funding partner to perform the dance for them right in their office. The messages people shared with us on Thursday at our event were about resilience, celebration and the need to keep moving forward to end violence. I am not attempting to credit the Vagina Monologues with reinvigorating the violence against women movement. I feel that in all histories there are pivotal moments that create waves and ripples that affect change. It is difficult to keep an issue palpable without minimizing it, or silencing peoples experiences. The Monologues inspired new ways of discussing and engaging the issue of violence, and creating new ways that were more welcoming and celebratory while still being somber and serious, opening up new spaces for conversations and action. I saw that over a century later, the words of Emma Goldman were true. In life you need balance. We need both sides of the issue. We need the struggle and we need the celebration in order to move forward and in order to make a change. 1 Billion Rising was important because it provided an opportunity for balance, and for global recognition of violence. Whether you are an activist, a survivor, or both, you know you are not alone.

90 Morton Ave East Brantford 519.757.1800 www.handcraftedwood.ca

A Voice for the Students of Laurier Brantford

Laurier Brantford Receives Compliments

Often times on Facebook we see people insulting each other, poking fun at one another, and displaying negative opinions or views on either statuses, photos and other things. But if youve been noticing some positive feedback about your friends popping up on your news feed, you may be witnessing the result of the Laurier Brantford Compliments Facebook group, created on November 11. Laurier Brantford is not the first university to have a compliments group on Facebook, a group that allows students to anonymously send a compliment, or positive feedback to their friend. The Waterloo and Kitchener campus already has one in place. Most of the people that were being tagged on that account were from the Waterloo campus and I was annoyed to see so many compliments on my newsfeed. I then thought of the idea of splitting the Brantford campus from the Waterloo campus. There was already a Laurier Brantford Compliments, but the account was dead, with limited people. I took this idea and thats how I made Laurier Brantford Compliments, explains the mystery creator behind the idea. The account is used every day and is checked daily by one main student, an 18-year-old male in the Criminology program, along with two others that play a minor role, who wish to remain anonymous. Compliments that are posted go something like this: Everyone who is friends with you would say that you are a beautiful and amazing person. Thank you for always being there to chat since day one. I hope we will always be friends :), which was posted on Thursday, January 31 about a fellow Laurier Brantford student. Lizzie Janik, a third year student who has been featured in a post said, "LB Compliments is like an unexpected warm blanket of happiness that can brighten up your day no matter what mood you are in. A simple generous gesture like this really makes a difference and can make that individual smile. There are no negative comments tolerated when it comes to this Facebook group.

by Melissa McGuffin Twitter: @Sputnik_News

I read every compliment before posting it, making sure that there is no harassment, racism, or any discrimination towards one another. So far, there has been no issue with that, says the creator. He also has no intention of letting this group fade away like many other groups on Facebook do. I plan on building this and keep it ongoing, but I want the staff or someone higher in the ladder to control the account, and to make it an official, he says. To be a part of this optimistic group, all you have to do is add Laurier Brantford Compliments on Facebook, and either send a note to your friends to be tagged in, or wait for your name to be tagged on its own.

Why not have Faith?

Dozens of beaming kids everywhereeating hot dogs, playing board games, and shooting some pool. It was very clear they all thought of the Why Not Youth Centre as a home. Amidst the laughter and chaos, Krystal Froman spotted me from across the room. The Why Not City Mission initiative has reached out to local homeless and troubled youth by providing them with food and clothing while fostering relationships that improve self-growth. Froman immediately began flipping through a rough copy of Word on the Street, her very own newspaper that encourages healthy living, allows for youths voices to be heard, and inspires them to follow their dreams. I see it as a tool for Why Not, a tool for the community, a tool for me. I see it being a tool for everyone involved performers, journalists and youth, said Froman. Her two-year-old daughter, Juliana, excitedly points to a photograph of her at the ball hockey tournament Froman held for the Why Not kids. Word on the Street features local talent, Why Not events, inspirational messages, and the kids own work. After months of work, the first issue is finally ready to print. Once the printer is back up and running, coloured copies will be in readers hands. Froman wants the youth to feel the support around them she understands them like no other. Froman, 21, spent the first few years of her life on the Six Nations reserve until she and her mother left her abusive, drug addicted father to live in Brantford. Due to violence, Froman ran away from home at 11 years old. For two years, she bounced from couch to foster home to juvenile jail. At 13, her father introduced her to hard drugs. This is when the Why Not Youth Centre comes into play. She started getting free breakfast there and attending Sunday services at church. Even when she reeked of alcohol and had two black eyes, she was welcomed with open arms. I went to jail, I was hurt, I was lost, I was confused, I was desperate and I was looking for an answer. I picked up the Bible and I found it. I grew a relationship with God and I started to open my eyes to the truth, to life and to love, said Froman. When she was 18, working two jobs and finishing high school, the Executive Directors of Why Not, Amy and Trevor Beecraft, took her to Mexico on a mission trip. Feed-

by Karly Rath Twitter: @Sputnik_News

ing less fortunate families in slums really opened her eyes and she began to appreciate her own life. Despite her nerves, Froman even shared her testimony at a youth prison, which brought tears to some. She recalls one experience that certainly solidified that she was on the right path. She always took the bus, but on this particular day, she walked to school. Mind whirring from the intense brawl she had just been in, she popped in her headphones. The song Lord Give Me a Sign by DMX came on and she put it on repeat. Right at that moment, she stepped over a book on the sidewalk. Not a magazine, not a phone book, but a 60year-old, yellow-paged book entitled Peace with God. As I was slowly reading through the chapters, I watched my life transform as I read it. It gets to this point, Im just sitting by the river and the sunset and it says, Congratulationsyouve found peace with God, said Froman. Seconds after recalling the memory, the printer started working. Froman squealed her hard work was about to pay off. Trying to not get distracted by her sheer excitement, she continued with her story. People say believing in God is illogical. The Bible told me

to ask for an answer, I asked for one and received it in an extraordinary way. Dismissing that answer would be illogical, she said. One month after having Juliana, Froman, 19 at the time, graduated high school. After being accepted to Laurier Brantfords Youth and Childrens Studies program, she realized it was not right for her. Froman refuses to miss her daughters childhood and load up on energy drinks just to meet daily deadlines. Going to university is following a pay cheque, [volunteering at Why Not] is following my dream, she said. Between teaching break dancing to Why Not kids, working part-time at Tim Hortons and being a single mother, Froman is training to be a certified personal trainer for the YMCA. I feel like every bullcrap thing I ever went through made me who I am today. Its really a blessing, said Froman. Froman, suddenly bubblier than ever, jumps up out of her chair to see her finished product in Trevors hands. She gushes about how the kids will love seeing their names in graffiti fonts. Word on the Street is ready to spread.

X-Men, not X-Women

They were the heroes of your childhood. The team of superheroes you could actually see yourself being a part of. They were the X-Men, a team of mutant men and women each born with a unique set of superpowers. This year, Marvel is bringing them back in a bold new way. In their latest incarnation, creators Brian Wood and Oliver Coipel have put together an all female team of X-Men to fight off an impending invasion of alien forces. Wood and Coipel are A-List creators in the comic book world and have managed to generate a lot of buzz for their new pet project. Marvel doesnt have the best track record when it comes to producing female heroes, often ignoring them or drawing them like soft-core porn stars. But X-Men has been one of the few avenues where Marvel has managed to get it right. Theyve created a slew of powerful, strong willed heroines and are now taking advantage of that with this new series. The cover art alone speaks volumes of Wood and Coipels enlightened approach. Rather than falling back on anatomically incorrect cleavage shots (that female heroes are subjected to far too often), Wood and Coipels cover looks like a poster for an all girl rock band. Of course, this doesnt necessarily mean the series itself will be good, but in the comic book world the cover can actually say quite a bit about whats inside a books pages. Before the first issue has even been released though, there has been an online push by some fans to change the title of the series. As of right now the series is simply being called X-Men, but some fans have been suggested that an all female team needs its own title. X-Women and XX were two of the main suggestions tweeted to creator Brian Wood. Thankfully, Woods responses to these tweets show why hes exactly the right person to be writing this series. ...Over my dead body, he tweeted, Theyre X-Men. Always have been. Hes quite right too. Storm, Rouge and Jubilee, the leading members of this new X-Men series, have all been long time members of the X-Men team. From the very beginning, XMen has never been a team of just men. Its what makes the series so appealing. Anyone can be a mutant and anyone can be hero (or villain if thats your thing). The men in X-Men has always been a reference to the notso-politically-correct term mankind and the fact mutants stand apart from them. The title has never been a reference to gender of its team members, but the fact that were having this debate now highlights an unfortunate tendency of todays post-feminist society.

by Caitlin Henshaw Twitter: @Sputnik_News

In the patriarchal days of past, women often banded together as a way of empowering themselves against female oppression. There was strength in numbers and all girl groups were a means of rebelling against the male dominated system that refused to admit them. The point of declaring to the world we are women though was not to set women apart. Feminism at its core has always been about equality. For the most part, North American society has managed to achieve that goal, at least in a legal sense. Society always takes a bit more time to catch up though as this X-Women debate has shown. Its funny too because this desire to label the team XWomen doesnt actually spawn from some sexist desire to set women apart. At the heart of it, I would chalk this up to humanitys obsessive need to group and label everything. Its understandable too. Labels make things easier for us. They allow us to attach traits to people and make assumptions without actually having to get to know a person. When people see a group of super powered women they want to call them a group of women, rather than just a group. The label women makes things more specific and easier for our brains to understand. The problem though is that if this were a group of all super powered men, we wouldnt feel the same need to label them so. Its the backlash we feel of a once male dominated so-

ciety. Men are still considered the norm. Women are something different, a deviation from the norm. It doesnt matter that mentally, physically and legally women can do just about anything men can do. Nor does it matter that all people, male or female, are far more complicated than their gender label implies. We still feel this innate desire to put them in a neat little box. Thus, spawns our need to label this new X-Team as X-Women. Lucky for us, Brian Wood understands that a character is more than just their gender. In an interview with Wired magazine he stated, The key to writing good female characters is simply to try to understand them on a human level first, and then consider the character from a perspective of gender. Its sad that Im so shocked to hear these words coming out of the mouth of a man. Thinking of them as a person first? Considering their brains before their breasts? By God, what a revolutionary thought! But hearing it gives me hope for both humanity and the future of the Marvel franchise. At the end of the day, all anyone wants is to be seen for what they are: people. In the land of capes and heroes, that goes double. This new team X-Men may be women, but theyre heroes first.

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March 2013

Johnny Cash, Incentive, and a Crazy Life

My whole life is defined through music. I can take you back to almost any season in my life and tell you what song was significant for me at that time. Three summers ago the song was God Is Great, Beer Is Good, People Are Crazy. That wasnt a good season. I suppose I should explain a bit. My name is Brian Beattie and Im a music junky. Im a husband, a father, a leader, a business man, a pastor and a music junky. For the record, I'm not writing to advocate for alcohol or against crazy people, but for music. Lately, I have spent a lot of time with my boys and their band Incentive. I find myself living out some of my teenage dreams vicariously through them, as I drive them from gig to gig. These guys are incredibly talented and will make far more of their music than I ever did. Let's go back 50 years. Jeff Foxworthy says you may be a Redneck if the directions to your house include the phrase, "turn off the paved road. Now, I wouldn't call my family rednecks, but people who have visited our family home have made the case. We definitely lived off the paved road. As the youngest kid in a family of seven, I was raised on heavy doses of country music; I mean, heavy doses. Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tom T. Hall. Even today, I may not be able to remember someone's name that I met yesterday, but I can't forget words to obscure old songs like A Boy named Sue, or The Year that Clayton Delaney Died. I used to spend countless hours sitting beside my parents record player, learning the words to these songs, and learning how to play acoustic and bass guitar along with them. My teenage years were filled with the music of Andre Crouche. I had never heard christian music before, but the guy who picked us up for the church youth group Id joined, played an old eight-track of Andre Crouch and the Disciples, Live from Carnegie Hall, every week. Songs like, Jesus is the Answer, and He looked Beyond My Faults (and saw my needs), still have powerful, emotional connections to me. In my late teen years, a friend and I memorized an entire album of The Statler Brothers and dreamed of becoming singers and travelling the world. Then, there was that one summer, during my bible college training, where a buddy and I worked as lumberjacks in Northern Ontario to help his brother-in-law plant a church. I still laugh when I tell the story of how I was threatened with death by a drunken lumberjack. Music helped me get through that summer alive. Through the years, I have gained an appreciation for many different styles of music, all playing a significant part, both in my past and in my present. So, why am I telling you all this? Why do you want to hear my trip down memory lane? Let me make a couple quick and easy applications. Some reading this article are wondering if theyll ever be free of the emotional or relational struggle they feel bound by. Let's face it, life gets crazy sometimes. I remember talking to my sister when she was in the midst of a challenging time in her life, during which we both shared a mutual admiration for the Tim McGraw song Live Like you were Dying. It became a source of inspiration for both of us. Others are wondering when God is going to answer that prayer theyve brought to him, more times than they care

by Brian Beattie Facebook: Brian Beattie

to remember. To you, I submit the words of The Gaither Vocal Band song, Give Up: "Now if you got burden's too hard to bear/ Oh, and if your load is more than your share/ Kneel, kneel down, talk to Jesus because I, I know and I know He cares/And He'll, He'll make a way, make a way for us somehow." Whatever you are facing, try this, find the truth in a song that has brought meaning and purpose into your life, and allow the words to come alive for you again. I don't care if it's country, gospel, rock, classical or Zamphir and his pan flute, there is something powerful about music that can remarkably change the course of a day. Here's a hint for you that works for me, I have found the greater the challenge, the greater the need for increased volume. So, don't let circumstances or bumps along the road of life steal your passion. Turn up the radio, crank up your Ipod, and join in on a song that elevates you above whatever is trying to hold you down. And, if you need a little help finding a song, you can sing along with me about how God is great, with or without the beer and the crazy people.

Brantfords Hip Hop Renaissance

Many years ago, when asked about the hip hop scene in Brantford, most people wouldnt have a response. The fact of the matter is, hip hop has been isolated only to those who show interest in this form of art. A very select few. Recently, the genre has really expanded and has begun to reach a more diverse audience within the city. The new generation of young people has birthed a more diverse and creative hip hop pool. With new artists and new styles developing, it seems to be catching the attention of a whole new spectrum of listeners and fans. Hip Hop concerts are becoming a highly renowned entertainment attraction for the local youth, including the Laurier student body. Hip hop is no longer a stereotypical gangster movement. It is a portal for youth to show expression and talent in both writing and performing. One of the most recent hip hop sensations to rise out of Bell City is a rapper, and audio engineer named Donsai. Donsai realized his love for music at a young age. At age 11, Donsais musical passion began with his love for reggae music. He remembers blasting tunes by reggae artists like Sizzla, Red Rat and Snow. He soon broadened his musical spectrum to the rap world, listening to old school hip hop talents such as Maestro, Cypress Hill and Domino. At this stage Donsai was consciously aware that hip hop was his love. He began writing and recording at home on his karaoke machine. At age 14, Donsai began saving his wages from his part-time job at a local pizza place. Within six months he had saved enough money to begin purchasing his own studio equipment. He quickly became a self-taught audio engineer; engineering and mastering his own recordings. That same year he released his first album entitled Jackd Beats. He went on to release a number of minor albums and mix tapes, some of which can be found at The Beat Goes On music store in Brantford. His musical library includes Moments of Contradictions, Lyri-Killings, My Mix Tape and A Wednesday. Donsai has been a part of the local underground hip hop scene since 2006. He has been performing and pushing his music since the age of 17, and continues to do so in numerous local bars and clubs in the Brantford area. Local venues include Club NV, Sagittarius Vibes, Charlies and The Alexander Tavern. For his latest project he blends a mixture of positive, inspirational lyrics, with a catchy rhythmic melody. His album Lets Cut Tha Formalities is due to be released this month.

by Patrick Michalski Twitter: @DonsaiRUR

Donsai is fortunate to have had his music played on some college radio stations in Ontario, however he plans to take this sound to a provincial level and one day possibly receive national exposure. In the future, Donsai hopes to take the album on a small provincial tour across Ontario. Whenever Donsai isnt writing, recording, performing or hosting events, he spends his time in the studio recording, engineering and mixing for other underground hip hop artists. Some of the local Brantford talent he has engineered for includes Maloney (Came and Gone), Tyler Durand (NoScuzacks) and Lipinski (Isolation), along with countless others from Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Kitchener and so on. The demand for hip hop in Brantford is rapidly growing, with each generation of youth showing more interest in expressing their thoughts and ideas through rhyme, or just listening to and enjoying a fresh sound, never before showcased in the city. Donsai is an inspiration to Bell Citys unknown hip hop community. His motivation and dedication to bringing back hip hop, and making the community aware of our very own raw talent, inspires others to turn up the volume on full blast so the world can share in the poetry that is hip hop.

War 1812: A Unique Perspective

The history of this great country precedes the official birth of the nation in 1867, although sadly, not many Canadians are fully aware of our heritage. The war of 1812 set the stage for the eventual birth of Canada. Camaraderie and nationwide unity were two important factors that resulted from the 30-month long conflict that pitted America versus Canada. The Department of Canadian Heritage conducted a survey on the war of 1812 knowledge. Only 14 per cent of interviewees could properly name the countries involved in the war, not to mention key figures, battles or the eventual outcome. Stephen Harpers Conservative government has publicly stated he wants to show Canadians why the war mattered, hence the television commercials, documentaries and peace celebrations nationwide. So, how much do you know about the war of 1812? Brantford, known then as Brants Fording Place, was the site of a small skirmish near the end of the war, but also played a vital role as a transportation corridor for soldiers and militiamen travelling between the Detroit frontier and Niagara Frontier. The final battle of the war (at least on Canadian soil) took place in Oakland, and is widely referred to as the Battle of Malcolms Mills. 1812 Pictorial Trails: 200th Anniversary is a unique look at the events of this decisive war, as they occurred in Upper Canada. The text is factual and is complimented by photographs of battlefield sites, monuments and re-enactments from communities across southwestern Ontario and the Golden Horseshoe area. Martin Love, a Brantford resident, is the professional photographer behind the pictures displayed in the book. He spent a lot of time and effort researching period clothing and weapons in order to simulate events from the war. The book opens with a prologue that discusses the factors that led to the start of the war. This educates the reader on why America invaded Canada in the first place. The next few pages are biographies on the influential soldiers and warriors who fought in Upper Canada throughout 1812-1815. The battles are described chronologically, and each individual story concludes with a paragraph that outlines what monuments were erected as a result of the war and what commemoration events take place annually to honour the soldiers. The book concludes with a look at todays Canadian/American relationship and how it has flourished over the past 200 years. To highlight the 200th anniversary there are two special interviews at the back of the book. The first is with Bob Rennie, a war re-enactor who portrays his four-time

by Casandra Bellefeuille

great-grandfather Lieutenant Colonel Henry Bostwick. Bostwick was in charge of the 1st Oxford Militia, which at the time included the township of Burford. The second interview focuses on the war through a First Nations perspective. Keith Jamieson, director of the Six Nations Legacy Consortium, speaks of the war and the ongoing conflict that exists today regarding Native Nations acknowledgement, heritage and land claims. As one of the authors, we felt it was important to end the book on that note, speaking of the important role of First Nations warriors. With an educational background in print journalism, Im no stranger to copious research and I always welcome the opportunity to increase my knowledge on a variety of subjects, especially history. As the author of 1812 Pictorial Trails I will admit Ive become even more educated not only on the history of Canada, the events of this war, but also on the importance of acknowledging the actions of indigenous people from the past, present and future. History is a fascinating subject. The events of yesterday led to the successes of today and possibilities of tomorrow. June 1812 to December 1814 is an essential piece of Canadian military history. I believe that this book outlines the milestones and pays tribute to the men and women who were so vastly different but were able to find common ground to protect the eventual birth of a prosperous country.

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Page 7

What Cuba taught me about Expression

by Paul Smith email: paul@photohouse.ca
I could feel my hands begin to sweat, as they tightly squeezed the cracked leather seat in the back of a 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air. Like many of the taxis in Cuba, our vintage ride was without a working fuel gauge, speedometer, and of course, seatbelts. As the rain poured down leaving Havana, a small wiper cleared the view just in front of our drivers eyes. I had been hired to photograph a wedding in Cuba. Because the trip was a week long, and Havana was only one hour away, I had an amazing opportunity to visit the city. Cuba has been a communist state since 1959. And although it boasts a very impressive literacy rate, freedom of speech is, in some cases, heavily censored. As I sat in that car, I realized how much I take freedom of speech for granted, but more importantly, freedom of expression. For me, one of the most compelling types of censorship in Cuba is against religious groups. Not until recently has Cuba allowed religious groups to operate and serve the communities around them. Expression is not just the things we say and write, it is the actions we take and kindness we share. Freedom of expression is something some of us take for granted because we dont realize that more important than standing behind your ideals, is standing up and defending the ideals of others. Im honored to be part of the Advocate because it represents the truest form of expression. And I am honored to have my work on its pages.

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March 2013

I Remember when Broadcasting was Fun

Ive been broadcasting in one form or another for nearly 20 years and if theres one thing that I know its that everyone in this industry tells stories about WKRP like they worked there. "Remember when Johnny Fever locked me in the bathroom stall?" Enough already. You never worked with Howard Hesseman! I may actually be the only radio guy over 30 who didn't watch the blessed show. Although I do understand the allure, because the era of broadcast it depicts was a time of renegade hijinks that have been largely sucked dry by tight formatting and bland radio ga-ga. But I do have my own broadcasting good ole days, growing up as a smart-mouthed kid in Brantford with more guts than sense. The politically correct Christian side of me might qualify it as destiny, but I always say that I fell ass-backwards into broadcasting. It all started one drunken high school evening, as many stories do, while watching one of my favorite shows on Rogers Cable called Barbershop Talk. It was bizarre, charming and delightful local TV. Al Cooper (who is still an actual barber) on a barbershop set hosting local ne'er-do-wells in barber chairs, shooting the breeze about daily jibber jabber. I HAD to get in on this action. I called the show that night and said, Hey Al... I do impressions. Wanna hear them? Clearly an offer too enticing to pass up, he agreed as I rattled off my standard routine of Johnny Carson, Ed McMahon and George Bush (the first one). Al liked it and I became a regular on the show as a High School Comedian. Why did they call me that? Cuz that's what I told them I was. I once even played Barney Fife in an Andy Griffith Show remake episode. Surreal. After that, they gave me my own half hour comedy talk-show called The Dave Carrol Show. My first episode broke copyright laws because I thought that the ingredients of Frontenac eggnog were funny to read. As it turns out, this is a frustrating thing for a high school punk to do to a station manager. I walked around in my underwear in the old Eatons Mall, frolicking in the fountain for the camera until being removed. I even convinced my friend to be in a segment called Craft Minute with Phil where he sat in his boxer shorts spread-eagle (a near wardrobe malfunction) while making a popsicle stick raft. One day I was at the Brantford Smoke hockey game, and a man came up to me with a bleeding eye, having shut a car door on his own face. Peering through the stream of blood he excitedly yelled, "Hey! You're Dave Carrol! Wow! Do you have a kleenex? I knew I needed to be on radio too. My friend, now a wellknown motivational speaker, being part-native had scored himself an hour of airtime on CKRX late on a Sunday Night. He told me I could co-host the show, where hed spin 90s hip hop and Id bring my arsenault of characters for fake interviews. But Id have to pretend to be native. Please forgive my high school self for saying yes. Ya see, the girls all listened and laughed. I went to Niagara College to learn the trade for real. By that I mean disciplining myself to make it through newscasts while having a pressed ham on the glass in front of me. I realized the secret-celebrity-world broadcasting let you into the day I covered an event where I peed at a urinal beside Polka King Walter Ostenek, and had my camera guy catch Eddie Shack in mid-fall down a winding staircase. Out of college, I got to host a coast-to-coast, all-night television call-in show on CTSTV. It was TV that doesnt really exist in the real world: 2.5 hours LIVE commercial-free. Along with

by Dave Carrol Twitter: @davecarrol

my brother, we fielded questions like: "How do I make myrrh so I can bathe in it like Queen Esther?" My friend Sam was our call-screener (or The Screenenator as our luminous flaming graphic showed) and routinely put the most colorful calls to the top of our list. On my brother's final show I crammed a Boston Cream Donut into his face. Bet that hadnt been done on CTS before... or since. I got to help start CFWC, Brantfords Christian radio station, from the ground up. That meant doing eight jobs for the salary of one high school Blockbuster Video employee. But it was a blast. I sang my own intro to my morning show, which was followed by my newscast, which faded into the ads written and voiced by me. I would routinely have character conversations with myself on the air, often as Mr. Gus Mcgillicutty who was a janitor from the deep south who just loved to go sweepin de gym. It was wildcat, freestyle, fun radio. Broadcasting has been my vocation for almost 15 years. It has afforded this creative wingnut the space to speak into the air and, more importantly, into peoples lives. But it used to be more fun, and more effective too. At the risk of sounding curmudgeonly, shortsightedness and tightened economic restrictions have turned something that long had the COOL factor into something that is often not. I don't think it has to stay that way. There are ways to make money and still give room for personality, exploration and fun. Mediums will change, as will cultures of communication. Not even WKRP is sacred. That day is gone. But it would behoove broadcasters to think back to WHY they listened to the radio in their bedroom as a kid, as we create the future.

The second pressing issue in motor vehicle insurance today is The Minor Injury Guideline. The Minor Injury Guideline is designed to cap a claimant's entitlement to benefits to a maximum of $3,500.00 where their injuries fall within the definition of Minor Injury as set out in the Statutory Accident Benefit schedule. Pursuant to the Accident Benefit schedule "minor injury" means one or more of a sprain, strain, whiplash associated disorder, contusion, abrasion, laceration or subluxation and includes any clinically associated sequelae to such an injury. There is a further provision which states "Despite the $3,500 limit in subsection (1) it shall not apply to an insured person if his or her health practitioner determines and provides compelling evidence that the insured person has a pre-existing medical condition that will prevent the insured person from achieving maximal recovery from the minor injury if the insured person is subject to the $3,500 limit or is limited to the good and services authorized under the Minor Injury Guideline. The determination of the applicability of the Minor Injury Guideline is made by treatment providers and or insurance adjusters. Practically this is extremely prejudicial to the injured claimant as due to fee schedule changes that accompanied the implementation of the Minor Injury Guideline there are financial incentives for treatment providers to complete an OCF 23 which will place someone in the Minor Injury Guideline. Further treatment providers may not have access or the qualifications to undertaking the detailed medical review of the claimant's pre-existing health issues to determine if the insured person has a medical condition that will prevent him from achieving maximal recovery if he is subject to the $3,500.00 limit. The obvious question is "What happens if the claimant does not agree that he or she should be in the Minor Injury category?" The onus than shifts to the claimant to provide the insurer with compelling medical evidence at his own expense to justify his removal from the Minor Injury Guideline. The insurer may also arrange a date for an Insurer's Examination and if that examiner agrees the insured person will be removed from the Minor Injury Guideline. (*Note the cost of this examination comes from the medical benefits available to the insured which if the insured's injuries are not catastrophic and not within the Minor Injury Guideline are capped at $50,000.00). If the insurer will not remove the claimant from the Minor Injury Guideline the claimant's best course of action is to issue a claim against the insurer, however this option is time consuming and expensive. There are serious implications to persons injured in motor vehicle collisions if their injuries are categorized as falling within the Minor Injury Guideline which are summarized as follows: 1) The $3,500.00 allotment is quickly used up and will only fund a very limited amount of treatment. 2) Being in the Minor Injury may make it more difficult to find a lawyer who is willing to provide representation. 3) As there is no fast way out of the Minor Injury Guideline recovery may be delayed by an inability to access treatment in a timely fashion. In order to maximize the chances of the insurer voluntarily removing the claimant from the Minor Injury Guideline it is imperative that the claimant work closely with their family doctor who can provide documentation to confirm injuries that may make the Minor Injury Guideline inapplicable and/or confirm that pre-existing health issues which make it unlikely that the claimant can reach maximal medical recovery from the injuries sustained in the collision if treatment expenses are capped at $3,500.00. At this juncture it is significant that the implications of the Minor Injury Guideline remain untested by the courts. Without case law to define the parameters of the Minor Injury Guideline there are no safeguards in place to protect claimants from the Minor Injury Guideline being arbitrarily applied by insurers who are under an obligation to exercise good faith when they are adjusting claims who may face bad faith claims if a court determines their refusal to remove someone from the Minor Injury Guideline based upon compelling medical evidence was unreasonable. This could also ground a claim for punitive damages.

First Impressions Revisited

We were camping in Wasaga beach, and we were pregnant with our third child. At the end of the holiday, just as we were leaving the campground, we decided that instead of going back to Elliott Lake, we would return to Guelph. So, to Guelph we went. Within a week, Id found a job. It was difficult to adjust to having to punch a timecard again. The five years Id spent working in the mines, I didnt have to punch a card. What we had to do at the mine was hand in our time card to the shift supervisor at the beginning of the shift. The supervisor, in turn, would hand the time card back to you at the end of the shift. This way, if there were any cards left in the supervisors time card rack, it would be known that someone was still underground. I lasted on that job for about three weeks. It was chaotic. There was no regard for safety, and the job was not challenging. Yes, having worked in the mines changed me. So, I wanted to be challenged. I was not aware that the biggest challenge for me was yet to come. Within two weeks or so, a friend helped me secure employment with the same company that had laid me off before I went to Elliott Lake, but this time, it was under a different name. I stayed in that place for about ten years. Throughout this time I was enduring a fight within myself. Sort of like, I knew I could do better, but this is all I thought I deserved. I started to question my behaviour and how I interacted with others. The truth is I was a very nasty, unpleasant person, who always worked hard to be left alone. Just tell me what you want me to do and leave me alone. I was fortunate to have always worked in a unionized shop, so I was protected. My work never caused any problems, on the contrary, I often got praised for my work. It was my attitude that was not liked. I remember when I was in third and fourth grade, the school I was in had a reward system: At the end of the year, they would pick the best student over all. Twice I was nominated for the best student, and twice I failed to secure first place. My teacher told me, if I were to behave better I would probably get first place. You see, I was always doing something other than paying attention in class. I was often going to la la land. You know, when you just stare into space, sort of like you are here, but you are not. On the rare occasions when I actually paid attention to what the teacher was saying, I would be so focused on the teacher that I would not even blink, and a furrow would form on my forehead. That way of paying attention got me into a lot of trouble later on in life, especially with people who were not so sure of themselves. I did that for so long and so often that I scowled even without thinking. Now, when Im

by Roberto E. Salazar

paying attention, I open my eyes wide, but I do still catch myself frowning from time to time. It was in my early thirties that I started to change. One thing that has been persistent throughout my life, has been a love for reading. In fact, when I was bored, I used to go to a bookstore and browse. I would wait until a book spoke to me, peruse it and buy it if the book captivated me. That is how I found a book called Healing The Child Within. I was taken by the title, and then BANG! The greatest challenge of my life was in front of me. What does it a child within mean? I did the exercises and that put me on a path of self-reflection, self-analysis, selfdiscovery and self-love. So, I started to feed the, I can do better, side of my inner struggle. I changed my attitude. I studied the bible for a while in an attempt to find peace. There is a lot of good advice in that book. I often argue that if humans were to follow the teachings in there, the world would be a better place for sure. That goes for all the religious groups. They all talk about love, but they all have a very funny way of showing that love. I found that looking outside myself was not helping to find the peace that I was seeking. Then, I started to train in Karate Do (the way of the empty hand). Through this way of living, I recovered my self-esteem and my attitude continued to change. No longer was I saying I can do better, I was saying that I can do anything I want. Today, I still say so.

*** Picture: Laceration to leg suffered by a 85 year old woman who was a pedestrian using a walker when she was struck by a car in the parking lot of the building where she resides. This injury was characterized as falling within the Minor Injury Guideline which capped her treatment costs at $3,500.00. This case was resolved after we issued a Statement of claim against her insurer. Any reader questions or comments are welcome and can be submitted to legallisa@morellkelly.com or feel free to pop into our Brantford office at 515 Park Road North to make an inquiry. Lisa Morell Kelly Morell Kelly Personal Injury Law 515 Park Road North Brantford, Ontario N3R 7K8 (519) 720-0110

March 2013

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Page 9

My Veritas Experience
Recently I was asked to speak at the Veritas Forum at Laurier Brantford. This forum is part of a network of forums hosted in Universities across the globe. Theyre designed to create discussion about the role of religion and faith in communities. This years forum was specifically designed to look at the role of faith communities as they relate to social justice. As our host for the evening Rick Gamble pointed out, the evening was designed to help build bridges. I shared the stage with some pretty remarkable people like Charlie Kopczyk (Why Not City Missions), Dr. Robert Feagan (Laurier Brantford), and Dr. Anne Marie Zajdlik (The Masai Centre for Local, Regional and Global Health/Bracelets of Hope). The question we were to answer that evening was, how can people of varied beliefs move forward together to work for justice in our world? I spoke and was grateful for the opportunity to share in the evening. Since then I have thought more about where social justice and faith communities intersect: For me it started when I was growing up. As a kid in Eagle Place, I was a part of Our Lady of Fatima Church. During my confirmation process, my community service was teaching Sunday School at the church. This was in Grade eight, making me perhaps the youngest Sunday school teacher in the area. I learned a lot from Father James Mihm during that time. The best learning happened when I heard him helping congregants after mass. People would come to Father Mihm with a variety of issues, from the personal to the systemic. In catholic high school I became more aware of social justice, activism and ways to organize, but in university it almost completely passed me by. I went to university in Ottawa, the hub of political activity in this country, where major protests happened regularly, but I didnt attend one. I just didnt connect with any of the movements that were there. I still have the Noam Chomsky and Naomi Klein books I was supposed to read for my classes, but didn't. Luckily I joined a debate team. In these staged arguments, we were forced to defend positions we often didn't agree with because we were randomly cast into that role. I recommend this, for understanding the thoughts of other people. These experiences allowed for me to not just fall into a mindset but instead to test my thoughts, to ask questions, to ponder all sides of an issue with others who were interested in doing the same.
Marc Laferriere, Rev. Randy Mackenzie, Rev. Barry Pridham at Heritage United Church Pride Week 2012

by Marc Laferriere Twitter: @MarcLaferriere

food drives and red kettle campaigns, also do the front line work many others can't or wont. The Sikh Association of Brantford is so welcoming and interested in taking care of those in need. At the Veritas forum I wore a shirt that said I Pledge Humanity, which I received at an event held at the local Gurudwara. The conversations I have had with members of that community around health, leadership, and the moral imperative to help those who need, are inspiring. The Muslim community in Brant who are at the front line of many local and international social justice issues, are another great example. Mohammed El-Farram and many others from this community have done great advocacy work and have helped to build bridges through education between communities. My friends who live in Native Spirituality, I see them often working to help others, to heal, to educate, and to work past oppression and ignorance. Rev. Cathy Diltz and Rev. Barry Pridham have gone above and beyond in this community to take a stand to say that the LGBT community is welcome. I'll be forever changed by the non-denominational service they had before the Pride Walk last year. Members of the LGBT community had tears streaming down their face, as they were asked to come and receive bread and were accepted into the church. For many of them religion was a part of their life that they valued but for so long was closed off to them, just for being who they are. As a social worker I see the practical supports that religious communities offer in food, housing, and financial help for those in need. Ive also been able to see, for many of my clients, that religious communities have offered them a place where they are welcome and accepted. For those who find faith to be something that fits their lives, I have seen the less practical but no less important need for belonging, emotional support and friendship met by local communities of faith. Were very lucky. For all the faith communities Ive listed there are literally dozens more locally who do similar work. Often these faith communities work together with the greater community, on boards and projects of interest to us all. Again, the question we were to answer at The Veritas Forum was, how can people of varied beliefs move forward together to work for justice in our world? Having thought about it some more, I think the answer is actually pretty simple: Do what we already do in Brantford.

Saving is an Everyday Part of Life.

Saving is an everyday part of life. Whether for retirement, education, that new house or collectible widget, saving helps us achieve our financial goals. The question of where we save is topic we are addressing over the next few issues. In the eyes of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) there are three vehicles that consumers can save in; Registered, Non-Registered & Tax Free. All have a defined purpose and all should be considered by investors in creating a sound financial plan that will help you achieve whatever goals you have. In this issue we wish to discuss broad savings vehicle; the Non-Registered Savings Plan (NRSP). Serving the same role as personal savings, NRSPs can help individuals save for short and/or long-term goals such as education, vacation, home purchase or even to supplement retirement income. Compared to an RRSP the taxation is very different and depending on the type of investment you purchase, NRSPs can be very tax efficient. Offering a wide variety of investment options like GICs, bonds, basic savings; in this issue we will focus on the options that generate Capital Gains / Losses such as funds, stocks or property. Taxes in the case of Capital Gains / Losses are applied whenever there is a deemed disposition. This means whenever any property is sold, the tax will be applied to the difference between the purchase price and the value at the time of sale. For example, if you buy a Widget for $1 and then sell it for $2 only the gain is taxable. On the other hand if you sell this property for a loss (bought for $1 & sold for 0.50 cents) then you can actually use that loss to offset any future gains. One key element here to know is that only 50% of the Gain or Loss is subject to taxation. We want our clients to think about where their tax consequence lies when deciding on what savings vehicle works best for them. Lets compare what weve discussed so far; 1) RRSP - The tax deferred savings advantage of an RRSP is a very powerful option but the consequence lies at withdrawal. For example, if you wish to withdraw $10,000 to take a trip then 100% of the withdrawal is subject to tax in your tax bracket. As well, this withdrawal will increase your T4 income and could potentially put you in a higher tax bracket. 2) Non-Registered Savings When it comes to Capital Gains / Losses you have a choice of when you wish to pay the tax, so the consequence is either along the way or at withdrawal. As well, since only 50% of the Capital Gain is subject to tax, the worst case scenario would be if your entire $10,000 withdrawal is considered a capital gain. In this situation only $5,000 is taxable, which represents a huge savings when compared to an RRSP. More importantly, if you choose to realize some of your gains or losses and pay the tax along the way, your tax burden could be lessened significantly. Confused? Understandable, because this is definitely an area where professional advice is needed. As well, weve only touched the surface on the advantages and disadvantages of Registered and Non-Registered savings. To add fuel to the fire, in next months issue were going to discuss the Tax Free Savings Account, better known as the TFSA. If you wish to talk about your financial goals and how we can help you achieve them give us a call, were here to help. Alford & Associates is a family

If youre trying to build bridges this sort of exercise is so incredibly helpful. Now as a social worker, I get to work on social justice issues like oppression, mental health stigma, youth issues, senior abuse, indigenous rights, poverty and their effects on systems. Ive been able to see how people from various faith communities and people who have no faith background can work together on social justice issues in a collaborative way. Our community is full of people who exemplify this: Jonathan Massimi, my paisan, who literally stays up at night thinking about ways he can affect neighbourhood change in a neighbourhood that needs it. Hes very much opened my eyes as to how faith communities can contribute to social justice causes. Dave Carrol and Brian Beattie also write often for the Brant Advocate about their adventures on the front line of a downtown church, and how that experience can be transformational. Charlie and Sue Kopczyk, along with Trevor and Amy Beecraft, whose work I've seen the benefit of first hand, as Ive spent a many a night at Why Not Youth Centres. Ive watched retired Rev. Randy Mackenzie organize his congregants to help others and I see the folks at Heritage United still working diligently in the same vein. My friends at the Salvation Army, who I've been involved with for years on

With a shake, Laurier makes a mark on Brantford

by Jesse Ferguson

On Thursday, February 14, Laurier Brantford galvanized in front of the Carnegie Building to show what a small school can do by executing a flawless version of the Harlem Shake. The Harlem Shake is a dance based on the song by electronic musician Baauer. How it works, typically, is one person, surrounded by seemingly unaware people, begins dancing to the song alone. But when the bass drops, the camera transitions to the entire crowd doing the dance, wearing ridiculous outfits, which range from costumes to minimal clothing, while boasting equally strange props. The Shake has become an internet sensation. Just this month, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, TSNs SportsCentre, and a few campuses did their own versions of it. So why not Laurier Brantford? Thats what Ashkan Moubed thought when he decided to kick-start an initiative for Laurier Brantford to have the event. I thought it would be a great way to put our small campus on the map, he said. He joined forces with Oje Izirien, a proud fellow student and DJ at Club NV, to spread the word and make the event happen. The response was a resounding success and the actual turnout was even better. Moubed estimates actual attendance of this event to be between 450 to 500 students! All crammed on one staircase in front of one building. We were incredibly surprised with the turnout and are exceptionally pleased, gloats Izirien. Jessika Miller, a school ambassador, says Laurier Brantford is quite small compared to the typical university size. But we can still bring the same school spirit as the biggest ones, she claims, then asserts, if not more. Laurier-Brantfords population of 2,400 is dust in the wind compared to giants such as Western in London, which claims its enrolment to be north of 35,000. Miller estimates enrolment at the main campus of Wilfrid Laurier (Waterloo) to be around 15,000. This makes Brantford a satellite campus, and seemingly an afterthought. A lot of people dont even know about our campus, Moubed admitted disappointedly.

Laurier Brantford holds some parallels with Burford District High School, which was so small compared to neighbouring high schools that it eventually succumbed and closed. But Laurier Brantford isnt going anywhere. Its numbers are growing, and school spirit hit an all-time high with this event. Katie Skinner, a Laurier-Brantford graduate in 2012 said, I've never been more proud of Laurier-Brantford. Although the 450 to 500 attendees was not the biggest Harlem Shake on record, Moubed claims to have topped Western, Guelph, McMaster, and Brocks numbers. Eighteen percent of Laurier Brantfords student population attended the event, a fairly remarkable feat. I like to think we bring it, Miller concluded. I think we've proved that numbers definitely dont matter, Moubed asserted. We are a close-knit community that comes together with exceptional spirit and conviction. I was pretty impressed for such a small school, that so many people came out and joined in, said Izirien, who persisted that the video show the Victoria Park statues, which are in view from the Carnegie Building, because they have become an adopted monument for the school. It was also important to show the Carnegie Building since it typically is the first building for Laurier students. The main points of our Harlem Shake was to get things that students found as statements of Laurier Brantford culture and statements for Brantford in general, claimed Izirien. Among the unified crowd that was packed like sardines on the stairs were Batman, Sailor Moon, a green man with a horsehead, Superman, a man (we think) in a banana suit, as well as a few guys almost in their birthday suits (along with many scantily clad females), despite the sub-zero temperatures that came along with February in Ontario. It also was great to see how nuts we were, said Izirien. People always see our campus as bland and boring, but to see some of the bare chests in that weather shows just how crazy our campus is. We really competed with all the bigger schools.

Im so damn proud of Laurier Brantford, he said proudly. I love this school. Lizzie Janik, third-year criminology student at Laurier Brantford addressed the temperature. Being freezing cold has never felt pleasant, until the Laurier Brantford Harlem Shake video. Her comments were commonly held by those attending. Were so proud of our Golden Hawks and the effort they put in, Mouben said glowingly. Izirien echoes Moubeds comments: I was extremely happy with the turnout. Im so happy that so many Laurier Brantford students were proud to show where they are from and what they are: proud Golden Hawks. Also attending this event was a fire truck courtesy of the Brantford Fire Department, a city bus, the Rogers television crew, and many local onlookers who packed the street opposite the building to witness the spectacle. The event differed from typical Harlem Shake videos in part because it took part on stairs. However, there were no injuries reported (most renditions of the dance are also inside). Its my last year here so I wanted to do something big, announced Moubed. We thought it would be a great way to raise school spirit and show everyone that even though its Brantford and were small, we can still go hard. The sound system setup was very loud, and the crowds collective positivity made it an unforgettable event. The craziest part of the event was when the bass dropped to the song, a student crowd-surfed from the top of the stairs on a mattress, as his fellow 500 students danced and screamed their way to solidarity, putting Laurier Brantford on the map. Moubed and Izirien succeeded in their endeavour, unequivocally, perhaps giving the bigger schools a lesson in unity. The video, which has went viral is titled: Laurier Brantford Harlem Shake. It had over 3,000 hits in its first day uploaded. Izirien, the DJ, headed down to Club NV after the initial filming for another taping of the Shake, to fill in any possible holes in the video. Izirien was insistent that having part of the video shot at Club NV was important, since the bar has been a staple in the lives of any Laurier Brantford students.

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March 2013

I like the Senate, But...

I like the Senate, I really do. I like the idea of it. I like the concept of a house not dominated by partisan politics: A place which purports to advise any bill passed by the lower house to ensure that it supports the overall will of every Canadian. I like that it represents all of us in our nation, spreading the power and authority unto every region of Canada, and gives some of our various cultures a say in governance. However, this system is deeply flawed. It hails back to the days when there was an upper crust to society. The regions of Canada that the Senate grants disproportionate power to, do not encompass the vast diversity of our nation. How can one claim that the Senate grants power to the various regional cultures without remembering that our nation is one of a multitude of cultures? Where are the Aboriginal Senators? Where are the LGBT Senators? Where are the required female Senators? Such a list goes on and on. When will Canadians realize that we are far more definable than where we live. We are all human beings who love and dream and work for this country, each with our own experiences and differences. How can you expect a Quebec Senator to represent all the people they represent? Last I checked, a gay FrenchCanadian has a different political agenda than a HaitianCanadian, and even if theyre neighbours, they could have a totally different political agenda or culture.

by Kevin Donaldson

Regional representation assumes that our nation is a country of pioneers from vastly different European powers, or that we as Canadians, despise or are in fear of each other. The Senate, therefore, must be reborn into an institution that unified Canadians. If I had my way, I would create a Senate that is created and dissolved at the same time as the House of Commons and is elected by a national proportional vote, or in plain English, the national popular vote of all voting Canadians. Then, taking the proportional percentages, representatives will be added, by will of the party leader. This will happen until the Senate best represents the national will of Canadians. This will allow for a multitude of benefits to our democracy, like preventing an unpopular majority government. The best example could be how the Conservatives won a majority of seats, with only approximately

40% of the popular vote. It will allow Canadians to support smaller parties, such as the Green party. For those of you who worry that this will cause a more American situation, I remind you that this will be no more politically frustrating than any other minority government situation that happened in the past. This system would force parties to have a majority of the popular vote, to have a full majority government. But, if youre worried about placing too much power in the hands of the party leaders, you forget that party leaders must already give their blessing to all electoral candidates. This would change nothing. With all the benefits, why would we get rid of the Senate? With just a few reforms, our nation could be running more efficiently and with better governance by the end of the year.

Is Justice more important than Law?

I once had the opportunity to speak with Justice Scalia. He told me a story about Judge Learned Hand who cried out for Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes to do justice. This prompted Holmes to stop his horse and carriage long enough to admonish his admirer and declare that law is not the same thing as justice, and that a judges job is merely to interpret and apply the letter of the law. When I attended Western, I learned justice was irrelevant except in my legal philosophy class, where I studied unsatisfying secular theories of justice that excluded the laws of God. When I later attended Regent College and studied theology, I learned that Canadas laws are rooted in christian theology, and that law without justice is meaningless. I also learned that people willingly follow the rule of law, for it is based upon natural law, where truth, justice and morality are consistent with the rules that govern human behavior. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. knew this too, for in his letter from the Birmingham jail, he said an unjust law is no law at all. Those who oppose the civil rights disobedience of protesters who seek justice, rest their case upon the totalitarian secular philosophy of rule by law and use the coercive power of the police state to suppress dissents to restore law and order. The false label of the rule of law is uttered by judges, lawyers and politicians, who use the power of the police state to coerce people to obey rules of human behavior that are inherently unjust, conflict with natural law and freedom of conscience, and also fail to conform to biblical law and teachings. The rise of rule by law and the concurrent destruction of rule by law, is the consequence of cutting off the branch of Western common law from the roots of Christian principles that informed and shaped the development of the English common law for hundreds of years. The ten commandments are the laws written by God himself and revealed to Moses. Upon these ten commandments is built the civilization of Western society, and out of these commandments were derived hundreds of statutes, ordinances and regulations that once governed daily societal conduct. Today, secular humanism and positive law, where man is supreme, has eroded the law of God from the law of the political state, leaving only fossilized remnants of what was once honored and sacred. Conduct like abortion was once criminal and anyone who now dares challenge its current legality is scorned, mocked and punished. The trampling of his courts appalls God. (Isaiah 1:12) Multitudes of sacrifices (Isaiah 1:11) and many prayers (Isaiah 1:15) are all in vain, for God will not honor the worship of sinful people whose hands are full of blood. (Isaiah 1:15) Instead we are instructed to stop doing evil, learn to do good, seek justice, correct oppression, defend the fatherless and to plead for the widow. (Isaiah 1:16-17) This is what God requires of us: to do justice; love kindness; and walk humbly with our Lord. (Micah 6:8) Be righteous! (Isaiah 5:16) This is the root of the rule of law. Justice is inseparable from the law of God. True worship is to engrave Gods law and justice in our hearts, minds and spirits and to conduct ourselves accordingly. But woe to our society when law is divorced from justice, divorced from morality, and divorced from natural law. It is then that evil is called good, and good evil. (Isaiah 5:20) It is then that darkness replaces light, and bitterness substitutes for sweetness. (Isaiah 5:20) Woe to those who are wise and shrewd in their own eyes, (Isaiah 5:21) for they enact the statutes of positive law, mans law devoid

by Dr. Charles I. Lugosi

of Godly principles, declaring sinful acts to be legal and righteous acts to be illegal. Thus when the law of God is rejected (Isaiah 5:24) the guilty are acquitted and innocent are deprived of their rights (Isaiah 5:23). Jesus recognized the letter of the law often puts unreasonable burdens upon people, and without the infusion of mercy, kindness, love, understanding, wisdom, grace and truth added to the law by Jesus, there can be no justice. Jesus was furious with the Pharisees and scribes, who represented the law in Jewish society, for strictly enforcing and micromanaging the letter of the law regarding tithes of mint, dill, and cumin, and neglecting what really mattered in law: justice, mercy and faith. (Matthew: 23:23-24) In response to a question from a lawyer, Jesus identified the greatest commandment in the law is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Matthew 22:35-37) He added the second most important commandment: love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:39) Upon these two commandments depend all the remaining law. (Matthew 22:40) If justice resumes its place at the heart of our law, our legal system will once again be built upon a foundation of law and justice and the rule of law will prevail.

Diary of a PSW
Today is a day I wont soon forget. I am to provide care to twin infants that are non-responsive. They breathe and are cuddly, but they do not react in the same way as normal infants. They are deaf, mute, and they dont wiggle and flex or react to stimulus. Its pretty much bathe, feed and care for them during my two hour visit. Its eerily quiet except for the coughing that happens when they take in too much food when they swallow. At first, panic sets in because they dont have normal neurological response to choking. So I was given instructions from their mother on how to deal with them. Basically its minor first-aid: We roll them over, massage their bellies and up it comes, and then they breathe. Just like its an everyday thing. For me, Ive seen nothing like this, especially at home on a long term basis. My two hours ends and, in a way, Im glad its over. Usually I dont do complex infant care. Its very stressful territory. Sure, Ive done it, but each case is so different. There is no direction from a supervisor (RN) so we have to carry on with our own knowledge, and be confident in our ability to handle situations where direction should really be given. My ex-patient's husband has taken a turn for the worse. She has mental health and addiction issues of her own and so does her remaining son. Her first son committed suicide. Ill call her Hilda. She has asked for me to come with her to the hospital as he is in palliative care and is nearing the end of his life. He has battled bowel cancer for two years. He spent one year in hospital, pretty much since his first surgery, because she couldnt cope with

by Brenda Bondy-Caldicott Facebook: Brenda Bondy-Caldicott

person deep down. Her husband is a dear and gentle man who was in the Navy, and has worked very hard for his young years of 69. As a result of his first wife passing away very tragically at a young age, he has suffered from severe depression. Then he met Hilda and they were happy for 20 years until his illness. In all the years of home care they received, not once had anybody helped with their mental state, they just took care of the medical tasks associated with the home care. For me, that was the saddest part of the story, and was why Id become a family friend. At 2:30 p.m. that afternoon, his chest ceased to rise. So I went and got the nurse so she would confirm it to Hilda. Hilda, now 70, is in a nursing home. She has lost her mind and remembers nobody; her heart broken permanently. Its my last visit of the day and the worst place I could go. But I go because my patient would have no visitor otherwise. They have been told that they will be placed in a home if they dont get the apartment sprayed or receive help from family. The lady is on oxygen all the time, is still active and gets out in her electric scooter often. The day before my visit I had heard she fell in an intersection, hit a bump and was helped up by a stranger. Then her scooter battery died so an ambulance brought her home and put her in bed. So Im not sure what Im walking into today. I find her black and blue, with bruises from her accident, but she refuses to go to the hospital. She wants to have a bed bath so I provide her with the care she needs and is willing to accept. She has been refusing to eat since shes really upset that she is unable to get out of bed today and go out in her scooter until they fix the battery issue. I convince her to have a bowl of soup and some tea and juice. As I go into the kitchen the cockroaches are all around, and they scatter when I open the door of the cupboard. With my visit complete I say my professional goodbye. Looking back I realize its the last visit Ill have. I do hope that they find the help they need in a new home. And Im hoping both her and her husband can find a place together, but Im not entirely sure that he takes good care of her. The situation is bordering on mental abuse in my opinion. Nobody asked my opinion and I have not ever witnessed anything to report: Its more of a sad reality when I see how she is after shes been alone with him. Its almost like we are her protector when we visit her. This is my final entry before I am outed by the government, as I refuse to let them take my privacy right away by being registered, and they work on the creation of E.S.A. We have no laws to protect us. We are in desperate need of basic worker rights regarding issues surrounding harassment, pay, hours, etc. Im moving onto Advocacy and Education for PSWs, thats my new focus. Im hoping for a new Career path. Writing is a passion I will continue; be it another topic of interest relating to PSWs. Thank you for your following and appreciation.

him having a Colostomy and because he had stopped his addiction to alcohol when he was in the hospital. I advocated for his return home as he was just waiting in the hospital; they were talking about a long term care bed for him soon. Upon his arrival home, his health declined and his cancer came back.

I find her black and blue, with bruises from her accident, but she refuses to go to the hospital. She wants to have a bed bath so I provide her with the care she needs and is willing to accept.
Today we are sitting bedside. I am with her for moral support, as there is nobody left in her life that is her friend. She is crying uncontrollably one moment, then is suddenly okay the next. I genuinely like this person as I get to know her vulnerability and her story, from the loss of her first-born by suicide. She is genuinely a nice

March 2013

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Page 11

Picture this: Youre with your colleagues, celebrating a milestone in someones life at a local club. It could be your wife, your boyfriend, maybe your best friend, or just a friend of a friend. Everyones having a good time, sharing laughs, dancing to great vibes, and swapping stories. Then it all changes. A group of guys storm the place, making their entrance by flipping tables and shattering glass. Before you can react, your friends are being attacked with punches and kicks. You go to help, but one of the masked men assault you with pepper spray and shoves you to the ground. A swift boot to the gut and you suddenly cant breathe. Youre rendered useless and defenceless. The police had been called, and their station is just down the road. Regardless, they take their time arriving, prolonging your suffering. You cant help but wonder if they took their time on purpose. Its the next day. The nightmare is over. Many are bruised and badly beaten. Your close friend nearly lost her eye when broken glass was flung in her direction. On the TV, your group is making the news. There are recordings of the victims as theyre being pulled out of the club, covered in blood. It wasnt made-up, this proves it. The horror was real. The pain was real. As you continue watching, an Orthodox priest is asked his opinion on the attack. His answer makes you livid; absolutely disgusted. Until this scum gets off of [our] land, I fully share the views of those who are trying to purge our motherland of it, he states, concurring with the attackers. Hes nodding his head in approval of the crimes they committed. Its as if he wants to personally smash a bottle over your skull! Whats more, the government you live under agrees with this priest. Your government is siding with some criminals who would rather have you dead? Did the world get turned upside down? What the hell is happening here? Ill tell you whats happening, youre living in Russia. Youre a minority group, and youre being targeted. Why? Well, because you happen to be categorized under one of these titles: Homosexual, bisexual, or transgender. Even allies supporters of gays will be treated the same way. Now, this isnt some fictional story I fabricated and chose Russia as its setting. At this present time, Vladimir Putin, the leader of Russia, is currently working towards enacting an anti-gay law. This isnt the only decree hes been brewing; other laws have been passed already, limiting peoples rights in the country. These actions are extremely upsetting and rather enraging. The attack I just had you envision did in fact happen at a gay friendly club. And the statement given by the priest was actually vocalized by Reverend Sergiy Rybko. The government of Russia has engineered reasons behind their new bill, accusing the LGBT community for decreasing their already low birth rates, and for corrupting the youth by leading them to believe homosexuality is normal behaviour. After all, the Russian elite think homos should, undergo forced medical treatment or be exiled. Yup, that sounds like things are moving in a positive direction, if youre Hitler.

So whats this anti-gay law all about? If passed, it will outlaw any propaganda of homosexuality among minors. Doesnt sound so bad at first, does it? It merely sounds like its illegal to provide information about gay stuff to kids. Right? Hiding stuff from youth and letting them live under a rock is totally acceptable. Right? Wrong! Although Putins goal is to promote traditional Russian values and prevent the country from falling into the dreaded void of Western liberalism because Canada is such a horrible country theres more to it. What exactly qualifies as propaganda of homosexuality? Thats just it, there is no finite definition. That leaves room for interpretation, deemed by a host of powerful people that have made various statements on their hate for LGBT people. The law will ban any public events that are gay related, such as pride parades or any community groups that aim to support homosexuals. Im curious as to where the gay-friendly clubs will go? Wouldnt their signs and pride flags be enough to be considered propaganda? Kissing in public will be completely illegal, as would handholding or any affection, because the sight of it could trigger questions among minors. Ultimately, peoples freedom of expression is being withdrawn. In fact, did you hear about Madonnas performance in Moscow last August? During her concert, she said, I am here to say that the gay community and gay people here and all around the world have the same rights to be treated with dignity, with respect, with tolerance, with compassion, with love. Russian homophobes were infuriated. Orthodox conservatives and Putin loyalists responded with a 10.7 million dollar lawsuit against Madonna. Why? Because it was considered propaganda, a statement that would somehow warp the minds of millions and regress into the destruction of the nation. How? Well, by falling back on their highly logical reasoning that itll decrease their already low birth rates, yet again. Not only that, it could further result in the lack of a properly maintained army, god forbid. All of this degeneration will happen solely because Madonna said lesbians and gays have rights. Seriously? Decreasing birth rates is Russias argument? Im personally beyond pissed about this. Being gay is not an infection, nor breed-able, nor chosen, nor passed on by simply learning about it. Heterosexuals and asexuals who decide not to procreate are as much at fault as homosexuals. Heck, some homos end up reproducing before they realize theyre gay! What else is enraging are the statistics on the countrys orphans. According to David Satter, Russia has the most orphans per capita in the world, and of these estimated 650,000 orphans, approximately 95% of them are considered social orphans. That means their parents abandoned them, or they were taken from their parents. Yet these award-winning parents are going to point the finger at the gays and lesbians.

Gay rights arent the only thing Putin is abolishing. As of January 1, 2013, Russia has banned any adoptions of their own orphans to American citizens. Why the U.S.? Their ongoing conflict seems to ooze into everything. Was it a smart move? Not for the children, no. For the past fourteen years, Americans alone have adopted 45,000 of Russias homeless kids. Whos to say Putin wont ban adoptions globally? His Childrens Rights Commissioner, Pavel Astakhov, seems to think, any foreign adoption to be bad for the country, and believes they should keep their children in their country. Even when it means theyll live in poor conditions, endure mistreatment, and hardly get a shot at a fulfilling life. The more research you do on this topic, the more youll be revolted. If nothing Ive mentioned thus far is a clear sign of an authoritarian government, theres more. In the past few months, other laws have been created and passed with

As much as I wish democracy will win and Russians vote Putin out of power, his reign since 2000 has seemed rather fishy. Both in how he got into power, and how McDaniel by Markus hes craftily maintained it. In fact, protests have risen www.schnippits.wordpress.com based on alleged electoral fraud. Yet nothings been done about it. The way things are heading, this anti-gay law will be passed. This will open doors to a legal witch hunt. That means anyone who is gay, suspected to be gay, or anyone in support of gays, can be harassed, arrested, detained, and fined thousands of dollars based on any loose interpretation of homosexual propaganda that homophobes in power regard unlawful. The injustice of it all is endless. I sincerely hope circumstances dont lead to this, but as history has shown us before, many lives are about to be lost as Russias people begin to riot and fight for their rights and freedoms. How long will it take humanity to realize we are all human, and we all deserve the same equal rights? Sexual orientation, ethnicities, and religions shouldnt differentiate that.

t h e intent to protect the youth of Russia. Yes, even more protection. It sounds respectable, but its just plain censorship. These laws have enabled the government to block websites and ban literature that is deemed unfit or extreme. I wouldnt be surprised if Russia is pumping its own propaganda of sorts to brainwash and assimilate its people, as a replacement for human rights and freedom of expression. Putins goal to censor material from its youth and protect it from homosexual propaganda is based on the idea that these young, intelligent minds are unable to evaluate the information critically. That thought process is so ass-backwards, itll do more harm than good. In order to assess anything critically, people need all sides of the story. But with everything being banned on the whim of old politicians and Orthodox priests, Russias future generations will only know one side to any story; the indoctrinated truths of Putin.

by Markus McDaniel www.schnippits.wordpress.com

To top things off, Russia is hosting 2014s Winter Olympics. If the worlds eyes arent opened soon, they will be. At the rate Putin is going, attendees and Olympians alike will be no doubt surprised by the nations suppressed freedoms. If Madonna was sued for simple expressions, many gay activist Olympians must tread carefully. We may not have much say in Russias future, but we can be contributors in our own country, and lead by example. I challenge you to evaluate your own values and opinions. Would you stand by and let something like this happen in your own nation? Would you protest and speak out? Or would you side with the masked criminals and Orthodox priests who abuse those who are different from you?