This evening, I watched a CNN Special Investigations Unit documentary on shootings in college and university campuses across the U.S. They mentioned a group on the web called Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, an organization of some 25,000 students, parents and teachers who advocate individuals (twenty-one and older in most states) possessing concealed handgun licenses/concealed carry weapons permits to be given the right to bring their weapons on college/university campuses–a right they have virtually everywhere else.

Personally, I would feel more secure with the knowledge that students and professors at my university campus do not carry any weapons with them whatsoever. But with the brutal shootings in Virginia Tech, Columbine, and Northern Illinois University, and all other places, would students be a lot safer with guns in their backpacks? Or would this just give way to more violence on campuses?

According to the 2006 Canadian census, out of the 31 million people living in Canada, a little more than five million people comprise the visible minority. The CBC has posted a wonderful Flash presentation of the statistics. It can be seen here.

In summary, here are the top ten minority groups in Canada (without the numbers):

1. South Asian (Indian, &c)
2. Chinese
3. Black
4. Filipino
5. Latin American
6. Arab
7. Southeast Asian (Vietnamese, &c)
8. West Asian (Iranian, &c)
9. Korean
10. Japanese

I cannot tell you how much I love Canada’s diversity. It is an amazing feeling to walk down the street and hear different languages, see different faces. The amount of culture around us is astonishing, and it would be a severe waste not to take time to learn about each one. As a visible minority myself (Filipino), I enjoy having a wide variety of friends from different backgrounds, and it makes my life just a little more interesting.

Canada’s wide-open doors to immigrants is really changing the demographic of this country, as well as the workforce. Now, many immigrants are holding professional jobs and excelling in various fields, bringing with them the experience they have earned in their homelands, and their tenacity and resilience, which is evidenced in their adjustment to this country. However, there are still various problems with the language barrier. Methinks that if you are going to a country whose primary language is English, take the time to learn English. If you’re going to China, learn Chinese. If you’re going to France, learn French. It’s easier said than done, obviously, but communication is paramount everywhere. It’s not worth not doing anything for the advancement of your family or yourself, economically and financially, mainly because you aren’t able to speak properly.

On the other hand, it irritates me when native English-speakers look down on the visible minority– or refuse to talk to them/hire them/befriend them, &c– mainly because of this language barrier (and accents; UGH it bugs me when people make fun of accents). If we were anywhere else, we would have to learn the native language, too. Doesn’t matter where it is. It’s a delicate balance, though: immigrants need to do their best to learn to speak English, while native English-speakers should be able to encourage their immigrant colleagues/classmates/friends by talking to them. It has to work both ways. I can speak for myself and my friends, though, that it is very rewarding.

While we’re on the topic of language, here’s another stat I found on the CBC website:

The top five languages in Canada are…

1. English
2. French
3. The Chinese languages
4. Italian
5. Punjabi

Another thing that’s been going through my mind regarding visible minorities: professional accreditation. I am of the firm opinion that Canada needs to set up an accreditation exam of some sort in the fields in which immigrants are involved. For instance, medicine. There are so many visible minority doctors working as cab drivers or storekeepers and the like, unable to practice their craft because employers don’t believe that they have the necessary education. Engineers as well. Employers look for “Canadian experience”, but what sort of said Canadian experience can these engineers get if they cannot get hired? But if there was a standardized test somehow, these professionals could be evaluated, and if they pass, they are perfectly capable of working in the same field as the next Canadian school graduate.

Still, I am immensely proud and grateful that Canada has opened its doors to every kind of immigrant from numerous parts of the globe. To be able to live harmoniously in the same country is a testament to the fact that we are all human, and that our differences can bring us together. Squashes racism rather nicely, doesn’t it?

Or, at least, it should. It damn well should.

Despite being a self-proclaimed American Idol fan, I have had issues with the show– issues which are, in light of this post, irrelevant– but I personally love the fact that the producers put together this night for a good cause. Lots of celebrities have come together to (a) put on a good two-and-a-half hour show, and (b) appeal to the general public to donate money towards several humanitarian projects. As a human rights activist at heart, I am really glad to see a huge, influential show take the initiative to help.

If you’re able to donate, please go to www.americanidol.com. The minimum is $20, but it’s enough to feed three children at a U.S. feeding program – which is a lot already.

Photo taken from the Globe and Mail website.

The Globe and Mail, a national Canadian newspaper, reports that the San Francisco Olympic torch route was altered to avoid protesters. There were pro-Tibet and pro-China protesters on either side of the street. Prior to its arrival in the U.S., the Olympic torch also saw demonstrations in the U.K. and France.

Personally, I am glad that people all around the world are uniting behind this amazing human rights cause. However, if, along with all of this, people forget to make the distinction between government and ethnicity, and discrimination against the general Chinese public becomes rampant, my faith in the human race will dip considerably. Please remember that the government does not necessarily reflect its people’s views. I think the U.S. is hard, solid evidence of that.

An English professor wrote the words “A woman without her man is nothing” on the blackboard and told his students to punctuate it correctly.

All the men in the class wrote:

“A woman, without her man, is nothing.”

All the women in the class wrote:

“A woman: without her, man is nothing.”

Punctuation is powerful.

Amen.

Browsing the CNN website, I stumbled upon this article that reports that a large percentage of college students don’t believe that a romantic relationship is “official” until it’s broadcasted on Facebook.

Does the person make Facebook, or does Facebook make the person? Really.

So Last night I found out about the Burning Man Project. For a week every year, a whole city emerges and people from all kinds of different places come to live there. After the week, it all gets packed up and put away. This odd festival is all about community coming together, and about artistic expression. The place is filled with art and huge installations, and theatre and music and…well, lots of stuff.

All aspects of the event emphasize participation and acceptance of Absolutely Everyone. It’s an environment where people can just be themselves without getting judged or anything. A neat idea.

Maybe we’re not 100% doomed, if some 48000 people can actually make this work. I wonder if that means that 48000 people are going back home at the end of the week with a fresh perspective of equality and teamwork to show to other people…

We can always hope.

Yes, I am guilty of using the serious headlining faux pas of the ‘Hamlet Reference’. However, it may be apt, given the subject matter of this post. (I do deserve tomatoes thrown my way for lazy title creativity, yes.)

The BBC has posted a summary of where many European nations stand on the issue of euthanasia. For clarity, euthanasia is defined by Oxford as “the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable disease or in an irreversible coma.” Though, as we all clearly know, it isn’t as clean-cut as it seems. Take, for instance, the different types of euthanasia (as outlined in the article).

Active euthanasia: taking deliberate action, such as an injection, to end a patient’s life. 
Passive euthanasia: withdrawing medical treatment with the aim of ending a life.
Assisted suicide: providing the means, e.g. medicine, to allow a patient to end his or her own life.

Some interesting facts presented by the article (if, perchance, you find you can’t be bothered to read the entire thing):

• The Netherlands is the first country to legalize euthanasia (2002), though it has been tolerated since the 1970s.
• Belgium legalized euthanasia shortly afterwards, despite the strong opposition by the medical profession and the Catholic church.
• Italy does not condone the act, but allows a patient’s right to refuse care. Italians have long been divided over this issue.
• A recent survey conducted among Swedish doctors suggested that 84% of them would never consider helping a patient die, even if the patient asked for it and it was legal.
• Assisted suicide can be done even by non-doctors in Switzerland.
• Euthanasia has long been a serious taboo in Germany mainly because of the Nazi genocide of men, women and children believed to be handicapped or mentally ill.
• In the U.K., the removal of life support is not illegal.
• Poland has strongly condemned euthanasia.

I suppose it all comes down to two questions: “At what point does a life become worthless?” and “Do we as human beings have the right to take other people’s–or our own–lives away?” So many other questions then open up, many religious in nature–the issue of the soul, God/Allah/Yahweh’s will, our power as mere mortals, heaven and hell, &c&c. It all depends on what you believe in. And in many places, Church and State aren’t separated at all; they work together, with religious viewpoints influencing bylaws and legislations. Although, in a deeply moral issue such as this, should the Church and State be completely independent of each other? Where do we draw the line between what’s ‘morally right’ and what isn’t?

This is just something I’ve got a soft spot for: Art/Activism. I discovered Poetry Slams fairly recently and it was amazing stuff…In its Most Basic Terms, it’s a poetry competition. Judges are randomly selected from the audience, and each poet gets three minutes to talk. There’s usually a few rounds before the winner is picked… But anyway!

{This guy (Eric Darby)’s website is  http://www.ericdarby.net/, in case you like it}

My point is that this is a gateway for mindblowingly powerful messages, and I loved every bit of it. Some of these people are really speaking up on current issues, refusing to just follow the uncaring path others have chosen. Some are more indirect, speaking about more personal matters like love or frienship; their own story, but this is still activism I think. By exposing these stories, they allow us to identify with them and realize that we’re really all equals in this world (Eventually we have to get it in our brains and act on it no?). So there, now you know. A lot of cities host their own official slams, and if yours doesn’t, you’re encouraged to start one up. Basically, poetry wins. Thumbs up.

At the ceremonial lighting of the Olympic torch in Greece, two French activists from Reporters Without Borders attempted to wave a black flag with the Olympic rings as handcuffs as the envoy from China made his speech.

There are talks of possibilities of violence and boycotting during the Beijing Olympics, but Jacques Rogge, president of the International Olympic Committee has said that there is “no momentum” for a boycott. (Yeah, and as much as many people would like to claim the contrary, it is very hard not to catch some glimpse of the Olympics – 90% of the channels here will be broadcasting some clip or report from it. Unless people boycott TV in general over the summer, it will be close to impossible. However, there’s really no telling what could happen; the situation is too delicate.)

Meanwhile, a Tibetan monk spoke to the BBC a couple of days ago about the riots, and claimed that all the Tibetans want is more autonomy, and not necessarily independence. Protesters in the Gannan region have until midnight on 25 March (tomorrow) to surrender – those who come quietly will be given lenient punishment; those who don’t will be “dealt with harshly”.

I do think we have another Serbia/Kosovo/Burma situation on our hands here. China is notorious for its nefarious treat of human rights – not only in its various territories, but within its own country as well. The violence at Tiananmen Square in 1989 is proof of that. There have also been reports of limited media access in China during the Olympics. Currently, Facebook is also banned, and their search engines are heavily monitored. (Imagine that here in North America; I expect there would be public outrage.) It’s interesting also to note that while the Tibetan-government-in-exile has said that 99 people have been killed during the riots, the Chinese government has claimed only 19 dead.

China is also accusing the Dalai Lama of orchestrating the protests. Well of course he is; he’s the head of one of the most (if not the most) peaceful religions in the world. Disregard the fact that he, in a widespread press release, has stated plainly that he supports neither violence, nor repression, and he is very much willing to open up a dialogue with Chinese officials. Really. The nerve of people.

Unless both parties agree to meet and discuss the matter at hand, the protests will continue. China will be dealt a severe blow, especially if these things don’t stop before the onset of the Olympics. And… there’s no telling what could happen next.