Article posted May 6, 2009 at 02:53 AM GMT0 •
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Ipperwash was a land dispute in Ipperwash Provincial Park in 1995. Several members of the Stoney Point Ojibway started a protest in Ipperwash Provincial Park to draw attention to the decades-old land claims. In World War II the government of Canada wanted reserve land for the Stoney Point Band for military training and offered to pay $15 per acre and promised to return the land once the war ended. The Natives rejected the offer, and in response the federal government took the land by force under the War Measures Act. Since then the Natives never got their land back. On September 4th 1995 a group of natives started to protest. The OPP’s strategy was to occupy the part peacefully with the natives. This was fine until a Native from the group smashed the window of a police cruiser. The OPP pulled back from the park after that. The OPP became concerned what a group of natives emerged from the forest into the Sandy Parking lot area with bats and sticks. The OPP deployed a Crowd Management Unit, CMU advanced on the Natives to try and get them to retreat to the park. When the CMU advanced the natives started to retreat, in response so did the CMU, but then a native named Cecil Bernard George approached the CMU (peacefully according to the protesters, violently according to police) Cecil Bernard was beaten and then arrested. The remaining natives occupiers tried to rescue Cecil Bernard, this turned into a riot scene. The riot ended with the death of Dudley George after he was shot.
Caledonia was a land dispute over 40 hectors which was to be developed into a residential subdivisions known as the Douglas Creek Estates. On February 28th 2006 a group of from the Six Nations reserve started to protest. There were several out brakes of violence especially with the Six Nations people and the citizens on Caledonia where several people were arrested. A barricade was put up and removed several time by natives due to certain events a courses of action.
The Oka Crisis was a land dispute between the Mohawk and the Town of Oka over a golf course. A golf course was to be extended from 9 to 18 holes but the area that the golf course was to be extend into, the Mohawks claimed to be their sacred land. The Mohawks decided to take up arms in the woods where the golf course was to be extended. The Mohawks blocked of the rode and later several highways. There was only one shoot off which resulted in one death. After 78 days the Mohawks came out of the woods and surrendered. The planes to extend the gold course were cancelled.
Even though all three events involved different native groups all three of these events share a common goal, to defend native rights and land. Sadly all three events resulted in violence that resulted in deaths or major injuries. There was not a single situation where the native communities gave up easily they all fought till they no longer could.
Article posted May 6, 2009 at 02:53 AM GMT0 •
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Article posted April 26, 2009 at 09:30 PM GMT0 •
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The Oka crisis took place in Oka near Montreal. It was a land dispute between a native group “Mohawk” and the Quebec government over a piece of land that the Mohawk claimed to be theirs and that it was their sacred ground, that a local golf coarse wanted to build over to extend a nine hole coarse to an eighteen hole coarse.
The Mohawk tribe’s people tried to reason with the government but they would not listen, so in response the Mohawk people did what they felt was necessary to protect something that had been in their family for hundreds of year, they took up arms and were ready to stay and fight for what they felt was rightfully theirs.
On July 11 1990 native men, not just from the Mohawk but all native tribes united and placed themselves in the woods where the golf course was to be built. The stand off lasted nearly three months and resulted in three deaths one direct and two indirect.
In the end the Natives got what they wanted and what they were fighting for the golf course was never built and this was probably all due to the natives and the way they took action. Some people think that this was a useless stand off and that the natives could have gotten their
point across by talking with the government, but the truth is sometimes talking doesn’t always work and people have to demonstrate that something is important and can’t just be replaced by a golf coarse. The native people proved that they can’t just be pushed around especially since they were in North and South America long before we ever were.
The natives made a smart choice in standing up against the government, it was not an act of terrorism as some people say, the natives did not hurt any one innocent, and they only fired if fired upon first. If the natives had not done as they had many native rights bills would not have been created and they Mohawk would not have their land today.
Article posted April 26, 2009 at 09:30 PM GMT0 •
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Article posted April 21, 2009 at 01:25 AM GMT0 •
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Conflict Diamonds
Humans have always enjoyed and shown off expensive and rare objects. Throughout human history we have come across items or objects that we feel are of great value and are worth almost anything. One of the most recent objects that have caught human attention are diamonds. Diamonds have been around for millions of years but have only recently become known as lavish or expensive to humans. Many diamonds are mined in mines or streams by legal mines with paid worker and proper working conditions but not all diamonds are mined this way. Those diamonds that are not mined legally in third world countries are known as conflict diamonds.
Conflict diamonds, what are they, how are they produced, where do they come from and what effect do they have on people? The definition of a conflict diamond is a diamond that has been mined in a war zone area by force or slavery and being sold for weapons and to fund war.
How are conflict diamonds produced? Conflict diamonds are produced through slave labour and violence. In mines producing conflict diamonds, miner are often killed and beaten, some even have limbs decapitated by rebel over watchers.
Where are conflict diamonds mined? Conflict diamonds are almost all mined in Africa in rivers or streams where miners use alluvial mining, which is when miners sift through the sand, mud and gravel using shovels, sieves and even bare hands. These parts of Africa are usually war zone areas where rebel groups are trying to take control of the country or in many cases trying to make money. The rebels obtain miner by traveling from village to village and abducting strong men and boys to work in the diamonds mines, while killing the weaker men and boy and taking the women for entertainment.
Rebel groups can profit up to $300 million a year through the trade of blood diamonds to European and North American countries. Even though there are certain process that attempt to separate conflict free and conflict diamonds that have brought down the number on conflict diamonds, conflict diamonds still slip through into other countries and are sold for high amounts.
With the amount of diamonds in Africa and diamond prices so high rebels groups can make huge profits and purchase more weapons which allows them to continue to go from village to village and taking innocent people and forcing them into work. If people stop buy conflict diamonds they can help put an end to the cycle that conflict diamond cause where people get hurt and killed so small groups of people can profit while others suffer in inhuman and cruel ways.
Article posted April 21, 2009 at 01:25 AM GMT0 •
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Article posted April 14, 2009 at 12:25 AM GMT0 •
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Both Blood Diamond, the movie, and Chanda’s Secrets,the book, take place in Africa where their main characters suffer from emotional and hearth braking losses. In Both stories the main characters goes through life changing experiences, and by the end of the book are left with new perspectives of the world they live in.
Blood Diamond is about a man named Solomon Vandy, who is a Mende fisherman. One day while Solomon is picking up his son from school he sees trucks driving towards his village. Inside these trucks are Revolutionary United Front Rebels, who have come to raid Solomon’s village of Shenge. The rebels take supplies from the village, but the really reason they have come is to take children to become child soldiers and enslave a few strong men to work in the diamond mines. The rebels capture Solomon and his son. The rebels use the diamonds they find to fuel war and buy weapons with the money they get from trading their diamonds with the western world. While working in the diamond mine Solomon finds a massive diamond, not wanting to give it to the rebels he digs a small whole and hides the diamond there. Moments later The Sierra Leone government forces invade the rebel camp and mine. Solomon is captured and taken to a prison in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. While in prison Solomon meets Danny Archer who wants this diamond that Solomon has found. Danny and Solomon go hunting for the diamond, but what Solomon really wants is to be reunited with his son.
Chanda’s Secrets is about a young girl named Chanda Who lives in South Africa. Chanda’s community lives in fear of the disease AIDS. Chanda lives with her mother Lillian, two sisters Sara and Iris and one brother Sully. Chanda has lost her older brothers and father to a mining accident. At the very beginning of the book Sara dies. Before Sara’s death she had strange rashes and would not eat, but other than that no one is sure why she died at such a young age. Throughout the book Chanda’s mother gets sicker and sicker. With Chanda’s mother getting so sick and needing to stay in bed all day Chanda starts to have to do all the work. Chanda eventually realises that her mother might have AIDS. While all of this is happening Chanda discovers that her best friend, Esther, has turned to prostitution so she can afford to bring back her family back together, which was taken from her when her parents died from AIDS. Chanda must fight back and stay strong even though everyone she loves is dying or being hurt by AIDS.
Chanda’s Secrets and Blood Diamond are very different and have different themes and messages, those being AIDS and AIDS awareness and blood diamonds and how they fuelling war. Even though these two stories are very different they hold many similarities. In both stories we see how some women have had to turn to prostitution just to support their families, which shows how in both stories there is a high level of poverty. Also we see how in both stories the white man is at the top and has caused death indirectly. In Chanda’s Secret the mine that her father and brothers die in is a white owned mine, and in Blood Diamond white men are buying the blood diamonds that are fuelling the rebels and allowing them to buy weapons. In Both stories the main characters want to leave Africa to get a better life for their family and them.
Both stories carry very important and serious messages and themes. Even though each story is unique and different in their own way, but at the same time they have many key similarities. Both tell stories of people fighting against the world they have been put in to trying to find a better life.
Article posted April 14, 2009 at 12:25 AM GMT0 •
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Article posted March 29, 2009 at 08:15 PM GMT0 •
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Chanda Secrets Symbols
In the book Chanda’s secrets the author Allan Stratton often will hint at things or possibilities with symbols or clues. When the author uses these symbols or clues it keeps the reader on the edge of their seats, it causes them to want to keep on reading.
Some examples of these symbols or clues scattered across the book are when Chanda is discussing with Esther about how Jonah goes off and cheats with Marry, and Esther says “lot of men cheat” this is hinting at the fact that men cheat with Esther because she is a prostitute, even though we don’t know that for sure yet that she is, but we can assume or guess because of this.
A big, big symbol is when Auntie Ruth and her boy friend come with their car and drop Jonah on the road in front of Chanda’s house and Jonah is very skinny and sick. Then Chanda makes a connection with Jonah and why Sarah died and that Jonah may have given Chanda’s mom what she has and that is why Chanda’s mom has been feeling sick. This is a very big symbol in the book and from this we can infer that Jonah had AIDS and gave it to Chanda’s mom and through breast feeding Sarah caught it. This is such an important symbol that the author even has Chanda think about this in her head to stress the impotents of seeing Jonah very sick and frail sprawled on the road.
Another symbol that relates to Jonah and spreading AIDS to Chanda’s family is near the start of the book when Chanda is discussing Sarah’s odd rashes on her body, and from this too we can infer that Sarah might have AIDS.
Whenever Chanda asks about Tiro and why they left Chanda’s mother would hush her up and say “when you’re older” because of Chanda’s mothers secrecy we can tell that something is up and that something happened in Tiro and that maybe something went wrong with Chanda’s family or another event occurred.
When Chanda finds Esther in the hooker park she asks “do you make your customers use condoms?” when Esther replies “they don’t like to use them” we can tell take from that, that Esther is very vulnerable and exposed to getting AIDS so we can guess that Esther may get AIDS further on in the book.
Chanda’s Secrets possesses many symbols and hints such as the five I have just mentioned but there are even more, these symbols are what make this book so good and interesting.
Article posted March 29, 2009 at 08:15 PM GMT0 •
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Article posted March 1, 2009 at 04:43 PM GMT0 •
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Editorial – Suicide Article
Erin Anderssen from the Globe and Mail writes about Mr. Helchert-Dinkel, a 46 year old nurse who allegedly encouraged suicides in several different countries all through the internet.
This article was very interesting yet disturbing. It is terrible for the families who recently discovered that their loved one may still have been alive today if it weren’t for Mr. Melchet-Dinkel. Mr. Melchert-Dinkel should be dealt with because it is nowhere near the norm that people should encourage other people to end their life.
Unlike the families affected by this, some believe that Mr. Mechet-Dinkel should not serve jail time, but rather be treated for mental illness, because what he is doing is wrong and obviously not sane.
Why would Mr. Melchert-Dinkel encourage this if he is a nurse? Doesn’t this defeat the whole purpose of being a nurse? Along with being a nurse he is married with two teenage daughters, would he want people encouraging his daughters to kill themselves?
One of Mr. Melchert-Dinkels ex-coworkers said he believes that this is all a mistake, the Bill Dinkel he remembers would never have anything to do with something like this. Even though this could be true, that the Bill Dinkel he once knew was not like this, people can change.
It is sad that these people were encouraged and were probably taken advantage of, if they were already depressed, at the same time though why would these people be talking to someone they met on the internet? Isn’t it stressed enough in the media not to talk to people you meet online, and once suicide is mentioned in these terms wouldn’t you immediately end all communication with this person?
Article posted March 1, 2009 at 04:43 PM GMT0 •
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Article posted February 8, 2009 at 10:38 PM GMT0 •
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Boycotting Beijing
Article against boycott
Chris Rudge, chief executive officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee says no one should be boycotting the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Many Canadian athletes that are going to attend the Games are being bombarded with silly questions and statements such as “you are going to participate in the games, does this mean you support Chinas record on human rights?” Of course Canadian athletes do not support Chinas record on Human rights, but they are going to China because they have trained their whole life for this. When you have been training seven days a weeks for ten eight years you are not going to turn back, not now. The location of the Games should not be a huge factor, politics and sports should not be mixed together they are on two entirely different levels.
Article for Boycott
Many Canadian athletes now have to ask themselves one question, should they boycott the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. With violence escalating in china Canada only has one option to show their disapproval of Chinese government’s views on human rights. That is to Boycott the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. What china is doing to Tibetans in wrong and China has to see that the rest of the world will not support them and their views. If Canadian Athletes go to China they are saying that they support China and this will only encourage China even more and make the situation even worse.
Article posted February 8, 2009 at 10:38 PM GMT0 •
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Article posted February 1, 2009 at 10:25 PM GMT0 •
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House Bunny
On Saturday I watched the movie House Bunny. IT was okay, basically what happened is Shelly, a bunny at the play boy mansion get kicked out because she is too old now. The first night she is kicked out she has no home and lives in her car, the next day she stubbles across a university campus and find her new family.
Overall this movie was pretty bad, the acting was pretty low and the general film idea was pretty boring. Most attempts at comedy were generally failed attempts, the only funny part was near the end where she starts talking about a bird. Over all I wouldn’t recommend this movie to anyone, and if I were to rate I would probably give it a four out of ten.
Article posted February 1, 2009 at 10:25 PM GMT0 •
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Article posted January 25, 2009 at 10:35 PM GMT0 •
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On Sunday the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club held a squash tournament between several clubs. Among some of the Toronto Laws players were Michael, George and others. All teams played extremely well but the Toronto Lawn came out first with an easy victory winning all of their games 3-0. The first seed player for the Toronto Lawn was Michael and the second seed player was Zander. It is no surprise that the Toronto Lawn did so well, with most of their player play 4-5 times a week and for long training sessions the Toronto Lawn should be getting good results which they are. Many of the Toronto Lawns players are even sponsored by large companies such as Dunlop, Head and Black Knight. With Andrew Thompson, a coach with much experience and carving a path for many of Canada’s greatest squash players, training his players the Toronto Lawn is supposed to play their rivals the BNR, another club with a very elite squash department, within a few weeks.
Article posted January 25, 2009 at 10:35 PM GMT0 •
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Article posted January 18, 2009 at 06:26 PM GMT0 •
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Hapless Jewel Bandits Leave Good Stuff Behind: The Globe and Mail, World News, January 8th 2009
Three men in parkas, hates and masks used a shot gun and a silver hammer to rob a jewellery store in Toronto’s Yorkville shopping district. The men pulled off a classic smash and grab. They walked in, rounded up all the staff, ordered them to the floor and took what they could in a quick few minutes, smashing half a dozen cases and making off either by a car waiting outside or subway. The three men first walked in around 2:45pm. While being in a hurry and not being prepared the thief’s missed the most valuable jewellery and made off with only the cheaper jewellery.
Quebec Police Find Man, 3 Children Dead in Home: The Globe and Mail, World News, January 3rd 2009
A 911 call was placed at 11:56pm on Thursday by a woman who was described as hysterical. Officers who responded found three dead children two boys and one girl, along with their 46 year old father. The Women was in critical condition. All three children were found suffocated in their beds and both Husband and wife suffered from severe knife wounds. Reports say that the responding officers were met with such a gruesome sight many had to seek out therapy.
Missing Ontario Teen Found Dead: The Globe and Mail, Front section, January 17th 2009
After a second fight in a week 15 year old Tyler Little stormed out of school with two friends to his favourite haunt, a tent less than a kilometre into the woods where they liked to smoke. When his two friends went to leave Tyler stayed. Yesterday morning nearly after two days, friends found Tyler frozen to death near the tent. Tyler was the type of kid who went off for a few days without saying anything, so his family only reported him missing on Thursday night. Police started to search the woods but soon called it off because it was too dark to search. But before they could begin again in the mourning a group of kids walked across a field with the news they had found Tyler dead.
Article posted January 18, 2009 at 06:26 PM GMT0 •
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