Depending on who you ask, Premier Dalton McGuinty of Ontario has either done a lot of bizarre things or a lot of nothing during his time in the office. Regardless of what he’s actually done, he gets quite a lot of bad press (see the tuition fee protests against him). However, once in a while he does something right, in my ever-so-humble opinion. Way back in September 2005, we had the Sharia Law campaign in which McGuinty said that we wouldn’t be seeing religious arbitration in Ontario. One point for him. Another point is added today, as he announced free HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccines for Grade 8 girls in Ontario, starting this fall (CBC).
Back when I was involved with the Ontario secular movement, this issue got tossed around quite a bit. The central debate here is between the right of vaccination and the right of parents to refuse. Ignoring those who might see vaccinations as mind-control weapons of the “man”, there is a very real concern among some parents that such a vaccination intrudes into their freedoms. Sometimes underlying this concern is the belief that such a vaccine might lead to promiscuity, much in the same way that some believe condom distribution will.
I’m not sure how prevalent this latter sentiment is, but it disturbs me nonetheless. Wikipedia says:
Other critics, including socially conservative religious groups, warn that the vaccine will encourage promiscuity by making it seem safer. Many women’s rights organizations disagree. Dr. Christine Peterson, director of the University of Virginia’s Gynecology Clinic, said “The presence of seat belts in cars doesn’t cause people to drive less safely. The presence of a vaccine in a person’s body doesn’t cause them to engage in risk-taking behavior they would not otherwise engage in.” (HPV vaccine controversy – Wikipedia, August 2 2007)
Those who oppose the vaccine on more libertarian grounds will have to speak to their daughter, not the state:
Jensen also told CBC News that parental consent forms will be issued prior to vaccination. But if a 13-year-old girl wants the vaccination despite her parents’ objections, she will still be able to get one. And even if parents agree to the vaccination, their daughter can still opt out.
Giving the choice to the person it’s actually affecting? What a novel idea. Of course, they might accuse schools of pressuring their children, but if the worst criticism of the program is that it’s encouraging children to prevent terrible disease then I think that speaks for itself.
“…in order to really be a martyr…you have to have a religion first.”
This is what The Varsity, a University of Toronto-based campus newspaper, proclaimed today in its Editorial section. The comment was made in reference to an attack on Justin Trottier, president of the Freethought Association of Canada. Details of the attack can also be found on the Varsity as well, in a somewhat less scathing article. Unfortunately, the Varsity requires registration to view their website, so I’ll pluck a few choice words from their comments.
First, a background: Justin was attacked at Ryerson University while putting up posters for an event titled “God: The Failed Hypothesis“. The locals have been unfriendly in the past — legitimately approved posters and banners get torn down almost immediately. However, this was much more than simple vandalism. After a short exchange of words (as detailed in the article) Justin was struck and headbutted in the face (I’ll leave the Zidane comments to others). To me, this seems like a hate attack: if Justin were a Christian putting up posters for an evangelical event, most people would have little problem construing it as such. However, Justin happens to be an atheist, promoting a non-religious event.
As the Varsity puts it, “Justin Trottier says he’s a victim, too. He insists we should feel indignant over his story of woe. But should we?”
YES! Yes, we should! In any other situation, this would be considered a hate attack. But of course, as an atheist, he should expect to be assaulted in public: “As a “secular advocate” seeking the same protection and rights accorded to religious beliefs, he very much wants to have his cake and eat it, too.”
They close with these remarks, cryptic as they are astounding: “But we’ll give him a word or two of advice: if you’re going to crack wise to just anybody on the street in the dead of night, start working on your left hook, and leave the Charter defense to the real victims.”
You heard it here first, folks. If you’re an atheist who walks around in the dead of night, expect a suitable punishment.
The biggest thing on the radar of secular-minded people in Ontario right now is this: http://www.cfsontario.ca/mediareleaselinks/TaskForce-Final.Report-FINAL.pdf. Admittedly, said radar is not very large, but when it detects something of this magnitude, lights and sirens go off. Have you ever heard a good siren? That should sum up the storm of controversy this document is causing at the moment.
For those who don’t have the patience to read through a document of this length, I’ll explain. The Canadian Federation of Students has produced a report on the “needs” of Muslim students in Ontario (obviously, my quotations). Said “needs” seem bizarre and unnecessary to me. For example: we should increase flexibility for Muslim students handing in assignments that might interfere with Friday prayer or other holidays. As one student said, “It’s highly stressful to see that you have to go up to the professor and try to explain to him. Some people just don’t want to go through the whole hassle of dealing with having an examination on a holiday.” I’m sorry, but it’s just too bad. I have no problems with accommodation but when you say that an entire group of people is excused from academic obligations for a certain day, where do you draw the line? Would you need proof that you were Muslim? Recite the Koran? Hey, I’d do it if it meant not having to go to class Fridays.
Later, a suggestion that it is unfair that Muslim women should be forced to pay for athletic centres that they can’t use. How about the unfairness of making non-religious students pay for a “multifaith” centre that they can’t use? In fact, the multifaith centre project leader at the University of Toronto is on record saying “why would I ask an atheist for advice about the centre?”
Last on my parade of errors is the concern with alcohol. One student explained the “problem”: “There are lots of social events in my programme. Unfortunately, many like ‘meet your professor’ tend to be wine and cheeses. Muslims shouldn’t be at these events, but then they miss out on the experience of connecting with their teachers and learning outside of the classroom.”
I’m sorry, I must be missing something. Where is the connection between having alcohol available and being forced to drink it? Why can’t you come to an event with alcohol and just not drink? Most orientation events don’t even have alcohol available anyway — if they do, it’s usually not official or condoned.
Rest assured, a task force on the needs of non-religious students will soon be published. Not to mention one on the needs of Christian students, Jewish students, Sikh students, Hindu students, feminist students, communist students, Zionist students, Pastafarian students, and every damn group you can possibly think of.
This is not about Islamophobia, it’s about making accommodations that don’t have any place within a secular institution like a university. I suspect I will be accused of “hating Islam”, when I do not. I hate injustice.
Really, I should be thanking the CFS. They’ve set the precedent — if they want to know the needs of minority students on campus, then they’re sure as hell going to hear about them.
Filed under: Events, Karl Marx, Nooooo actual bloooggging, Secularism, Sociology
Astute readers (and those with the ability to scroll down slightly) will remember my paper on Karl Marx and emotional labour that I recently wrote for a sociology course. It turns out that my grandiloquent self-praise was not so overblown as I previously thought. My TA tells me that further research on my topic could be done, perhaps warranting a full-blown study. This left me in a state of shock, to say the least. Updates will be posted as they come.
Now, in the stead of applying my intellect to an appropriate topic at hand, I diverge once more. I should be studying for a statistics test, worth 50% of my mark in the course. Considering that this course is important to my standing in the program as a whole, it is worth approximately 12.465% of my undergraduate career. And yet, I continue to ramble. Keep in mind that I do this for your benefit, and not mine, as the numbers have just proven.
I have been organizing an event for a group which I am increasingly involved with. This event is titled GOD AND EVOLUTION: Is Intelligent Design Ruining Science Education? (Spoiler: Yes.) If you are interested in this event, I highly suggest that you attend – the price is a meagre $4 and the speakers are not being reimbursed for their time. Tickets can be purchased here. Organizing this has been a harrowing endeavor for myself – I would appreciate it if as many people as possible came. Tell your friends! Whore yourself shamelessly! Etc.
One final thing, now that such sordid matters are behind us. My literary fever has struck again – symptoms include headache and neck stiffness. Upon further consideration, this may be some less comical illness that should be diagnosed by a medical profession. My real writing fever has prompted me to begin writing anew. Giraffes have been abandoned, sadly — to languish in the void until I decide to finish their tale. Shortly I will post an excerpt from my most recent attempt. I would appreciate criticism, preferably of the kind that assists me in some manner.
Now, I bid you adieu, returning to a dark cave populated by chi-squares, normal curves, and variables of every shape and size. I only hope that you must never follow me into this cave — for it consumes all who enter, without exception.
