entry #5

How the family veto creates a grey zone around Canada's organ donation policy

December 01, 2016

Amina Zafar

Cbc.ca

Summary

By analyzing the data of Ontario organ donations, experts found that 1 in 5 registered organ donors had their decision vetoed by family members. In order for the process to be moral yet legal, while accompanied with compassion for the family, a recent commentary published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggested that relatives or family members should have a say in organ donations (This should become law). Two researchers of the issue of organ donation shortages in Canada, Maegan Toews and Timothy Caulfied, explained the current situation to the CBC. "Under provincial and territorial legislation, there's nothing that allows families to override an individual's consent. Nevertheless, as a matter of policy, different organ donation organizations and health authorities across the country have indicated that they actually will follow a family's wishes when they conflict with an individual's consent". Toews' goals is to see various policies across Canada to be aligned with the laws related to organ donations in order to have an adequate number of organs for patients and people in need. She explained that it is a very hard mission to achieve, since she wants to respect the families' wishes, as well as fulfilling the people in need with supplies of life-saving organs. Ronnie Gavsie, president and CEO of Ontario's Trillium Gift of Life Network, also agreed with this procedure by saying, "families have the right to share if they believe their loved one might have changed their mind about organ donation, thereby rescinding their loved one's consent," She noted that the family cooperation is very important towards the result of the transplant. It can not only avoid potential conflicts, but might even obtain some of the donor's crucial information such as medical background and history.

The files containing the donor's decision, it's completely confidential, even to the family.

Opinion:

        

           I believe that families should not have the right to veto the donor’s decision. Organs have been extremely limited for the past years, many patients were placed on the wait list for long periods of time, some even passed away due to shortage of organs. The stats reveal that 1 out of 5 families denied the organ donation, this policy is very inhumane in my opinion, since Canada is having a very serious shortage of organs and number of donors. We are essentially letting an inconceivably large number of life-saving organs being wasted, that could potentially save the lives of thousands. People can argue that ethics and grief are a big factor of why the family members should get a say, however, the donor is trying to contribute his last every bit to save other people, therefore they should have the respect to make the decision. Life-saving decisions should be considered first, albeit ethical and emotional considerations are also important. To approaching the problem on shortage of organs, I believe that organ donation communities should adjust their policies so that donors over the age of 18 can make their own decisions without interference of their parents or other family members. They are adults who are responsible for making their own decisions in life, their family members should respect their decisions, especially when it’s potentially saving people. Another way of increasing the amount of organs supplied is through education. If we set up health class that touches on the topic of organ donations, we might inspire individuals that have never thought of it before and turn them into compassionate and aspiring donors. For instance, if we have a class of 10 people, 5 people are willing to become organ donors if certain situation happens, the other 5 not really knowing the process. Hypothetically, if we can teach them the knowledge, 2 out of the 5 of them might actually be eager donors. By considering education, organs supplies will most likely go up in the long run.

Entry #4

Protesters decry U of T professor’s comments on gender identity

Oct. 5, 2016

Jackie Hong

Thestar.com

Overview:

On September 27th, a University of Toronto professor, Jordan Peterson, drew the ire of many when he published a Youtube video entitled, "Professor against political correctness: Part 1". In the video he argues against Bill- C16, an act to amend the Canadian Human Rights Acts, which protects gender identities. Specifically, he criticizes laws about the expression of gender neutral identities, by saying "I don’t know what 'neither' means, because I don't know what the options are if you're not a man or woman. It's not obvious to me how you can be both because those are, by definition, binary categories. There’s an idea that there’s a gender spectrum but I don’t think that’s a valid idea, I don’t think there’s any evidence for it.” He also adds that the idea gender is different from biological sex is just "a politically motivated and ill-informed opinion."

In the later part of the video, he contends that he will reject a non-binary gender student if s/he asks him to use a "gender- neutral" pronoun. He said,“I don’t recognize another person’s right to determine what pronouns I use to address them. I won’t do it.”

This video started a rally outside of U of T's Sidney Smith Hall on Wednesday to protest the professor's comments on gender identities. Riven Thorne, a member of the rally, told The Star that it was “shocking that someone (who) literally does not believe in your gender and in your pronouns is teaching and is able to educate other people when they need, themselves, to be educated.” Riven isn't a student at U of T, but she was furious when she heard about the video and joined the rally. Another attendee, Arden Chow said, “People don’t seem to understand what a big effect refusing to use someone’s pronouns has on them, it can really mess them up.”

When The Star confronted Peterson, he was unapologetic. He said that the rally is mainly criticizing him for denying non- binary genders, but he claims that he only refuses to use the proper pronouns for non- binary gender people because they don't exist in the standard English language.

Opinion:

The protest on U of T campus was caused by a professor’s refusal to give recognition, and use pronouns for non- binary genders. The anger from the protestors and others can be well understood since gender identity and recognition has been a continuous struggle across the world. He believed that the choice of personally addressing someone is part of the “freedom of speech”. However, this only serve as an excuse for him to adhere to his opinion about gender, surely, he has the freedom to say anything to his students, but he also has to face consequences and inevitable criticisms for making offensive comments. 

His way of thinking is due to the traditional values and understanding of sex and gender. However, he also showed strong stubbornness when many criticized him, which I believe to be caused by arrogance. The arrogance as a professor who believed to fully understand the English language, he believed that gender and sex are the same thing, that you can be either male or female. However, he passes over the fact that sex and gender are drastically different. Sex refers to the  two biologic options that you are born with, you can neither be male or female; on the other hand, genders can vary, not just the binary genders, but also non- binary and neutral.

Beyond this, he even stated that he will reject someone who asks him to use the right term for their gender. This act is very humiliating towards non- binary gendered persons and others, because it means that he doesn't accept who they are. This is as if he were to refuse to call a Jewish student, Jewish, simply because he doesn’t believe in Judaism. He later told the protestors that they are missing the point of the video, which doesn't conceive the fact that he deeply disrespected many genders. There is supposed to be a mutual respect between teacher and students but sometimes professors don’t show the kind of respect they should.

Therefore, I think the professor should start by admitting his mistake, and then delete the video that he posted which made the inappropriate comments. He should make a new video to unreservedly apologize to the non- binary gender students and protestors, or talk to the media.

Civics Blog Success Criteria

✔	Success Criteria
	I have reviewed many headlines and articles and I have chosen one that permits me to answer many prompt questions and discuss pertinent issues related to our course content and society.
	I have ensured that both of my sections are complete and meet the minimum expectations for content.
	I have paraphrased and used direct quotations, cited properly, from the entire original article to ensure I have conveyed the author's content/intentions in my own words.
	I have taken a stand on the issue, but respectfully and empathetically explained multiple perspectives towards the issue.
	I have used the prompt questions to help enhance my opinion and make original suggestions about possible solutions to the issue or relationships that exist between my story and other issues in society.
	I have edited my article for spelling and grammar and ensured that each item is formatted properly.

Civics Blog Rubric

Name__________________________                  Blogs: ___    ___

Criteria	Mark	Level 4 (10-9)	Level 3  (8-7)	Level 2 (6)	Level 1  (5)
Required Elements (K/U, A): Entry contains ALL of the required elements, and each is complete and clearly identifiable. Date, Hyperlinks, Newspaper Title, Article Title, Author, Photo and photo description, Overview and Opinion clearly identified)	/ 10	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Understanding: Summary provided suggests an excellent understanding of the article MINIMUM 250 WORDS. Does not include YOUR opinion, but clearly conveys the intention of the original author, IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Goes far beyond simply summarizing the article’s lead paragraph and completely explains all aspects of the original work.	/ 10	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Opinion (T&I) Opinion presented shows an excellent level of understanding and effort MINIMUM 300 WORDS. Clearly considers and mentions multiple perspectives on the topic/issue and goes far beyond the obvious commentary. Uses many of the prompt questions provided to generate ideas and makes perceptive inferences related to other societal issues.	/ 15	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Communication The responses are presented extremely well throughout BOTH segments, with proper spelling, punctuation and grammar. Avoids run-on sentences and fragments, and clearly portrays a high level of attention to detail.	/ 10	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Overall (application) -Excellent and organized overall presentation/order/format (title is largest, font style is consistent). -Thoughtful choice of photograph. -Excellent choice of article/topic that is very conducive to creating an intriguing opinion section. -Success criteria checklist is completed accurately.	/ 5	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness

                                            

                                            / 50

Entry #3

WHO recommends tax of at least 20% on sugary drinks

October 11, 2016

CBC news

CBC.com

Overview:

On Tuesday, the united Nations health agency asked the government to put on a tax of 20 percent on all sugary drinks. Including, soda, fruit drinks, energy and vitamin water drinks, sweetened iced tea and lemonade. The reasoning was that drinking less sweet drinks can prevent excessive weight, illness and chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Douglas Bettcher, the head of WHO's (world health organization) department for non- communicable diseases, said, "If government tax products like sugary drinks, they can reduce suffering and save lives". Obesisty has doubled world- wide between 1980 and 2014, now, the world has 11 percent of male population considered as 'obese', and 15 percent women. The WHO organization wrote a 36- page report about the action, stating that it will fight obesity and other illness. The WHO also suggests governments to take 3 other steps of approaching. Subsidize what people pay for fresh fruits and vegetables to improve diets. Increase income for governments to pay for health services. Fund information campaigns. The Canadian diabetes association urges the government to take actions. Dr. Jan Hux, chief science officer at the Canadian Diabetes Association, said, "People with diabetes account for 30 per cent of strokes, 40 per cent of heart attacks, half of kidney failure requiring dialysis and 70 per cent of non-traumatic amputations. This disease has a huge impact on Canadians and on the health-care system and even threatens the sustainability of the health-care system."

The tax will eventually generate around 1.8 billion dollar revenue for the government, based on research. Most teenagers are consuming for sugar than the standard that an adult should, which is 1 can of pop per day (40 grams of sugar, 10 teaspoons).

Energy drinks in a supermarket, if the new tax is established, then the price tag might change drastically.

Opinion:

 I think the tax placed on sugary drinks is not acceptable and fair. The retail price of many drinks are already sold at a high price, for instance, many energy drinks after taxes can be sold around 3 to 4 dollars. Placing the tax will provide for inconvenience and dissatisfaction for the customers. Merely increasing the price is also not the most effective way of reducing obese population. Just because some people are obese doesn't mean that they cannot afford a few packs of drinks, at most around 15 dollars. Therefore, I don't think the tax will reduce significantly the obese population, because if some individuals are in desperate needs, or simply passionate, an extra tax won't stop them. Stop drinking sugary drinks doesn't necessarily solve obesity, the more important factor is about consistent exercising. Exercise can train better heart function as well as increase metabolism, which makes a person healthy and fit. The government should be encouraging obese people to try exercising, and award them if shown effective. If some individuals are incapable of exercising, then they should be provided with extra care and restrictions on diet, all on the government's expense. The government can promote exercise by organizing working- out events, or spreading advertisements about it. The price on the retailing of drinks should still be altered, I think the best way is to leave the price of individual items unchanged, but apply tax on packs or wholesales of sugary drinks. Then people might just purchase a few drinks at a time, considering that packs are more expensive, and buying a numerous of individuals will be almost the same. That should limit some large- consumption customers. Before the government start taking actions, it should request the associations in Canada related to diabetes or obesity, to spread out advertisements and publicity about over- weight. This way might influence some individuals beforehand.

Entry #2

Cancer patient petitions to end hospital parking fees

September 19, 2016

Tyson Koschik

cbc.ca

Overview:

         

     Winnipeg cancer patient, Colin Kennedy, made the headlines on CBC on September 19th when he filled a parking meter with spray foam outside of his hospital to protest against parking fees. He believes that the hospital shouldn't charge its patients, their loved ones, or caregivers for parking. He argues that, according to the bill of rights published in 2003, “patients should not have to worry about the burden of natural situations when accessing to health care buildings and that, because of this, charging for parking is against that law.”

     Kennedy has had various myelomas since 1999. He explained to the media that his cancer deteriorated in last fall and, due to this, he had to stay in hospital for over a month. When his mother visited him while he was there, she spent almost 600 dollars on parking fees alone. Kennedy said, "They're not thinking about the meters for most of the time, but when they do start to think about it, it's the most stressful thing in the entire process. You're forced to stop and think about the parking meter before you think about your loved one. There's an injustice in that."

     When CBC first posted this story, Kennedy had already gathered 117 signatures on a petition he had created, which cites both the Canada Health Act and Ontario's Patients' Bill of Rights. Just one day after, he gained an additional 527 signatures, which is far more than enough to change the parking policies according to the government. The petition suggests keeping the parking meter, while finding a way to identify the patients and their loved ones' vehicles and keep them free of charge. Winnipeg Mp Robert-Falcon Quellette also signed the petition. He agrees that parking fees might give patients a harder time accessing health care. The petition has already been handed in to the house of commons, and the government will have 45 days to respond.

The petition that has more than 100 signatures

Opinion:

       Kennedy is right to call attention to this serious issue of parking fees, because this is a very controversial  yet serious problem in Canada, that can impact patients and others' life regarding on financial aspects. There was a previous report of a hospital in Montreal who lowered its parking price due to complaints, proving that this isn’t a case that is new, many other overpriced hospitals are proliferated and directly obstructing families or individuals. Therefore, an increasing number of population choose to park in a further parking lot, to cut down parking expenses. This shows how expensive it is to park in the hospital's own parking lot. However, doing so can get very risky for certain patients that require immediate attention, such as a sudden heart attack or a stroke. The increasing distance causes the loss of time for treatments. The time might be brief, but the consequences are unpredictable.

      

      Even though Kennedy proposed such a beneficial petition, his action to boycott the parking meter could also be criticized. The act of vandalism on a public property should not be tolerated since it's also something that has costs. Kennedy’s action doesn’t only questioning government’s revenue in hospital parking, but might also imply the generally high expenses in the hospital. Such as the cost from light injuries. For instance, I had a bone fracture on my wrist, and a single splint for the wrist costs around 30 dollars. The government should really rethink their profits from the medical industry and focus more on serving the population with the basic care they need without worrying about any other factors.

On the other hand, removing parking fees might be way to extreme as in dealing with overpriced parking. I believe that the most appropriate way to start is reducing parking price, and categorize and label the amount of time stayed and price, for instance, shorter time such as half an hour should be charged the most, and staying in for couple of days or months should be automatically free for the patients and their love ones who visit.

In conclusion, the government should be taking a seriously good look at this petition. As the MP that signed the petition wrote, "In certain places [in Canada], there are extensive fees, not even nominal fees, sometimes it's $25 to park in some of the hospitals in this country. And that is really a barrier."

Civics Blog Success Criteria

✔	Success Criteria
	I have reviewed many headlines and articles and I have chosen one that permits me to answer many prompt questions and discuss pertinent issues related to our course content and society.
	I have ensured that both of my sections are complete and meet the minimum expectations for content.
	I have paraphrased and used direct quotations, cited properly, from the entire original article to ensure I have conveyed the author's content/intentions in my own words.
	I have taken a stand on the issue, but respectfully and empathetically explained multiple perspectives towards the issue.
	I have used the prompt questions to help enhance my opinion and make original suggestions about possible solutions to the issue or relationships that exist between my story and other issues in society.
	I have edited my article for spelling and grammar and ensured that each item is formatted properly.

Civics Blog Rubric

Name__________________________                  Blogs: ___    ___

Criteria	Mark	Level 4 (10-9)	Level 3  (8-7)	Level 2 (6)	Level 1  (5)
Required Elements (K/U, A): Entry contains ALL of the required elements, and each is complete and clearly identifiable. Date, Hyperlinks, Newspaper Title, Article Title, Author, Photo and photo description, Overview and Opinion clearly identified)	/ 10	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Understanding: Summary provided suggests an excellent understanding of the article MINIMUM 250 WORDS. Does not include YOUR opinion, but clearly conveys the intention of the original author, IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Goes far beyond simply summarizing the article’s lead paragraph and completely explains all aspects of the original work.	/ 10	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Opinion (T&I) Opinion presented shows an excellent level of understanding and effort MINIMUM 300 WORDS. Clearly considers and mentions multiple perspectives on the topic/issue and goes far beyond the obvious commentary. Uses many of the prompt questions provided to generate ideas and makes perceptive inferences related to other societal issues.	/ 15	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Communication The responses are presented extremely well throughout BOTH segments, with proper spelling, punctuation and grammar. Avoids run-on sentences and fragments, and clearly portrays a high level of attention to detail.	/ 10	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Overall (application) -Excellent and organized overall presentation/order/format (title is largest, font style is consistent). -Thoughtful choice of photograph. -Excellent choice of article/topic that is very conducive to creating an intriguing opinion section. -Success criteria checklist is completed accurately.	/ 5	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness

                                            

                                            / 50

entry #1

White Ohio policeman kills black teen armed with BB gun

Fri Sep 19th, 2016

by Laila Kearney

reuters.com

Overview:

Tragedy happened in Columbus, Ohio on September 17th, when a local white police officer investigating an armed robbery, Bryan Mason, , shot the 13 years old suspect Tyre King; after he pulled out a BB gun that looks almost identical to a real gun, during a confrontation in an alley. King was an athlete,specializes in football, soccer, hockey and gymnastics. The officer shot King multiple times. King was sent to a local hospital and but still passed away not long after. 

The robbery was reported around 8 p.m. The victim told the police that a group of black males threatened him with gun for money. The police captured 3 suspects right after, but King and another suspect fled into an alley when the police tried to question them. Braxon, who is one of the suspect that witnessed the whole shooting, told the police that King and the other escaping suspect were caught by an officer in the alley, who told them to surrender. In response, King got up and ran and was subsequently shot.

The question remained that why the police didn't tase him. Currently, the Tyre King shooting is among one of the most viral trends on the internet. There are many cases of police killing of african american similar to this, such as the death of Terence Crutcher, and they all attribute to the madness of the "black lives matter" campaign.

A replicate of the BB gun that King used to threaten the police.

http://s2.reutersmedia.net/resources/r/?m=02&d=20160916&t=2&i=1153732620&w=644&fh=&fw=&ll=&pl=&sq=&r=LYNXNPEC8E1M4

Opinion:

     

As the country still struggles with the black stereotype; the assumption that the black population symbolizes evil and guilt, which is undeniably wrong, just like how most black protestors assume that all white police are killers. Incidents like the King shooting case will just spread further hatred between and black and whites, and provoking the black population to live in fear. Apart from the King's case, there have been continuous reports of white police officers’ shootings which resulted in the death of harmless black people. According to statistics, around 102 unarmed black men were killed in 2015, which is 5 times the number of unarmed white men being killed. How are we going to convince the black population that the U.S. is still a great nation if white people still think that police killing harmless black people is an imperceptible problem?

In my opinion, this tragic was caused by a combination of racism and gun control. It reflected gun misuse, and officer’s lack in patience, training, and decision- makings. For instance, there were many alternatives under that circumstance at the officer's position, when he confronted King. The officer could've used a Taser, or try to negotiate with King, while calling for reinforcement; worst case scenario, he could've maybe shoot him once to unarm him. Nevertheless, he still chose to shoot King numerous, deriving his young life immediately.  Likewise, even if King was holding a real gun, the bullets were definitely undeserved.


That leads to my second point, racism. King threatened an officer with a BB gun, why would the officer fatally shoot him out of the realization that he’s still a teenager? The officer was expected to simply unarm him, and take him to the superior to face charges. I think that he didn’t shoot King multiple times just because of  the potentially dangerous situation, since the officer served as a many years veteran, he definitely had past experiences dealing with suspects similar to King, but as a well trained police officer, why did he make such a mistake that connects to a life? Therefore, racism is affecting the officer’s mindset and impression of black people, and this resulted in his overusing of gun and power. I strongly believe that police forces should be trained to be more aware of the importance and consequences of gun misuse, and don’t let racism affect their decisions and actions. Whichever candidates that wins the future presidency, should add in more police gun control policies, to prevent more innocent lives from passing away through the hands of officers. 

Civics Blog Success Criteria

✔	Success Criteria
	I have reviewed many headlines and articles and I have chosen one that permits me to answer many prompt questions and discuss pertinent issues related to our course content and society.
	I have ensured that both of my sections are complete and meet the minimum expectations for content.
	I have paraphrased and used direct quotations, cited properly, from the entire original article to ensure I have conveyed the author's content/intentions in my own words.
	I have taken a stand on the issue, but respectfully and empathetically explained multiple perspectives towards the issue.
	I have used the prompt questions to help enhance my opinion and make original suggestions about possible solutions to the issue or relationships that exist between my story and other issues in society.
	I have edited my article for spelling and grammar and ensured that each item is formatted properly.

Civics Blog Rubric

Name__________________________                  Blogs: ___    ___

Criteria	Mark	Level 4 (10-9)	Level 3  (8-7)	Level 2 (6)	Level 1  (5)
Required Elements (K/U, A): Entry contains ALL of the required elements, and each is complete and clearly identifiable. Date, Hyperlinks, Newspaper Title, Article Title, Author, Photo and photo description, Overview and Opinion clearly identified)	/ 10	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Understanding: Summary provided suggests an excellent understanding of the article MINIMUM 250 WORDS. Does not include YOUR opinion, but clearly conveys the intention of the original author, IN YOUR OWN WORDS. Goes far beyond simply summarizing the article’s lead paragraph and completely explains all aspects of the original work.	/ 10	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Opinion (T&I) Opinion presented shows an excellent level of understanding and effort MINIMUM 300 WORDS. Clearly considers and mentions multiple perspectives on the topic/issue and goes far beyond the obvious commentary. Uses many of the prompt questions provided to generate ideas and makes perceptive inferences related to other societal issues.	/ 15	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Communication The responses are presented extremely well throughout BOTH segments, with proper spelling, punctuation and grammar. Avoids run-on sentences and fragments, and clearly portrays a high level of attention to detail.	/ 10	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness
Overall (application) -Excellent and organized overall presentation/order/format (title is largest, font style is consistent). -Thoughtful choice of photograph. -Excellent choice of article/topic that is very conducive to creating an intriguing opinion section. -Success criteria checklist is completed accurately.	/ 5	High degree of effectiveness	Considerable effectiveness	Some effectiveness	Limited effectiveness

                                            

                                             / 50