NDP, Gay, Collaboration, Home

Thoughts from today's Toronto Star

A4 CHANTEL HEBERT
Chantel wrote, "A split opposition has  become the gift that keeps giving to the Conservatives."  How right she is!

Only a united left can defeat a united right.  Only Nathan Cullen among the NDP leadership candidates seems to understand this.

If you agree with this, and even if you are not an NDP supporter, you could join the National NDP and vote for Cullen in the leadership election.

Then we would have to find someone among the Liberals who is more concerned with the country than party power games and join together to support that person.


A8 GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCES IN PUBLICLY FUNDED SCHOOLS
"mindful of Catholic sensitivities, alternative names were left open to negotiation"

This is outrageous.  By doing this, the Ontario Provincial Government is saying that there is something wrong in being gay.  That it is something to be ashamed of and that is why euphemisms would be acceptable.

I say it is not Catholic 'sensibilities', but 'superstitions' and 'stupidities'.  There is nothing sensible about any type of anti-gay prejudice.  Nothing.


A10 THE NEW WORKPLACE
``The new workplace more about `we` than `me` ``

A very interesting article that talks about an open concept work environment filled with collaboration and interaction, instead of the closed concept cubicle office.

I think this reflects an important change that is occurring in the general population, although political leaders are being very slow to recognize it.

The `me first` and `watching out for #1` and `greed is good` approaches are what has got us into the financial mess we are all in now. 

Even if we cannot articulate it (although the Occupy movement is helping), deep down we know that unbridled capitalism is not good for us.  We know that unbridled anything is not good for us.

The time has come to rethink how we want our country to run and how we want our society to look.


GT4 A KNOWN ADDRESS
"This is my first actual place with my own kitchen and bathroom." Tracy Estwick, 49 years old.

This is such an incredibly important tiny, teeny, weeny first step.  All shelters, no matter what their good intentions, just make matters worse.  Every morning when people are thrown out out onto the street after a night of dormitory, sometimes on the floor, sleeping, they are reminded that in society's eyes they are utterly useless.  Heterosexual couples can`t be together.  Often they must go to separate buildings.  Families with children are split up.

These people have 'no known address'. 

And with no known address, you can't get a job.   Can't vote.  You are a nobody.  A nothing.

What we really need are apartment buildings filled with studio apartments for single people and some 1 or 2 bedroom apartments for families.

We must give these people a known address.  We must give them the opportunity to live with dignity and opportunity.  They are not charity cases.  They are our social responsibility.