suds

Trying to balance freedom of religion with the idea of 'laicite' which implies a 'secular state' or 'neutral state' can be a tricky one. So is trying to balance freedom of religion with our idea of equality between the sexes. Trying to be respectful of all religions and beliefs especially when they conflict can be next to impossible at times. The Quebec government claims that one of the reasons for Bill 21 (not to mention incorporating it into the Quebec Charter of Rights and Freedoms) was to avoid lawsuits. In my opinion i can see the law applying to such individuals as police officers and judges. In other words, those who are given the power of using coercion over others. I personally don't see where teachers fit into all this.

In 2017, the Quebec liberals pass Bill 62 which required government service workers (when dealing with the public) to have faces uncovered. It also required the public (when dealing with those same government workers) to uncover theirs as well. In 2019, the CAQ pass Bill 21 (basically an extension of Bill 62) to ban the wearing of religious symbols in most public sectors. While Bill 62 is disproportionately aimed at one religion, Bill 21 is aimed at all religions and although somewhat less discriminatory is far more reaching in scope. 2/3 of Quebec citizens support Bill 21 and would have to assume that number includes a large number of school teachers as well. I see nothing wrong with wearing a hijab (headscarf in particular, or as long as the face is showing) or the wearing of religious symbols if kept to a certain number and size. My opinion is that while Bill 62 makes a certain amount of sense, Bill 21 is a perfect example of government overreach.

If it's references you want they are from South Africa's medical advisor Waasila Jassat.

South African reports indicate that hospital admissions have risen for all age groups during this 4th wave but are disproportionately high for those under 5. They believe the omicron variant may be evolving to target young children. While it's true that South Africans are not as well vaccinated as Canadians, are all of our children vaccinated yet? Is this not enough evidence for a cause of concern?

We know the new variable is the most transmissible yet. Until we know more i find the implementation of the 'lowest level of restrictions' a prudent thing to do in such case. That's really all i can say at the moment.

I agree with the race/religion bit, but this has absolutely nothing to do with race or religion does it? I'd be surprised if the stores chose proof of vaccination over physical distancing. It's not like businesses to chase away customers.

Let's say grocery stores did require proof of vaccination (to enter stores) instead of physical distancing. There's other ways of getting groceries (and pharmacy) by pick-up and delivery where no customer has to actually enter the store. I don't agree with the anti vaccinators but i support their right to decide what goes into their bodies. The thing is that THEY have to accept they're not the only ones who have rights.

The last thing i want to see is a Trump/Biden rematch or Trump/Harris. In my estimation there's zero probability of that ever happening. Both parties could use some new blood.

Biden is a lame duck president. Trump should sit out in 2024 and do something he's really good at like campaigning for the republican nominee. And if there was a god, it would be Tulsi Gabbard sitting in the oval office instead of that complete disaster Biden. The truth is that someone like Gabbard (no matter how qualified) is unelectable in a 2 party system of government which has become so polarized. Personally, I don't agree with all her views but i admire her character.

It always takes the first major snowfall for people to realize they should check the weather reports and double their driving time in adverse conditions. Instead, they get stuck in traffic and realizing that they're going to be late for work do stupid things. It's as simple as that.

Nothing would surprise me either. Is there anything left in the US which hasn't become politicized?

Low interest rates are great for the economy (not to mention tax revenues) while higher inflation allows governments to inflate away its debts. Basically the combination of low rates and higher inflation is good for borrowers but not so good for savers or the currency. It's why central banks like to strike a balance between interest rates and inflation's inverse relationship. Governments can pay off debt by increasing taxation or by inflating it away. So when you go shopping and find things are a little more expensive just look at it for what it actually is.... regressive taxation.

If oil and coal are to be replaced as sources of energy, it will take renewables and all the nuclear and hydroelectric generation necessary to fill the gap. Population reduction could dramatically decrease the reliance on nuclear. In order to reduce population we would have to rethink our ponzi scheme mentality that perpetual population growth was essential to maintain present living standards. Is there any other way of stabilizing or reducing harmful emissions on a world wide basis? The west exporting its pollution (and manufacturing) to china might look good on paper but solves nothing.

Not only were Christopher Steele's sources bad, but also corrupted, which further implicates the clinton campaign and democratic national committee. First to be indicted was Michael Sussman (a Clinton campaign and DNC lawyer) for lying to the FBI. Now we have the indictment of Igor Danchenko also for lying to the FBI (five times) who received some of his misinformation from Chuck Dolan, a former Clinton campaign advisor. Unless you're naive enough to believe that Clinton campaign and DNC officials knew nothing of what was going on, pressure is going to put on those indicted to spill the beans on everyone else to avoid long jail sentences. That's just the way it works. What goes around, comes around.

I would agree if it were a case of law abiding people defending their own homes, except the term 'mutual combatants' implies something more like gang warfare. If i lived in an area where something like that happened i wouldn't be so easy to accept it. Neither should law enforcement or the district attorney's office. Not a single charge laid, not even disturbance of the peace? No wonder why things are so out of control.

A more deserved name for the "fake news" media may well be the "arbitrary news" media. A more deserved slogan for "all the news that's fit to print" may well be "all the news that's fit to print (but are reluctant to print due to the negative affects on our political interests and market share)". Which pretty much sums up cnn, msnbc, and the NYT. The big difference between fox and its rivals is that fox openly admits its bias in its reporting and commentary, while it would be like pulling teeth in getting others (or their viewers/listeners) to admit to any such thing. THEY are the phonies who pass themselves off as "real news". What's killing the US today is the political polarization of its citizens, the two political parties, as well as the mainstream news sources. Whereas at one time when voters would look at party policy with a reasonably sound mind they now fall blindly into lockstep with whatever the party or their favoured media giant says. As for "real news" (if there was such a thing), I would think that without commentary or opinion it would be terribly boring. Not a good way to jack up market share or increase advertising revenue.

clicking on the hyperlink 'brazen mid-morning gunfight' (from the first link posted in the op) gives you more (updated) information. Or you can simply click here..... https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2021/10/1/22704457/austin-shooting-mason-swat-devlin-addison

They've legalized gang warfare, public assassinations, or whatever you want to call it. The shootings occurred in a residential area at around 10 am. 4 people get out of 2 cars and open fire on a house. Those inside the house return fire and kill one of the gunmen. The shell casings indicate at least 70 rounds fired. And no charges laid by the district attorney because those involved were considered 'mutual combatants'. Have americans lost their bloody minds???

If the idea is to elect prosecutors who don't want to prosecute or incarcerate anyone, or elect politicians who want to dismantle the prison system and de-fund the cops... how else do you deal with society's most violent people? might as well let them kill one another. The problem is that innocent bystanders, kids, and babies in strollers, are getting shot. It's either total insanity, or they've just decided to capitulate and throw in the towel.

You're right that it was never about democracy. It was about getting rid of the terrorist camps and the taliban regime that allowed them safe haven to operate within their borders. Once the taliban was gone, it had to be replaced with something and why not democracy? Most islamic countries have democracies of some kind.

It's likely that SARS CoV 2 originated in the wuhan lab through gain of function research the US helped fund. If anything, china has some explaining to do concerning its obvious coverup. In particular, how it silenced and threatened its doctors, virologists, and media, including the foreign press.

The US and UK are ultimately on the same page regarding many of the concerns over the free movement of people and labor across their borders. The UK has a long history of being opposed to anything remotely resembling european integration overreach. Free trade... yes. Adopting the euro currency or border free schengen agreement ... no. Even the USMCA does not allow the free movement of labor across national boundaries. Maybe the UK should apply to join the USMCA.

The US will remain leader of the free world as long as it's the only country that can realistically (militarily) stand up to china and russia. Presidents come and go. Biden has been a disaster so far. It's a good thing we have nato.