EchoesofMourning

This is another example of 'affirmitive action' swinging too far. It all started when they changed our Charter of Rights and Freedoms - the government added an amendment that allows for institutionalized racism. This is only one of many problems, and more will come. Don't anyone worry, it won't be long before minorities are completely segregated. The issue that I see is that there is nothing being done - and as far as I can tell public opinion is on our side.

It comes down to a question of trust - do you trust government regulated medical research? In a perfect world I would. The big problem that I see is that there is a lot of private interest in this situation. That's the reason why it's being pushed so hard - not necessecarily because it's good, but because it puts money in somebody's pocket. I for one, do not trust a money-hungry corporation that has no interest in my health or the health of my children.

I would tend to agree Kitch, though I would modify your premise. I have no issues with most religions, only the 'big 3' as you termed them. My reason is simple - I don't know of other religions inciting wars on behalf of their god. Perhaps this is ignorance on my part and, if so, please enlighten me. However, I suspect there is a reason I've never heard of a gang of rowdy buddhists burning down another church because it was of another religion. As for harm done to the planet, it has been and will continue to be done regardless of religion - it seems to be the result of humanity's ravenous hunger for resources.

Organized religion was created by the government for the purpose that I stated above, so yes on both counts, it does sound like government and organized religion.

The fine is completely ridiculous. We are supposed to be able to voice our opinions in an open way - they are personal opinions, and everyone has a right to them. For example, I might hold a prejudice against Native people. As long as I don't act on the belief - meaning that I don't perform any acts of discrimination - I have every right to hold that belief and profess it in any public forum. The wonderful thing about free speech is that when one professes beliefs that are irrational, unfounded, or otherwise unfair, it is the responisbility of everyone who is exposed to them to go to every length to show the flaws in the argument. What is happenning now is a vocal minority and the government is sticking it's ugly tentacles into one more aspect of everyday life. Remember this - if you remove the right to free speech, you are on the road to removing the right to think for yourself.

God has little or nothing to do with it - mass religion was created to justify the actions of the powerful and to control the throngs of uneducated.

I think a national Canadian identity doesn't really exist. People say "I'm proud to be Canadian", but what does that mean? We really are a little brother to the States, because our only difference from them is a half-assed attempt at "multiculturalism".

I'm not sure if our version is any clearer - british people probably consider the way that we talk an accent. As for the british accent - I do think there is the first impression of intelligence, not enough to carry someone anywhere but enough to give that person that extra little bit of bearing.

"One persons anecdote is not to be extrapolated into a thesis. You could have likely hit me with a bat as a child ( I was big) and not suffer any harm. " I'm not trying to hold your experiences out from anyone elses. The point is that you could ask nearly anyone, and they would tell you that they had been spanked. Also, the question remains - were you spanked without reason? "Weekly huh? The it obviously did you no good... Children and learning respect is not the same as hitting children..." First of all, when has a child ever responded quickly to someone telling them that they can't do something? Add this natural tendency to the fact that I was an increadibly stubborn and headstrong child, and you can understand that I didn't get this concept quickly. This is not the fault of my parents - they did nothing wrong - it comes down to my hardwiring, and the fact that I am not, and never was, quick to accept authority. Secondly, spanking is not necessarily equivalent to teaching a child respect, but when used in specific circumstances, it does work. For example, talk to any older person - say older than 40 - and ask them what they think about the level of respect they recieve and they see recieved by themselves and others from children. Odds are they will say that it is terrible. Respect was a very important value in the past, and I'd like to think that it should be today. However, children now are treated as adults - fully capable and functioning adults - and that is simply wrong. Children are subordinate to their parents - and should be treated as such. I am sick and tired of seeing a frustrated parent trying to convince their child to stop throwing a fit in a mall!

B. Max, I would say you are going way to far. Alberta is a part of Canada, the same as all the other provinces. I wouldn't say that we have been treated fairly, but I would say that the vast majority of Albertans aren't interested in leaving Canada. As for Alberta playing the same game as Quebec, you couldn't be farther from the mark. When has Alberta campaigned to become some sort of sovereign nation within Canada (I still don't understand this). When has Alberta demanded that everything in the country correspond with our own language while refusing to do the same? When has Alberta failed to contribute to the general well-being of the rest of the country? The answer to all of the above is never. Alberta is one of the few provinces that puts out for the betterment of Canada, whereas Quebec sits in their little french cafe's complaining about how they have to be a part of the same country as everybody else. They do nothing but pull resources from the rest of Canada. Now, before people get all riled up and angry about what I'm saying here, realize that I'm not talking about the average, hard-working person in Quebec who has no problem whatsoever with Canada.

You were spanked as a child, and are you suffering a serious malady because of it? I can speak for myself - I was spanked often. I was smacked around on at least a weekly basis, but it was never done when I didn't deserve it. When I mouthed off, I got smacked; when I gave even a hint of violence towards a family member, I got smacked. This caused no mental damage - to the contrary, it taught (sp?) me respect for those that deserve it, and that is a lesson that today's kids dearly need to learn. Secondly, you train a child to restrain their natural urges through certain techniques, the same as you do with any domesticated animal - and what's the difference between that and teaching a child to restrain their innapropriate urges?

An ordinary spanking is one that gets the point across, but does no permanent damage. Spanking is by no means something to be used to adjust a kid's attitude towards school, or any other larger issue - that's one to be solved through parental interaction with children. Spanking is justified however, if it is used to teach a child a quick and biting lesson. If, for example, my kid calls my wife a "cunt" he will recieve a swift smack. This is because physical violence is an extreme to be used only in extreme situations. 'Time out', or removal of entertainment, or any other of a million non-physical versions of punishment are to be used on a regular basis, and even in the above example, after the kid gets his smack. I agree 100%. A lot of people see spanking as a fix-all, if you will, and it is often used in far too many situations. That does not prove that it should be banned. Far too many people eat McDonalds, does that mean that the place should be banned? Ah but it does work on dogs. Look at the prevalence of choke-chains, shock-collars, and all sorts of other kinds of corporal training methods. I'm not saying that it's the only way to train a dog, but it does work. Also, there is no need to tell someone to get sterilized - the point of a forum is to inspire argument. Just because you don't agree is no reason to start throwing insults. I absolutely agree - as I stated earlier, a spanking will not affect larger issues in the child, but it can teach a smaller lesson. Because the definition of child abuse is growing broader by the day, authority figures (such as teachers) are being forced to use fewer and fewer methods. For example - a parent can sue a teacher for yelling at their child - verbal abuse. Now I don't know about everyone, but I was yelled at tons when I was a kid and it had no ill effect on me.

This seems to be the prevalent view in today's society. Perhaps you would care to explain how, using a complete lack of physical discipline, we could instill this vital value into today's children? That fact is that every method concievable has been tried, to little or no success, and children grow worse as time passes. Find a functional adult, and you will find someone who has had physical discipline imposed upon them at one time or another. When we, as a society, remove this from the process of raising our children, we end up with what's going on today. By no means do I support abuse, but the definition of abuse has run rampant - there is no way an ordinary spanking is abuse.

This is part of a growing trend that exists today. It is nearly illegal to discipline a child, and as such many are being raised to believe that there are no consequences for acting in an innapropriate manner. As well, parents are spending less time with their kids. This problem will continue to get worse until something is done about it. Call me a criminal if you like, but I believe that children need discipline.

First of all, this is an extremely well thought out theory - did you get this from somewhere, or is it the result of personal reflection? I agree almost completely, suvival instincts would fill the gap here extremely well. The only problem that I see is explaning immoral people - people who disregard any commonly held moral system. If it is a survival instinct guiding our morals, then it should be nearly impossible for one to ignore it. It should be 'hard-wired', if you will, into our brains and subconcious.