Melanie_

Thanks for redirecting me, August. I debated whether or not to even show the video to my preteen and teenage daughters. I worried that they might interpret it as, "Hey, look what makeup and hairstyling can do!" They didn't, but they didn't seem as disturbed by it as I was - I wanted them to get the message that no one is as perfect as the billboards, including the billboards, but they just seemed to accept that advertising is digitized and altered. Maybe my generation (I mean the over 40 crowd here) doesn't recognize how media savvy kids really are these days - they saw it as a matter of course, nothing new here. Don't get me wrong, they are definitely influenced by the media's definition of beauty, popularity, attractiveness, etc., but they seem to understand that there is a great deal of misrepresentation as well.

I'm against prayer in schools, and any other implication of preference for one religion over another in a public school setting. However, the poem they studied begins In Flanders Fields the poppies grow Between the crosses, row on row Studying the poem, and understanding the imagery and meaning conveyed, requires picturing the crosses. For third graders, representing them visually, with the poppies, is a reasonable expectation. We can study art and poetry that has a religious theme, as long as the true purpose in studying them is not obscured by trying to promote one religion over the other. (Does anyone else remember a discussion about religious art in schools about a year ago, in the Moral and Religious Issues thread? I can't find it now to create a link.)

Great. As if there weren't enough body myths being passed along out there, we can now do our own airbrushing or nips and tucks right on our digital cameras. Here's a great video from Dove that shows how reality evolves into what we see on billboards... http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/

There's a thread about this in Provincial Politics; politically incorrect, but really funny. http://www.mapleleafweb.com/forums//index.php?showtopic=7176

I recommend reading it. I found it really difficult at points to keep reading; the genocide, but also the UN's response to it. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but it seems that so much more could have been done. There were so many other world events at the time that overshadowed it (Bosnia and Mogodishu for starters), and there was little to be gained by first world countries in intervening; Dallaire's frustration is almost tangible at times. If you get the chance, read it.

Preying on children of either gender is pedophilia, regardless of the sexual orientation of the person doing it. If you try to link all gays to perverts who sexually abuse young boys you will have to extend the same logic the other way. Would you condemn all heterosexual men for the crimes of those who sexually abuse young girls?

I talked to my son's grade 11 history teacher last year about this. I asked if they would be learning about recent Canadian history (FLQ Crisis in particular, as my son's interest was piqued by Romeo Dallaire's book, Shake Hands With the Devil). The teacher told me how frustrating it was for him, because he agreed with me that they should be learning about Canada in the 20th century, but his hands were tied because the curriculum mandated him to teach about Cabot and Cartier (again! They get that in elementary and again in grade 8!)

The law at the time provided access to 14 year old adolescent girls by heterosexual adults. Why should we be invested in protecting one gender and not the other? I support the age of consent being set at 16 for both heterosexual and homosexual activity; no double standard.

I teach child development - not much on MLW would apply. I wouldn't accept anything from the discussion forum, but I would from the main website, if it were connected (the politics of the child care debate, for example). Look at the feature article on softwood lumber - I can see that as being acceptable.

I have to say, I have definitely "enjoyed kimmy today"!

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I've found great sites as a result of students' research, and other times I've had to basically discredit entire papers. If I question a student's research, it is easier to look up the Internet source from the comfort of my office than to go down to the library and search for the source myself.

I think we all need some of whatever you are smoking in order to properly discuss this....

Army Guy, I know I'm a day late, but perhaps we should express our thanks more often than just on Remembrance Day, anyway. Thanks for doing a thankless job, and may you be safe.

I take issue with your term "owned outright". Did the natives consider the land to be something that could be owned? Did they consider it as something that they could buy, sell, have dominion over? When Europeans came, they brought with them a set of beliefs regarding the relationship of people with the land they live on, and applied that set of beliefs to their negotiations with the natives. The natives didn't have the same mindset, so were negotiating with a different expectation for what would be the end result. All the treaties were therefore flawed, and we shouldn't be looking to them for solutions to the current problems.

Sorry, Ricki, it was you that said the poorest among us benefit the most from these initiatives... They aren't getting the greatest benefit, as it has been demonstrated that these initiatives provide more to those in higher tax brackets. Yet these are the people whose taxes have been increased. By drawing the connection between these two issues, you have implied that the poorest should cover the costs.

Opening schools for casual evening use is laudable, but not relevant to a tax discussion. Ditto. Two of the other four programs listed also provide access to casual recreation programs for low income children, but parents will not qualify for tax breaks based on accessing them. The other two provide training to people who provide programs. Tax breaks are available to families enrolling their children in organized sports, which can cost exorbitant amounts far out of the reach of low income families. For example, recreational, not competitive, gymnastics for an 11 year old and a 13 year old has cost me in excess of $1000 this year (I'm not going to count up the costs of swimming, soccer, football, etc, as I might just start banging my head on the wall) - I'd be happy to receive something back in my taxes, but I was fortunate enough to be able to pay the money in the first place. The poorest among us do not benefit from this tax break. I mentioned GST as well as child care in the previous post. Your statement was that the poorest among us would benefit most, but my argument is that they see less benefit than those with higher incomes, yet have to bear the burden of the tax increase.

I teach at the college level, and I find more and more students are looking for sources on the Internet. Some are obviously not acceptable (Wikipedia, for example - anyone can edit it); I find I'm spending more of my marking time tracking down Internet sites and deciding if they are valid or not for the purpose of the paper. Often there is nothing to indicate who wrote the information, when, and with what degree of credibility. We used to spend time teaching students how to use the library, but now its all about search engines and credible sources.

The poorest among us are not receiving the greatest benefit, as shown in the previous posts. Yet they are on the hook for the tax increase. Another initiative you didn't mention is the tax credit for children's sports programs. Again, this is touted as being a benefit for families, but only the families who can afford to put their kids in the programs in the first place receive the benefit.

They aren't receiving the benefit if it is being clawed back in their income tax. People with higher incomes benefit more from the cut to the GST, as they have more disposable income and spend more on items that are likely to be taxed. Don't get me started on the Universal Child Care Benefit, which has nothing to do with child care. The Caledon Institute of Public Policy has shown that the benefit is greatest to single income families earning in excess of $100,000/year. http://www.caledoninst.org/Publications/PDF/564ENG.pdf

So you believe the poorest among us should cover the costs for these Conservative initiatives?

Lost is one of only two shows I watch, the other being Survivor (I know, I must have a subconscious need to be deserted on an island - escapism, anyone?). My theory about Lost is that the writers have lost track of all the loose threads they've left hanging, and now are trying to confuse us all so much that we stop watching, the show gets cancelled, and they NEVER HAVE TO EXPLAIN ANYTHING! I have to watch now, just to hold them accountable. I'm with you, kimmy, on the Stephanie Plum books being good potential TV (who would be Ranger?), but not all shows match the potential of the books. I'm still feeling a little burnt by the show Bones, where Tempe Brennan was almost unrecognizable. I'd rather read any day.

Interesting how this thread has evolved. I don't even know what to address at this point. The original post was about a book called the Natashas, and the global sex trade, which has been a recurring topic in one of the classes I teach this term (the course deals with child abuse, and we discussed child prostitution tourism, which involves men from first world countries taking holidays in third world countries specifically to have sex with children). I've put the book on my "To Read" list - probably won't get to it til the summer though. Margrace, I appreciate your bringing this topic to the forum, but I don't think there's much to debate here, as (I assume) no-one is going to publicly support these practices. Northstar, FGM is not based in Islam. While many cultures that practice it also practice the Muslim religion, the two are not linked. I'm not defending the practice; I've seen the effects first hand and they aren't pretty, but be careful of the connection you are making here - it isn't valid. Black Dog, thank you for being consistently articulate; as I read this thread, there were so many points I wanted to respond to, but your responses were exactly what I wanted to say. Women in North America have come so far towards equality, that sometimes people think we should be happy with the gains we've made and stop pushing for more. But until there are no gender based barriers imposed on women or men we can't claim a free and democratic society. We can't simply remove those barriers from our institutions and claim success - the bigger barriers are the attitudes and social values that take generations to change. It is better now than in my grandmother's time, and it will be better for my 1 year old granddaughter than it has been for me.

Absolutely. I have a 13 year old daughter; if this were her, the painter would have to hope the police got to him before I did (and you definitely wouldn't want to see my husband!) But we have age of consent laws for a reason - 13 year olds are vulnerable, and aren't far removed from fairy tales and happily ever afters. The parents can take some of the blame for not protecting her more, but the real criminal here is the painter, and he should have been charged.

I think a better question is what was this presumably adult painter doing with a 13 year old, and why wasn't he charged with pedophilia? And while you are condemning the child, pointing to her poverty as a factor in her pregnancy, you are absolving the gainfully employed adult of any responsibility.

A public school teacher was arrested today at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he attempted to board a flight while in possession of a ruler, a protractor, a set square, a slide rule, and a calculator. At a morning press conference, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez said he believes the man is a member of the notorious Al-gebra movement. He did not identify the man, who has been charged by the FBI with carrying weapons of math instruction. "Al-gebra is a problem for us," Gonzalez said. "They desire solutions by means and extremes, and sometimes go off on tangents in a search of absolute value. They use secret code names like 'x' and 'y' and refer to themselves as 'unknowns,' but we have determined they belong to a common denominator of the axis of medieval with coordinates in every country. As the Greek philanderer Isosceles used to say, 'There are 3 sides to every triangle.' 'When asked to comment on the arrest, President Bush said, "If God had wanted us to have better Weapons of Math Instruction, He would have given us more fingers and toes." White House aides told reporters they could not recall a more profound statement ever made by the president.