Sports a real homer
Re: Leading the pack, March 19
Kudos to the Sports team for its renewed focus on U of T athletes, and particularly to Christophe Poirier for his fine story on Megan Brown. Keep up the good work-it’s much appreciated.
Keith Dell’Aquila
God and voting don’t mix
Re: McGuinty plays the faith card for easy votes, March 19
The point of the separation of politics and religion is that everyone should be able to participate in the democratic process, regardless of religion. An election date should not be set at a time that will predictably conflict with any major religious holidays. The American fixed election date in early November works precisely because it avoids such a conflict, while Ontario’s fixed election date in early October steps right into one. Five out of the eight projected elections after 2007 are scheduled on a Jewish holiday of some sort. And in many elections, including the one in 2007, it will be impossible or difficult for Jews to fully participate in election-related activities without compromising the observance of several holidays that take place during the campaign. At issue is not just voting on election day itself, but also the ability of members of an affected religious group to be active in elections as candidates or campaign workers.
Citizens should not have to chose between being fully involved in an election campaign and observing a holiday season. Under Ontario’s current fixed election framework, members of the Jewish community will be unfairly forced to make that choice. One wonders if the writer would be so insistent on refusing to vary the election date if it fell on Dec. 25?
Michael Orr
Obama’s just one man
Re: Barack and Hillary break new ground, March 19
Until the citizens of the world learn to cultivate their own dreams, here we go again. I personally like honest politicians who deliver. So I was impressed when U.S. presidential aspirant Barack Obama dismissed as mere rhetoric Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s belittlement of Obama’s call for a phased withdrawal of American troops from Iraq. Not that I care about what Americans do in Iraq, but I do care about how the rest of the world views American politics. Anyone running for the White House is treated as if he is or she is going to lead a world government of some sort. For one to think that a successful presidential campaign by Barack Obama will automatically elevate the status of blacks everywhere is naivety at its best.
Having recently finished reading his book, The Audacity of Hope, I do think that Obama can reclaim the American dream. However, instead of sitting back and cheering on rising American stars, we should all aspire to improve humanity ourselves. Highlighting people’s ethnic backgrounds may make for a fairytale reading of history, but isn’t that how the media usually perpetuates the divisions of old?
Emmanuel Mabe
Bursting SAC’s bubble
Re: Bubble up for grabs?, March 15
As an undergraduate who participates in both athletic and non-athletic activities within the university community, I am upset about the lack of respect for student rights the administration has shown concerning the new sports dome. While over 10,000 students could be affected by the loss of the Varsity Centre, 40,000 undergrads will be affected by a $35 ancillary fee increase that supports only one quarter of the student body. In a time when we students have to fight for every penny we have now and pay off debt with every penny we will earn during the first few years after graduation, it seems very undemocratic for the students as a whole to not have a say in where our ancillary fees are going. The Varsity Centre is an important addition to the university, and I know that it meets important personal and athletic needs for the students who use it. However, approving a fee increase is a decision that students should be allowed to make through voting in a referendum. Unlike SAC, the university administration has never been concerned about the barriers to post-secondary education that high fees represent.
Meghan McPhee
