We might be oppressing the woman who wants to wear a burka

Quebec is following suit on the anti-veil sentiment, alongside a number of European nations. France has gone so far as to pass a law that if a woman wears a niqab she will be fined 150 Euros or have to take citizenship lessons. If a man forces a woman to wear the facial covering, he will be fined 30,000 Euros …

There should be a more humane way to close a business

This community has sustained another kick in the health-care teeth, and most people don’t even know about it, because it happened so quietly and quickly. Last week I had some blood work requisitioned, so I went to the 170 East St. LifeLabs location only to be told they don’t do that anymore. They still do X-rays, but you have to …

Olympian Clara Hughes will bring inspiration to Sault Ste. Marie

The Olympians are coming! The Olympians are coming! Even though hearing the word “Olympian” in Sault Ste. Marie is not uncommon, take note this time — Clara Hughes is speaking here Oct. 23, 2010, and as a bonus, hometown girl Brigitte Acton will be introducing her. Hughes is the only athlete in Olympic history to win multiple medals in both …

Make it socially irresponsible for people to chuck their butts in public

Dropping your cigarette butt on the ground is littering … and I want it to stop. For some reason, buttchucking (or filter-flicking) seems to be the only remaining acceptable form of littering. We would frown or comment if someone tossed their Timmy’s to-go cup on the ground in front of us, but the butts seem to drop without issue. I …

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Are the time and energy spent coupon clipping worth the return?

Coupons are ruining my life. They’re supposed to help us save money and introduce us to new products, but I’m starting to wonder if they are more trouble than they are worth. I’m directing this column to those of you out there who also clip coupons. Coupon clippers tend to be those of us who run the finances and are …

Allow children to take safe risks, but protect them from great harm

What would you do if your young teenager asked you to let him or her sail around the world? Me, I’d say no. Recently, we heard of a 16-year-old girl who had to be rescued from her attempt to navigate the globe alone, at a great cost to perhaps everyone except her parents. Now, a 14-year-old has been given the …

Shaking the salt habit is much harder than I thought it would be

I’ve taken on a significant battle — I have launched an assault on the salt in my diet. Our bodies need some sodium, but excess sodium raises your blood pressure, which can result in heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease. Admittedly, I prefer the studies that say salt is not bad for you, but they are strongly in the minority. …

Has the concept of truth in advertising gone up in smoke?

Where there is money to be made, there are unethical business practices. Unfortunately, there is a lot of money to be made in tobacco sales. Yes, where there is smoke, there is fire. There seems to be an ongoing awkward dance between the government and tobacco companies. Government tries to limit the advertising, use, and sale of cigarettes, and tobacco …

Newcomer to politics needs to find a way to get her name out

I was a little shocked to read that one of the mayoral candidates said that they would not be using electoral signs or go door-to-door to increase awareness of their candidacy. I have to question if they are really serious about this election. Corel Corporation had a better word processing product, and yet I am currently typing in Microsoft Word, …

Like-minded and unlike-minded can connect at ChangeCamp

When I was first asked if I knew about Change-Camp, admittedly, I thought it was a reality television show. Then, when I was told it was a nationwide grassroots movement encouraging us to “design a future based on transparency, civic engagement and democratic empowerment,” I still thought it could make good television, at least on the CPAC channel. According to …