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Sunday, April 30, 2017

Carding, Streaming, Police in Pride and more -- The Left Chapter Sunday Reading List April 23 - 30

This week's list of articles, news items and opinion pieces that I see as must reads if you are looking for a roundup that should be of interest to The Left Chapter readers.

This list covers the week of April 23 - April 30. It is generally in order of the date of the article's release.

1) Party girl’ stereotype played role in acquittal of Halifax taxi driver, review suggests

Adina Bresge, CBC News

The stereotype of the “promiscuous party girl” may have factored into the acquittal of a Halifax cab driver accused of sexually assaulting a woman in his car, a review of the case suggests.

Read the full article. 

2) Why banning uniformed police at Pride will actually make the event more inclusive

Alex Verman  & Vincent Mousseau, CBC News

For many white, straight, or cisgender people, it's easy to forget what the uniformed police officers who dance on parade floats do on the other 364 days of the year.

Read the full article.

3) Carding not stopping anytime soon in Halifax

Robert Devet, The Nova Scotia Advocate

The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission (NSHRC) will lead a narrow investigation into the practice of carding (or police street checks)  in Halifax. An expert will be hired to determine if discrimination actually occurs.

Meanwhile Black people will continue to be targeted.

Read the full article.

4) Black students in Toronto streamed into courses below their ability, report finds

Muriel Draaisma, CBC News

A new report has found that large number of black students are being streamed into applied instead of academic programs and they are suspended at much higher rates than their counterparts in Toronto.

Read the full article. 

5) Toronto’s art school students mostly white, from high-income families, study finds

May Warren, The Toronto Star

Students in Toronto’s arts-focused high schools are overwhelmingly white and come from high-income families despite living in one of the most diverse school districts in North America, suggests new research from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Read the full article. 

6) 'I want someone to take my pain': Woman set on fire by husband denied home insurance payout.

Rachel Houlihan & Diana Swain, CBC News

Allstate puts up legal fight despite telling CBC News it would review its handling of such criminal cases.

Read the full article. 

7) The Handmaid's Tale has already come true - just not for white western women

Glosswitch, The New Statesman

Why, if the fate of the fictional Offred is so horrifying, is the fate of real-life women in surrogacy hostels causing so little outrage?

Read the full article.

8) Ryerson's racist history still riles students

Sophia Smith, NOW Magazine

Ryerson University takes pride in its progressive courses, forward-thinking policies and initiatives centred around social justice. It’s big on diversity, as seen in its multicultural student population and on-campus events.

But look at it through the lens of Indigenous people and your perspective changes. The university is named for Egerton Rayerson, an integral figure in the implementation of the residential school system in Canada. This system robbed Indigenous people of their culture and heritage, leaving many with irreparable psychological, emotional and physical damage.

Read the full article.

9) Kathleen Wynne’s basic income plan is bread without circuses

Thomas Walkom, The Toronto Star

Ontario's new scheme assumes poverty is an inexorable part of the gig economy.

Read the full article.

10) Sex robots epitomize patriarchy and offer men a solution to the threat of female independence

Meghan Murphy, Feminist Current

People love to pretend as though everything from prostitution to pornography to sex dolls are a solution to not only men’s supposed loneliness and unmet sexual “needs,” but to their violent, perverse desires. It being the future and all, “sex robots” are the natural next step. Similarly, men have claimed sex robots are the perfect solution to their apparent inability to stop raping and abusing women, as well as their inability to socialize with women as though they are actual human beings. One might ask how creating “realistic,” non-human dolls that men may project their desires onto and do whatever they wish with will impact women and men’s view of women, but capitalist patriarchy doesn’t ask questions so long as there is a product to sell and an erection to satisfy.

Read the full article.

11) Hundreds protest in support of safe access to abortion clinics

Gabriele Roy, The Ottawa Citizen

On Wednesday evening, hundreds of people gathered at the Human Rights Monument on Elgin Street to show their support for abortion rights.

The protest came after those at the Morgentaler abortion clinic on Bank Street had accused authorities of doing little to stop anti-choice demonstrators from constantly harassing and intimidating clients and staff members. The clinic’s director of operations, Shayna Hodson, told the Citizen that incidents such as verbal harassment and being spat on had been happening for years.

Read the full article.

12) No new cash for fixing social housing stock

Emily Mathieu, The Toronto Star

Toronto’s crumbling social housing stock will not receive any new money for desperately needed capital repairs as part of this year’s provincial budget.

Read the full article.

13) Responses to Serena Williams’ Pregnancy Are Steeped in the Racism and Sexism She’s Long Faced

Shireen Ahmed, Rewire

Serena Williams is the best tennis player—and arguably the best athlete—in the world. Her passion and determination make her a standout on the court, and her charisma constantly delights millions of fans. Last week, three months after winning the Australian Open, Williams announced via Snapchat that she is 20 weeks pregnant.

Read the full article.

14) Bombardier is corporate greed at its worst; nationalizing it could create the global leader we need

Dru Oja Jay, Medium

Bombardier, Quebec’s Ski-doo manufacturer-turned-aerospace and rail giant, has been getting some bad press. When the company was in trouble last year, Quebec’s provincial government bailed them out with a $1 billion investment. In 2017, the Federal government kicked in $372 million in loans. Bombardier then announced sweeping job cuts — 14,000 positions worldwide, 5,000 in Canada. Shortly thereafter, Bombardier executives offered themselves $32 million in bonuses (under pressure, they later delayed payment).

Read the full article.

15) Sex assault lawsuits seek culture change in Canada's military

Matthew Behrens, NOW Magazine

A recently announced review of military uniforms, ceremonies, badges and drills - part of a new diversity strategy aimed at making a broad swath of equity-seeking groups feel more welcome in the Canadian military - drew a chuckle from Navy veteran Nicola Peffers. She's one of two lead plaintiffs in sexual harassment and assault class actions filed against the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

Read the full article.

16) Internationalism and the Mexican Working Class

Jimena Vergara, Left Voice

Internationalism is a strategic necessity. As the Mexican working class begins to mobilize, workers in the US and Mexico must unite against the capitalists and the state.

Read the full article.

17) Europe’s youth don’t care to vote—but they’re ready to join a mass revolt

Aamna Mohdin, Quartz

Young Europeans are sick of the status quo in Europe. And they’re ready to take to the streets to bring about change, according to a recent survey.

Read the full article.

18) Big Corporations Win the French Presidential Elections

Adrien Welsh, Rebel Youth

On April 23rd, the French people were called to chose two out of the eleven candidates running for the Presidential elections who would make their way to the second round and aspire to be the next tenant of the Élysée palace.

Read the full article.

19) Le Pen Promotes Holocaust Denier and Plans to Ban Kosher Butchers and Yarmulkes

Robert Mackey, The Intecept

FRANCE’S JEWISH COMMUNITY is watching the second round of this year’s presidential election with profound unease, as Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Front has unveiled plans to ban the ritual slaughter of animals for kosher and halal meat and promoted a deputy who has been accused of praising an infamous Holocaust denier.

Read the full article.

See also: The British and French Elections, The West Wing and more -- The Left Chapter Sunday Reading List April 16 - 23

See also: Mélenchon, US Bombings, Christie Blatchford & more -- The Left Chapter Sunday Reading List April 9 - 16

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