new government in power, less tolerance?

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 21:02:00 -0400

Quebec has been known for many generations as a multicultural and peaceful environment. That being said, many immigrants move here to obtain a better lifestyle, free of prejudice and discrimination. Habitants of Quebec have had the freedom of expressing their religions and beliefs freely without reluctance or hesitation. However, ever since Pauline Marois of the PQ has been elected, on September 4^th, 2012, there seems to be a planned change in the near future.

Pauline Marois stated that there would be no expression of religion, such as kippahs, turbans, skullcaps, et c. There would, however, be an exception for crucifix, which she considers apart of Quebec’s heritage. In my opinion, this statement is unfair and will only cause major problems in society. There were no conflicts prior to this law being assimilated, only freedom of speech, language and religion. Pauline Marois, along with the rest of the PQ, are trying to hide the fact that they are intolerant of other religions, and will only accept their own, now that they are in power.

As Jean Tremblay, the Mayor of Saguenay quoted, “there simply is no evidence that immigrants are ‘imposing their values’ on the province.” This statement is undeniably correct in my eyes. When people wear crosses or stars of David to show that they are proud of their heritage and where they come from, it absolutely does not mean that they have a goal of forcing religion upon others.

The concept of tolerance and acceptance should be a simple one, but has unfortunately turned into a twisted, complicated notion that must be fought for. The fact that the government in power right now is urging to take away freedom of expression and religion is outrageous, let alone unjust. As long as the people of Quebec are not using religion aggressively, it should be accepted, and encouraged to share your beliefs with society, and to teach them your ways, as well as be open to learning and accepting theirs.

My Best Friend Self Harms… Now What?

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 02:08:00 -0400

In our generation, one in twelve teen girls self harm. People aware of the situation think it’s only logic to make their parents aware of the catastrophe so that they can get help, but is that the right thing to do?

Nobody should ever feel so helpless to have to resort to self-harm, but if they do, and somebody finds out about it, in my opinion, that person needs to either keep it to themselves, or try to help with the problem by using their own knowledge. I don’t, however, consider it acceptable to get the parents of the individual involved without their permission, because depending on the situation, that could lead to many things. Yes, this person clearly needs help, but in the opinion of the person self-harming, it is in their best interest to solve it themselves, without the help of an adult.

An anonymous source quoted, “I’m very worried about my best friend and I know I need to help her, but how? Should I tell her parents, or would that just complicate things? She said if they found out she would never speak to me again.” Do you, as a friend, put yourself in that position, or do you fulfill your friend’s request?

In some self-harm situations, the person hurting themselves will eventually be thankful for the help they got on your behalf, but in other cases, they will grow to resent you for telling their secret, for making it impossible for them to escape from the emotional pain through the physical. If your best friend trusted you enough to express their darkest feelings and secrets to you and then you betray them, they will feel completely alone. The only person they thought they could confide in proved them wrong. Of course it would only be for their benefit, but when somebody is in that state, they don’t think logically, they think selfishly, wondering how someone who they thought was their best friend could go and deceive them completely in their time of need, when of course, you would be doing quite the opposite. Although it is evident as to where the person getting their friend help is coming from, my logic is that if someone really wanted help and was determined to get better, they would ask for it themselves, and until they are ready to do so, they need to be left alone, and allowed to deal with their sadness their own individual way.

The concept of keeping a friendship or keeping a life is a complicated one, and everybody’s logic on the subject can be varied, for many different reasons. However, this depends on what your priorities are, and the severity of the case. If you’ve been in the situation of the person self-harming, you may be more sensitive to their feelings and understanding on the situation, but if this is new to you, and you feel helpless, an adult may be the last resort in your mind, especially without knowing the severity of the situation, and what might happen to the person if you don’t help. Imagine you tell their parents and it ends badly, imagine you don’t and it ends their life. What decision would you make, what do you think is right?

Ethics and Religion

new government in power, less tolerance?

My Best Friend Self Harms… Now What?