Gay Activist Beaten to Death

Read article here first: http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/TopStories/20120417/halifax-gay-activist-death-120417/#ixzz1sswfRa5z

Raymond Taavel in 2008

In summary, Raymond Taavel, who was a gay activist, was beaten to death outside a bar in Halifax earlier this month. There were many witnesses at the scene, and 32-year-old Andre Noel Denny is facing charges of second degree murder. 


Denny was uttering homophobic slurs, and killed Raymond Taavel because he had an issue with his sexuality. This tragic event has caused most of the gay community in Halifax to be scared for their lives. People should not have to live in fear of being killed simply because of their sexuality. That is a horrific thought, and I really believed that we had come so much farther than this in terms of accepting everyone for who they are.

Laws regarding same-sex partnerships in the United States

Laws regarding same-sex partnerships in the United States

  Same-sex marriage¹

  Unions granting rights similar to marriage^1,2

  Legislation granting limited/enumerated rights¹

  Same-sex marriages performed elsewhere recognized¹

  No specific prohibition or recognition of same-sex marriages or unions

  Statute bans same-sex marriage

  Constitution bans same-sex marriage²

  Constitution bans same-sex marriage and some or all other kinds of same-sex unions

***See the full Wikipedia article here***

I think this situation is especially horrendous because it took place in Canada, a country that is generally seen as an accepting nation. We are a country that allows same-sex marriage. The fact that this tragedy happened here is appalling to me, and I think it is the exact opposite of "everyone deserving equal rights." 


The fact that someone was be brutally beaten and murdered in this country just because of being openly gay is sickening and truly horrifying to me. I can't picture that happening  
 in Canada, it seems more like something that  you'd hear about in some of the States. That might be stereotypical, but that's just how I see it.


Raymond Taavel's death has been mourned heavily by activists in Halifax. The street he was murdered on was hung with flags and other tributes to his death.

What I Think of FFP

There are definitely aspects of this course that I really like, and other parts that I'm not too fond of.

In particular, I like the choice available in the projects that we are doing. For example, the fact that we got to choose our own lit circle book was much better than having just any book forced upon us. I also appreciate choosing the projects that we are interested in doing, and then being marked on more of an individual scale. In the History of Democracy project, for example, I liked that we got to choose the assignment as long as it showed our understanding on the topic. The individual projects that we have coming up seem really interesting, too. I'm looking forward to them.

Some things that I find aren't working too well are the loose deadlines. It could be a good thing because it would allow me to work away at small pieces of a project over a long time. In a perfect world, that's exactly what I would be doing; I would spread the workload out evenly over a long period of time. In reality though, I often find myself putting the work for this course on the backburner because I know it has more lenient deadlines. I find that due dates make me more productive, because I know that there is a specific goal I must work to finish in a set amount of time. I wish there were a few more concrete deadlines in this course.

Another thing is that the online collaboration with other FFP students seems disorganized to me. When this course was first described to me, it sounded like we were going to be collaborating and sharing with all the other students often. This hasn't worked out too well, in my opinion. Recieving submissions from other schools for the magazine was pretty disorganized, and one school was late.That very first TED talk with the twitter feed was also unsuccessful, and that's why I'm wondering what the upcoming book clubs are going to turn out like. In the future, I don't think working with other FFP schools should be a part of this course, unless all the kinks can be worked out.

One thing I do appreciate in this course though, is that the subject matter is much more interesting and useful than what I have heard is taught in other careers and civics classes. I think learning about activism, and having guest speakers for careers into the class is a great idea. This is much more valuable teaching than career aptitude tests and personality tests are.

I also appreciate the focus on media in this course, because it seems like many industries are becoming more and more tech- savvy. I feel like I'm learning a lot of useful skills.

Having no exams is also a bonus!

Mandatory French In High School?

Now knowing the entire background about why we must take French courses in high school, it makes me believe even more strongly that a French credit should be compulsory. French heritage and culture is a big part of what makes Canada so unique. French language is a very important part of our country's history. By learning the language, we are honouring the diverse culture that exists in Canada.

Learning a second language is always useful, even if it is just the bare bones of the language. By learning a second language, it can lead to many different jobs. For example, it's really helpful to have a second language if you want to be a flight attendant, or have any sort of government job, or be a teacher.

Learning French also opens many doors in the way of travel. There are cities in Canada where French is spoken, but there are also many countries around the world that have French as an official language. Knowing the language makes travel much easier.

Our country was colonized by France and French culture is still a big part of many people's lives today, so having a compulsory French credit honours our heritage and diverse culture. Not to mention that it is a very useful language in many ways.

There is nothing to lose from learning French, and everything to gain!

Bicycles on the Sidewalk

Bicycles should not be allowed on the sidewalk, if the cyclist is an adult. The road is where an adult cyclist should be, because they are considered a vehicle. Being someone who walks places a large majority of places, I'm often freaked out when a bike whizzes up from behind me on the sidewalk, with no bell or any indication that they're coming.
The road is where bikes are meant to be. I have nothing against them, I think they are a wonderful and more environmentally friendly alternative to driving cars. But they need to be on the road.
On my hour walk home from school, I pass by a group of about four or five guys on bikes who take up the whole sidewalk on their bikes. I am the one moving out of the way for them. It wouldn't be a problem if they were on the road to begin with. It is especially a problem with elderly people, who I see moving off of the sidewalk for the sake of these cyclists.
In a way though, I find myself sympathizing with the cyclists of Waterloo because we are in desperate need of more bike lanes that actually lead places instead of being dead ends. If there were more useful bike lanes, I'm sure more cyclists would take to the road.

TED Talk- The Three A's of Awesome

We recently watched this TED talk in class, and I found it to be quite motivational and inspiring. To summarize the talk, Neil Pasricha speaks of the "Three A's of Awesome." They are attitude, awareness, and authenticity. On the topic of attitude, his message was to have a positive outlook on life even after something tragic has happened. On awareness, his main point was to see the world in the same way that a three year old sees the world, where we appreciate and are curious about every new thing that happens to us. In Pasricha's last point about authenticity, he said that it is important to remain true to ourselves, and who we are on the inside.

Throughout the talk, one of the main themes that kept coming up was to be able to appreciate and be thankful for all the little things in life that we sometimes take for granted. Some of the examples he used were putting on clothes fresh from the dryer, or popping bubble wrap, or hitting all of the green lights on the way home from work.

Neil Pasricha's book on the simple things that make life great

I found this talk to be so inspiring because even after his wife left him out of the blue, and his best friend committed suicide, he was able to come up with a way of coping with the grief. He did this by starting his blog on all of the little awesome things in his life that make it that much better. By focusing on the positive things in his life, he could move on from the grief that would otherwise hold him down. It really paid off for him, not only by helping himself cope, but he was also awarded one of the best blog awards!

This talk was really enjoyable to listen to, and I think he made great points especially about appreciating all of the little things in life that make it so much better. Often times we forget about them, and it was refreshing to hear about what other people find so enjoyable.