Cathy Majtenyi
Online Harms Act too long in the making
Give your children L-O-V-E
It’s legislation long overdue. The introduction of Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act, is badly needed protection for the vulnerable — particularly children and youth — against traumas arising from an unsafe and unregulated digital world.
The proposed act identifies seven categories of harmful content, three of which directly relate to children. These include content that sexually victimizes a child or revictimizes a survivor, bullies a child and induces a child to harm themselves.
Stop MAiD expansion, then abolish MAiD
On Jan. 29, federal Minister of Health Mark Holland introduced legislation seeking a three-year delay in the extension of medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to those suffering from mental illness.
Stop MAiD expansion in its tracks
The timeframe to extend medical assistance in dying (MAiD) to those living with a mental illness is fast approaching. From March 17 onward, people whose sole condition is a mental illness are expected to be eligible to end their suffering through MAID.
Corner store booze sales sacrifice common good
Coming to an Ontario corner store near you: beer, wine, cocktails and other low-alcohol beverages, in whatever pack size you want. These libations will also be available in grocery stores, big-box locations and some gas stations.
Christ will bridge the loneliness gap
It’s a condition that increases the risk of heart disease by 29 per cent, strokes by 32 per cent and premature death by 26 per cent. It has the same effect on the body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. People with this condition are more likely to catch viruses, contract respiratory illnesses and develop dementia, among many other ills.
When daily bread costs too much
The release of Food Banks Canada’s HungerCount’s 2023 report shows how food banks are the proverbial “canary in the coalmine” reflecting the state of our society’s socio-economic health.
Let’s open our eyes to the reality of AI
“Ban it, or use it?” ponders the headline of an article marking the six-month anniversary of an innovation rocking the education and academic world. Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) has turned the practice of conventional teaching and learning on its head forever.
Summer wildfires lead from fear to eternity
People jumping into a lake to escape being consumed by flames. Roadways jammed with vehicles on the move. Kilometre-long line-ups to airstrips offering evacuation flights.
Our hearts must go on God’s authority
The parallels are eerie, the lessons not learned. The 2023 implosion of the Titan submersible and the 1912 sinking of the Titanic ship have much to teach us about the dangers of arrogant self-assuredness and discriminatory treatment based on class and race.
Focus of addiction should be prevention
British Columbia is several months into the first experiment of its kind in Canada: decriminalizing the personal possession of opioids, cocaine, methamphetamine and ecstasy — 2.5 grams in total — as one way of addressing the province’s worsening drug crisis.