June 7, 2016

High school students in this small Ontario town close to London will walk out of classes today to protest the suicide of five students so far this year and to raise consciousness of the incidents. Police say that five people 19 and younger have killed themselves since the start of 2016 and 36 others have expressed suicide thoughts, raising the level of concern with the domino effect. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/07/woodstock-shocked-over-suicide-contagion-among-youth.html Related article: CBC News ‘We will not sit idle’: Woodstock students hold walk out following teen suicides http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/woodstock-suicide-teen-school-walkout-protest-1.3619752 related article: CBC News – Nicole Ireland What needs to happen next to deal with Woodstock, Ont., suicide crisis? http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/woodstock-youth-suicides-experts-1.3619525

Rape is again in the news, this time from Stanford University in California but the focus is on a clearly articulated statement of the impact of the rape by the victim herself. The case rose to headlines when the young man, Brock Allen Turner, 20, convicted of her rape was sentenced to six months and probation, prompting a recall vote on the judge. https://www.buzzfeed.com/katiejmbaker/heres-the-powerful-letter-the-stanford-victim-read-to-her-ra?utm_term=.ag8bRb5JZ#.fidqlqJnj Toronto Star – Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times Father of ex-Stanford swimmer reportedly called sex assault ‘20 minutes of action’ https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/06/06/father-of-ex-stanford-swimmer-reportedly-called-sex-assault-20-minutes-of-action.html Related article: Globe and Mail – Liam Stack Rapist’s light sentence and father’s statement draw outrage at Stanford http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/rapists-light-sentence-and-fathers-statement-draw-outrage-at-stanford/article30326739/ Related article: Washington Post – Danielle Paquette What makes the Stanford sex offender’s six month jail sentence so unusual https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/06/06/what-makes-the-stanford-sex-offenders-six-month-jail-sentence-so-unusual/

The international Human Rights Watch organization has been monitoring the lack of clean drinking water in Indigenous communities for some time and is lumping the long-time failure in the realm of a human rights violation. There are unsafe water advisories for 133 water systems — 89 in First Nations communities across Canada, according to their 92-page report, “Make it Safe: Canada’s Obligation to End the First Nations Water Crisis,” released on Tuesday. https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/06/07/human-rights-watch-takes-canada-to-task-for-unsafe-water-in-ontario-reserves.html Full 92 page report in pdf: https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/06/07/make-it-safe/canadas-obligation-end-first-nations-water-crisis Related article: Toronto Star – Simon Fobister Sr. Grassy Narrows must be cleaned up now https://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2016/06/06/grassy-narrows-must-be-cleaned-up-now-chief-fobister.html Related article: CBC News Canada violates human right to safe water, says report by international watchdog – Urgent action required by federal, provincial governments, Human Rights Watch says http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/human-rights-water-first-nations-1.3619218

Coyne notes that the Swiss have just voted overwhelmingly not to pursue the guaranteed basic income idea as strategy against poverty and replacement for welfare. But, he says, that does not mean the idea is dead. Coyne is suggesting that the different political factions have different understandings of what GAI would mean. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/national/andew+coyne+guaranteed+minimum+income+could+work+canada/11968759/story.html Related article: Toronto Star – Associated Press Swiss say ‘no’ to unconditional basic income for all https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/06/05/swiss-says-no-to-unconditional-basic-income-for-all.html

The US Supreme Court will hear two challenges against the death penalty framed under the Eighth Amendment and claiming that delay of execution by long periods on death row constituted an example of cruel and unusual punishment. While the cases are quite specific and not intended to attempt to abolish the death penalty, commentary suggests that a favourable rulings will make the application of the death penalty less and less likely. http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2016/0607/New-Supreme-Court-cases-may-narrow-death-penalty Related article: Houston Chronicle (US) – Dianna Wray The U.S Supreme Court Will Hear Duane Buck’s Case http://www.houstonpress.com/news/the-us-supreme-court-will-hear-duane-bucks-case-8339695

Suicide contagion…