Oct. 12, 2014 

(Communiqué wishes all our readers a happy Thanksgiving and commends the lead article as a context for our neighbourly reflections.)

 Globe and Mail – Joe Friesen

Former Governor-General Clarkson says Canada has redefined citizenship  

In the middle of controversy, sustained by secrecy and confusion, the rights of a citizen are increasingly subject in Canada to an arbitrary, and perhaps even capricious, redefinition.  In this question and answer session, Clarkson speaks to her own experience of coming to Canada and to citizenship as an act of imagination:  “Rather than having a grid imposed on us, we have become part of each other’s wishes, part of each other’s dreams and in the process we’re creating a new kind of society.”  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/former-governor-general-clarkson-says-canada-has-redefined-citizenship/article21072664

 CBC News – Kristen Everson, Evan Solomon

RCMP has intervened 28 times against people tied to foreign militant groups  

There is some contradiction between the federal government’s assessment of threat in Canada from foreign fighters and the CSIS and RCMP assessment.  The discrepancy seems to favour the motive of preparing new but unspecified laws to deal with departing and returning foreign fighters.  According to the RCMP there are 28 cases of interventions around travel. Immigration Minister Chris Alexander told CBC that government wanted to revoke the passports of 80 others who have returned from foreign involvement.  To date, only one conviction and five others have been charged.     http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-has-intervened-28-times-against-people-tied-to-foreign-militant-groups-1.2795901  Related article: Toronto Star – Tonda MacCharles      Tories cite dismissed terror report to bolster case for more powers    http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/10/09/tories_cite_dismissed_terror_report_to_bolster_case_for_more_powers.html

 Ottawa Citizen – Shaamini Yogaretnam

Walking the thin blue line: How stigma is silencing police officers  

Constable Eli Edwards of the Ottawa Police Services knows about depression and the stigma of mental health issues for a policeman.  The 40 year old first thought that it was better to endure tan to be known as a ‘head case.’  Three officers offer their stories of movement from stigma through alcoholism through treatment.  http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/walking-the-thin-blue-line-how-stigma-is-silencing-officers

 Journal Star (Nebraska)

Supreme Court won’t review case over juveniles who got life sentences 

This week the US Supreme Court decided that it would not refine its previous ruling by declaring that historic and automatic mandatory life sentences for juveniles were also subject to its prohibition of juvenile life sentences.  Nebraska has 26 such cases and has begun “re-sentencing” those previously convicted and still serving life.  State law now offers an option of 40 years to life for those under 18.  http://journalstar.com/news/local/911/supreme-court-won-t-review-case-over-juveniles-who-got/article_b2c04bdc-9d4b-518f-80a4-5d88b9ee3d59.html

 Human Rights Watch (US)

Mexico: ‘Disappearances’ Response Falls Short 

This review was prompted by some 40 plus students who recently disappeared and whose deaths were eventually established to have occurred with the complicity of the police.  In all, over 8000 people have disappeared while the regime mouths platitudes about responses and concerns.  Says Human Rights Watch director Jose Miguel Vivanco:  “But the Peña Nieto administration has fallen woefully short of its commitment to find out what happened to these thousands of missing people, and is now even slashing the budget of the special prosecutors’ unit it created to handle these cases.”  http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/10/08/mexico-disappearances-response-falls-short

 Christian Science Monitor – Anne Collier

The first step in fighting bullying? Define ‘bullying’   

While many jurisdictions are busy passing laws about process and response to bullying – physical or internet – the most problematic obstacle still remains a definition of bullying.  Not all mean behaviour is bullying and the bottom line is that not every mean act is bullying.  The need to assess whether an act or acts constitute legal bullying forces delay for due process and then the solution, if ever actually applied, is less effective.  http://www.csmonitor.com/The-Culture/Family/Modern-Parenthood/2014/1010/The-first-step-in-fighting-bullying-Define-bullying