Image via Thinkstock Stop being smug about our society and politicians > Bad things exist in Canada too Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor Conc have always been proud of their national identity, and of the many privileges we enjoy in this country. While it’s not perfect, or as comprehensive as many healthcare systems, we are able to go to the hospital without declaring bankruptcy. We are known for our politeness, tolerance, and diversity in our national identity and in how we treat others. In the nightmare that is the US presidential election, many Americans are considering moving to Canada and are feeling very jealous of our position. We've got a popular, liberal, attractive man as our leader. We do not have a terrifying, growing movement based on racism, sexism, and pretty much every other kind of prejudice there is. Americans crave the stability and tolerance exhibited in our borders. Naturally, we feel pretty smug about it—we’re rightfully grateful to not have to deal with this nightmare. But, too often, Canadians become too smug about our stability and lack of Donald Trump. Racism, xenophobia, and nationalism exists in Canada as well. Although it is not as obvious or popular as in the US, it remains a serious problem. Our Aboriginal communities often have conditions comparable to a developing country, with some areas experiencing more poverty than most places in the US. Distrust of immigrants and non- Christians remains a viewpoint expressed by many Canadians. Bigotry and anti-gay platforms exist all across the country, even if the LGBTQ+ are protected by human rights codes and have widespread acceptance. Rob Ford was a popular city councillor and mayor of Toronto, Canada’s largest city. He was well-known nationally and internationally for his substance abuse issues of drugs and alcohol, as well as his bigotry, sexism, and racism. He had been visited by police at his home for domestic abuse of his wife several times. Ford may not have had quite the insane views or national leadership ambitions that Trump does, but the two do share a lot of similarities. Millions of people supported Ford despite his scandals and generally awful behaviour. Sound familiar? Canadian government is and always has been less conservative than our counterparts in American politics. In particular, were currently enjoying a liberal government led by a popular and progressive leader. But some problems like bigotry and racism are independent from whoever is in power. These are sad truths that exist in all societies. Canada is unfortunately not an asshole-free zone just because we have progressive laws and mostly tolerant citizens. When you get smug about Canada’s supposed superiority to the US, you’re being ignorant and denying the many common problems we face. You do not exhibit the tolerant values we're supposed to represent, because you're refusing to acknowledge The human garbage pile that is Mike Pence > Why Trump’s running mate sucks, a lot Cazzy Lewchuk Opinions Editor ike Pence is the current Governor of Indiana. As of the time of this article, he is also the Vice-Presidential running mate of Donald Trump for the Republican Party. It is entirely possible this will change by the time you read this, or before the election on November 8. Ever the controversial (and awful) figure, Trump’s outrageous behaviour has caused many Republicans to denounce him. Many have called for his resignation and for Mike Pence to lead the Presidential ticket instead. Although Pence may not be as insane or ridiculous as Trump, his policies are no better. In many ways, they are a lot worse. Like many Republicans, Pence opposes same-sex marriage and gay people openly serving in the military. Pence signed a bill legalizing discrimination by allowing business owners to use “religious objections” in refusing service, although he later amended it to specifically prevent the LGBTQ+ from receiving this discrimination after a lot of controversy and backlash. Even more disturbingly, Pence has advocated for funding and resources to be given to conversion therapy programs. These extremely controversial programs, which have been outlawed in some areas, use regressive “therapy” and outright abusive torture tactics to “cure” gay people of their sexuality. Many who enter these programs (usually against their will, forced by their family) commit suicide, and many more end up with trauma from the experience. Pence signed a bill into law requiring remains from all fetuses, whether they be from abortions or miscarriages, to be buried or cremated. The law also made abortion illegal if the reason was a fetus’s race, sex, or disability. Being anti- abortion and believing fetuses are babies is not uncommon, but such a bizarre (and gross) law was unheard of before. It was struck down by courts for being unconstitutional, but attempting to make abortion illegal in America remains a Republican platform in this election. Pence unsuccessfully attempted to ban Syrian refugees from entering the state of Indiana, as well as cut off federal funding for a charity group designed to help them get re-settled. Unlike his running mate, Pence does not support a blanket ban of Muslims entering the US. However, he remains, arguably, Trump’s biggest political supporter, and by proxy supports a platform banning refugee immigrants. Such actions and beliefs are not only not-so-slightly xenophobic and racist, but contrary to American (and moral) values of welcoming new citizens. If such refugees were white and Christian, I bet Pence would change his attitude, and fast. In the extremely unlikely event Donald Trump wins this election, Mike Pence will most likely do most of his work for him. Unlike Trump, Pence has political experience and knowledge. He has been specifically cited as being in charge of “domestic and foreign policy” in a Trump administration—i.e., pretty much everything. In the increasingly likely event that Trump is fired or is somehow convinced to resign, Mike will be the presidential nominee. I’m terrified of a President Trump, but a Pence administration would also be terrible for millions of Americans. A lot of jokes have been made about Mike Pence. He looks like someone who’s about to transform into Mystique. He looks like a super strict conservative dad who secretly has a massive gay porn collection. Seriously, Pence once wrote an op-ed criticizing Disney’s Mulan the universal problems that exist in society, or the issues that so many Canadians face. 1 doubt that someone like Trump would make it as far as he did in Canada, but I don’t believe we're free of dangerous people like that. The Conservative government was issuing and promoting Islamophobic laws and policies only a year ago. In the right circumstances economically and socially, movements of nationalism, racism, and general ignorance could easily arise. It’s our duty as citizens to be educated and honest about what makes our country good, and what can be improved on. We aren’t immune from toxicity in society, and we would do well to remember that more often. Image via nydailynews.com for being liberal propaganda of women serving in the military. A lot of it seems almost funny, but there’s nothing funny about what Pence believes in, or his oppressive policies. Donald Trump represents outsider evil, but Pence represents the conventional evil that was already deeply ingrained in the Republican Party. As observed by many, “Trump may remind you of the man who assaulted you—but Mike Pence is the judge who let him get away with it.”