Suicide is nota Lee Tae hia Cer

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> Show some empathy, not hostility

Photo of Chester Bennington Via Bleedingcool.com

 

Jessica Berget
Staff Writer

 

ver since the recent suicide of

Linkin Park’s lead singer Chester
Bennington, people have come to
interpret the circumstances of his
death in many different ways.

Some say his death is a reminder
that anyone can suffer from mental
illness, even famous singers and people
surrounded by family and loved ones.
Some encourage those with mental
illness to get help and to reach out if

they are having thoughts of suicide.
Then there are those who call his suicide
an act of cowardice or selfishness,
saying that he couldn’t handle his
mental state and took the “easy way
out,” leaving his family behind. Not
only is this way of thinking incredibly
negative and toxic, it is not reflective
of mental illness by any stretch.

As someone who has struggled
with depression, I never understood
why someone would consider suicide a
cowardly act. It is an extremely toxic and
unhealthy way to interpret someone’s
suicide. Suicide is a decision people

make when they feel hopeless, trapped,
and isolated. They feel like there is
no other way out of the black hole of
depression. The sad truth is, when
you're contemplating suicide, you're
generally not thinking about how sad
your loved ones will be if you left them;
you are actually thinking about how
much better off they would be without
you. In some ways you think you are
doing it for them, not in spite of them.
People seem to forget that
depression is a mental illness, and in
many ways people with depression think
committing suicide is the best thing

to do because their mental illness is

a huge burden on them. To call them

a coward is just insulting them, their

families, and anyone struggling with

depression and suicidal thoughts.
Mental illness and depression still

have a lot of negative stigmas behind

them. By calling someone a coward or

selfish for contemplating or committing

suicide, you are not just contributing

to the harmful stereotypes that come

with depression, you are trivializing

the people who have struggled with

suicidal thoughts, and the communities

of people struggling with mental illness.

Nick Spencer: The hero comics deserves

> The writer who sparked endless controversies

Greg Waldock
Staff Writer

 

ick Spencer has been a divisive

writer for Marvel Comics, even if
his name isn’t well-known outside of
dorky comic circles. There are two main
social justice controversies Marvel has
had to contend with in the last five years,
and Nick Spencer was at the heart of
both. It speaks to his talent as a writer
that he managed to annoy all sides of
the political spectrum without being
petty, mean-spirited, or insulting.

Captain America: Sam Wilson saw
the mantle of Captain America passed to
the titular black hero, which drew the ire
of people who lean more traditional. They
saw Sam Wilson’s anti-establishment
rhetoric as being un-American, and his
protection of illegal immigrants as being
almost treasonous. These criticisms

appear both in and out of the comics, as
Sam Wilson is bombarded with Twitter
hate inside the Marvel universe and in the
internet of the real world. Accusations

of pandering were thrown around, and
Spencer ended up with more than a few
death threats and calls for the end to

his career. Spencer depicts the racism

and hate that illegal immigrants face in
America, with Sam Wilson’s sidekick
being a refugee from Mexico, and it ended
up being more than a little predictive
when Trump’s wall started (and then

suddenly stopped) being an idea.

On the other side of the political
spectrum, Spencer also spearheaded
the Secret Empire comic event, which
had Captain America (the original Steve
Rogers) become a secret Hydra agent. This
time around he was slammed from the
more progressive side of Twitter, accusing
him of humanizing or even endorsing

Nazism, or of being inconsiderate to a
character that was built by Jewish scientists
to fight Nazis. There were more calls to

end his career and more wild conclusions
about his political leanings. The power of
Secret Empire is showing how dictatorships
start, with both control over and relentless
criticism of the media as Steve Rogers

gives suspiciously Trump-esque speeches

on-air and at the United Nations.

The truth is, Nick Spencer is a
rare breed: a comic writer capable of
portraying immense nuance in characters
and world. In Captain America: Sam
Wilson, Spencer doesn't just approach
the difficult topics of illegal immigration,
national identity, or the state of race
relations in modern America; he
questions why they exist. The people mad
at Sam Wilson have legitimate concerns
about the guy, but those concerns are
inflated by news companies and radio

Keeping chickens 1n urban areas

> Benefits of backyard birds

Colten Kamlade
Senior Columnist

 

here has been an increasingly heated

debate in Maple Ridge and Pitt
Meadows. It began in 2013 and has gone
in and out of the spotlight ever since.

As of last week, it is once again
the main source of contention between
residents in the two cities. The proposal
of backyard chickens and whether they
ought to be allowed is being either
vehemently opposed or showered
with laudation. Maple Ridge currently
permits chicken coops on plots of land
that are one acre or more, but it is the
minority of residents who own so much
property. So, why are chickens not
allowed on smaller plots, and is this fair?

Firstly, the noise level bothers
some residents. Though hens do
not make as much noise as roosters,
they still cluck incessantly. If you're

 

living next to irritable neighbours,
this can be a problem. I would still
argue, however, that while hens can
be noisy, a yappy dog or a neighbour
who likes to play his music loudly

is still more of a disturbance.

Secondly, it is thought that chicken
coops attract rats. Though it is common
for rats and chickens to come hand in
hand, it does not always have to be the
case. Rats are attracted by chickenfeed,

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but if a coop is well maintained, excess
food should be removed before nightfall.
If this is done properly rats should not
be a problem. Similarly, smell should be
eliminated with proper maintenance.
Now, let’s look at the benefits of
having backyard chickens. The most
obvious is that families can save money
on food. Two hens should produce
one or two eggs a day. Assuming you
have a four-person family, a handful

talk show hosts. At the same time, Secret
Empire shows how brutal, oppressive
regimes are founded; they are not
elaborate military takeovers with rolling
tanks and waving flags, but are brought
on bya subversive and deeply creepy
influence over the way people think about
politics. His character nuance also appears
in Astonishing Ant-Man and Superior
Foes of Spider-Man, both showing the
cycle of crime that the justice system and

individual personalities perpetuate.

Despite being widely loathed by
“politically engaged” people on the
internet—right or left—Nick Spencer has
never been more relevant. As Trump’s
rhetoric becomes scarier, as voices in
the left call for an end to free speech,
and as people become increasingly
divided by politics, his comics are a
call for a basic level of human decency
to the people you disagree with.

of chickens should ensure you never
have to buy a carton of eggs again.

Another benefit is environmental. If
you can start producing a large portion
of your food in your own backyard, you
can decrease your carbon footprint. Of
course, eggs are just one part of this.
Growing fruit and vegetables is the next
step in leading an eco-friendlier life.

A final benefit is that you can
introduce children to agricultural work.
Less and less people are going into fields
related to agriculture. This could be
because suburban and urban children
never have the opportunity to nurture an
interest in it. Backyard chickens could
help revitalize these fields of work by
getting children involved at an early age.

Backyard chickens are not going to
ruin your neighbourhood. They won't
keep you up late at night or wake you
up first thing in the morning. They will
help families save money, expand their
interests, and keep the planet healthy.