Shis issue:

(¥ Modern medicine isn’t always the answer

( Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy

(Y Measuring self-control

And more!

Have your voice heard!

Contact: Elliot Chan, Opinions Editor

M opinions@theotherpress.ca

www.theotherpress.ca

 

Honouring ‘Charlie Hebdo'’
and freedom of speech

» Where the line is drawn and where it is crossed

 
   
 

Elliot Chan

.. Opinions Editor
= opinions

4 @theotherpress.ca

he hostile take over of

Charlie Hebdo, the French
satirical left-wing magazine,
and the massacre of nine
employees and two National
Police officers reminds us of
the thin barrier protecting our
freedom of speech and the fine
line between poking fun and

instigating attack.

The senselessness that
occurred on January 7 gave
strength to what many
agree to bea dying medium.
Publications across the
globe banded together to
acknowledge the bravery of
those cartoonists who died so
that we may continue to speak
our mind and express our
opinions.

Newspapers, magazines,
and various other publications
that hold the mirror upon
society, showing all the
blemishes, scars, and
corruption, are the vehicles

: for democracy. Without them,

: without freedom of speech,

: without public and private

: institutions to speak up, we are
: doomed. And for that reason

: alone, I honour those who have
: lost their lives over the years—

: Charlie Hebdo included—tor our } the perimeter. I have yet to

: determine my stance. Should

: I fight against corporate giants

: like Kinder Morgan? Should I

: challenge government discourse,

: right to express ourselves.

Yet, such ruthlessness

: cannot be ignored. Forthright
: as] am, Iam not eager to die for

: my craft. So] must ask, where is
: the line I must draw for myself?
: How will I know when I have

: crossed it? When should I cross

: it?

Those who know me know

: that I only view activism from

: the sacrifice of those before us?

4: Takea moment to learn about

 

: like those in Hong Kong did

: last year? Should I rally for

: legalization of marijuana? I

: knowat some point I'll have to
: picka battle, because those who :
: stand idly by give power to the

: enemy, whoever it is.

So I ask us all: What are

: we willing to die for? What

: change in the world do we wish
: to see for the next generation?

: What have we inherited from

: our history, whatever realm you

: are interested in—art, politics,

: civil rights, etc. You will find that
: what we have did not materialize
: overnight; what we have came

: from battles hard-fought. Unlike
: awar, but still a battle with

: casualties.

We should arm ourselves

: with open-mindedness and good
: intentions. We should not talk

: or write with the goal of being

: accurate, but with a whim of

: curiosity. Societal issues lie in a

: grey area. What is right in our

’ : minds may be wrong somewhere
: else. We as artists, journalists,

: comedians, filmmakers, and

: other influencers must set the

: example. We too must not be

: close-minded. We too must see

: from our opposition’s point of

view, understand where they

: are coming from, and why they
: are willing to risk their lives to

: defeat us.

Let’s harbour discussion

: to create a better world—one
: without intentions to provoke,
: one without intention to kill.

 

Not so private affairs

» Why the public needs to respect the time to mourn

Mercedes Deutscher
Staff Writer

[ terrible when someone
passes away. Dealing with
the death of a friend or a family
member is one of life’s greatest
challenges. Chances are, the
loved ones of the recently
deceased are hurt, angry, and
confused. It’s during this time
that those who are left behind
are most vulnerable. Thus, it
is reasonable and respectful
to honour those loved ones’
right to grieve. Yet in some
cases, the media and public are
not respectful of that grieving
period.

When I was 16, a good
friend of mine committed

: Many factors had built up to

: her untimely death, such as

: depression and anxiety. One of
: the largest reasons, I believe,

: was that she had recently come
: out to her friends and some

: of her family as a lesbian, yet

: was terrified to come out to her
: strictly conservative father, who

: was a Jehovah’s Witness.

Several of her friends and

I were contacted by the local

: media, who were trying to find

: out the reasons behind this

: tragedy. We were instructed by

: the victim’s mother and a close

: teacher to leave no comment, so

we didn’t speak to them.

Despite what our personal

: feelings were on the subject,
: her family was mourning. To
: bring attention to them in such

suicide inside of our high school. : a vulnerable time would be

: cruel and can only lengthen the
: healing process.

Recently, I heard the story

of Leelah Alcorn, a transgender
: teen in Ohio, and how she too

: committed suicide. Her parents
: were conservative and didn’t

: accept Alcorn’s gender identity,
: as revealed in a suicide note

: that she posted on Tumblr.

: Alcorn’s suicide has received

: international attention, with

: many calling for criminal

: charges to be laid against her

: parents. Alcorn’s family has

: received threats and had to

: move the location and date of

: the funeral in order to avoid a

: mass public appearance.

Sadly, this is not the first

time that the public has been
: so involved in the passing of
: an individual. In 1998, the

: murder of Matthew Shepard

: received similar attention due
: to its relation to hate crime. :
: Protestors, such as the Westboro :
: Baptist Church, objected
: at Shepard’s funeral and

: condemned his lifestyle.

All of these cases are

examples that there are some

: deeply unresolved issues in

: society. In time, the deaths of

: these individuals should be

: referred to when trying to make
: change. Eleven years after his

: death, Shepard’s case was taken
: into account when President

: Obama created the Matthew :
: Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate :
: Crimes Prevention Act. The

: suicide of my friend, along with

: some activism, resulted in better
: attitudes towards LGBTQ staff

: and students in my high school.
: With time and patience, the

: situations faced by these victims

: can be improved.

But that time should not be

: immediately. The families of all
: of these people are devastated.
: No number of calls for reform

: or threats can bring their loved
: ones back. No one should

: arrive at a family member or

: close friend’s funeral and be

: bombarded with cameras,

questions, and hurtful slurs.

These are all people who are

: mourning and grieving. There

: isa long process ahead of them,
: and their life will never return

: to the way it once was. Yet with

: time, their loss will sting a little

: less, and perhaps they will be

: ready to come to terms with the
: situation and talk about it. Until
: then, they should be allowed to

: grieve and recover in peace.