Headlines 05/07/10

Here are my thoughts on today’s headlines. Everything but the titles is written by yours truly.

Conservatives’ irrational crime laws make no sense, cost billions of dollars by Neil Boyd:

The Conservatives have decided to allot billions of dollars towards the construction of new federal and provincial prisons.

This is yet another step in the Tories’ crackdown-on-crime movement, like their crime bill proposals and mandatory minimum sentencing for people who grow more than six marijuana plants.

According to Boyd, a professor and associated director of the School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University, studies have shown that rates of imprisonment are relative to the confidence of the people in the legislative and justice systems of the county.

In other words, a lack of confidence in our systems of governance is a significant factor of high rates of imprisonment.

Globally, Canada has the highest rates of incarceration and comparatively has high crime rates.

Where is our confidence?

More importantly, why don’t we have confidence in our democratic legislative and justice systems?

Iran’s leaders launch a new crackdown on ‘immodest dress’ by Rasa Sowlat:

Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed to “deal harshly with corruption in society” to ensure that the faces of chastity and Iranian virtues, religion and society remained unblemished within the country.

Consequently, women can be fined over $1,000 if deemed too fashionable, and suntans, nail polish, cosmetics and improper hijabs all result in financial penalties.

Approximately 27 government agencies are promoting Khamenei’s vision of how citizens should dress and how men and women should interact. The state has also proposed to take over 14,000 private kindergartens to ensure that the “bad hijab” campaign’s values reach youth at an early age.

Iran’s interior minister stated that children can only play games that uphold Islamic culture and are religiously correct.

This is where the problem lies.

Khamenei is the ultimate leader of said campaign. After his recent announcement to “deal harshly with corruption in society,” prayer leaders across the country began preaching his values.

It is not a god who deems it sinful to wear lipstick or sport a tan; these are the corrupt values of one man, hidden behind the mask of religion.

CP news service to privatize by Mark Iype:

After 93 years as a non-profit cooperative, The Canadian Press will be placed under private ownership, according to a tentative deal.

CTV-globemedia, Torstar Corp. and Gesca, CP’s biggest members, will become equal partners in what will be called Canadian Press Enterprises, a for-profit entity.

Should the deal be finalized, the Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and La Presse, owned by the three companies respectively, would become papers written, edited, manufactured and sold with the aim to achieve a profit.

Freedom of the press doesn’t mean that the press, what should be a reliable and independent source of information, is free from conflicts of interest…