Peter Kingsmill's Blog, page 2
October 7, 2020
… so many friends
It’s October, 2020, and I feel ancient. I have so many friends. These have been my friends: The young Indigenous man who gently undertakes a ceremonial fast in front of a provincial legislature, fighting not the noisy battles of treaties and nation-building, but a quieter battle to support mental health in his community. The cop … Continue reading "… so many friends"
September 23, 2020
Gonna leave this here, and wait about four months:
Quote from Barton Gellman, in The Atlantic, in late September, 2020: Let us not hedge about one thing. Donald Trump may win or lose, but he will never concede. Not under any circumstance. Not during the Interregnum and not afterward. If compelled in the end to vacate his office, Trump will insist from exile, as … Continue reading "Gonna leave this here, and wait about four months:"
August 30, 2020
A culture of greed focused through a lens of pure evil
The USA under the presidency of Donald J. Trump Every race, every country, every culture and every religion has its share of bigots, extremists and misogynists. Such people may be fellow citizens, they may be neighbours or relatives, and yes, some may be people whom we have called “friends”. In Canada and the USA, as … Continue reading "A culture of greed focused through a lens of pure evil"
July 16, 2020
About Going Back to School in a Pandemic
Things that going back to school during a pandemic are not about: Forcing overworked Moms to go back to work for low wages to keep the economy strong. Enabling parents to pursue business and lifestyle dreams in which their children come second. Things that going back to school during a pandemic are absolutely about: Ensuring … Continue reading "About Going Back to School in a Pandemic"
June 27, 2020
White Folks and Original Sin
Immigrants to North America have long seemed determined to practice Original Sin. It’s bad enough that we white folk from Europe stole North America at gunpoint from its original inhabitants, but then we went and imported (also at gunpoint) people from yet another continent to serve as our slaves. That must be why we white … Continue reading "White Folks and Original Sin"
June 19, 2020
Anti-systemic-racism in Canada needs to include Indigenous people as well as Blacks
On Thursday, June 18, 2020, I sent an email letter to the recently-minted Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism. I addressed this letter to Andy Radia of Kingsdale Advisors, who is identified as the contact for the CCBLAABSR. I have so far not received a reply but when I do I will … Continue reading "Anti-systemic-racism in Canada needs to include Indigenous people as well as Blacks"
April 2, 2020
COVID-19 shows us how we could meet better
April 2, 2020: A great many planned face-to-face meetings are being replaced by webinars or teleconferences because of the pandemic. I guess folks are scared of catching the virus, so they plan other ways to accomplish what they need to do. So I was a little taken aback when I read today that United Nations … Continue reading "COVID-19 shows us how we could meet better"
April 17, 2019
Reflections on the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal…” As far as its relationship to the fundamental teachings of Jesus, in whose name it was built (to the actual glory of princes and kings and bishops and popes and almost certainly built by … Continue reading "Reflections on the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral"
April 6, 2019
A Guide to Mismanaging Plastic Waste
Canadians are wonderfully warm-hearted and civically-minded people. After all, nothing feels more satisfying than making a charitable donation to an organization working to remove plastic waste from the world’s oceans; those images of sickly or dead whales and dolphins choking on plastic sandwich wrap and beach sandals are pretty hard to stomach (so to speak!) … Continue reading "A Guide to Mismanaging Plastic Waste"
January 6, 2019
Where the heck is Awan Lake anyway?
I thought long and hard about where I would set my first novel. I wanted a location that I knew so I could build the story and characters around familiar surroundings, and my own passion for small communities near inland lakes and rivers suggested my two favourite lakes: Big Rideau Lake along a canal system … Continue reading "Where the heck is Awan Lake anyway?"
