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The Sputnik // Thursday October 13
OPINION
Maggie Goes on a Diet moral issues with children diets
Alison Bowerman Staff Writer Paul Kramers book Maggie Goes on a Diet is due to be released in October, but not without great controversy. It is not surprising that Kramers use of the term diet in a childrens book sparks outrage, but even more disturbing is the books message. The story is about Maggie, a 14-year-old girl who goes on a diet and becomes her schools popular soccer star. Paul Kramer claims his intention for the book is not to encourage eating disorders but, rather, to have children feel better about themselves, discover a new way of eating, [and] learn to do exercise. According to the Childhood Obesity Foundation, approximately 27% of children between the ages of two and 17 are currently overweight or obese. The numbers dont lie; childhood obesity is a major problem in society today. However, is a book about dieting really a step toward a healthier life for our youth? Diets are common in our culture, and most often consist of calorie restrictive meal plans. These are also the same eating habits that created the term yo-yo dieting. According to Eat Right Ontario, this type of dieting occurs as a result of these nearly impossible-to-maintain diets, and people regain all the weight theyve lost, and sometimes more. Healthy eating is not restricting. Canadas Food Guide recommends children eat the servings of fruits and vegetables, grains, meat and dairy recommended for their age. These food groups should be eaten in small meals and snacks throughout the day. Children should also be active for 60 minutes per day. In order to decrease obesity, this idea of health should be our goal instead of short term dieting. The books disturbing emphasis on a thin figure out weighs its value of ending obesity. Furthermore, Maggies transformation from a chubby girl to a thin soccer star sends the message that being thin is where happiness lies. This should not be the idea of happiness we send to our children. Its no secret that there are girls with thin body types on our TV screens, the covers of our magazines, advertisements and clothing stores. Models are becoming thinner and thinner and the last thing girls need is another reason to think that thin is the ideal. Instead, we should teach our children to love themselves, but in order to do this we need to first learn to love ourselves, as we are.
Is our voting system broken?
Leisha Senko Staff Writer As an unapologetic leftist, its difficult to admit that living through the Conservatives rein in a minority government wasnt painful. Sure, their social policies are cringe-worthy in their ruthlessness, economically theyre always rearing to expand tax cuts to the wealthy and, globally, their war doctrine is repugnantly invasive, but at least they couldnt call all the shots. That changed with the election this year when Harper won a majority of seats. The structure went from an open debate forum, where different sides had to work together in order to accomplish anything, to an express line where Harper and his like-minded allies have the ability to bowl over their opponents. Its believed that the electorate swung and Canadian voters decided that the Conservatives best represent them as a whole... or did they? A closer look out the makeup of actual votes seriously shakes the foundations of this theory. According to Elections Canada, while the NDP received 30.6 percent of the votes and the Liberals got 18.9 percent, the Conservatives with 39.6 percent managed to score most of the seats and therefore have the loudest voice. These numbers tell us that it isnt a small number of people being underrepresented, but in fact almost half of all voters. A whopping 49.5 percent reside to the left of the political spectrum and yet, we still have a Conservative majority because of the way our voting system works. To the right of spectrum, there is only one real option: the Conservatives. There are simply no other substantial traditional parties on the ballot. If youre a pro-life, religious individual, the Conservatives are really your only viable option. For the left, this simply isnt the case. If you are looking for economic reform and a social policy that fits with a giving agenda, you have two real choices: the NDP or the Liberals. The past election proved that this causes severe issues. In fact, because of this split, many votes cast for either party are completely lost altogether. If you vote Liberal in a riding, and your neighbour votes NDP, you arent sending a coherent message; often the Conservatives can sneak up and win despite the fact that the two other major parties amount to a higher number of votes. The questions that inevitably come up are, Is this fair? Is this just the way our democracy works? Is this a solid formula we must follow? Simply put, the answer is no. There is a fairer way to do things and its known as representational voting. This system allows you to write a number two choice on your ballot. If, say, the Green party falls short, you can rest assured that your vote isnt wasted and your default for the Liberals comes into play. Its a system used in numerous countries, from Brazil to Denmark to Greece. Whats clear right now is that what we have isnt working. For a while, with the Harper minority, things appeared stable, but as of now anything could happen. The Globe and Mail has reported that there are Conservative plans to get rid of the long form gun registry, to cut $200 million from the CBCs budget and, finally, to completely shift tax codes in the next four years, all without input from 49.5 percent of the Canadian voters. People need to know that their votes count, and with the current system, its clear that massive changes can be made despite the stance of the majority, all thanks to a voting system which provides more opportunities for one group than another.
Harnessing the power of the media
Nikyta Polyak JHR Guest Writer What if we could eliminate the need for ourselves and the work we do? This may sound counterintuitive, but that is exactly what Journalists for Human Rights (JHR), a Toronto-based NGO, is striving for. JHR was founded in 2002 by Ben Peterson. Since then it has spread across Canada with the founding of university campus chapters like the one here at Laurier Brantford. JHR recognizes the power of the media in todays society and tries to harness it. Mainstream and new media sources are the most efficient channels to create awareness across international borders on the human rights issues that are affecting societies across the world. JHR always chooses a specific human rights issue on which to focus their efforts each year. This year it is womens rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Statistics show that four women are raped in the DRC every 5 minutes. Although cases of sexual violence have always been a factor in the DRC, experts and volunteers alike agree that rape is becoming more violent and more common. Gang rapes, sex slaves, female genital mutilation and murder are among the most prevalent crimes in Eastern Congo. Not only are these violent attacks on women a major violation of their human rights, but they have consequences on the populations health as well. HIV transmission, unwanted and unplanned pregnancy as well as STI transmission are becoming even more of a concern for the DRC. It doesnt stop with disease either; the damage to womens reproductive systems, broken bones, severed limbs and burns all over their bodies are taxing their already maxed-out health care. This is what JHR Laurier Brantford is trying to eliminate. The hope is that through campus events, local media, and fundraising, the public will take notice. When the public takes hold of an issue, it can break down barriers of distance and culture to be able to fight for the rights that every human being deserves.
