Briarpatch articles from June 2004

Briarpatch archives from June 2004

Garage sale.(Openers)
June 1, 2004... Just a reminder that it's not too late for spring cleaning, or for giving your space a Feng Shui rearrangement to improve the vibes. Bring us all the stuff that's cluttering your physical or mental environment and we'll find a home for it. ...

Coalition of the willing.(Openers)
June 1, 2004... We have had a couple of inquiries lately from people making their wills, wanting to include Briarpatch as a beneficiary and needing to know our details. To include Briarpatch in your will, the following language can be used: "I hereby give...

Gay pride parade.(Openers)
June 1, 2004... The LGBT community in Regina is hoping that unions (please bring banners), and individual friends and supporters will join them on June 12 for a fun day of festivities. The parade will leave the Legislative Building at noon and is expected to...

Fahrenheit 9/11.(Openers)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Michael Moore is really pushing buttons this time! His latest film, Fahrenheit 9/11, was a must see at the Cannes Film Festival. It's rumoured that the contents will guarantee the demise of the Bush regime with its shocking footage from...

Ode to Martin.(You Said It)
June 1, 2004... Dear Briarpatch, I enclose some "poetic" thoughts on Paul Martin that express my opinion of our new Prime Minister. So--Mr. Martin So--you're going to change our whole world, Mr. Martin Our old ways aren't the path you wish to...

Elect home builders.(You Said It)
June 1, 2004... Dear Briarpatch, It's a good thing to maintain some awareness of the recent government contributions to the housing mess, particularly with an election probably in the offing. One thing that often escapes notice is the (uhmm) flexibility...

Homophobe lifestyle.(You Said It)
June 1, 2004... Dear Briarpatch, The general proliferation of hate-talk and hate-mail demonizing homosexuals reminds me that hate-mongers never cease; such is the right of free speech. It seems that the homophobes draw their righteous persecution from...

Easy solutions to major problems; four Regina people share tips on how you can improve your relationship with the earth while enhancing your quality of life.
June 1, 2004... Every day thousands of people across Regina do their part to make the world a better place. One man is providing the community with healthy local food, a woman is making reusable diapers, a university student is starting a campaign encouraging...

Back away from our wheat; Monsanto takes a thrashing.
June 1, 2004... Farmers from Minot to Meadow Lake breathed sigh of relief recently as Monsanto announced it will discontinue efforts to introduce Roundup Ready wheat in North America. The seed and chemical giant bowed to pressure from a wide range of farm...

Are Saskatchewan's Great Sand Hills for sale? The gas hunters are drawn to this fragile eco-zone because of the ease of extraction ... unless someone gets in their way.
June 1, 2004... "If its not asking for too much," said the rancher politely, "we'd like to continue to make a living from ranching as our parents, grandparents and their parents did." The woman was referring to the Great Sand Hills of southwestern...

Marriage according to the Bible.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... As the religious right thump the bible in righteous indignation over the expansion of the definition of marriage to include same-sex couples, we should take a close took to see just what the bible has to say on the topic. If the bible is used...

Someone you love is gay: inclusive legislation has stirred up the high volume homophobes, which has silenced many of the oppressed and their supporters.
June 1, 2004... As we fight for the recognition of same-sex couples and protection under anti-harassment laws, the backlash makes the struggle look quite daunting for people who have been oppressed on the basis of their sexual orientation. Homophobia is woven...

Canadian justice system in solitary confinement.
June 1, 2004... As Toronto City Council considers the latest request for new police funding, councillors wondering whether the extra millions are really necessary might consider staging a small demonstration to see where those taxpayer dollars are really...

How to steal an election.
June 1, 2004... Election day for a new president in El Salvador, and it all seemed remarkably calm. With an observer team from Common Borders, I spent 15 hours watching Salvadorans who had been killing each other in a civil war only 12 years ago lining up...

On the front lines: lessons from Colombia.(Globalize Solidarity)
June 1, 2004... The government in Colombia is fascist and reactionary, regular violator of human rights, and it views unions as blocking "progress." The intent of the government is to liquidate the trade union movement completely in order to wipe out the gains...

Trading away our rights; when our government poses for the cameras while signing yet another trade agreement, the photo doesn't show the complicated web of rules that is preventing us from protecting the things we cherish ... like our health, the environment or public services.(North American Free Trade Agreement )
June 1, 2004... Our national public postal service has a vast network of mail boxes and post offices. A NAFTA ruling, or a settlement by the federal government, could see Canada Post being pulled out of the courier market. Millions could be paid to United...

Same-Sex Marriage: The Personal and the Political.(Book Review)
June 1, 2004... Same-Sex Marriage: The Personal and the Political by Kathleen A. Lahey & Kevin Alderson Insomniac Press, 2004. www.insomniacpress.com The legal recognition of same-sex marriage is a result of decades of work done by gay rights activists....

Confusion versus sleaze.(My Opinion)(Calvert government)
June 1, 2004... The two words capturing the essence of the current state of Saskatchewan politics are confusion and sleaze. First, the politics of confusion. The Calvert government seems rudderless, stumbling around looking for an agenda. The consensus...