Public safety a problem needing perspective By Spencer van Vloten | Opinion | April 24th 2023 Public
Question:
Public safety a problem needing perspective
By Spencer van Vloten | Opinion | April 24th 2023
Public safety is an emotionally and politically charged issue, but how much cause for concern is there really and what should be done about it? We read the horror stories daily. In New Westminster, B.C., a community member was randomly attacked with a stun gun. Over in Calgary, a man strode around bludgeoning whomever he came across. In Toronto, two transit workers were chased by a man wielding a syringe and a woman died after being set alight on a bus. Long-time CBC journalist and editor Michael Finlay was among those impacted by the chaos, losing his life to a random assault. Violence and street disorder seem all around us. Public safety has become a hot-button issue across the country, and for many people, the tension involved in walking to the store or riding the bus has never been greater. But is this level of concern justified? The Bad From 2017 to 2021, the homicide rate jumped almost 20 per cent across Canada, with 2021 tying 2005 for our highest rate over the last 20 years. Transit assaults have also increased. In Toronto, violent incidents against riders increased by nearly 50 per cent last year. Saskatoon also recorded more transit violence in 2022 than in the previous four years combined. Edmonton saw calls to violent incidents rise by 53 per cent. Meanwhile, in B.C., attacks by strangers in Vancouver increased by 35 per cent from 2019 to 2021, and the provincial capital Victoria saw a 21 per cent increase in its violent crime severity index a value based on the volume and seriousness of violent crime in the city. With numbers like these, you might see why nearly half of British Columbians now fear becoming victims, while six in 10 Canadians are increasingly vigilant in urban settings. The Not So Bad But perspective is needed before we get carried away. Nationally, the violent crime rate is lower than it was every year from 1998 to 2008, with this stretch being even longer in major population centres like Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg. While the homicide rate has risen, Canada still has one of the world's lowest, and homicide does not account for even half of a half of a per cent of our violent crime. Not to mention, most violence is committed by offenders who know the victim, such as intimate partners, not strangers. Aside from violent crime, property crime has dropped and in 2021 fell to its lowest level in a quarter century, with major cities like Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto seeing especially large drops. So why does it seem like much of Canada is becoming the Wild West, descending into lawless chaos? Studies show that half of all news stories are about violent crime, despite it making up a small portion of all crime. Violent crime is also more likely to appear among the top stories, reflecting the media maxim, "If it bleeds, it leads." Attacks against strangers are especially unsettling because they challenge the idea that living clean and hanging around good people keep us immune from crime. Politicians across the country, such as Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante, have played along, embracing the issue and promising to keep voters safe in exchange for votes, while Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre has blamed "woke liberal NDP mayors" for rising crime across Canada This partisan goal-scoring is feeding into the panic, leading to a self-sustaining cycle that keeps people on edge, yet unable to look away. Now what? Not to say it is all just a game of politics and news media, though. There are still far too many lives impacted by violence, and with some forms of violent crime on the rise, it is crucial to act now before those really do get out of hand. In addition to tightening access to bail for violent offenders, options for mental health and substance use treatment must be strengthened within the criminal justice system. One possibility is the increased use of therapeutic bail, which delays sentencing while people undergo treatment, potentially avoiding criminal convictions if they successfully complete the programs. Therapeutic approaches have been shown to be effective, as has mental health treatment in prisons when dedicated programs are provided. However, specific data on therapeutic bail in Canada is limited. Not only are offenders prevented from a rapid return to the streets, they must demonstrate commitment to improving their mental health, along with the capacity to succeed in treatment. Another is the creation of mental health units for those in custody, along with a detailed review and action plan to address the gaps making the current system of incarceration debilitating for people with serious mental health issues. These approaches must all be coupled with an ambitious provincial housing strategy, as well as a return of federal government support for non-market housing to pre-1990s levels. When people have to live outside or take shelter on transit distressed and without stable shelter from which they can pursue recovery more problems arise in public spaces. Simply loading up on law enforcement is not enough. Creating safer communities will require political will, long-term commitment, and improved collaboration and info sharing across a wide range of stakeholders and levels of government.
Assignment format -
Project 2 Research Essay: Thesis, Outline, Draft You will submit this entire document in Unit 9. You will copy and paste your full draft in the discussion board in Unit 10 You must submit this document in the assessment folder titled Project 2. You must copy and paste the full draft in the discussion board titled Project 2 Peer review for the finished Research Essay to be accepted for evaluation at full value. Thesis Note: Please follow this structure _____Title of source_________evaluation of source _______frameworks used (optional). IE) Foodbanks are integral by Alex Boyd(2023) is a great article that uses accuracy, authority, and appeal to emotion to support the main claim. DO NOT WRITE THESIS statement ABOUT ANY TOPIC YOU WISH. Outline Feel free to use or adapt/ change the outline template below. INTRODUCTION Hook or Inciting Idea: Background Context: Main Source--author, title, one-sentence summary: Provisional Thesis: SUMMARY Statement of issue/problem, thesis/message, reasons/narrative events: RESPONSE First claim critiquing the main source (tied to the thesis): TS Textual evidence from the main source: Textual evidence from (one or more) research source(s): Second claim critiquing the main source: Textual evidence from the main source: Textual evidence from research source(s): Third Claim critiquing the main source: Textual evidence from the main source: Textual evidence from research source(s): CONCLUSION Restatement of the thesis in new words: New question(s): Concluding statement:
SAMPLE EXAMPLE - Student sample draft Shared with permission from Gurvir Singh in Professor Thavaratnam's 2023 COMM 171 class. The fine line between feeling at home and belonging to that place Does sense of belonging come with a sense of being at home? Many people experience a sense of loneliness when moving into a new country even when they may feel at home. The Article "Last year, Canada became my home. Feeling like a Canadian will take a bit longer" by Sindhu Mahadevan, was published by CBC on January 29, 2023. In this article, the author familiarizes the audience with the problems immigrants like herself may face when moving to a new place. She also establishes the difference between feeling at home and a sense of belonging. Mahadevan's article is well written because it is relevant, has concrete evidence, and is accurate. Summary Mahadevan says that whenever someone asks about her being a Canadian, her mind jumps straight to the description of her immigration status, although the question may be one of belonging. She moved to Canada in late 2021 but still struggles to find a natural attachment to the country. She contrasts her experiences in America with Canada and feels that even though the Americans were welcoming, the American Immigration System alienated her. Moving from America to Canada changed her life significantly, even if the process was nerve-racking. Mahadevan finally feels at home in Canada but still struggles to shake her anxieties of estrangement. In the end, however, she seems confident and hopeful that someday she will leave her worries behind and will finally be able to feel a sense of belonging. Critique Response Accuracy This article is well written because it is very accurate. The author describes the hardships and the culture shock that many immigrants may go through immaculately with good use of her personal experiences to justify her claims and establish the difference between a sense of belongingness and a sense of being at home. For Example: Mahadevan says: I befriended many warm, generous Americans and invested effort to understand American culture, politics, social issues, and history. But while the Americans I met made me feel welcome, the U.S. immigration system never let me forget that I was not an American. In its words, I was a "non-resident alien" and if the terminology alone wasn't sufficiently alienating the system's policies, politics and my interactions with various agencies provided regular reminders of my outsider-ness. (Mahadevan, 2023, para4-5) The great use of such official terms to explain her experiences makes this article accurate and very interesting to read. The readers get accurate information without any bias and makes them trust the author's writing. This also reflects in the social and economic report article "Self-Reported loneliness among recent immigrants, long-term immigrants and Canadian-born individuals" which reports that: A previous study argues that longer-term immigrants may become more accustomed to the cultural norms and customs in their destination-country but may also experience weakening ties with their country of origin, contributing to feelings of loneliness (Wu and Penning 2015). (Stick et. All, 2021, para7) This shows the readers that getting accustomed to a culture does not provide a sense of belonging. This helps the reader to understand that it may take several years to get accustomed to the new culture yet lack a sense of belonging. Moreover, it helps potential immigrants to know what to expect. It also helps the host countries introduce changes for the immigrants to make them feel more welcome, making this transition smoother. These similarities between the primary article and the research show that the write-up is exceptionally accurate and provides readers with a clear and unbiased view of the situation. Good accuracy increases the author's credibility and prevents widespread misinformation. Appeal to Emotion This article is engaging because the author makes good use of appeal to emotion. The author herself is an immigrant and uses delicate details and examples that relate to the readers and hence appeal to their emotions. For Example, Mahadevan says: The pandemic compounded the frustration, leaving no shortage of pensive days. I would open Google Maps and trace the route from my own blue dot in Bloomington, Ill., to Toronto. The promise of freedom and belonging felt distressingly out of reach. (Mahadevan, 2023, para4-5) From my personal experience, I can approve that this is a feeling that a lot of the Canadian Immigrants may have gone through after the COVID-19's impact on immigration. To further build upon this connection, the author uses an example of celebrating rituals and festivals. Mahadevan gave an example of a house-warming ritual she performed in her new house in Canada. According to 'Alone in Canada' a self-help guide by the CAMH, celebrating festivals and performing rituals can help reduce the sense of loneliness(para11). Festivals and occasions being very inclusive tie a community together, hence being very emotionally appealing. The author's idea of using them in her article further boosts the attractiveness of the article and helps the readers feel represented. This ultimately strengthens the reader-writer relation, exhibiting superior use of appeal to emotion. Relevance This essay is also effective because it is relevant. Canada is one of the most desirable destinations for immigrants, making articles such as Mahadevan's of great relevance. In this essay, Mahadevan talks about her move to Canada from America and the nuances that came along with it. She says: I went from living in a country with which I had forged a relationship but resisted accepting me to a country that I wasn't emotionally connected to but had already accepted me. (Mahadevan, 2023, para9) This is of great importance to the potential Canadian Immigrants and the Canadian Government. Examples such as the author's is a testimony to Canada's friendly attitude towards its immigrants and provides the reason why Canada is a top pick amongst immigrants. A peer reviewed article "The Foundations, Limits, and consequences of Immigration Exceptionalism in Canada" states that: The decision by the current Liberal Party government to further increase immigration targets over the next three years, from 401,000 in 2021 to 421,000 in 2023, met with almost no criticism from the opposition Conservatives and New Democratic Party (NDP), despite having been announced in October 2020, in the midst of the "second wave" of the COVID-19 pandemic (Harris 2020b). (Triadafilopoulos, 2021, para2) This essay resonates with the author's statement and proves the relevance of her article to the readers while attracting immigrants to Canada. This may also help readers to decide what country would be right for them in case they had to migrate. Therefore, the article is relevant and hence is a worthwhile read. Conclusion The difference between a sense of belonging and feeling at home are not easy to make sense of. The author, however, is successful in establishing this difference in her essay with quality use of appeal to emotion, good accuracy. Her essay is also relevant to the desired audience and the Canadian government, and her article is truly a worth the time read. This article helps the readers to get an insight of the Canadian immigration experience and finally establish the difference between a sense of belonging and being at home. The sense of belonging comes from within and can take time, but feeling at home only requires a person to get used to the culture, accepting the changes. However, the community can have a great influence on the sense of belonging and can change the experience drastically. References Triadafilos Triadafilopoulos (2021) The Foundations, Limits, and Consequences of Immigration Exceptionalism in Canada, American Review of Canadian Studies, 51:1, 3-17, DOI: 10.1080/02722011.2021.1923150 Max Stick, Feng Hou and Lisa Kaida (2021) Self-reported loneliness among recent immigrants, long-term immigrants, and Canadian-born individuals, DOI: https://doi.org/10.25318/36280001202100700001-eng Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (n.d) Alone in Canada, DOI: https://www.camh.ca/en/health-info/guides-and-publications/alone-in-canada
International Marketing And Export Management
ISBN: 9781292016924
8th Edition
Authors: Gerald Albaum , Alexander Josiassen , Edwin Duerr