Florida

Saturday October 12, 2024

Despite rising grocery prices, Thanksgiving 2024 offers an opportunity to reflect on the privileges many Canadians still enjoy, like access to affordable food and relative safety, even as global challenges intensify.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday October 12, 2024

Animated making-of clip here!

Gratitude, Complaints, and Context: A Reflection on Thanksgiving 2024

September 29, 2022

As we approach Thanksgiving 2024, a holiday traditionally celebrated with gratitude and the bounty of the harvest, Canadians find themselves caught in a peculiar tension between appreciation and dissatisfaction. The rising cost of living, particularly food prices, has led many to focus on economic struggles rather than the holiday’s central theme of thankfulness. While these concerns are valid, especially for those facing real financial strain, this shift toward complaints risks overshadowing the privilege many of us still enjoy in Canada.

In recent years, grocery prices have indeed risen, as pointed out in Toronto.com, where food inflation saw a 2.4% increase over the past year.

Thanksgiving dinner flyer deals: Here’s how much you might spend on turkey, potatoes, bread rolls, pies and more for the family feast

October 10, 2020

Many shoppers are feeling the squeeze, and it’s tempting to rail against the major supermarket chains—like Loblaws Inc.—that have posted record profits. However, some voices, like columnist Maynard van der Galien’s in The Ottawa Citizen, urge us to step back and reconsider our perspective. He highlights the fact that grocery stores remain well-stocked and clean, offering deals for the strategic shopper. For instance, he found 10 pounds of potatoes for just $1—an astonishingly low price even amidst inflation .

Van der Galien’s point is not that the cost of living hasn’t increased, but that many Canadians still have access to an abundance of food at reasonable prices, provided they take advantage of sales, loyalty programs, and other budgeting tactics. In his view, rather than complaining, Thanksgiving should remind us to appreciate the privileges we enjoy: the convenience of supermarkets, the availability of food from around the world, and the stability of our supply chains.

Opinion: It’s Thanksgiving weekend. Stop complaining about grocery prices

Pandemic Thanksgiving

This argument, however, must be weighed against the realities faced by many who find themselves in tougher economic circumstances. Food banks across the country are reporting record demand, and for some, no amount of flyer-scanning or coupon-clipping will make their Thanksgiving dinner affordable. Yet, as a reader of van der Galien’s column pointed out, it’s all about perspective: even with rising prices, a Thanksgiving meal can still be prepared for less than $50, which per person is cheaper than many fast-food meals. This echoes the long-standing economic principle that inflation is inevitable, not something unique to our current moment.

Yet, there’s a bigger context to consider. While many Canadians worry about grocery costs, others around the world are grappling with much more severe hardships. War-torn regions like Ukraine and the Middle East are facing food insecurity on a much more urgent level. Climate change-fuelled disasters, like the recent hurricanes Helene and Milton, are wreaking havoc on communities to the south of us. Here in Canada, we have been spared the worst of these crises. Our supermarkets are full, our infrastructure remains intact, and most of us are safe. This, too, should factor into our reflections during Thanksgiving.

Opinion: It’s Thanksgiving weekend. Stop complaining about grocery prices

October 10, 2015

Perhaps the growing tendency to complain about rising prices during Thanksgiving reflects a shift in societal expectations. We expect stability, affordability, and abundance, and when these are threatened—even slightly—it can feel unsettling. However, it’s important to remember that the holiday is not just about food, but about gratitude for what we do have, which remains significant when compared to global challenges.

This Thanksgiving, rather than focusing on what’s changed, maybe we can focus on what hasn’t. We are still fortunate to live in a country where clean, well-stocked grocery stores operate every day of the week, where we can find food deals with a bit of effort, and where safety and peace remain constants in our lives. It’s a time to recognize our relative stability in an unstable world. While it’s natural to feel the pinch of inflation, it might be equally natural to let gratitude take precedence over grievances—if only for one weekend.

As we sit down to our Thanksgiving meals this year, whether frugal or extravagant, let’s remind ourselves that being grateful doesn’t mean ignoring hardship—it means acknowledging both our challenges and our privileges. (AI)

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Letter to the Editor, The Hamilton Spectator, October 17, 2024

Letter to the Editor

Feeling thankful for what we have

Re: Oct. 12 editorial cartoon

Graeme MacKay is spot on in terms of what countries around the world are thankful for, compared to the North American “first world problems.” I am not implying the majority of Canadians are self-absorbed in their perceived problems of high grocery prices, home costs, etc., but we are indeed lucky to be far removed from political strife that engulfs so many world nations.

So be sure to give some pause around the dinner table on Thanksgiving and think of those less fortunate and under threat of death. Even those in our own communities struggle during these festive holidays. I am very thankful for where I live and will not complain of our lifestyle or country where we live

Steve Warrick, Ancaster

 

Friday October 10, 2024

Despite the increasing devastation caused by climate-fuelled hurricanes, backed by data proving dramatic temperature increases in the Gulf of Mexico, political denialism, lack of media attention in the United States, and a lack of courageous leadership continue to obstruct meaningful action on the climate crisis.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday October 10, 2024

Animated making-of clip here!

As Hurricanes Wreak Havoc, Climate Denialism and Political Cowardice Endanger Us All

The politicization of disasters like hurricanes by figures like Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, through falsehoods and conspiracy theories, is a dangerous tactic that distracts from critical relief efforts and misleads vulnerable voters at a time when unity and factual information are most needed.

October 9, 2024

In the span of just a few weeks, Hurricanes Helene and Milton pummelled Florida with terrifying force, leaving behind destroyed homes, flooded streets, and devastated lives. Milton’s rapid intensification—from a Category 1 to a Category 5 in just 20 hours—was fuelled by abnormally warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico, waters made hotter and more dangerous by human-caused climate change. The science is clear, yet our political discourse remains bafflingly silent on the climate crisis. With just four weeks until the U.S. presidential election, climate change is treated as an afterthought. Even with the devastating storms and wildfires right in front of us, politicians play footsie with low-information voters instead of confronting the crisis with the urgency it demands.
The climate crisis should be the central issue of this election—and every election going forward—but denialism and political cowardice have ensured that it remains on the back burner. Instead of leaders addressing the existential threat we face, we get collective shrugs and vague talking points, with neither party rising to the occasion. The silence is deafening, and it’s costing us dearly.

There’s no mystery behind the muted response to the climate crisis, especially on the right. Climate denialism is rife within Republican ranks, supported by conservative think tanks and billionaire-funded interest groups with deep ties to the fossil fuel industry. The Heritage Foundation, for example, has long been one of the most vocal proponents of climate disinformation. These organizations fund campaigns and candidates, such as Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, who are more than willing to perpetuate a narrative of deregulation, drilling, and exploitation of federal lands, all while dismissing or outright denying the existence of climate change.

News: Climate change fueled the fury of hurricanes Helene and Milton

The GOP primary unfolds like a prehistoric drama, with Trump dominating as Trumposaurus Rex, and rivals like Haley and DeSantis navigating electability, competency, and the Jan. 6 attack as the circus moves to New Hampshire.

January 17, 2024

In Florida, where voters are now facing the brutal consequences of climate inaction, these voices have been dominant for years. Governors like Jeb Bush, Rick Scott, and Ron DeSantis have actively worked to downplay the crisis. DeSantis even went so far as to push for the removal of “climate change” from school textbooks—a stunning display of willful ignorance as his state drowns, burns, and blows away in the face of increasingly severe storms.

Yet even as Republicans stick to their playbook of denial, the Democrats are no heroes in this story. While they talk a good game on climate change during off-election years, they grow timid as election day approaches. Their messaging softens, calibrated to avoid alienating swing voters and those skeptical of climate science. They fall into the same trap—political expediency over moral clarity.

The media, too, has played a role in the failure to elevate climate change in this election. In debates, press conferences, and interviews, climate change is either downplayed or entirely ignored. The recent presidential debates, for example, barely touched on the issue, even as record-breaking storms ripped through the Gulf of Mexico. It’s astonishing that in the midst of such climate devastation, the media has largely failed to forcefully question politicians on their environmental positions.

The result is a political landscape where climate change remains sidelined, reduced to a niche issue that can be pushed aside in favour of more politically convenient topics. This silence gives cover to deniallists and allows special interests to frame climate advocates as “alarmists.” Every time the science is minimized or ignored, every time climate change is excluded from the political conversation, we move further away from meaningful action.

September 28, 2004

We are no longer talking about climate change as a future threat—it is here, happening in real-time, as the articles on Hurricanes Milton and Helene demonstrate. Florida is just one battleground, but the crisis is global. From wildfires in Canada and California to atmospheric rivers causing unprecedented flooding, extreme weather is becoming the norm, not the exception. And this is just the beginning.

Without strong leadership, these devastating events will continue to escalate, and the cost of inaction will grow ever higher. In Florida, as one reader pointed out, the hurricanes could soon render parts of the state uninsurable and uninhabitable. Insurance companies are already pulling out, and the state’s leaders are doing little to prepare for the long-term consequences. The failure to address the climate crisis isn’t just a policy failure—it’s a failure of imagination and moral responsibility.

As Dr. Richard Alley, a leading glaciologist, has warned, rising ocean temperatures are also chewing away at the Antarctic Ice Sheet, accelerating the risk of catastrophic sea-level rise. This means that in addition to the immediate threats posed by stronger storms, we are facing long-term consequences that will affect every coastal community in the world. The people who continue to deny or downplay climate change are condemning future generations to deal with the fallout.

News: Record Hot Water Is Fueling Hurricane Milton

November 4, 2021

It’s clear where the blame lies. The fossil fuel industry, in its quest for profits, is repeating the same disinformation tactics that Big Tobacco used when it denied the dangers of smoking. And our political leaders, especially on the right, have sold out to these interests, while Democrats have failed to rise above political calculations and fully embrace the urgency of the moment.

This must change. We need leaders who will stop treating climate change as an inconvenient political issue and start addressing it as the defining crisis of our time. Courageous leadership means being honest with voters about the scale of the problem and the difficult decisions that lie ahead. It means standing up to special interests and enacting policies that will reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, protect vulnerable communities, and build resilience for the future.

The time for half-measures and political maneuvering is over. If we don’t act now, storms like Helene and Milton will only grow stronger, and the damage they leave behind will become more catastrophic. The stakes couldn’t be higher. We owe it to ourselves, to future generations, and to the planet to demand action. And we owe it to the victims of these storms to stop letting denialism and cowardice win the day.

It’s time to end the silence. It’s time to act. (AI)

Wednesday October 9, 2024

The politicization of disasters like hurricanes by figures like Donald Trump and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, through falsehoods and conspiracy theories, is a dangerous tactic that distracts from critical relief efforts and misleads vulnerable voters at a time when unity and factual information are most needed.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday October 9, 2024

Animated making-of clip here!

The Absurdity of Politicizing Natural Disasters in Florida’s Hurricane Season

September 23, 2005

As Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida, the sight of politicians leveraging human suffering for their gain is a stark reminder of how far we have strayed from the ideals of public service. Amidst the chaos and destruction, we witness a disturbing spectacle: the politicization of disasters by figures like Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene. Their cavalier dismissal of facts and the dissemination of outright lies during one of the most catastrophic hurricane seasons in recent memory exemplify a lunacy that seems to resonate with a low-information electorate.

News: Marjorie Taylor Greene condemned over Helene weather conspiracy theory

November 11, 2022

Trump’s claims following Hurricane Helene are a case in point. He alleged that federal disaster relief was deliberately withheld from Republican areas and that Vice President Kamala Harris had squandered FEMA funds on housing for undocumented migrants. This narrative was not only false but also deeply damaging. The actual response from FEMA included essential aid, which Trump’s rhetoric obscured, potentially preventing victims from accessing the help they desperately need. JD Vance’s similar mischaracterization of FEMA’s support only adds to this cacophony of misinformation. He suggested that victims were receiving only $750 in assistance, neglecting to mention that this was merely an emergency advance, with additional support available for those affected.

Marjorie Taylor Greene’s recent foray into conspiracy theories regarding weather control further illustrates the absurdity of this political game. Her insistence that “they control the weather” is emblematic of a broader trend where truth is sacrificed at the altar of political expediency. It’s bewildering that such claims resonate with many voters, especially when the stakes are as high as they are during a hurricane season that threatens lives and livelihoods.

Opinion: What Trump and Vance Want From Hurricane Helene

September 2, 2022

As these politicians capitalize on the chaos, they simultaneously sow distrust in critical government functions, such as FEMA. Bouie rightly points out that the chaos created by such rhetoric disrupts the flow of vital information, which is paramount during crises.

This disruption becomes a double-edged sword: not only does it create confusion, but it also undermines the public’s trust in the very institutions designed to assist them. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell condemned this rhetoric, stating that it demoralizes relief workers and hinders their efforts to help those in need.

What’s truly alarming is that this misinformation appears to be working. As the 2024 election approaches, polls show a tight race between candidates, with many voters seemingly swayed by the incendiary claims of these political figures.

Opinion: Florida braces for dual threat of Hurricane Milton and Trump’s self-serving lies

November 6, 2020

This indicates a troubling trend in American politics: the normalization of lies and the exploitation of tragedy for electoral gain. It raises the question of how a significant portion of the electorate can be so easily misled, especially in the face of tangible evidence and expertise.

Hurricanes, as nature’s most formidable forces, do not discriminate based on political affiliation. They are a stark reminder of our shared vulnerability and the need for collective action. Yet, amid this devastation, we find ourselves mired in a political quagmire where the urgency of human need is overshadowed by partisan posturing. This behaviour not only reflects poorly on those who engage in it but also erodes the democratic fabric of our society.

In the face of a looming disaster like Hurricane Milton, we should be united in our response, prioritizing human lives over political gains. The politicization of natural disasters serves only to fracture our communities and distract from the essential work of recovery and rebuilding. As we brace for the impact of this storm, let us hope that voters will see through the smokescreen of misinformation and recognize the importance of truth in governance and public service. (AI)

Thursday March 14, 2019

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 14, 2019

‘Trudeau? Scandal? I don’t believe it’: As controversy rocks Canada’s PM, the world winces — then shrugs

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s political crisis has shaken Ottawa — and now, the tremors are starting to register abroad.

December 21, 2017

Outside the white-marble Newseum building in Washington on Thursday, the morning’s copy of the Globe and Mail sat behind glass, displayed alongside the front pages of newspapers from all 50 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia.

Janet McCarty, a retired civil servant living in Washington, perused the headlines. Only one publication — the Globe — led with the latest on the SNC-Lavalin scandal, in which the Prime Minister’s Office stands accused of meddling in a criminal prosecution case against the Quebec engineering giant.

McCarty grimaced. Like many others on the political left, she’s always considered Trudeau an unimpeachable moral authority and darling of the international left.

“If this is true, then Justin is not the person that we thought he was,” she said.

McCarty lamented that another world leader with a global outlook, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, has decided not to seek re-election. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Theresa May, a Conservative, has faced at least eight cabinet resignations in less than two years over her controversial Brexit deal.

January 18, 2019

“Justin. I mean, they’re all — Angela Merkel, Theresa May — everybody’s going down the toilet,” McCarty said.

Trudeau’s brand as a global liberal icon is strong in some parts of the U.S., which might explain why Manuel Macias, 36, was so shocked to hear about the SNC-Lavalin affair when he stopped to scan the Newseum headlines this week.

“Trudeau? A scandal? I don’t believe it.

“In this day and age, we don’t really have a lot of shining light all across the world,” said Macias, who identifies as a liberal. “Unless something really comes out that’s proven facts, why throw dirt on him when we’ve got such a good positive role model?”

March 2, 2019

If the SNC-Lavalin debacle has been slow to gain traction outside of Canada, it may also have to do with domestic-scandal fatigue, at least in Britain and the U.S.

In London, John Prideaux, the U.S. editor for The Economist, cited Washington’s woes, as well as Britain’s mismanagement of a plan to withdraw from the European Union, as reasons why some Britons and Americans might not be tuning in.

“What’s happening in Canada looks to me like a more conventional political scandal that you get in a healthy political culture, where people are really held accountable for what they’ve done,” Prideaux said.

That said, the SNC-Lavalin affair has “broken through” the British press — no easy feat. (Continued: CBC) 

 

Thursday June 16, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Thursday June 16, 2016 Orlando Alligator Disney Death Is The Third Tragedy To Strike Florida City In Less Than A Week The day after the massacre at the Pulse gay nightclub, Mayor Buddy Dyer, called the tragedy "the worst day in history of Orlando." But the Pulse shooting is not the only misfortune Orlando has had to endure in the past few days. On Tuesday night, a 2-year-old boy was dragged away by an alligator at a Walt Disney World resort in the Central Florida city. The toddler, whose body was still being searched for more than 15 hours later, is believed to be dead. The incident is the latest in a spate of tragedies that has hit Orlando in one of the darkest weeks in the city's history, following the killing of singer Christine Grimmie Friday and the Pulse attack, the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. History. Grimmie, who finished in third-place on Season 6 of NBC's ÒThe Voice,Ó was shot to death Friday nightÊwhile giving autographs after her concert at the Plaza Live theater. Police have identified 27-year old Kevin James Loibl of St. Petersburg, Florida, as the gunman. Loibl, who was armed with two handguns and a large hunting knife, shot himself after opening fire on Grimmie. News of Grimmie's death sparked a national discussion about gun control, a conversation that was only amplified when the news of the Pulse attack hit less than 48 hours later. The attack on the gay nightclub occurred early Sunday morning when a lone gunman, identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, started firing at club patrons with an assault rifle and took hostages before SWAT teams stormed the building and gunned him down. (Source: International Business Times) http://www.ibtimes.com/orlando-alligator-disney-death-third-tragedy-strike-florida-city-less-week-2382618 USA, Florida, media, hate, tragedy, gun, shooting, press, death, depressing, news, Orlando

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday June 16, 2016

Orlando Alligator Disney Death Is The Third Tragedy To Strike Florida City In Less Than A Week

The day after the massacre at the Pulse gay nightclub, Mayor Buddy Dyer, called the tragedy “the worst day in history of Orlando.” But the Pulse shooting is not the only misfortune Orlando has had to endure in the past few days.

Good-news-newspaper4-smOn Tuesday night, a 2-year-old boy was dragged away by an alligator at a Walt Disney World resort in the Central Florida city. The toddler, whose body was still being searched for more than 15 hours later, is believed to be dead. The incident is the latest in a spate of tragedies that has hit Orlando in one of the darkest weeks in the city’s history, following the killing of singer Christine Grimmie Friday and the Pulse attack, the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. History.

Grimmie, who finished in third-place on Season 6 of NBC’s “The Voice,” was shot to death Friday night while giving autographs after her concert at the Plaza Live theater. Police have identified 27-year old Kevin James Loibl of St. Petersburg, Florida, as the gunman. Loibl, who was armed with two handguns and a large hunting knife, shot himself after opening fire on Grimmie.

News of Grimmie’s death sparked a national discussion about gun control, a conversation that was only amplified when the news of the Pulse attack hit less than 48 hours later. The attack on the gay nightclub occurred early Sunday morning when a lone gunman, identified as 29-year-old Omar Mateen, started firing at club patrons with an assault rifle and took hostages before SWAT teams stormed the building and gunned him down. (Source: International Business Times)

 

Published in The Western Star, Cornerbrook, Newfoundland

Published in The Western Star, Cornerbrook, Newfoundland