onMacDonaldDebate byKarlHyde The great Ron MacDonald debate seems to have filled the news this week. I don’t usually watch much TV, but on the night of Thursday the 6th I was at my brother’s for dinner. The TV was on, so I watched the news. I was amazed at how many people responded to a newspoll about the MacDonald issue. The more I watched and heard the clearer it became: that nobody knew the whole story, including me. I understand it as follows: Ron MacDonald, a student at VCC’s City Centre Campus, and a friend were walking past a group of people holding a memorial for the women slain in Montreal by Marc Lepine. At this time Mr MacDonald made a joke (in exceptionally bad taste) to his friend and made machinegun noises as he pretended to open fire on the gathering. There was an uproar over this, which is to be expected, but afterwards things got a little weird. Mr MacDonald was instructed to say he was sorry in the form of a written apology. He said he didn’t have to do that and he wouldn’t. Following this, he was told by the school that he was suspended and that if he wanted to return he would have to attend ten counselling sessions and make a written apology. This is a sentence given to a person who committed no crime, not even an infraction of school tules. Nor did he receive any kind of due process. There is rarely due process in inquisitions of this sort. They wanted him to repent and he didn’t want to. Almost everyone who called into this talkshow following the news used the MacDonald case to speak out about their own underlying fears and prejudices. I heard a lot of sentences start with, “I don’t hate men, but -” and “I don’t have anything against women, but - Even though Marc Lepine is dead, the horror of what he has done lingers on. We want someone to pay, someone to repent, someone to change. The sad truth is that change comes very slowly. The women in Montreal were killed for what they represented to one person, not who they were. Street children are being killed every day in Brazil because they represent a nuisance. Trade unionists are killed in Central America because they represent equality. The mentally ill are killed through neglect in North America, because they represent a funding problem and are therefore left to their own devices. And let us not forget that students are routinely killed in countries where they represent change and justice. In love’s absence, fear and hatred take their horrible vengeance on any suitable target. I left my brother’s house and caught the bus home. Thinking about these things made me sad and angry. I want all the violence to stop as well. Every time I’m involved in violence, my life changes. I’ve been on the receiving end of a loaded gun a few times. The first time it happened was very disturbing and it did nothing at all to prepare me for it happening again. I will always remember what it felt like to have a gun barrel slammed into my forehead, how helpless, how impotent I felt. For weeks after- ward I wanted someone to pay. A man got on the bus and interrupted my reverie. He seemed aggressive, and I could tell by his manner that he could be dangerous. He was very blunt with the driver when, after putting some money in the farebox, she told him to add another sixty cents. He Started arguing with her and then threw some more money in the box. After some more arguing, it was decided that he was twenty cents short. The man then got very angry and said, “You can shove the twenty cents up your ass,” and stomped to the seat across from me. Continuing his tirade at the bus driver, he said, “People like you should be taken out and shot between the eyes.” She said nothing. Public service is a much more dangerous job than most people think. I looked at this man and said, “Hey, shut the fuck up.” He jabbed his finger at me and said, “This is no concern of yours, so keep out of it, boy.” I leapt up, closing the distance between us before he could move. I stood over him and said, “I’ll make it my concern, motherfucker, I’1] kick you to death.” That was it, it was over. It wasn’t a movie, no one clapped, I sat back down. There was no need to make him say sorry (especially since he wouldn’t mean it), there was no reason to make him bleed. There is no moral to the story. I asked the bus driver if she was okay. She was calling for backup on her radio phone, she flashed me a peace sign while she was talking. Help came at the next stop and I got off. This whole episode gave me an adrenalin smile, but inside I knew nothing had changed. Thad countered potential violence with intimidation, when what was needed was love, love for this sad person and all the others like him. The people that we fail to give attention to, the people that we pass by every day - there is no pain equal to feeling like you are nobody, that you don’t exist, that no one cares about you. ; In the end some people need attention so desperately they came into our lives behind a spray of bullets. Marc Lepine’s gun shot real bullets, Ronald MacDonald didn’t have a gun, he just made angry noises like one. The guy on the bus was just shooting off at the mouth. We need to stop trying to make others pay for the past. All we have is the future. Perhaps if we share a little more love in the present, we won’t run into these angry hurt people so often in our own futures. the ‘onMacDonaldDebate byKarlHyde The great Ron MacDonald debate seems to have fled the news this week. I don't usually watch much TY, but on the night of Thursday the 6th Iwas at my brother's for dinner. The TV was on, $0 watched the news. 1 was amazed at how many people responded to a newspoll about the MacDonald issue. The more I watched and heard the clare it became: that nobody knew the whole story including me. Tunderstand it as follows Ron MacDonald student at VOC's City Centre Campus, anda friend were walking pasta group of people holding a memorial forthe women slain in Montreal by Mare Lepine. At this time Mr MacDonald made a joke (in exceptionally bad taste io his friend and ‘made machinegun noises ashe pretended to open fie on the gathering. ‘There was an uproar over this, which is to be expected, but afterwards things gota litle weird. Mr MacDonald was instructed to say he was sorry in the form of a writen apology. He said he didn't have to do that and he wouldn't. Following this, he was told by the Schoo! that he was suspended and that if he wanted return he would have to attend ten counselling sessions ‘and make a written apology. This isa sentence given to a person who Committed no crime, not even an infraction of school rules. Nor did he receive any kind of due process. ‘There is rarely due process in inqusitions of this sort. ‘They wanted him to repent and he didn’t want to ‘Almost everyone who called into this talkshow following the news used the MacDonald case to speak ‘out about their own underlying fears and prejudices. 1 heard a lot of sentences start with, “I don't hate men, ‘but-” and “Tdon’t have anything against women, but - Eyen though Mare Lepine is dead, the horror ‘of what he has done lingers on. We want someone to pay, someone to repent, someone to change. The sad truth is hat change comes very slowly. ‘The women in Montreal were killed for what they represented to one person, not who they were Street children are being killed every day in Brazil because they represent a nuisance. Trade unionists are killed in Central America because they represent equality. The mentally ill are killed through neglect in North America, because they represent a funding problem and are therefore left to their own devices. ‘And let us not forget that students are routinely kailled in countries where they represent change and Justice. In love's absence, fear and hatred take their horrible vengeance on any suitable target left my brother’s house and caught the bus home. Thinking about these things made me sad and angry. Iwant all the violence to stop as well, Every time I’m involved in violence, my life changes. I've been on the receiving end of a loaded gun ‘few times. The first time it happened was very disturbing and it did nothing at all to prepare me for it happening again. I wil always remember what it felt like to have a gun barrel slammed into my forehead, how helpless, how impotent I felt. For weeks after- ward I wanted someone to pay. ‘Aman got on the bus and interrupted my reverie. He seemed aggressive, and I could tell by his ‘manner that he could be dangerous. He was very blunt ‘with the driver when, after putting some money in the farebox, she told him to add another sixty cents, He started arguing with her and then threw some more money in the box. After some more arguing, it was decided that he was twenty cents short, The man then {ot very angry and said, “You can shove the twenty Cents up your ass,” and stomped to the Seat across from Continuing his tirade atthe bus driver, he said, “People like you should be taken out and shot between the eyes.” She said nothing. Public service is a much ‘more dangerous job than most people think. looked at this man and said, “Hey, shut the fuck up.” He jabbed his finger at me and said, “This is no ‘concern of yours, s0 keep out of it, boy.” leapt up, closing the distance between us before he could move. I stood over him and said, “I'll make it my concern, motherfucker, I'll kick you to death.” That was it, it was over. It wasn’t a movie, no ‘one clapped, I sat back down. There was no need to ‘make him say sorry (especially since he wouldn’t mean it) there was no reason to make him bleed. There is no ‘moral tothe story. asked the bus driver ifshe was okay. She was calling for backup on her radio phone, she flashed me a Peace sign while she was talking. Help came at the next stop and I got off. This whole episode gave me an adrenalin smile, but inside I knew nothing had changed. Thad countered potential violence with ‘intimidation, when what was needed was love, love for this sad person and all the others ike him. The people that we fail to give attention to, the people that we pass by every day - there is no pain equal to feeling like you are ndbody, that you don’t exist, that no one cares about you. In the end some people need attention so