Community News
DECISIONS, DECISIONS Parents are being forced to balance their beliefs about the benefits versus the potential risks of vaccinating their children
BY SIMONE J. SMITH
My heart goes out to all parents who have made or are going to make the tough decision to vaccinate their children against Covid-19. Parents that I have spoken to say that making vaccination decisions was a complex process. They had to balance their beliefs about the benefits versus the potential risks. Some mentioned feelings of anxiety about making the wrong decision.
What most parents are looking for is peace of mind – a sense of wellbeing and reassurance – knowing that their children are safe. Some parents are a little suspicious and nervous that this vaccine was produced and distributed so quickly. They feel that the longer a vaccine has been available, the safer it feels to them. They spoke of being reassured by knowing a vaccination had been used for many years.
Then there were other parents who felt strongly about following the guidelines that our world governments have presented to us; facts and statistics touted by mainstream media that have made them believe that vaccinating their child with an experimental vaccine is the right thing to do. I am sympathetic and understanding of both sides of this argument. There is a plethora of information that is pushed out to us, and we must decide what is best for the people we love the most.
What I want to present to you today is the other side of this discussion, the side that will show research and data cautioning parents on making a hasty decision to inoculate their child. The point of this article is not to sway your decision, but to provide perspective. Are you ready? Please navigate this article with an open mind, and research the information before making a decision.
In late June, the United States became the first country in the world to grant Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID vaccines for toddlers as young as six months. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the EUA on June 17th, 2022, and the very next day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended all toddlers get the shot as soon as possible.
What continues to be ignored, and not reported is the fact that every day patients are suffering from life-altering changes after receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. Unfortunately, many have not connected their symptoms to the shots. 223 million fully vaccinated Americans have reported serious vaccine reactions. As of July 22nd, 2022, the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System, or VAERS, received more than 1.3 million reports of COVID-19 vaccine injury, including 29,790 deaths.
What is troubling are the reports that have come out about children ages six months to 17 years old. VAERS reported the following “adverse events” through July 22nd, including foreign and domestic reports:
- 132 deaths (US 56)
- 484 permanent disabilities
- 4,106 hospitalizations
- 1,868 myocarditis diagnosis
- 52,654 total injuries
Data from the U.S. and five other countries show minimal risk of COVID-19 disease to children (0.17 deaths per 100,000 cases), according to an article in BMJ Journal of Medical Ethics. Given that, it concluded, “COVID-19 vaccines are still very likely to be in the best interest of the elderly and more vulnerable, but not of children.”
Let’s take a look at specific vaccines.
The Moderna shot was only 51% effective against symptomatic Omicron infection in 6-month-olds to 2-year-olds, and a mere 37% effective in 2- to 5-year-olds. This is lower than what is expected for vaccines, which makes authorizing them for this age group even more irrational. Why use such an experimental injection with such poor effectiveness in children who aren’t at grave risk of death from the infection in the first place?
The Pfizer vaccine’s effectiveness “Declined rapidly for children, particularly those 5-11 years,” an Omicron study by New York State officials found, with “low protection” one month after two doses. At thirty-five days post-inoculation, efficacy went negative for 5- to 11-year-olds, meaning an increased likelihood of infection. Even more troubling, is that vaccinated toddlers in Pfizer’s trial were more likely to get severely ill with COVID than those who received a placebo. I WANT YOU TO READ THIS AGAIN!
Most kids who developed multiple infections during the trial were vaccinated. This warranted more investigation since experimental vaccines for other diseases sometimes increase susceptibility to infection.
A new Singapore study found efficacy of two doses was 48.8% just one to two weeks after dual vaccination; it declined to 25.6% at two months, meaning only one in four infections were avoided. Among vaccinated children, 22 unspecified “serious adverse events,” and three with COVID-19 were admitted to intensive care units. What is interesting is that among the unvaccinated, no children suffered vaccine injuries, and just one unvaccinated child was admitted to the ICU.
In February, the Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine reported on two teenage boys who died “suddenly and unexpectedly in their sleep without resuscitation” three and four days after their second Pfizer vaccine.
“Neither boy complained of fever, chest pain, palpitations, or dyspnea (laboured breathing),” two physicians wrote, warning of the atypical nature of the heart inflammation, called myocarditis that killed these boys. The CDC then responded by asserting the boys had likely died of other causes.
What CDC has been unable to explain are the many other sudden deaths that have occurred in children:
- A Georgia boy, 16, who suffered “headache and gastric upset over two days following second dose. Then I felt fine. Found the following day dead in bed.”
- A Texas girl, eight, who suffered multi-system inflammatory disease seventy days post-vaccination, with carditis in her heart and inflammation in the intestines, lungs, skin, and liver. Her belly distended and lungs filled with fluid, and she went to ICU. “Her heart stopped beating right there.”
- A Wisconsin girl, 16, suffered heart failure and pulmonary embolism nine days after her second dose; she died two days later, with an oral contraceptive possibly contributing.
- A Colorado boy, 15, died of heart failure one day after his first dose
- A Florida boy, one year old, suffered “increased body temperature, seizure, death” two days after his first dose.
- An Iowa girl, five who had an unspecified “complex” medical history, stayed overnight in a hospital as a precaution after the first dose. Two days later, “she was found pulseless and not breathing” at home.
Parents of these children have been left without answers; they trusted their physicians and their government, and they lost their children. That is why what I am going to report on next needs to be taken very seriously…
“It would normally be in the best interests of the child to have contact with his father, but it is not in his best interest to have contact with him if he is unvaccinated and opposed to health measures in the present epidemiological context.”
Judge Jean-Sébastien Vaillancourt (December 23rd, 2021)
April 14th, 2022 9:12 p.m. EDT
Parents in Quebec are expressing their concern over a recently passed child protection bill, which allows the state to override the principle of parental primacy and natural ties.
Quebec’s Health Minister Lionel Carmant introduced Bill 15 in December 2021. It was adopted unanimously in April 2022 in the Canadian provinces’ National Assembly: 115 votes in favour and none against. This bill promises to prioritize the interests of children over all other considerations, including the interests of parents.
The new law will facilitate the placement of children into foster care, overhauling the principle of parental primacy, which favours keeping children within their biological families — even in cases of neglect and abuse. It will also ease confidentiality rules, allowing personal information to be shared about children to be shared among authorities and caregivers.
Some argue that the overriding of parental primacy could set a dangerous precedent and give the state too much power over children, and this was see when a Superior Court judge temporarily suspended the child visitation rights of a Quebec man after the court heard he was unvaccinated and opposed the province’s COVID-19 health regulations.
The mother sought to have all access to the child suspended for the father, on the grounds she had recently learned that he was unvaccinated and, according to the judgment, a “conspiracy theorist” and “anti-vaccine.”
The father said he was unvaccinated and had “reservations” about vaccines but told the court that he respected health regulations and rarely left his home. However, the child’s mother produced excerpts from the father’s Facebook page containing anti-vaccine messaging and articles.
It was ruled that under the circumstances, it was not in the interest of any of the three children that (the unvaccinated father) have access to them.
It is scary that now the government has extended their control into the homes of families under the guise of child protection. Bill 15 is necessary in the case of abuse and neglect, but not administering a vaccine to your child should not fall under this bill, and at this time it does.
When will it stop? It all depends on us, the citizens of Canada. We are in control, not the officials that we have elected. As citizens, we need to remember that.
Community News
Urban Alliance on Race Relations celebrates and highlights Racial Justice Award recipients
BY PAUL JUNOR
It has been almost 40 years since the Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR) has been at the forefront of: promoting tolerance, social justice, racial equity and fairness. Since it was formed in 1975, they have celebrated and recognized changemakers in the fight for racial justice in diverse sectors such as: health, labour, government, education, arts, media, environment, and justice.
On Saturday, December 7th, 2024, there was a great turnout at the 2024 Racial Justice Awards Night held at The Estate Banquet & Event Centre in Scarborough. In attendance were many community supporters, civic officials, long-time racial justice warriors, and individuals from diverse ethnic groups.
UARR is grateful for all the sponsors of the Racial Justice Awards Night Celebration. It notes in its email to its supporters on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024, the importance of its sponsors including:
- United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) of Canada, UFCW, Local 175
- The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 353
- Unite Here! Local 75
- Toronto & York Region Labour Council
- Canadian Labour Congress
- The Coalitions of Black Trade Union (CBTUL)
“Your sponsorship plays a vital role in shining a light on individuals and organizations driving equity, justice, and change in our communities. This celebration is more than an event, it’s a movement. Thanks to your support, we’re: honoring changemakers, amplifying unheard voices, and funding initiatives that break down systemic barriers.”
The categories and names of the awards and recipients were:
Racial Justice in Arts: Hannia Cheng
She is an artist and cultural worker who co-founded Unit 270, a DIY gallery and multi-purpose grassroots community hub in Chinatown Centre.
Racial Justice in Labour: Vanessa Story
She is the founder of the Black Youth York Region and co-founder of the York Communities for Public Education coalition.
Racial Justice in Education: Shannon Simpson
She is Senior Director of Indigenous Initiatives at the University of Toronto.
Racial Justice in Environment: Dr. Ingrid Waldron
She is a Professor and HOPE Chair in Peace and Health in the Global and Peace and Social Justice Program in the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University.
Urban Alliance of Race Relations Agent of Change Award: Kirk Mark
He is the Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Consultant at KIRK Mark & Associates.
Racial Justice in Media: Amanda Parris
She is an award-winning writer, tv host and producer, and former host of CBC Arts Exhibitionist.
Racial Justice in Health: Camille Orridge
She is former CEO of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network (TCLHIN).
Racial Justice in Government: Amira Elghawaby
She is a journalist and human rights advocate who was appointed in January 2023 as Canada’s Special Representative on Combating Islamophobia.
Racial Justice in Justice: South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALC0)
This legal clinic supports low-income South Asian people in Canada.
The funds raised from the Awards night will be going toward the work of the Diversity Youth Fellowship Program. This innovative and creative program is directly involved in enabling racialized youth to get paid experience working in municipal governments and at various public policy making organizations across Canada.
The performers at the event included: Katheen Zaragosa (a Filipino music performer), Rithika Jeristus & Maya Jeristus (Bharatanatyam dancers) and Yasmin Said (spoken word artist)
UARR is looking forward to its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2025 and shared five of its strategic priorities for the next 10 years including:
- Employment and economic opportunity: The goal is to foster inclusive workspaces and economic opportunities.
- Education: The goal is to promote racial equity in education and research.
- Communication: The goal is to expand public awareness and reach to amplify our stories.
- Community engagement and outreach: The goal is building community capacity and convening towards change.
- Truth and reconciliation-relationship building and supporting calls to action. The goal is to strengthen our solidarity and action towards truth and reconciliation.
Community News
What is it about those short videos that keep us captivated? Oh! Yes! Our short attention span
BY KAHA GEDI
As our attention spans decrease, short form videos are becoming more popular. From TikTok, to YouTube Shorts, to Instagram Reels, these “snack sized” videos have positive qualities alongside the bad. Mainly we want to know what makes them so effective, and why are they becoming the go-to choice for both viewers and marketers? In this article, I will be discussing how these videos have received such popularity worldwide.
First, we need to understand what counts as and what is short-form content. According to blog.hubspot.com, “Short-form videos are videos that are less than 60 seconds long.” However, some marketers and content creators agree that short-form videos can be up to 3 minutes. “They are videos that deliver information in a ‘digestible’ format so that viewers can quickly watch and save content if they’re in a hurry or enjoy it.” Now, I’ll talk about the main reasons why these videos are so popular.
First, our attention spans have gone down exponentially. Dr Gloria Mark has written a book called “Attention Span,” and she says her research indicates people’s attention spans have been shrinking over the last 20 years. According to the same article Dr. Mark said that “Back in 2004, we found the average attention span on any screen to be two and a half minutes on average. Throughout the years, it became shorter. So, around 2012, we found it to be 75 seconds. Then in the last five, six years, we found it to average about 47 seconds.” So, it’s notable that our attention spans started out longer but then decreased over time.
Secondly, these videos have become cheaper and easier to make. Unlike long-form videos, which require extensive: planning, editing, and storytelling, short-form videos are simpler. To the point where they can even be shot on a smartphone. For example, DuoLingo, the app that helps learn new languages, went viral on TikTok a long time ago by posting funny, low-budget videos that resonate with millions. Like a video of a DuoLingo plus being: tossed down the stairs, sitting outside on a rainy day, or being soaked by the shower with the title “When you ignore my notifications.”
Lastly, they provide valuable information in a short amount of time, and they are easily accessible. According to a recent Adobe Survey, two in five Americans use TikTok as a search engine, and nearly one in 10 Gen Zeers are more likely to rely on TikTok than Google as a search engine. This isn’t always reliable for real news because anyone can claim to be an expert, and you wouldn’t know if they’re telling the truth. So, even though they give valuable information in a short time, they can also give misinformation or mislead you.
Short-form videos have changed how we watch and learn things. They fit our short attention spans, are easy to make, and share information quickly. Even though they’re fun and helpful, they can also spread false information or leave out important details. Even with these problems, short-form videos are here to stay, so we should use them in proportion, but also enjoy the benefits.
Urban Alliance on Race Relations celebrates and highlights Racial Justice Award recipients
West Indies memorable triumph over England: A valuable learning experience
How are current trends shaping our world? Foreshadowing 2025
AI can be a helpful tool, but it can’t replace the special qualities that make human storytelling unique
What is it about those short videos that keep us captivated? Oh! Yes! Our short attention span
Anger!
YOGA: Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) for sufferers of hypertension or heart disease
Kemtek Development launches new exclusive gated community in Jamaica!
Tourism-Related Live Streaming – The Manifold Ways it Can Create a Buzz for a Destination
Ravi’s West Indian Grocery – Fresh Products Weekly Straight from Guyana!
Send groceries to Jamaica in a flash, how? GroceryList Jamaica
ASA Meats & West Indian Groceries – Serving Freshness & Quality to the Community
Nadine Sutherland – A woman who continues to reinvent herself
Knia Singh – Light Up The Darkness
Spragga Benz – Light Up The Darkness
Kyle Kemper – Light Up The Darkness
David Icke – Light Up The Darkness
Ohio’s Bill 248 and Dr. Sherri Tenpenny’s compelling testimony
-
Community News5 days agoCan AI truly grasp the nuances of culture, history, and the unique spirit of a country?
-
Community News2 weeks agoMister International Canada crowns its 2024 Winner
-
Community News2 weeks agoThe Future of work is here, and it’s a four-day week
-
Community News5 days agoDigital Double-Edged – We cannot allow a fragile digital system to control when and how you can travel
-
Community News5 days agoTo navigate complex challenges: Caribbean governments, corporations, and organizations need innovative solutions
-
Community News2 weeks agoThe threat of international spies and saboteurs is real, but well hidden from the public domain
-
Community News2 weeks agoBlack Class Action Lawsuit concludes second week of hearings with rally and press conference
-
Community News5 days agoPatrick Parson remembered for his: Legacy, impact and influence in the artistic community in Toronto