Think Climate Change: Are You Doing Your Bit? -- by Anne Shier

(From the Government of Canada re: Climate Change.  Are you doing your bit to conserve energy and save our planet?)

All Canadians contribute to greenhouse gas emissions--every time we turn on a light, drive the car to the corner store, start up a computer, or do anything that uses energy.  The actions of individual Canadians account for about 28% of Canada's total greenhouse gas emissions-- that almost 6 tons per person per year!

If we're part of the problem, we must be part of the solution.  Here are 10 quick and easy ways you can reduce your energy consumption, save money and help create a healthier environment and economy for Canada.

10 ways to reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions:

1.  Turn off lights, appliances, televisions and computers when they are not needed.  Many electronic appliances and computers stay "on" even when turned off, because they are in "standby mode".  Turn off all the power (in your house) if you are away more than a week.

2.  Seal all leaks around doors, windows and cracks where heat escapes from your home.  You will save up to 20% on your heating bill.

3.  Insulate when you renovate your home.  Over the years, a small up-front cost can pay for itself several times over in energy savings.

4.  When buying a new household appliance, room air conditioner or vehicle, check the EnerGuide label to help you select the most energy-efficient model that meets your needs.

5.  Avoid idling your vehicle--10 seconds of idling uses more energy than restarting your engine.

6.  Use an automatic set-back thermostat for your home's heating and air conditioning.

7.  Leave the car at home--walk or bike on short trips.  For longer trips, take the bus.  One busload of passengers takes 40 vehicles off the road, saving 70,000 litres of fuel, 175 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and 9 tons of pollutants per year.

8.  Use energy-efficient lighting products, such as compact fluorescent bulbs.  They last 10 times longer and use 75% less energy than regular incandescent light bulbs.

9.  Clean your furnace filter regularly to ensure good airflow and keep your furnace properly tuned.

10. Install low-flow shower heads and fix leaky or dripping faucets (on sinks and tubs).

The Earth is Getting Warmer -- by Anne Shier

(From the Government of Canada re:  Climate Change)

The 20th Century was the warmest globally in the past 1,000 years.  In fact, the 1980s and 1990s were the warmest decades on record.

The Earth is experiencing a change in climate - one that will affect our environment, our economy and the way we live for years to come.  A panel of international scientists has predicted that average global temperatures could rise by as much as 1.4 degrees C to 5.8 degrees C by the end of the 21st Century.  In Canada, average temperatures in some regions could rise by as much as 5 degrees C to 10 degrees C.

What's wrong with warmer temperatures?

To some Canadians, warmer temperatures may seem appealing - especially in the middle of winter.  But scientists in Canada and around the world have warned of the possible consequences, some of which we may already be experiencing:

• More severe weather events such as thunderstorms, heavy rains, hail, and tornadoes could take a heavy toll on human lives and property.
• Longer and more intense heat waves could make air pollution in larger urban areas worse.  Air pollution has been linked to increased deaths and illness from asthma and other respiratory diseases.
• More droughts could harm crop yields and increase the risk of forest fire.
• Drier conditions could affect the quantity and quality of our water.
• Sea-level rises could increase flooding and erosion along Canada's coasts.  Combined with violent storms, this could cause sea water to surge inland, damaging buildings, roads, and bridges.

We are changing our climate

Gases in our atmosphere--water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide--act like a greenhouse to keep the sun's heat in and help make our planet livable.  Without this natural greenhouse effect, the average temperature on Earth would be -18 degrees C--too cold to support life.

But too many greenhouse gases can be harmful.  As we burn more and more fossil fuels to power our cars and trucks, keep our industries humming and make our homes more comfortable, we are increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.  These gases are thickening the blanket that insulates the Earth, causing average temperatures to rise.

In January 2001, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), made up of top climate scientists from around the world, concluded that "there is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activity."

Small changes in average temperature make a big difference.  During the last ice age, average temperatures were only 5 degrees C cooler than they are today.

Canada is taking action

The Government of Canada has an action plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation, energy, industrial, and buildings sectors of our economy and in its own operations.  But all Canadians can take actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help solve the problem of climate change--and at the same time, save money and improve our health.

Visit www.climatechange.gc.ca to learn what you can do, and what governments and businesses are already doing.

My Letter to Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne (Ont. Liberal MPP, Don Valley West and Potential Premier) -- by Anne Shier

Here is my letter to Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne.  She may very well replace Dalton McGuinty as Ontario's new Premier in the next provincial election if the Liberal Party retains power.  I want her and the Liberal Party to be aware of OSSTF's intention that its members will continue to fight the negative impact of Bill 115.  Between her and the current Minister of Education, Laurel C. Broten, they have managed to make the public education sector suffer greatly for the loss of their democratic collective bargaining rights.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne

Ontario Liberal MPP, Don Valley West

Suite 101, 795 Eglinton Avenue East

Toronto, Ontario M4G 4E4

Re:  Protest against Bill 115

To Hon. Kathleen O. Wynne:

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my letter of October 3, 2012 regarding Bill 115.  I’d also like to think that you appreciate my dedication to my profession.  I take my teaching very seriously and want non-teachers to appreciate what we have to offer our students in Ontario’s public high schools.

OSSTF and its members are well aware of the agreement reached between OECTA (the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association) and the government, but, as OSSTF (the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation), our own federation, has pointed out, this agreement was not satisfactory to us.  In fact, months before this, OSSTF proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in cost cuts to the government, but these cuts were not given any consideration and, in fact, were rejected outright.  The idea of forcing local school boards to agree to the government’s pre-determined educational funding goals (via Bill 115) is not what we would consider a good way to negotiate a new contract with OSSTF’s teacher members.

While a wage freeze over a two-year period might seem like a good idea to both the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives, it might have been more acceptable if it had been applied across the entire public sector, not just the educational sector.  You’ve made it clear in your letter that part of Bill 115 was meant to freeze the wages of all educational workers for two years.  Nevertheless, we are accepting this wage freeze, as unfair as it is.  What we really think is unfair is the removal of our right to collectively bargain our teacher contracts, now and into the future.

I’d like to quote an excerpt from the OSSTF magazine called “Education Forum”.  The source article is called “Workers’ Rights at Risk”, by Gary Fenn.  Here is the excerpt:  “Bill 115 has very little to do with putting students first [despite its name] and has everything to do with making the educational workers of Ontario pay for a recession they did not cause.  It is about making educational workers pay for the cuts to corporate taxes that have not stimulated the economy.  And now, it is about taking away the constitutionally protected right to free collective bargaining……McGuinty won the support of Progressive Conservative MPPs and their leader, Tim Hudak, to pass this legislation.  The Premier has mused about going after other public-sector workers in Ontario, including doctors, nurses and firefighters.  One can conclude that if McGuinty and Hudak can do this to educational workers, they can do it to any worker.  All workers should be very afraid of this precedent.”

We want you and the Liberal Party to know that we, as teachers, are intent on fighting for our bargaining rights as long as we need to in order to make our point and further our cause.  To this end, we have conducted some peaceful demonstrations in front of various MPPs’ offices in Scarborough and elsewhere in the GTA and we will continue to do so into the future.  I, myself, have personally taken on the task of writing to every MPP in the province.  We have also instituted a strike job action to assert our collective displeasure with this government’s extremely controversial legislation.

I’d like to thank you, Ms. Wynne, again for taking the time to reply to my letter.  I can appreciate the implementation of Bill 115 only for the purpose of “getting the province’s fiscal house in order”.  However, the method that the government has chosen to achieve this objective is not anywhere near acceptable to OSSTF and its members.  We have to fight this law because of its potential drastic effects on other public-sector groups in Ontario and to protect our own rights to do what OSSTF has been doing so well for its teacher members over the last several years – negotiating a collective agreement that works for its members and yet, fulfills the government’s requirements.

Yours truly,

"Shirley Underfire"
Teacher, TDSB

Making Sense out of the Chaos -- by Anne Shier

(From the Editorial page of “Update”, the OSSTF/FEESO monthly newsletter, dated November 2012, Vol. 40, No. 3)

It would be an understatement to say that this has been a difficult beginning to the school year for most of us. 

We endured a summer of press stories that claimed OSSTF/FEESO refused to talk to the government while we were indeed putting forth proposals.  We had to allay the fear of parents after the government told them that we would be striking at the beginning of September, even though no strike votes had even been taken.  And now the media criticizes those of us who have chosen not to volunteer our time outside of our regular work day.  It can be a very demoralizing and upsetting time. 

Despite all the press and political spin, we know the following to be true:

·        In the spring our Federation, along with other education union affiliates, approached the government to begin tripartite tables as it had for the last two rounds of negotiations.

·        Instead of sending representatives from the Ministry of Education, OSSTF/FEESO was faced with a wall of hired lawyers, making unreasonable demands that they were told must be met before negotiations could begin.

·        We left this meeting and came up with a counter proposal to these demands—a proposal that matched the financial savings being demanded including a wage freeze!  The government refused to entertain the proposal.

·        The government strong-armed a deal with OECTA (Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association) and is attempting to impose it on OSSTF/FEESO members without further negotiations via Bill 115.

·        OSSTF/FEESO continues to work with school boards to find local solutions and has meanwhile launched a court challenge against Bill 115.  This action has been backed up by other unions and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association.

Where do we go from here?

Earlier in the summer our president, Ken Coran, spoke to us about our strategy moving forward in this “government-created” crisis and he said, “We must be firm in our beliefs and flexible in our tactics.”

He went on to summarize those beliefs into three basic principles:

          Preserve the climate for bargaining.  OSSTF/FEESO never refused talks with the government.  In fact we regularly informed the office of the Minister of Education that we were willing to continue talks.  We have made proposals that were never seriously considered and we continue to negotiate with willing school boards around the province.  A negotiated deal is always better than a legislated one.

          Hold the government accountable.  OSSTF/FEESO and its affiliate education unions did nothing wrong in this conflict.  They have followed normal bargaining procedures as set out by both tradition and the law.  It is the government that resorted to changing the rules who is guilty of not playing fairly.  We are confident our charter challenge will prove this.

          Let our members know we are fighting for them.  Our members did not cause the financial crisis, nor did they set the rules that allowed it to happen.  We have conceded a wage freeze because we do recognize that all Ontarians must contribute to the fight against the deficit, but we will not allow our members to be penalized disproportionately.  We certainly will not stand by and allow our members’ rights to be trampled.  As educators and educational workers, we serve as a role model to our students.  Teaching them to stand up for their rights might be the greatest lesson we can give, even if at times it feels demoralizing. 

My Letter to Mr. Frank Klees (Ont. PC MPP, Newmarket--Aurora) -- by Anne Shier

Here is the letter I sent to Mr. Frank Klees, Ontario PC MPP for Newmarket--Aurora. I wanted to thank him for his reply to my letter that I'd sent him earlier this month and to express OSSTF's reasons for not being willing to accept the agreement reached between OECTA (the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association) and the Liberal government.

Monday October 29, 2012

Mr. Frank Klees

Ontario PC MPP, Newmarket—Aurora

Suite 201, Hunters Gate Plaza, 14845 Yonge Street

Aurora, Ontario L4G 6H8

Re:  Protest against Bill 115

To Mr. Frank Klees:

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my letter of October 9, 2012 regarding Bill 115.  I’d also like to thank you for expressing your appreciation of my dedication to my profession.  I take my teaching very seriously and would appreciate it if non-teachers would appreciate what we have to offer our students.

OSSTF and its members are well aware of the agreement reached between OECTA (the Ontario English Catholic Teachers Association) and the government, but, as OSSTF (the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation), our own federation, has pointed out, this agreement was not satisfactory to us.  In fact, months before this, OSSTF proposed hundreds of millions of dollars in cost cuts to the government, but these cuts were not given any consideration and were rejected outright.  It makes me think that the government had every intention of passing Bill 115 even before negotiations could get underway with OSSTF.

While a wage freeze over a two-year period might seem like a good idea to both the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives, it might have been more acceptable if it had been applied across the entire public sector, not just educational workers.  You’ve made it clear in your letter that the Progressive Conservatives supported this part of Bill 115 regarding educational workers’ wages.  Nevertheless, we are accepting this wage freeze, as unfair as it is.  What we really think is unfair is the removal of our right to collectively bargain our teacher contracts.

I’d like to quote an excerpt from the OSSTF magazine called “Education Forum”.  The source article is called “Workers’ Rights at Risk”, by Gary Fenn.  Here is the excerpt:  “Bill 115 has very little to do with putting students first [despite its name] and has everything to do with making the educational workers of Ontario pay for a recession they did not cause.  It is about making educational workers pay for the cuts to corporate taxes that have not stimulated the economy.  And now, it is about taking away the constitutionally protected right to free collective bargaining……McGuinty won the support of Progressive Conservative MPPs and their leader, Tim Hudak, to pass this legislation.  The Premier has mused about going after other public-sector workers in Ontario, including doctors, nurses and firefighters.  One can conclude that if McGuinty and Hudak can do this to educational workers, they can do it to any worker.  All workers should be very afraid of this precedent.”

We want you and the PC Party to know that we, as teachers, are intent on fighting for our bargaining rights as long as we need to in order to make our point and further our cause.  To this end, we have conducted a few peaceful demonstrations in front of various MPPs’ offices in Scarborough and elsewhere in the GTA and we will continue to do so into the future.

I’d like to thank you, Mr. Klees, again for taking the time to reply to my letter.  I appreciate the PC Party’s support of Bill 115 for the purpose of “getting the province’s fiscal house in order”, as quoted from your letter.  However, the method that the government has chosen to achieve this objective is not anywhere near acceptable to OSSTF and its members.  We have to fight this law because of its potential drastic effects on other public-sector groups in Ontario and to protect our own rights to do what OSSTF has been doing so well over the last several years – negotiating a collective agreement that works for its members and yet, fulfills the government’s requirements.

Yours truly,

"Shirley Underfire"
Teacher, TDSB

My Letter to Ms. Cheri DiNovo (Ont. NDP MPP, Parkdale--High Park) -- by Anne Shier

Here is the letter I sent to Ms. Cheri DiNovo, Ontario NDP MPP for Parkdale--High Park in reply to the letter she'd sent me earlier this month.  I wanted to express my personal (and our collective) appreciation for her party's support of Ontario's public secondary school teachers since the passage of Bill 115.

Friday October 26, 2012

Ms. Cheri DiNovo

Ontario NDP MPP, Parkdale—High Park

2849 Dundas Street West

Toronto, Ontario M6P 1Y6

Re:  Protest against Bill 115

Dear Ms. Cheri DiNovo:

I would like to thank you very much for expressing your support for Ontario teachers on behalf of the NDP Party due to the drastic effect that Bill 115 is having on us.  We very much want to let the public know how we feel, particularly about losing our right to bargain our collective agreements with our local school board.  So, we are happy that you are supporting our cause.  We need all the help we can get right now.

I believe that the public thinks that teachers just want more money and more benefits; they seem convinced that we already have a great setup as teachers.  Every time someone who’s not a teacher says this kind of thing to me, I feel that I have no choice but to tell them that everyone thinks these things until they become a teacher.  And, if they think it’s so great to be a teacher, why don’t they do it?  I’ve never gotten an affirmative answer to this, however, which I think is due to the public’s inherent lack of knowledge of all of the ramifications that teaching involves.  We are accountable to so many entities:  our students (first and foremost), our kids’ parents, our school principal, the school, the school board and the community as a whole.  I think teaching is an awesome profession and I am very happy to have been a teacher for the last 12 and half years.  But, who knows what may happen to this wonderful profession now?

I’d like to quote an excerpt from the OSSTF magazine called “Education Forum”.  The source article is called “Workers’ Rights at Risk”, by Gary Fenn.  Here is the excerpt:  “Bill 115 has very little to do with putting students first [despite its name] and has everything to do with making the educational workers of Ontario pay for a recession they did not cause.  It is about making educational workers pay for the cuts to corporate taxes that have not stimulated the economy.  And now, it is about taking away the constitutionally protected right to free collective bargaining……McGuinty won the support of Progressive Conservative MPPs and their leader, Tim Hudak, to pass this legislation.  The Premier has mused about going after other public-sector workers in Ontario, including doctors, nurses and firefighters.  One can conclude that if McGuinty and Hudak can do this to educational workers, they can do it to any worker.  All workers should be very afraid of this precedent.”

We want you and the NDP to know that we are intent on fighting for our bargaining rights as long as we need to in order to make our point and further our cause.  We have conducted a few peaceful demonstrations in front of various MPPs’ offices in Scarborough and elsewhere in the GTA and we will continue to do so into the future.

I’d like to thank you, Ms. DiNovo, again for your and your party’s support of our cause.  You have a good handle on the government’s real intentions and approach to this economic situation and you know that it cannot lead, ultimately, to anything good down the road for Ontario’s public-sector workers.  This is the important message that we ourselves would like to convey to the public.  It’s all about the government’s attacks on the collective bargaining process, what their agenda really is about and what they hope to achieve by implementing Bill 115.

Yours truly,

"Shirley Underfire"

What is in Bill 115? (the "Putting Students First Act", a.k.a. "the Act", published by OSSTF) -- by Anne Shier

An Act to implement restraint measures in the education sector:  Why this law is harmful to teachers, educational support staff, school boards and all workers in Ontario

Bill 115:

A)  Removes the right to collective bargaining

Federations that represent publicly funded teachers and educational support staff have always bargained collective agreements with their local school board, which is the legal employer.  This Act takes away virtually all ability for local school boards and their educational employees to bargain a collective agreement that works for students, local communities and for workers.  The Act allows the Minister of Education to impose conditions upon both parties.  In effect, the Ontario Government is acting as the employer and has overridden the bargaining process as laid out in the Ontario Labour Relations Act.

B)  Removes power and responsibility from democratically elected local school board trustees

School board trustees are elected by the people and charged with the responsibility of running local schools.  Among their responsibilities is to accept or reject collective agreements negotiated with education federations.  This Act removes that power from these democratically elected trustees and gives it solely to the Minister of Education.

C)  Broad and sweeping power is given to the Minister of Education

Under this Act, the Minister of Education has the absolute authority to accept or reject any collective agreement signed between education workers and a local school board.  The decision to accept or reject a collective agreement does NOT need to be brought before the democratically elected Ontario Legislature for review, thus it is not subject to any public accountability.  Previously, this level of public accountability used to rest with locally elected school board trustees.  In addition, the Act states that there is no obligation for the Minister to consult the public or hold any hearings regarding any decision he/she may make related to any imposed collective agreement.

D)  Restrictions and deadlines are now unilaterally imposed by the Minister of Education

The Minister of Education has the absolute authority to impose conditions upon both education workers and the local school board.  Further to that, the Act imposes a specific deadline on when a deal must be reached AND is deemed acceptable to the Minister of Education.  All of these decisions are NOT subject to any public review, nor can they be brought to the Ontario Legislature for discussion or debate.

E)  Removal of rights under the Ontario Labour Relations Act

The Act gives the Minister of Education the ability to override certain rights under the Ontario Labour Relations Act, including the right to strike or lockout.  Although very rarely exercised, the right of educational workers to strike and the right of school boards to lockout its employees are legitimate steps that assist the parties in reaching local agreements.  These agreements are established and ratified at the local level, and they often address many local issues.

F)  Imposes restrictions on the Ontario Labour Relations Board, arbitrators and the courts

The Act states that aspects of the Act itself or any disagreement related to the Minister of Education's actions under the Act CANNOT be challenged at the Ontario Labour Relations Board, CANNOT be legally resolved by a third party arbitrator, nor can it be challenged in a court of law.

The result...

Bill 115 gives the Minister of Education more authority over local school boards, and takes away responsibilities of democratically elected local school board trustees.  It will remove millions of dollars out of the publicly-funded education system in Ontario without public review or scrutiny.

How does Bill 115 affect me?

If you are an educational worker in the publicly-funded education system in Ontario, you have lost virtually all rights when it comes to negotiating a collective agreement with your legal employer - your local school board.  Any settlement must contain parameters dictated solely by the Minister of Education without any ability to negotiate or challenge them.

If you are a school board trustee, many of the rights and responsibilities that are entrusted to you under the Education Act have been arbitrarily usurped.  The Minister of Education now has almost all authority over school board decisions, especially in the area of labour relations and collective agreement negotiations.

If you are a public sector worker, the Act has set a precedent that the Ontario government will now impose collective agreement conditions upon its employees without public accountability.  The Liberal Party and Progressive Conservative Party have gone on record saying that other public sector workers may be subject to similar conditions in the near future.

If you are a citizen of Ontario, this Act begins a process where your government can create laws that will restrict your rights in this province.  By removing some of the authority of democratically elected school board trustees, the Ontario government has centralized local decision making into the hands of the Minister of Education.  In addition, we have seen how governments at different levels have interfered with a worker's legal right to free collective bargaining both in the private and public sector.

What can I do?

If you are opposed to Bill 115 and the attack on the rights of working citizens in Ontario, contact your local Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) to express your objection to this law.  To find contact information for your MPP, go to www.ontla.on.ca

He Said, She Said -- by Anne Shier

(from her first book "My Short Stories (Book One)", published in March 2011)

Doug and Kelly had known each other since high school.  They were the best of friends and shared everything together.  You couldn’t find a closer pair, but they weren’t really a couple.  Usually, they got along really well, talking things over whenever the mood hit them.  They loved each other as much as best friends do. 

However, each had his/her own “quirks” that were often very irritating to the other.  Being stubborn and pigheaded was Kelly’s purview and being hot-headed and sometimes, intentionally, hard of hearing (when he wanted to be) was Doug’s purview.  It sure made for some interesting interactions between the two.  As friends and roommates, they got along just great; as spouses (if it ever got that far!), they probably would have torn each other’s eyes out.  That just went to show that some people should never, ever get married.

Being roommates was okay though, as long as the lines were firmly drawn to indicate where each person’s “personal space” began and ended.  They each liked to have their own personal domain.  And, Doug and Kelly knew each other well enough to respect each other’s “personal space” and each individual’s need for freedom.

Doug loved his freedom, especially since the end of his long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Donna.  It had been trying to be with her, to say the least.  Donna was a bossy type of girl who liked to get her way.  Doug often got upset with her manipulative ways, but he did love her, in his own way.  Eventually, he could see that she was never going to change.  One day, he got thoroughly fed up, lost his temper with her, packed up his personal stuff at her place, and left her.  Unfortunately, he also left behind their daughter, Chloe, who was 10 years old at the time.  Doug had always been a devoted father to Chloe and that part did not change at all.  He had just decided that being in a long-term relationship with Donna, the “queen bitch of the Universe”, was more than he could take, and was not worth his time and energy.  But, he remained in close contact with Chloe whom he adored.  So, he wasn’t a bad father, just not as good an emotional risk as a partner in a male-female relationship.

Kelly loved her freedom just as much as Doug did, ever since she had obtained a divorce from her now-ex-husband, Brad.  Ironically, Brad had never acted as if Kelly’s happiness meant all that much to him.  He had been much more concerned with his own happiness.  After living with Brad for 3 years and suffering lots of mental anguish and living constantly on the brink of bankruptcy due to Brad’s lavish spending habits, Kelly had finally had enough and filed for divorce, citing mental cruelty as her grounds.  She vowed never again to get involved, long-term, with a man.  Marriage no longer looked like such an attractive option for her. 

Given the fact that Doug and Kelly each needed and loved their own personal freedom (meaning no complicated relationships!), it was a wonder that they got along together at all.  But, friendship between men and women is supposed to be different than marriage, isn’t it?  One doesn’t expect the same things (behaviour, attitude, and commitment) from a friend as from a spouse, right?  Friends should be able to say whatever is on their minds, in a somewhat diplomatic fashion of course.  Marriage partners, however, often like to torment each other – sometimes too much, for some reason.  One might even think that that’s a good definition of marriage – someone who shares your house, and your bed too (most of the time), and, in return, you make sure that they never forget who carries most of the load in the relationship.   Above all, if your spouse cheats on you, forgive the other party, but never, ever forget what they did.

So, when Doug and Kelly had a big discussion, one day, about the people who were in each other’s lives at the moment, it was kind of weird to hear them talking about this and would have been even weirder if they could have read each other’s minds too. 

About Rachel, Kelly’s friend, Kelly said to Doug, “You like her a lot, don’t you?”

To which Doug replied offhandedly, “Yeah, she’s nice and sort of pretty.”  Oh yeah, she’s hot stuff, alright!  I’d love to get to know her better, Doug thought.

About Rick, Doug’s friend, Doug said to Kelly, “ You don’t like him much, do you?”

To which Kelly replied, “He’d be a great friend if I just knew him a little better.” 

Over my dead body am I going to get to know him better! Kelly thought. 

About Kelly’s younger sister, Leigh, Kelly said to Doug, “You’d date my little sister if you thought I would approve, wouldn’t you?”

To which Doug replied, “I have a firm rule about dating any of your relatives or any other related family.” But, what you don’t know about my dates won’t hurt me, will it?” Doug thought.

About Doug’s older brother, Rod, Doug said to Kelly, “You’d rather date older men, wouldn’t you?”

To which Kelly replied, “Are you kidding?  I’ve always dated younger men!”  What you don’t know is that I’ve also dated older men too, once in a while!  Kelly thought.

About Kelly’s massage therapist, Roberto, Doug said to Kelly, “Do you have any rules about not dating the professional people in your life, like your therapist, Roberto, for example?”

To which Kelly replied, “Yes, I do.  I don’t think it’s a good idea to date my therapist or my doctor or my dentist.”  But, if he’s real cute and he likes me, who knows what may happen?  I need to keep my options open. Kelly thought.

About Doug’s dental hygienist, Sabrina, Kelly said to Doug, “Do you have any rules about not dating the professional people in your life, like your hygienist, Sabrina, that you seem to think is so cute?”

To which Doug replied, “Sabrina and I are not interested in dating each other, now or ever!”  And, that’s because we broke up last year after I dated her for a year, and that’s her tough luck! Doug thought.

Kelly then said to Doug, “Doug, I just adore you because you are so honest and you tell me the truth about your life and the important people in it.” 

To which Doug replied, “Well, Kelly, a person has to have a set of principles to live by.  It helps you to have principles to guide you through your daily life.”

Kelly thought,  Doug really is the best guy I know. 

And, Doug thought,  Kelly really is the best girl I know, but it definitely wouldn’t help my cause for her to know every single thing about me, would it?”

A Murderer Among Us -- by Anne Shier

(from her first book "My Short Stories (Book One)", published in March 2011)

Once upon a time, I was a loving mother.  I had a handsome and smart 15 year old son named Tyler.  I was so proud of him – he had so much potential that he could have done anything he wanted to in life.  He was my baby – the centre of my universe - the love of my life:  until 3 men (2 adults and 1 teenager) decided to celebrate Caribana 6 years ago by beating my baby to a bloody pulp and then dumping his body into Lake Ontario.

The nightmares and flashbacks never cease for me.  These 3 men beat my son so severely that they almost beheaded him.  At least, that’s what the autopsy results showed.  And, what happened to the 3 perpetrators?  The 2 men who were adults plead guilty to first-degree murder charges and were sentenced to life behind bars.  The third one, who was just 17 days short of his 18^th birthday, was treated as a young offender, coming under the auspices of the Youth Criminal Justice Act (or, Young Offenders Act, if you like).  As of now, he is under “house arrest” at home with his father, but is still allowed to play sports and work outside of his home.

Even after participating in my son’s brutal murder, this young man is pretty much allowed to do anything he wants.  I wonder if he is celebrating Caribana this year?  I know that Tyler will never have that opportunity.  Instead, he “rests in peace” in Duffin Mills Cemetery in Pickering, all but forgotten by the rest of the world.  But, I won’t let the world forget about my baby any longer.  I want people to know how it feels for a mother to lose her child, especially in this horrific way.  I want them to know that, because our criminal justice system coddles young offenders, a murderer may soon be walking among us, free. 

In the name of “rehabilitation”, or whatever the authorities want to call it, this murderer will actually be allowed to attend university full-time this fall and study just like a regular student.  No one in his classes will know who he really is or what he has done.  He will not be required to explain his heinous actions to anyone. But, Tyler never got to complete high school and he will never be able to attend university.  Tyler will never again be out in the community like this young man, having fun and playing with his friends.  It’s far too late for him.

Not only am I determined to let people know about this murderer among us, I will continue to work endlessly to prevent his full release back into society.  He should be made to account to the authorities for his actions for the rest of his life.  In fact, I have promised myself, and Tyler, that I will attend each and every one of this man’s court hearings, informing the media about each one.  I will follow him till one of us is dead because I have to seek vindication for Tyler’s short life on this earth somehow.  If the youth justice system won’t do it, then I will do it and also get the media involved to help me spread the word.  And then, perhaps, when we do spread the word, he and other murderers who were convicted as youth offenders will be made accountable to society for what they have done.

There’s another compelling reason.  Doing this for Tyler’s sake may also help other mothers and fathers to be able to bear the constant pain and emptiness of the loss of their child.  I know that feeling because I bear that kind of pain every day.

Somehow, it shouldn’t matter how my child was lost, but the fact that Tyler was murdered so viciously makes it much more difficult to accept.  What if he had been killed in an accident or had been a victim of a terminal disease?  Would that have made it easier for me to bear his loss?  No, I don’t think so.  When a child dies through some “unpreventable” event, you really can’t blame anyone (other than Fate or God) for that.  After all, people die of various causes all the time.  Even murders happen on a regular basis.  I would just like to believe that there is such a thing as retribution and justice somewhere – that a murderer should not be allowed to walk among us, free.  We should not have to be the unsuspecting public who now has to accept this person at face value.  I’m sure that anyone of us would agree that we tend to trust people that we’ve just met, until they give us a reason not to any longer. 

I believe that my son’s 3 murderers should all be put into prison for the rest of their lives, with no parole.  To set this former teenager free now is like the criminal justice system saying to him, “There, there....we know that you’ve been a very bad boy, but we are prepared to let you out if you promise never to hurt anyone ever again.”  It’s such a ridiculous attitude, don’t you think?  This “young” offender (now an adult) who is now almost completely free must be having a good laugh.  He didn’t have to “pay” for his crime.  Only 4 and a half years were spent in youth detention (not in prison) and that could hardly be what I would call just and fair “payment”.  Unless the authorities (the courts) “wake up and smell the coffee”, this criminal will soon be free to murder some other unsuspecting young person who may make the terrible mistake of trusting him. 

No one’s ever forgotten the O.J. Simpson trial and how O.J. got acquitted for the first degree murder of his ex-wife and her lover.  He was set free by an overzealous criminal justice system that was anxious to convict him.  But, because of that blunder, he can never be tried again for his crime and will be free for life.  How would you, as a member of the general public, feel about having a murderer be set free, knowing that he is a murderer?  How would you like it if a young murderer that you knew should have gone to prison got off instead with youth detention for only 4 and a half years?  Tyler’s murderer could actually end up being your next door neighbour, or your grocer, or the janitor in your building.  The sad truth is that none of us will be safe as long as murderers are allowed to be free to walk among us.

Headed for Hell -- by Anne Shier

(from her first book "My Short Stories (Book One)", published in March 2011)

He came hammering on her door for the second time in a week, drunk out of his mind.  The loud hammering was giving her a huge migraine and she wouldn’t answer the door.  Instead, she called the police, in grave fear for her life.  When the police arrived, they could see clearly that her husband was drunk and they decided to take him to jail for the night so that he could cool down and get sober.  They also told her, in no uncertain terms, that she either had to have him charged with sexual assault or take out a restraining order against him.  She resolved to think seriously about it overnight, since the attitude of the police was such that they did not treat incidents of domestic violence lightly.  They as much implied that if she didn’t lay charges against him, she might find herself on her own when he came calling again.  And, he would come calling again, they said.  Their warning greatly alarmed her, as it was meant to.

It had all started when she had come into the bar to meet him on that fateful day.  She sat down first and ordered an ice tea before saying anything to him.  Then she said quietly to him, “I can’t stay long – I have things to do at home this weekend.”  In reality, she wasn’t certain what his reaction to her news would be and she wanted a way out, just in case he freaked out on her. 

When her drink finally arrived, she hesitatingly told him, “I just found  out that I’m pregnant – about 6 to 8 weeks along.”

He was aghast and responded in kind, “I can’t believe it! This is the news you had for me?!”  It was perfect!  This was how he was going to finally keep her at his side and it had all worked out perfectly, without any problems.  Now, she couldn’t leave him, not with a child on the way.  He reflected back on how they had met so long ago, and eventually gotten married.

Caroline and Mark had met in high school and had gone together from Grade 10 onward.  It seemed obvious that they would get married one day and have a family.  They seemed so well suited to each other, as, they were a very loving couple.  Mark would do anything for Caroline and she, in turn, loved Mark very much.

So, when graduation day arrived a few years later, they were both full of optimism for the future.  Caroline was planning to go to McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and Mark had decided to stay here in town and attend the University of Toronto.  Caroline wanted to be a teacher more than anything and Mark was aiming to be a civil engineer.  They were attractive, bright and full of promise.  Once they had both finished university, that’s when they would decide to make a full commitment to each other.

Caroline would commute to Toronto every other weekend to see Mark and, on alternate weekends, he would commute to Hamilton to see Caroline.  She didn’t mind commuting, as, it gave her time to reflect on her life and gave her a chance to miss Mark during the week between visits.  He, on the other hand, did not like commuting very much, as, he was already traveling a fair distance daily, just to go to school and then to his part-time job as a bartender.  He wanted her to move back to Toronto, but she really liked Hamilton.  She had no desire to attend U of T, like Mark.  McMaster was a very beautiful campus and it was a lot nicer living on campus there than it would have been living at home in Toronto when she didn’t really want to live with her family full-time.

Mark, for his part, was patient for a while, but because he wanted Caroline very much, he resolved over time to get her to change her mind.  The fact that she didn’t want to move back to Toronto just now to be with him disturbed him greatly.  He felt that if she really loved him as she had said she did, she should acquiesce to his request so that they could be happy together.  He felt that her goal as a teacher was less important than his own goal as an engineer.  After all, engineers make a whole lot more money than teachers ever would and he could make enough money for both of them to live on.  There were more teachers than engineers in the world anyway, so what chance did she realistically have of getting a decent job nearby?  Somehow, he couldn’t stand the idea of having her live away from him for very much longer.  He resolved to do something about the situation.

The next weekend that Caroline was in Toronto, Mark knew what he had to do.  He took her out to a very posh restaurant at the lakefront – the Harbour Castle Westin’s Lighthouse (revolving) restaurant.  This restaurant was very expensive, but Mark wanted to set the stage properly for what he was about to suggest to Caroline.  It was a lovely place to spend an evening for dinner, as, it sat on the edge of Lake Ontario and they could see for dozens of miles over the water, even as far as Niagara Falls on a clear night.  He was intent on creating a very romantic ambience for her.

Dinner started out perfectly with wine, bread and salad and progressed to exotic filet mignon and baked potato, followed finally by a luscious dessert.  When Mark felt the mood was right, he popped the question.  Not the question that you would have thought though.  He said to her, “Caroline, come back to Toronto and move in with me. I need to have you with me.”

But she was resistant.  She replied, “I want to get married first, Mark, and I’m willing to wait for the right time for that to happen.  Besides, school’s very important to me and I want to graduate, which will only happen in two more years.”  In their heated discussion, she put forth her argument that it would only be two more years of being apart and then they would both be finished school for good.  At that time, she would be more than willing to move in with him wherever they wanted to live.

Mark was starting to get desperate.  He needed to have Caroline by his side, where he could control her movements and keep her all to himself.  School, from his perspective, was becoming secondary to his need to have Caroline.  Of course, his own schooling was going to progress as originally planned.  He just did not want Caroline to continue her own schooling in Hamilton any longer.  According to his plan, she could take her schooling anywhere else, if at all.  She could even abandon the whole idea if she wanted.

After dinner, they retired for the night to a room that they had reserved in the hotel and spent the next few hours making passionate love there.  She was pretty tipsy with the wine she’d been drinking and he was also fairly intoxicated, but feeling frustrated at her refusal to cave in to his wishes.  But, he was determined to get what he wanted from her eventually – total capitulation.  When they left the hotel the next morning, Caroline headed for the bus depot.  She said she needed to study for an upcoming exam and he realized that there was nothing more that he could do right now.  So, he reluctantly watched her bus leave for Hamilton.  His plan to keep her at his side was not working out so well at the moment.

About two to three months later, they had been continually commuting back and forth to see each other, when Caroline called Mark up at home one night.  She said that she had something to tell him and he instantly dreaded what she might say to him.  He thought she must have met some other guy and was going to dump him for the other guy.  He didn’t have enough faith in himself anymore to feel that she still loved him and only him.  They made arrangements to meet at an anonymous bar in downtown Toronto.  Mark arrived early so that he could have a strong drink or two before he saw her and had to face the bad news.  That’s when she had dropped her bombshell – she was almost 2 months pregnant!  That’s when he expressed his ardent wish to have her stay with him.

The discussion did not stop there, however.  She was more determined than ever to finish school in Hamilton, and to do that, she had to have an abortion.  But, Mark wouldn’t hear of it.  He wanted them to get married right away.  He assured her that she could finish school after the baby was born, but he wanted her and the baby, both.  There was no way he was going to allow her to have an abortion, if he had any say in it.  Finally, she succumbed to his wishes and agreed to marry him, only on the condition that she was allowed to finish school somewhere after the pregnancy was over.  He, desperate to settle the matter once and for all, agreed.  Later, she would see things his way and change her mind, he thought.  Finally, he had her right where he wanted her.

They were married the following weekend in Niagara Falls, Ontario, by a Justice of the Peace and stayed at a lovely little motel overlooking the falls.  Their honeymoon was spent at the falls for the weekend and then they returned to Toronto to start their lives together.  Caroline had left her education studies in Hamilton temporarily, but resolved to return there as soon as she could.  She knew that Mark loved her enough not to stand in the way of her goal to become a teacher.  After all, it was a well known fact that every modern woman these days should work on her career and not depend on a man, even her loving husband, to support her through life.  Having a child was a significant factor in the equation, but it did not have to become a major impediment to her future progress.  Being pregnant, in her mind, was merely a temporary setback.  She would somehow cope with having a baby, in her own way.  She knew Mark would be as loving a husband and father as he could be.

Time passed and Mark graduated as an engineer.  Caroline had yet to graduate, however.  At home, things started happening little by little.  In fact, it was go gradual that Caroline hardly noticed the changes.  At first, Mark was very attentive and loving towards his new little family, but then she eventually noticed subtle changes in him.  He would go for a drink after work once a week or so with his co-workers – nothing to be concerned about.  Going out for a drink once in a while was certainly not a bad thing, she thought.  But then, he started staying out later and later.  One drink turned into two, three, four, and so on.  Still, she didn’t read anything into it. 

Until one day, Mark came home at midnight, woke Caroline out of a deep sleep, and demanded angrily, “Wake up and make me my dinner right now – I’m hungry!”  This time, he was out-and-out drunk and was definitely in the mood for some kind of argument with her.

She was still groggy from sleep as she asked him, “Don’t you think midnight is a little too late to be cooking food?” And, besides, she was too tired from looking after the baby all day by herself to be able to get up or do anything except sleep.

Mark became enraged at her seemingly uncaring attitude.  With a vicious yank, he pulled her lovely long hair and yelled at her to get up.  She screamed and he slapped her hard across the face.  Now, she was wide-awake and suddenly terrified of her husband.  She had never seen him like this before.  It was like a demon had possessed him.  He was not going to rest (or, God forbid, pass out) until she cooked him dinner.  So, she went into the kitchen and started looking through the cupboards for food.  She racked her brain trying to think of how she could stop him from beating her and demanding the impossible from her.

She cooked him his dinner in silence.  He ate it in silence and finally did pass out on the living room couch.  The next day, when he had sobered up somewhat, he realized, with horror, what he had done to her and tearfully begged her to forgive him.  Because he assured her that it was an isolated incident, which would not happen again (she felt sure about that!), she forgave him.  She was not sure what was behind the incident other than that he’d gotten drunk and she was too frightened to think about the alternative if she didn’t forgive him this time.

However, the next week, it happened again.  This time, he came home reeking of liquor and demanded that she give him sex.  She refused because it was obvious that he was not her loving husband who was asking, but some stranger who needed to abuse her for the sake of his pleasure.  He lost his temper and threw her onto the bed, tore off her clothes and proceeded to rape her viciously.  She screamed loudly and the baby woke up and also started crying loudly, in distress.  He then punched Caroline full in the face and gave her a black eye and a bloody nose.  She continued screaming while he raped her, getting more and more violent.  She was horrified at this monstrous demonstration of animalistic behaviour on the part of her husband, but she could not stop him.

The next day, when he woke up from his drunken stupor, he saw the serious damage he had caused her and again begged her for forgiveness.  But, this time, she was not about to forgive him.  She told him to move out and leave for good.   After a fervent discussion, he very reluctantly packed up his bags and left sullenly.  He yelled at her that this would not be the end of it.  She, for her part, was both relieved to see him go and yet frightened of him, for she knew he could come back.  She was too afraid to call the police and lay charges yet, but she was determined not to forgive him.  At the moment, she did not know what else to do except throw him out of the apartment.

Finally, after months of confrontations with Mark and attempted interventions by the police, she decided that the best course of action, besides having him charged, was to leave town, change her and the baby’s identities and disappear.  It was almost like being in a witness protection program of her own making, but she did not know what else she could do to protect herself and the baby from unwanted harassment and bodily harm.  Charging him was essential, as far as the police were concerned, but would that be enough to keep him away from her for good?  Yes, but only if he was tried and convicted and sent to prison for a good long time.  However, she did not think that would happen and even if it did, she thought that he might still find her anyway and perhaps kill her.  That possibility was too terrifying to ignore.

Caroline and Cathy (a.k.a. Jessica and Janet) had to move and are now living in a small city (name is withheld).  They had had to change their identities to avoid detection.  He would have been able to track them down without any problem, otherwise.  They had to keep to themselves as much as possible in this new place.  The police, of course, were aware of their past circumstances and had promised to protect them as much as possible.  Somehow, Caroline (now Jessica) had found the courage to testify against Mark, however, she was deathly afraid of him, especially after the trial was over.  As a result of his conviction, Mark was now serving three years in prison for spousal assault.  But, after his release, only then would she know when he would track them down and take his final deadly revenge out on her.