Open Sources Guelph - July 4, 2019

This week on Open Sources Guelph, everyone loves a parade. This could be a reference to the Fourth of July sideshow that Trump is putting on today, but it could just as easily be a reference to his parade of embarrassments and scandals in the last week alone. Along with that, we'll talk about the protests in Hong Kong, the politics of cartooning, and a Supreme Court case that should have a positive effect on victims of rape seeking justice in Canada.

This Thursday, July 4, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:

Ivanka Was Here. It was another successful trip abroad for U.S. President Donald Trump, and by "successful" we mean utter and complete embarrassment. While Trump palled around with three of the world's most despicable dictators, his daughter Ivanka pretended that she was her own world leader much to the confusion of actual world leaders. Meanwhile, Trump will finally get the military parade he's always wanted, as he looks to be turning a national celebration of American Independence into your average Trump rally. So how do we like winning now?

Street Fight. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, people are in the streets for the worst civil disobedience seen in China since the pro-democracy protests  in 1989. The problem is a controversial new bill that would give China the ability to send accused criminals in Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland for trial. The government sees this as a way to ensure that Hong Kong doesn't become a safe haven for criminals, while the people of Hong Kong see this as an erosion of their rights. Is there a path to resolution, and what does this say about the place Hong Kong holds in China?

Backhand Drawn. You've probably never heard of political cartoonist Michael de Adder, but you've probably seen his work, including his latest cartoon which features Donald Trump callously playing golf next to the bodies of a father and daughter who perished while trying to flee to the United States. After the cartoon went viral, the New Brunswick paper de Adder drew for told him his services were no longer required, de Adder says it's because of the conservative leanings of the paper's owner, the famous Irving family. So what does this say about our press freedoms?

History Test. The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that in the case of an Edmonton rape trial, the complainant's past sexual history cannot be used as evidence. Rape shield laws are supposed to prevent that from happening, but the Supreme Court sent the case back for a new trial because the victim's previous "friends with benefits" relationship with her accused rapist was brought up by the defence. How will this ruling change the way rape cases are tried, and is it the victory for victims that it seems to be?

Open Sources is live on CFRU 93.3 fm and cfru.ca at 5 pm on Thursday.