Category Archives: Policy Watch

Black Politics, Politics, Policy Watch

Work aka Commute aka wages

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What do you complain about the most?

I will start this post with the full acknowledgement that I should be and am grateful for all the blessings I have, but seeing is the post is not an ode to my lack of gratitude I will say the thing I complain most about is work. I am an advocate of the labor movement and am of the belief that “the labor movement is in shambles” so I find myself often complaining about different elements of work.

My favorite and timely complaint is the mandatory return to office. Wait hear me out. I know this is somewhat of a first world and white collar worker problem to have but still its emblematic of a larger problem between workers and employees. The issue is never if the work is done because when work is isn’t done there are many different metrics that employers have figured out to calculate efficiency. In fact if you fall below an adequate level of efficiency I believe they do something they call “firing you”. No the problem is not that work will not be done. The problem is trying to control employees time so if they are able to complete the required tasks in an adequate manner you figure out a way to pile more tasks on without paying them anymore. God forbid they use the extra time to spend with their family, friends or figuring out how to make additional income.

That brings us to the second thing I like to complain about. Much like what we keep hearing about inflation “it’s going down”, “we have brought it to an adequate level”, we should be really happy we are paying $20 for cooking oil our wages may be “up” but it seems like we still can’t afford rent, houses or the $20 cooking oil yet at every turn we are told wages are higher than ever and we should be happy and grateful. So we may not be the greatest mathematician but we can do the maths and see that the amount that we are getting paid and the profits we are helping make don’t add up.

To conclude, I like to complain about the state of employee rights in this current economic climate

Black Politics, Life, Policy Watch

The Social Construct of Race

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If you could un-invent something, what would it be?

If I could un-invent something it would be the false social construct of race. A couple of years ago I was attending a seminar organized by Patricia O’Campo I was surprised to learn that

“Race correction” has no scientific basis because “race” is not biological. It is a social construct that is applied differently in different times and in different places. In fact, scientists have shown us that people have more in common genetically across “racial” groups than within them”.

For some context the seminars were organized to educate clinicians and other interested parties about ending something called “race correction” in clinical care. The definition given of race correction is

“when health care providers use a patient’s ‘race’ to calculate laboratory results or use ‘race-based’ diagnostic charts, calculators or cut-off range to decide whether or not a Black person should receive care or decide whether or not the symptoms a Black person is reporting require treatment.”

We can discuss the inadequate care black people often recieve in the healthcare system at a different time but the adjustments made in treatments have no scientific basis. I don’t consider my self ignorant and I’ve always know that everyone is equal but even I was surprised to learn that there is no significant biological difference between people that would require medical adjustments because of race.

I’m still batting with this idea because even knowing that there is no truth to the lie of race it is hard to think we are all the same. If I as a black person can have some reservations about our sameness imagine how easy it is for a racist mind to convince themselves of the inferiority of others. We may wonder why does this really matter but

“For example, health care providers calculate kidney function tests differently for Black patients than they do for everyone else. This “race correction” makes Black patients seem healthier than they are. That means that a Black patient can have serious kidney problems, but, after the race correction is applied, their test will come back as “normal.” Overall, race correction means that Black people are diagnosed late, or never diagnosed at all, for serious conditions such as heart, kidney or lung diseases. It also means that Black people can be excluded from timely access to life-saving treatments like organ transplants and other surgeries.”

I also started wondering about conditions that primarily affect black people such as sickle cell anemia but that could be attributed to environmental conditions and not race. Then I thought about the advice I got to start taking more vitamin D and wondered is that also race correcting? I’m not sure but what I do know is biologically we are all the same and if I could un-invent something it would be race and when that was gone I would swiftly move to class but that’s for a different post.

Black Politics, Life, Politics, Policy Watch, Finances
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What positive events have taken place in your life over the past year?

I finally finished paying off my OSAP loan!!!

For those outside of Ontario they are student loans and the relief I have been feeling is just amazing.

When people talk about cancelling student debts it’s easy to feel like but I paid mine why should other people get theirs paid but honestly if we can find money to fund all these wars and trips to space I think we can find money to let people get educated for free.

Education is a good in itself. ✌🏾

https://anchor.fm/tthoughts/episodes/Fall-Finances—Is-University-worth-it–6-years-on-assessment-e1pc41m

Black Politics, Life, Policy Watch

WORLD AIDS DAY

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Just a few things to consider from WHO:

Current landscape

“HIV remains a major global public health issue, having claimed 40.4 million [32.9–51.3 million] lives so far with ongoing transmission in all countries globally; with some countries reporting increasing trends in new infections when previously on the decline.”

“In 2022, 630 000 [480 000–880 000] people died from HIV-related causes and 1.3 million [1.0–1.7 million] people acquired HIV.”

Prevention

Reduce the risk of HIV infection by:

  • using a male or female condom during sex
  • being tested for HIV and sexually transmitted infections
  • having a voluntary medical male circumcision
  • using harm reduction services for people who inject and use drugs

Treatment

There is no cure for HIV infection. It is treated with antiretroviral drugs, which stop the virus from replicating in the body.

Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) does not cure HIV infection but allows a person’s immune system to get stronger. This helps them to fight other infections.

Currently, ART must be taken every day for the rest of a person’s life.

ART lowers the amount of the virus in a person’s body. This stops symptoms and allows people to live a full and healthy life. People living with HIV who are taking ART and who have no evidence of virus in the blood will not spread the virus to their sexual partners.

Pregnant women with HIV should have access to and take ART as soon as possible. This protects the health of the mother and will help prevent HIV from passing to the fetus before birth, or to the baby through breast milk.

Antiretroviral drugs given to people without HIV can prevent the disease.

When given before possible exposures to HIV it is called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and when given after an exposure it is called post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). People can use PrEP or PEP when the risk of contracting HIV is high; people should seek advice from a clinician when thinking about using PrEP or PEP.

Last Thoughts

“It is the big disease with the little name, the sickness that no one dies of, the disease whose real name is unspoken, the sickness that speaks its presence through the pink redness of lips, the slipperiness of hair, through the whites of the eyes whiter than nature intended.” Petina Gappah

End Stigma.