Originally Posted by Abhimint

I somehow agree with britb..I mean it sounds a bit rude, but if free tution was the way to go then university education would not have that much of a standing as any tom, dick or harry would enroll and get a degree..
Maybe in the future when humans colonize different planets might the idea of "education for free" really work..

Im sorry... is this supposed to be a serious comment? It seems like you were not being sarcastic in which case I must say, what drugs have you been getting from any tom, dick or harry?

Originally Posted by ooburii

Yes, because Ontario students who pay 3x your tuition are going to sympathize with your street riots when you pay the lowest tuition in Canada.

Isn't that funny how Ontario students pay the highest in tuition and remain complacent, while Quebec students pay the lowest and are willing to fight tooth and nail to protect their low costs? Perhaps instead of attempting to proceed through the 'proper' channels (which has clearly worked so far), Ontario students should stand up and speak out against these egregious fees.

Originally Posted by ooburii

I really can't sympathize with their cause. Their protests have led to destruction in montreal, inconveniences for the general public who have nothing to do with the government and students being unable to attend class and thus possibly having to graduate later. The heads of the movement aren't doing anything to control their rowdy protesters, either. I don't want any of that in Ontario, thank you very much. Advances at the bargaining table are made through talk, not mass destruction of public and private property.

Maybe the people performing the destructive acts aren't even affiliated with the CLASSE movement at all. You make the assumption that these students are working in one unified bloc, but that is rarely the case in any protest.

Furthermore, the drive to non-violent protest is only being aggravated by knee-jerk measures like Bill 78, which places restrictions on the gathering of non-violent protests. Forcing students to go through layers of bureaucracy in order to speak their collective voices only serves to frustrate those who already feel disenfranchised, thus prompting more reactionary measures.

As for general inconvenience, well, I'm sure it was an inconvenience for those who lived around the factories and shops where unions protested for the 40 hour work week and other acts that enrich our lives today.

Originally Posted by DukeThomson

Isn't that funny how Ontario students pay the highest in tuition and remain complacent, while Quebec students pay the lowest and are willing to fight tooth and nail to protect their low costs? Perhaps instead of attempting to proceed through the 'proper' channels (which has clearly worked so far), Ontario students should stand up and speak out against these egregious fees.

Alright, you can't just blame everyone else for being complacent. Have you made any initiatives towards this noble cause of making everyone pay even more for your education? Have you tried to start any protests? Have you sent a letter to anyone? Try to get this started just to see how many people follow you.

People have to consider the pros and the cons (and there is a lot of drawbacks), and if people don't protest then they simply don't think it's worth it. That's why it's not happening here.

Besides, you have to understand that whatever the difference in tuition might be, it is covered with people's taxes. This would mean cutting funding for other services, or raising taxes.

If you want to advocate for higher taxes in Ontario, then good luck with that!

You're right, I can't just blame everyone else for being complacent. I will admi
t that I am not doing as much as humanly possible to crusade for this cause, but just because I am not leading a movement doesn't mean I can not discuss it in a public forum.

That being said, I am doing my best to learn and become more aware of the issues. I have participated in the anti tuition hike rally that was hosted on campus a few months ago, and the mere fact that a protest even occurred means that I don't be to start a movement, seeing as how it has already begun.

I am also aware that appealing to the voters of Ontario would be an uphill battle especially considering how the plurality of voters are seemingly in favour of austerity measures, but there are benefits if you look past the simple talking point that more taxes always = bad.