Raise the Hammer
(Return to Authors)
Michelle Martin lives in Hamilton. The opinions she expresses in Raise the Hammer are her own.
Seeing Hamilton Through Fresh Eyes - A newcomer to Hamilton makes an important observation about people with disabilities. Published August 04, 2017 in Belonging
Noblesse Oblige and Checking One's Driving Privilege - Can the very act of driving, of experiencing that superiority of position in relation to our surroundings and to other people, lead us to be less empathetic, less careful in the moment? Published February 13, 2017 in Belonging
Cognitive Psychology and Vehicle Speed - A seemingly small difference in vehicle speed can mean life or death for a pedestrian or cyclist, and not just because it heightens the force of impact in a collision. It's not just because physics. It's also because psychology. Published August 04, 2016 in Special Report: Walkable Streets
The Technology of Human Kindness - Technology is a wonderful thing, but it cannot make up for a lack of understanding, or a refusal to include others who are different. Published March 13, 2016 in Belonging
Living Through Loss - We all have people in our lives that we do not want to ever, ever lose. Published January 11, 2016 in Belonging
Because Christmas - we are all just one catastrophic event, one diagnosis or one accident, one flood, or one fire away from being a person who relies on state support. We are only one war away from no longer being a citizen. Published December 21, 2015 in Belonging
A Moment of Grace on the Cannon Bus - About a year ago, I witnessed a beautiful piece of street choreography: spontaneous, unrehearsed and unselfconscious. Published August 12, 2015 in Belonging
Plain Language is More Inclusive - If knowledge is indeed power, we have a responsibility to provide as much of it as possible to others by communicating it plainly. Published March 06, 2015 in Belonging
Road Rage and Inclusive Streets - As a driver I would find traffic calming measures inconvenient. As a parent I say bring on the speed bumps, the bump-outs, the pedestrian-activated signals. Published January 26, 2015 in Belonging
Our Responsibilities to Young People - Is it young people who have changed over time, or is it the rest of us? Maybe the under-performance we think we see in this up-and-coming cohort is due to Boomer entitlement, not Millennial laziness. Published November 18, 2014 in Belonging
Fundraiser for Documentary About Kenilworth - Alex Djordjevic has launched a Kickstarter campaign to support a documentary that explores the history and potential of Kenilworth Avenue. Published September 23, 2014 in Events
Living the Lives We're Given - It is no coincidence that the Christmas classics we revisit every year feature protagonists who are facing the very real possibility of their own deaths. Published January 22, 2014 in Belonging
Socks - Apparently, making sure that each sock in a pair goes into the wash at the same time is rocket science. Published May 16, 2012 in Belonging
Intelligence Insults Part 3 - In which we take a literary turn. Published April 23, 2012 in Belonging
Walk in Someone Else's Shoes - The casual use of insults about intelligence can impede people with real intellectual disabilities, not only by contributing to stereotypes but also by deterring them from asking for help when they need it. Published April 19, 2012 in Belonging
Intelligence Insults Should Insult Our Intelligence - Pejorative terms based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or appearance are not allowed in polite company. Words that insult one's intelligence ought to be treated with the same shock and disdain. Published April 17, 2012 in Belonging
Independence and Accomplishment Through Mobility - Most of us don’t stop to consider the many small decisions that go into even a short bus trip. Published February 10, 2012 in Belonging
Personal Grooming and a Living Wage - Grooming and personal appearance can be expensive to look after, and a parent earning minimum wage who wants to send a child out into the world looking and feeling his or her best may find that it isn't affordable. Published January 03, 2012 in Belonging
Locked in the Tower of a Gloomy Mansion - We still speak about people with mental illness as if all they need to do to get better is try harder, using ourselves as a reference point and forgetting all the material and personal advantages we may have. Published August 08, 2011 in Belonging
Sister Mary Patrick and Prose for Publication - Strong feeling isn't enough to communicate effectively on a topic about which one feels passionately. Published February 17, 2011 in Belonging
Resilience and Stoicism Belong Together - If the learning of new skills is pursued seriously, then lessons in patience and self-mastery will go hand in hand. Published December 06, 2010 in Belonging
A Real Social Network - Do our social networks have room for the woman on the bus whose clothes don't quite match and whose rough attempts at conversation may interfere with us checking our iPhones? Published October 05, 2010 in Belonging
Warning: Possibly Occupied Residence - Drivers need to behave at all times as if they fully understand the difference between themselves and pedestrians, and that someone on foot is at a distinct disadvantage in any encounter with a car. Published May 23, 2010 in Belonging
Hamilton: A Love-Hate Story - No place can meet every need all the time. Better to embrace the adventure of the inconvenient and learn to love our less-than-perfect neighbourhoods than to fly in search of the elusive perfect place. Published March 10, 2010 in Belonging
Walkability? We Can't Manage Driveability - Making changes to improve walkability and liveability would go a long way to ward improving driveability, too. Published February 20, 2010 in Belonging
On Writing for Online Publications - Newspapers whose online versions are not much better than electronic versions of what was delivered to houses won't be able to attract letter and commentary writers, and readers of same, who are interested in discourse. Published February 06, 2010 in Belonging
Mark Zuckerberg's Visiting Card - Since no one pays a monthly fee to use Facebook, it must be recognized that Facebook users are paying some other way. Published December 28, 2009 in Belonging
When Sharing Goes Bad: Student Cooperation in the Age of DRM - Can you claim that you did your homework if you got help with it? If you help someone else with theirs, is that cheating? Published September 16, 2009 in Belonging
The New Purveyors of Received Wisdom - Common sense has its place, and indeed a valuable role to play, in our day-to-day existence. Published August 25, 2009 in Belonging
Jane Austin and Jar-Jar Binks? - All is not lost, you teachers and parents of teenage boys. Simply look up the actors and actresses who play in popular sci-fi movies and stories and find out their more, well, highbrow roles. Published August 08, 2009 in Belonging
A Lesson From Laundry - Our very competence as parents, as employees and as citizens is judged in large part on our appearance - but at what cost? Published July 06, 2009 in Belonging
Bicycle Routes Support Healthy Child Development - Council would do well to remember that a healthy city makes it possible for growing children and teens to do interesting and productive things as independently as possible. Published June 18, 2009 in Belonging
Technology and Trust: How Families Can Balance Supervision and Personal Responsibility - As heart-rendingly difficult as it can be to respect your child's legitimate and age-appropriate personal freedom, the concept behind it isn't rocket science. Published June 16, 2009 in Belonging
On Belonging - We go places, we see things, we do stuff – and sometimes we complain about what we did or saw. But are we really engaged? Published May 29, 2009 in Belonging
Clogged Drains and Emo Swoops: A Family Tracklist - I thought David Bowie was cool always and everywhere, but apparently opinions are divided. Published May 25, 2009 in Belonging
On Being at the Mercy of Your Online Profile - The internet has many wonderful aspects and uses, but the inclusion of a little more wisdom, and respect for human dignity is surely a good and necessary thing. Published May 07, 2009 in Belonging
Natural Justice and School Safety - Bullying needs to be dealt with immediately, forcefully, with the full weight of school board policy and law - even in its earliest stages, even if it hasn't yet become physical. Published May 04, 2009 in Belonging
Let Yourself Be Moved - In this economic climate we may not be able to afford major concert tickets, but we can sure get out in the community and listen to our talented neighbours. Published April 21, 2009 in Belonging
Stay On Top of Your Online Profile - Managing your online profile involves more than a simple matter of watching what you say and do, which in simpler times was good enough. Published April 09, 2009 in Belonging
Shelter-Mag Porn and Hieronymous Bosch - The advent of the credit crisis and the evidence of what rampant consumerism has done to the environment have given us wordly reasons not to fall into the trap that religion has always warned against. Published March 27, 2009 in Belonging
Snark, Impatience, and Urban Living - A generous give-and-take among citizens, a willingness for us to make excuses for each other is even more important that an aesthetically pleasing cityscape. Published March 11, 2009 in Belonging
Quebec's Lessons for Hamilton - There is no reason why our fair city cannot be almost as much of a tourist magnet as the oldest city in Canada. Published September 11, 2008 in Belonging
The Air Conditioning Trap - We really tried to tough it out and do all we could afford to do to avoid the air conditioning trap, but smog and asthma made it impossible. Published July 07, 2008 in Belonging
Fear of Disability Can Lead Us to Avoid and Exclude People, Published August 05, 2013 in Health
Hamilton's Growing Reputation for Great Dining, Published February 18, 2013 in Culture
Hallowe'en and Community Spirit, Published November 12, 2012 in Neighbourhoods
It is Margaret You Mourn For, Published August 10, 2012 in People
Recycle the Recycling, Published March 14, 2012 in Activism
DARTS Extended to Cognitively Disabled Hamiltonians, Published March 07, 2012 in Transportation
The Prime of Mr Jacques Tremblay, Published October 11, 2011 in Culture
Culs-de-sac a Dead End in Neighbourhood Design, Published September 25, 2011 in Neighbourhoods
Those Are Inappropriate, Published April 22, 2011 in Culture
Finding Romance, Published February 13, 2011 in Neighbourhoods
Comments, Cool Certainty and Candlelight, Published January 31, 2011 in Philosophy
New Year's Family Newsletter, Published December 28, 2010 in Humour
Trolling Through the Ages, Published November 22, 2010 in Humour
The Magical 21-35 Demographic, Published November 04, 2010 in Humour
Remembering Alex Keating, Published September 07, 2010 in People
Shaw and Chesterson and Respectful Disagreement, Published July 05, 2010 in Philosophy
Hamilton Municipal Election Website Not Accessible, Published June 21, 2010 in Municipal Election 2010
What Makes a Neighbourhood?, Published May 29, 2010 in Neighbourhoods
Balancing Books, Published May 13, 2010 in Media
The Truth Hurts Like the Dickens, Published April 27, 2010 in Media
Lawrence Road Fail, Published April 05, 2010 in Walkability Fail
RTH Online Poetry Crawl, Published March 14, 2010 in Arts
The Big Brother Customer Loyalty Card, Published January 24, 2010 in Philosophy
Can We Critique Abuses of Privacy Without Compounding Them?, Published January 18, 2010 in Media
The Disconnect of Internet Communication, Published January 12, 2010 in Philosophy
Be My Brother, Published September 29, 2009 in Arts
There are no upcoming events right now.
Why not post one?