opinion & analysis
These are new opinion pieces along with edited versions of op-eds I wrote over the years that I think are worth re-considering – PJH, Jan. 3, 2025
On ostrich genocide, genetic fallacies, media literacy
Odd case of rancher's fight against CFIA cull order of ostriches brought out lawyers, but also convoy fringe folks
A Fraser Valley pastor's epic fail using legal tricks to avoid accountability for violating COVID-19 restrictions
Since Rev. John Koopman was fined in 2020, his appeal was dismissed, Charter arguments rejected, claim of 'abuse of process' denied, and he's finally set to be sentenced next month
Dumb and Dumber: RFK Jr.'s confirmation hearing is a glimpse into what's wrong with America
Unapologetic medical conspiracy theorist's problem isn't that he drank the Kool-Aid, he's selling it
'K' files and the devil you know: The persistent pandemic of domestic violence
Many people fear stranger danger but incidents of intimate partner violence are way more common
Christian high-school student joins Chilliwack public school board byelection
That makes two out of three candidates with no connection to public education
Last chance if you want to join B.C.'s most histrionic-filled school board
Deadline Friday to join Chilliwack byelection, whether you want to perpetuate divisive drama or finally make school board boring again (i.e. do the job)
Trump's 'Christian Coronation' criticized by secular America
Human rights organizations alarmed by White Nationalist movement looking to turn U.S. into a theocracy
Man who murdered his mother decides he's a she, is granted day parole
Clayton Warkentin killed Lois Unger in her home in 2016, is now living as a woman, served her time in a female prison, and was granted day parole this week after 6.5 years behind bars
Prolific offenders: A perplexing commitment to a life of crime
An unenviable, ongoing engagement with the criminal justice system is all too common
Human Cheeto vows to unite America around theocracy, hypernationalism, interplanetary manifestdestiny
Is America in 2025 a caricature of itself? (Ahem, yes)
10 years after the Charlie Hebdo massacre, religious narcissism persists
History bleeds with examples of failed attacks by God-fearing fanatics but freedom of expression always wins
Honesty needs to be the word for 2025
In a world increasingly run by artificial intelligence and algorithms, with disinformation-fuelled populism on the rise, honesty has never been more important
'Brain rot': Oxford Dictionary's Word of the Year for 2024
Between Trump in the U.S., Poilievre in Canada, Rustad in B.C., Maahs in Chilliwack, there was more than enough stagnant, mould-ridden thinking last year
Church pastor convicted of possession of ‘depraved’ child porn loses appeal
Former Main Street Church executive pastor Johannes "John" Vermeer is a fan of the "most offensive, harmful and depraved forms of abuse on children," as Judge Andrea Ormiston put it in sentencing the pedophile. Updated in 2025 with a juicy anecdote about "God" and me, this op-ed appeared online on April 3, 2023. Unapologetic to the end, the pedophile appealed and it was unanimously dismissed.
A murder that will never see justice
This appeared in the March 30, 2023 edition of The Progress about unsolved murders. In a small newsroom, we can't keep track of everything and sometimes a question or a tip from the public spurs a story. This is one of those that I decided warranted an analysis in column form instead of a news story.
Keyboard warriors should be learning the limits of free speech online
This appeared in The Progress on Nov. 25, 2022 and is based on the case of Chilliwack's Seth Tait was convicted of threatening Muslims on his YouTube channel, in and among spreading various right-wing Christian-based conspiracy theories. But this is also about the broader topic where people cross the line from freedom of expression to hate speech or criminal threats.
Dear newly elected Chilliwack trustees please make school board boring again
I this wrote for the Oct. 21, 2022 edition of The Chilliwack Progress with a tongue-in-cheek admonition to the new school board. We spilled hundreds of inches of ink on stories about religious right wing school trustees clashing with staff and those on the left over subjects that should not be the purview of elected school officials.
Why censoring misinformation is a bad idea
This I wrote for the Jan. 8, 2021 edition of The Chillliwack Progress after myself and many other residents received a copy of the far-right, conspiracy-laden, anti-China paper The Epoch Times were delivered by Canada Post.
On schadenfreude and finding justice
This appeared in the Jan. 21, 2021 edition of The Chilliwack Progress based on a letter I received from a murderer behind bars.
On the death of expertise and the decline of knowledge
This appeared in the Sept. 10, 2021 edition of The Progress addressing a serious problem that emerged at the forefront of public discourse during the pandemic, but one that has existed for decades and persists today.
Stuck in between kill ‘em all and save ‘em all
This appeared in the April 27, 2020 edition of The Progress and for which I won a Ma Murray award. The Ma Murrays are the community newspaper industry awards put on by the B.C. and Yukon Community News Media Association. The award for best columnist requires submitting three columns from subsequent weeks, which I did, but this was to my mind the best of them so is likely the reason the judges selected my entries.
While we try to move forward on Indigenous matters, some people are ignorant of history
This op-ed appeared in the Feb. 21, 2020 edition of The Progress and an edited version of a column that ran in the June 4, 2015 Chilliwack Times. A reader suggested I re-run this after reaction to protests in support of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary chiefs in February 2020.
When observation affects what is observed
I wrote this for the April 18, 2019 Chilliwack Progress about the sexual abuse trial of David Kuntz-Angel, known for pretending to be David Lee Roth in the past. I wrote this after I became part of the proceedings when Kuntz-Angel apologized for his slurred speech due to having his teeth knocked out in pre-trial custody because of "things Mr. Henderson printed in the newspaper." Schadenfraude anyone?
Political theatre under the guise of transparency mars city council
This appeared in the Sept. 11, 2018 edition of The Progress, a month before the municipal election in which three people running for mayor are pictured: incumbent Sharon Gaetz in the middle; then-councillor Sam Waddington on the right leaning over; and eventual winner then-councillor Ken Popove, third from left. Incidentally, I have an inkling the next mayor of Chilliwack after the 2026 election is also in this photograph. Check back in October 2026 to see if I was right.
On playing with vigilante fire
I wrote this for the July 14, 2018 edition of The Progress after I somewhat obsessively tried to track down a stolen bike from a Facebook post. It was a unique looking bike, and I indeed found a guy riding it and filmed him asking him to return it. And he did.
'Give-em-all-fentanyl' mentality is insensitive and makes no sense
This I wrote for the March 8, 2017 Chilliwack Times calling out a moronic tow-truck driver who tried to become mayor and who represented a hatred of the addicted and the poor, a hatred that lingers in conservative circles today.