The Sunday Edition — April 15, 2018

On this week's program:

Michael's essay: In praise of librarians 
"Librarians are the trail guides who move youngsters through the thickets and forests of books in the uncharted world of the imagination."

The huge dangers of military escalation in Syria
After seven years, more than 400,000 missing or killed, and 10 million displaced people, President Bashar Al-Assad is suspected of having once again crossed "a red line," using chemical weapons against civilians. With Russia, France, England, the United States, Turkey, Iran and Israel all involved, the stakes for Syria — and for the world — could scarcely be higher. Michael talks to Paul Rogers, professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University in the UK.

The law court that helps addicts get clean 
Brampton's Drug Treatment Court offers drug addicts at high risk to re-offend a choice — go to rehab, or go to jail. It's an alternative, non-adversarial criminal court; one of 22 in the country. Alisa Siegel's documentary is called We're Not Arresting Ourselves Out of the Problem, Are We?

The uncertain future of liberal democracy
Michael talks to Harvard University's Yascha Mounk, whose research shows that growing numbers of people in democratic countries — especially younger people — don't consider it all that important whether they live in a democracy or not. 

A memorial, a wake and a toast to a Canadian hero — 150 years after he was assassinated
Thomas D'Arcy McGee transformed from a revolutionary Irish Catholic agitator to a Father of Confederation. He was born and raised in Ireland, fought for Irish independence and moved to the United States. But ultimately, Thomas D'Arcy McGee called Canada home. David Gutnick attended a tribute to McGee in Montreal last weekend.