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, newest to oldest – PJH, Jan. 3, 2025
Persistent & predictable problem: High-risk sex offenders walk away from halfway houses, remove ankle monitors
Both child abductor Randall Hopley and Johnny Walkus have violated conditions of parole on previous occasions
Hate speech or ignorance? Human rights hearing into former school trustee's anti-2SLGBTQ+ publications wraps up
BC Teachers Federation seeking $750,000 if tribunal rules Barry Neufeld’s ongoing comments violated act
Schadenfreude or sympathy? A killer writes about injustice he faced after a vicious beating behind bars
Few tears will be shed when readers find out what got him to prison in the first place
What sayeth the man on the Clapham omnibus about ‘catch-and-release’ justice?
‘Reasonable’ people aren’t actually bothered by bail practices in most cases, but killers and gangsters spark ire
Neighbourhood rallies to save green space beloved by generations of kids on quiet suburban street
Petitions with more than 200 signatures aim to stop city's sale of property to build a house on lot used by children since 1991
Blaming a Canadian prime minister for global problems is like blaming a crappy umbrella for the rain
Woke is awake and ‘F*CK CARNEY’ virtue-signalling shows your neighbours that all you have to offer is hatred
A chilling sight: Red dress in the woods on Trans Mountain Pipeline route in the Eastern Fraser Valley
A reminder of Stó:lō history in the area while walking through woods looking for a salamander or an air along a controversial oil pipeline route
Careful what you wish for: Proportional representation is the opposite of a democratic panacea when it leads to fascism, just ask Israelis
It's intellectually honest to change opinions when new information comes along, and wow was I wrong about pro-rep
Revenge of the Zombie Populists: How a new breed of right-wingers has emerged from conservative mass suicide
'Conservatives are committing suicide by turning into radical revolutionary parties'
An hour in courtroom 204: Legal minutiae might not warrant headlines but are small pieces of important puzzles
Spend a little time in court and you see all kinds of things: Youth calls her lawyer a 'bitch'; homeless accused is MIA; judge loses patience with absent prosecutors
Pierre Poilievre may be Trumpesque but Canada-U.S. differences on display in how losers respond to election results
Where Trump, his followers in the U.S., and a few sore loser Conservatives here act like toddlers told it was bed time, Pierre concedes like a mature leader
Buy Now! Tried-and-tested program to transform your dull democracy into an astonishing autocracy!
In 5 easy steps our populist-based system will take you from speaking for the people to controlling them, it's just that easy!
Homicide at 'no fixed address': Sometimes it's only when a person dies that they are actually seen as a person
There are definitely people who know how Chantelle Ruhl died and it’s probably eating them up inside
How low is our ethical bar when millions mourn the death of the least worst Pope of all time?
As spiritual leader of an organization shielding pedophiles, Pope Francis was reprehensible, just not as bad as his predecessors
Canada Votes 2025: Conservative strategy to insult journalists, skip debates, avoid scrutiny might be backfiring
Supporters would vote for a blue donkey if the party entered one but this three-pronged anti-democratic approach is a bad way to lure new supporters
Oh Briane, Briane, wherefore art thou Briane? Remembering Conservative MP’s fiction about a single mother’s $50 trucker convoy donation
It shouldn’t be forgotten in an election that Mark Strahl insisted ‘Briane’ was real and her bank account frozen, despite overwhelming evidence and an RCMP statement it was ‘false’
Anonymous killing: How publication bans required by law hinder public knowledge of serious crimes
When a victim who can't be named is murdered by a family member, the homicide remains a public mystery
Pierre Poilievre is an angry hockey dad who wants to be the coach
A chronic complainer who has never done anything hardly makes for a national leader
Canada Votes 2025: Number-crunching ubernerds are usually right, and Conservative poll trutherism can't change reality
Statistical modelling shouldn't be ignored even though parties love 'em when they're positive, hate 'em when they're negative
Objects in the Mirror: The Peter Paul Podcast talks Trump & tariffs, PP & pitchforks
Tune in to hear from your two favourite reprobates, Peter Lang and yours truly, Paul Henderson, in latest episode produced by ChillTV
Former B.C. politician shows how Pierre Poilievre's Conservative agenda is the Canadian version of Trump-Musk-MAGA
Gordon Wilson's deft Facebook post is worth considering in an election where a man who wants to be Prime Minister parrots Trump administration officials word for word
Fact-checking a Barry Neufeld newsletter: There's not enough space or time or patience
With very little connection to reality, disgraced former school trustee has gone from being a bigoted curmudgeon to a narcissistic, self-described David versus Goliath
The Con is on: When an experienced, name-recognized conservative is not allowed to run as a Conservative
Politics in British Columbia is always weird but PP letting 'backroom party hacks in Ottawa' reject Mike de Jong as a candidate is weirder than ever
As Tesla is attacked by anti-fascists some wonder why Nazi-connected Porsche and Volkswagen get free passes
Elon Musk is a terrible person, no doubt, but Ferdinand Porsche was a Nazi war criminal who designed Panzer tanks, self-propelled guns, the Beetle and luxury cars that bear his name to this day
What the justice system calls an illegal drug trafficker others call an 'ethical substance-use navigator'
If the war on drugs is a bad idea, if people are dying in epic numbers of toxic
Peeking behind the curtain: Canada's open court principle requires transparency but roadblocks are common
Noble words from Supreme Court of Canada, the Charter, but front-line reality can be different as some participants in criminal justice strive for opacity
Pedophile sex offender charged with possession of child porn dead a month before trial
Is it wrong to celebrate the death of septuagenarian who was labelled a high-risk sex offender for assaulting a seven-year-old girl?
B.C.'s most well-known COVID quack paints picture of a heroic purveyor of truth in an 'anti-Christian nation'
Dr. Charles Hoffe speaks at White Rock church Sunday about Genesis, women's roles, truth, and he double downs on anti-vaxxer conspiracies
'Parental rights' is code for religious believers who choose superstition over science, misinformation over medicine
Amber Alert issued after father abducts son from government care, opposed to most medical treatments for religious reasons
Music teacher who pleaded guilty to two criminal harassment charges gives his side of the story outside the courthouse
Members of the media sometimes wait after court appearances to spring questions on offenders or lawyers, but this time the offender waited for me
We are thick-skinned but everyone is picking on us: Teacher Rob Bogunovic's testimony at BCTF v. Barry Neufeld human rights tribunal
High school teacher discusses pseudoscience he likes, how Neufeld is a David to my Goliath, and out of the blue shares that he's autistic, asexual and aromantic.
Talking to Americans: A brief radio interview paints a picture of a nation in a swirling drain of disinformation
Brief chat with shop owner in Washington turns from talk of decreased border traffic to ridiculous conclusions drawn by a confused American
Barry Neufeld asked about KKK flyer at human rights tribunal: Former trustee claims 2017 story was fake news
Flyers distributed three days after Neufeld's posted a Bible verse had the same verse, and Neufeld's strongest critic got one on his front lawn
Blaming the victim: What not to do at a sentencing hearing when a judge asks an offender if they want to speak
A wonderful scolding of a violent man by a provincial court judge, and an explainer on how not to put your foot in your mouth in a courtroom
That time when former school trustee Barry Neufeld called people the 'R' word
Considered an offensive ableist slur by almost everyone, former trustee was excoriated in the media for insulting three people including yours truly
Short attention span? Chillliwack school board candidates Q&A responses summarized to 12 words
Responses to CTA questionnaire from Laurie Throness, Katie Bartel summarized in a dozen words or less... (and their full answers, too)
Which 'god' was Premier David Eby asking to bless Canada and the U.S. in speech to international athletes?
BC Humanist Association says it's 'surprising' for a Premier of a party that has recognized government's secular nature to evoke a deity
Be careful who you SLAPP: Defamation lawsuits by public figures aren't just anti-democratic, they can be costly
An explainer on B.C.'s anti-SLAPP legislation and why those with hurt feelings should tread lightly trying to stifle free expression
Australian prayer cult killed a little girl by relying on magic instead of medicine
Using prayer before medical intervention should lead to child removal in Canada
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
Former Chilliwack school trustee’s failed lawsuit was the pot calling the kettle black
A man who has libelled dozens of people, including yours truly, filing a lawsuit for defamation was the height of hypocrisy. This op-ed from May 26, 2023 addressed the fact that the Supreme Court of Canada had to weigh in and end the matter concluding that calling Barry Neufeld bigoted, transphobic and hateful was fair comment. It was and is also true.
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.