Horoscopes should no longer be in the Star

After reading a Toronto Star article about how 96 per cent of all species became extinct at the end of the Permian Period, I happened upon a section with horoscope advice. So, a scientifically backed “Horrorscope” that is a serious warning about our current climate change crises is competing for space with advice that if you were born between Oct. 23 and Nov. 20 you should “Return important calls quickly before solidifying your plans.” Some people might argue this is harmless entertainment. Unfortunately, it is also perpetuating thinking for some people that this very newspaper exposed with a feature on fortune tellers. They have scammed thousands of dollars out of vulnerable individuals. So why legitimatize this unscientific reference point that primes the gullible to be prey to nefarious charlatans? We have learned from the #MeToo movement that ingrained attitudes have been a potent weapon allowing men in power positions to sexually harass women in the workplace with impunity. A lot of us are trying to sort out how to be fair to women and don’t say something is harmless because “boys will be boys” when a woman is sexually abused by an entitled man. Similarly, when so much unscientific thinking is driving our politics about our future, maybe a regular column forecasting events in our lives based on the position of the stars when we were born is not just innocent fun. That is especially true when there are voters who are serious about that information while disregarding science-based warnings.

I’m not sure if this is a big moneymaker for the newspaper, but its removal would be a noble New Year’s resolution. After all, it is fake news. Russell Pangborn, Keswick, Ont.