Have your say

Saddened by PC response

I have viewed, with interest, the recent coverage surrounding disgraced former Manitoba Progressive Conservative youth president Braydon Mazurkiewich over bigoted comments he posted on social media.

At first I was saddened that a young Manitoban, especially one involved with the party of Diefenbaker, who gave First Nations the right to vote, could have such misplaced views.

But, as this story has dragged on, I have been equally saddened by the response from the PC party on this issue. Surely the party of Diefenbaker would stand up to such racism. However, the official statement from party president Ryan Matthews states that Mazurkiewich's comments are "detrimental to our party," not to our society.

Where, we must ask, is a statement from Progressive Conservative Leader Brian Pallister? After nearly a week, it is time he addressed Manitobans and First Nations to let them know that Mazurkiewich's comments are not being tolerated just because they are detrimental to his party -- but simply because they are wrong.

TOM RUBY

Winnipeg

Bartley Kives' Dec. 16 column, First Nations, first rights, is an example of journalism at its best. His historical perspective provides a framework to rationalize the need for, and value of, establishing aboriginally owned economic development zones within our urban centres. Full speed ahead and damn the racist torpedoes.

RICK LAMBERT

Winnipeg

It's about animal cruelty

What kind of a noodle head is Bill Raap? Based on his Dec. 15 letter, he obviously has no concerns for any kind of animal welfare and he uses a terrible example of animal mistreatment as a chance to talk about abortion.

Boy, is he in the wrong gear. Raap should keep his nose out of women's business.

KIM GAINER

Winnipeg

Parsing charity

Congrats to Manitobans (Manitobans blessed with a giving spirit, Dec. 14)! We are charitable and, apparently, well-to-do.

If 26 per cent donated 0.92 per cent of their income in 2010 and that came to an average of $1,697, then those generous people had an income of $184,000. What happened to me?

RUDY FRIESEN

Winnipeg

Culturally disconnected

Re: English-only law to address non-existent problem (Dec. 15). Surely the "we" of "we are all immigrants" of Westminster, Md., aren't as culturally connected to the German language as their protest placard would have us believe.

There are two spelling errors in the German text of the sign Allen Abel reports seeing. The correct spelling is "Fröhliche Weihnachten" and not "Fröliche Weinachten."

CHRISTINA LìPEZ

Winnipeg

Embracing diversity

Re: A critical examination of human rights (Dec. 10). Dan Lett doesn't raise a "good" point in his Dec. 10 opinion piece on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, or even a "great" one. He raises the point.

As teachers, and as parents ourselves, we work, pray and dream of leaving our kids a world that's worthy of them. We work to create an understanding that what we owe them (both as parents and as teachers) is a social legacy where diversity is embraced and celebrated as a strength -- not just tolerated.

If the CMHR doesn't unleash outrage, frustration, nausea, disagreement, inspiration, admiration, love and hope, then it has failed utterly in its purpose. In my opinion, the purpose of the CMHR is to do what it is already doing: create a space for the most important conversations of our time.

PAUL OLSON

Manitoba Teachers' Society

Winnipeg

Extend city boundary

Re: Failure at CentrePort black eye (Dec. 14). There is one definite solution to this problem: Extend Winnipeg's boundaries to the Perimeter Highway so that all of CentrePort is actually part of the city.

Winnipeg has expanded before, and it could again. The city will provide essential services to the area anyway, and then it could collect revenues from the area as well. The water would then not be sold outside the city, so there will be no more grounds for objection to the development of CentrePort from the First Nations around Shoal Lake or from the International Joint Commission, especially since the city will still be using much less water than the 1914 agreement allows.

This way, the huge amount of money invested in CentrePort by the provincial and federal governments won't be for nothing and the development and jobs that CentrePort are supposed to provide can actually happen.

The RM of Rosser won't be happy about this, but for the good of CentrePort and Manitoba, some sort of compensation could reasonably be arranged. This could also work for the similar situation in the industrial area being developed north of Transcona.

There is no reason for Winnipeg to expand further beyond the Perimeter, but it seems sensible for areas that will be served by the city to officially be a part of it. Good for Winnipeg. Good for Manitoba. Problem solved.

CARL NEUMANN

Winnipeg

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 19, 2012 A10