Letters, June 24

Opinion

Tampering by tech

I read the June 21 Free Press editorial Pulling the levers on artificial intelligence with some interest, based upon a recent experience.

We have been in France for almost three weeks now, and I’ve found that when folks identify that we are from Canada they feel a need to express their displeasure about the Orange Scourge.

Which lead me to google the meaning of “Trump est un sac de merde”. AI responded that there was no translation available, and pointed me to a link titled “Why Trump haters are so pathetic”. When I simply googled “sac de merde,” AI provided a literal translation.

Hmm… I guess that there may be a few “sacs de merde” directing AI programming.

By the way, this is no laughing matter. This is a few oligarchs who are Trump sycophants skewing public opinion to their advantage and our disadvantage.

Tom Pearson

Winnipeg

Real reconciliation

Re: Premier offers apology to sword attack survivor (June 20)

When we think of bravery, we think of a person risking their life to save others, but there is another kind of bravery and that has been displayed by Premier Wab Kinew.

As described in this article Premier Wab Kinew travelled out to Brandon to apologize to the victim “on behalf of the Indigenous people” after one youth was charged following a sword attack on a Black youth.

The bravery shown by the premier was his offering his apology, the first time that I have seen anyone from this nation acknowledging that it has a problem and taking responsibility for it.

That doesn’t mean taking responsibility for causing the problem but rather taking responsibility for solving it. I believe that the premier’s actions will be seen as one of the first and one of the greatest contributions to reconciliation since the late Murray Sinclair introduced the concept. Remember, reconciliation means two groups meeting in the middle. While acknowledgment of past misdeeds by either side contributes to the process, it is more about moving forward than looking back.

Stan Tataryn

Winnipeg

Pay or don’t ride

Truth and accountability are defined so well by Janine LeGal (Winnipeg, not the city it was, Think Tank, June 19).

Winnipeg’s mayor and councillors are so lacking in these qualities.

The super-improved transit system they are promoting so passionately, completely turns a blind eye as to why so many people have turned their backs on transit. No person should be allowed on the bus without paying — that only promotes trouble. Also the excuse that “that is happening everywhere” is not true!

Having used transit in Toronto many times, I can confirm that everyone pays and everyone feels safe. A visiting friend from Montreal has also inquired “why do some people get on the bus in Winnipeg and not pay?”

As long as there is no action taken on this elephant in the room, why use a system that is dangerous?

Patricia Gagnon

Winnipeg

Stones and glass houses

Coun. Janice Lukes, chair of the Public Works committee is getting tough on home owners about keeping their lawns cut short.

“Sometimes they’re up to their waist, that is not acceptable in an urban area,” says Ms. Lukes.

Well, Ms. Lukes, I remember last summer the boulevards along Peguis and Reenders (in the Costco area) the grass and weeds were up to people’s waists. Eventually around the middle of August or later, the boulevards were cut.

The boulevard at the intersection of Peguis and Regent (by the circular flower pots) was also ignored.

Coun. Lukes states that it’s an education campaign to teach the residents on lawn management.

Perhaps public works and Coun. Lukes should be educated as well.

Bob Osiowy

Winnipeg

Due process followed

Sean Giesbrecht (Teachers and transparency, Think Tank, June 17) posits that actions taken at the recent Manitoba Teachers’ Society Annual Provincial Council were not accountable or transparent.

I wish to take the opposite view.

As a past president of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, and a past chair of the Provincial Council, I can attest that due processes are followed, and at any time the chair feels the council is wrong, they can declare a motion or individual out of order. From what I read, this did not happen, therefore, the actions were in order and legitimate.

The MTS constitution states that the Provincial Council (whose delegates have been duly elected by the membership) is “The highest authority for conducting the affairs of the Society …”. This means that once per year, when brought together, the Council holds the power. The Provincial Council is in charge of the agenda and not the Provincial Executive.

Mr. Giesbrecht’s op-ed has been praised on-line by individuals who called for the outing of Society staff “Whistle-Blowers”. Hearing often, in the last year, of the “toxic work place”, problems within the MTS, and the long absence of a permanent executive director, the Council was correct in questioning the Executive. The Provincial Council elected fresh faces to the Provincial Executive and forced the vote to hire the executive director, who was endorsed by the committee appointed by the Provincial Executive with finding the most qualified candidate.

That is democracy and the power of the Council.

The MTS is not a top-down organization and rather than discouraging members from being active, the 2025 Provincial Council proves that the individual union member holds power.

Ian MacIntyre

Winnipeg

Pointing a finger

The writer of the letter “Next, e-bike regulation” (June 21) has made some valid points regarding excessive speeds, rude behaviour and lack of safety helmets on some people who ride bikes and motorized scooters and skateboards, but I can’t agree with the allegation that e-cyclists are the major culprit.

My experience as both a cyclist and a pedestrian is regular bikes outnumber e-bikes by a significant number and I find most e-bikers are more courteous than regular bikers. Regular bikers I find have a tendency to travel faster, weave in and out of foot traffic and not yield the right of way to oncoming traffic. The e-bikers I see are usually more courteous by giving audible signals when passing, yielding the right of way and travelling at a safer speed on crowded pathways. Unfortunately there are some who misuse the e-bike as a motorized bike instead of using the battery as an assist, and these individuals demonize all e-bikers.

As someone who worked emergency services for many years I know the benefit of a helmet and other safety items and agree that individuals on bikes and other wheeled devices should be wearing safety equipment. I believe the city bylaw allows anyone over 18 years of age to opt out of wearing a helmet, thus adults on bikes don’t require them and unfortunately there are not enough bylaw enforcement officers to enforce the use of safety equipment by younger riders. Perhaps because most e-bike users are older, I have also noted that more e-bike riders wear a bike helmet as opposed to regular bikers.

I ask people to recognize not one small portion of a large group is at fault for all the problems on the multi-use trails. It is a problem that encompasses all users from dog walkers, to people who can’t hear due to head phones and rude cyclists.

If everyone slowed down and followed basic courtesy and rules of the road, the outdoor experience would be much better for all.

Arthur Matthews

Winnipeg