Letters, Nov. 28

On Palestinian stories

Re: National Jewish group takes human rights museum to task over Palestinian exhibit (Nov. 27)

I find it troubling that the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs has taken on a campaign against the Canadian Museum of Human Rights for not consulting pro-Israel apologists in telling the story of Israel’s mass-displacement of Palestinians to create a Jewish-majority state in 1948. These demands are patronizing of Palestinians.

They reflect the anti-Palestinian and anti-Arab racism that has plagued western societies for decades, and which has spiked over the last two years.

Just as the CMHR has given ample space for a permanent exhibit about the Holocaust, informed by survivors of that horrendous episode of history, so it should not be restrained in highlighting the experience of survivors of the Nakba.

Let Palestinians tell their own story.

Byron Rempel-Burkholder

Winnipeg

I’m writing as one of the members of the Jewish community who wrote a supportive email to Isha Khan and the CMHR, as you have quoted her recounting, and I would like to express my disappointment that John Longhurst chose to frame the announcement of the upcoming Palestine Uprooted exhibit almost entirely through the negative lens of criticism and protest from certain members of my community, rather than through a positive lens of an exhibit the Palestinian community has advocated for for over ten years.

The Jewish community is not one monolithic voice, and those that claim to represent its interests as a whole deliberately leave out many nuanced or even opposing viewpoints. The statements made by these organizations in your article, arguing that they should have been consulted and allowed to contextualize the Zionist viewpoint within this exhibit reflect an arrogance and entitlement that deserve scrutiny. Their arguments about excluding reference to Jewish refugees is beside the point of the Nakba exhibit. It is tantamount, in my opinion, to the CMHR to be compelled to include voices of non-Indigenous Canadians who also had a traumatic school experience in any exhibit about the residential school system.

The intent here, I am suggesting, is in no way about fairness or balancing voices, but about trying to dilute the horrors of the historical and ongoing Nakba, and to defend Zionism as a blameless enterprise in this historical context. It is a resistance to letting any Palestinian voice be heard.

In short, though, I would like to commend the courage of Isha Khan and the CMHR for initiating the Palestine Uprooted exhibit. This should be celebrated as a triumph for the CMHR and this city, rather than as a controversy. I personally look forward to visiting it with my family in June.

Mark Libin

Winnipeg

Naming the problem

Re: Alexander residents alarmed after grader hit by gunfire (Nov. 27)

With the increase of harassment, threats, and violence against politicians and public servants, we need to do more than just identify the rise in these undemocratic attacks.

When small, rural communities see a rise in such attacks, what are the views motivating these offences when there’s a clear political dimension? If people are spreading this hate on social media and in person, how are people reacting when their neighbour, friend, or family espouses hate without shame? And what does it say if any of us, regardless of our political views, are unwilling to criticize such talk just because we may broadly agree with other aspects of their politics? Naming causes reminds us that we have a duty to try to hold each other accountable for our actions — and that words are actions.

Shielding the public from the partisan reasons behind these attacks actively infantilizes us. It limits our ability to see the real-world impact of our beliefs when embodied and acted out. It limits our agency when it comes to naming and shaming radical beliefs. It controls the narrative to protect those that advocate hate.

Being afraid of naming these motivating factors also highlights media bias because there are plenty of times when such factors are not unnamed and we need to trust the fairness of those framing public discourse.

Kelsey Enns

Winnipeg

Eroding health care

Re: Death of ER patient waiting 30 hours sparks review (Nov. 27)

As I constantly read about our shockingly disappointing health care system in Manitoba, it breaks my heart to realize how badly the respective governments have enabled the system to deteriorate to the point where people are dying due to consistently poor conditions.

Yet I cannot fathom how those respective governments have totally ignored a well known population demographic forecast over the many years of cutbacks.

The Baby Boomers, those born post-Second World War, between 1946 and 1964, are a rather substantial percentage of our present population and have reached the age of very likely needing more health care support than ever.

As their present day ages range from approximately 61-79 years of age, the need for cataracts, total hip and knee replacements, diabetes, heart disease and cancer are far more prevalent as this demographic increasingly requires more care.

As life expectancy in Canada continues to rise, 79.5 years for males and 83.9 years for females, the Boomers have been part of a generation group that have made a significant impact on our economy and health care systems.

Yet our governments chose to reduce health care staffing and services over the past many years with full knowledge that the boomers were advancing!

What is even more disturbing is that while they continue to erode the health care system “at the bedside” (such as nurses, health care aides, physicians, diagnostic services such as CT and MRI scans, where patient care actually happens), they have continued to fund totally with tax payers money, a growing management contingent as our Manitoba health care is administered through five regional and two provincial health authorities!

While our provincial government at present desperately tries to increase numbers of physicians, nurses and much needed allied health support, it seems it is fighting a losing battle.

It is not a quick fix.

It took many years to allow our health-care system to erode to where it is now, dare I compare it to a third world country.

It will take many more years to return it to a first world country level that looks after its citizens as it should.

Karen Zurba

Winnipeg

No sale

In opening my paper I was greeted by a half-page ad from Fargo practically begging Canadians to visit. I’m sure this ad wasn’t cheap and its presence is an indication of the economic situation they’re currently enduring as the result of a downturn in tourism revenue.

Sorry North Dakota and every other state in the union, but I’ll be keeping as much of my money as possible on this side of the border for the foreseeable future. Elections have consequences.

Bill Craig

Winnipeg

The human touch

Re: Electronic system adopted by city police to cut down on ticket fixing (Nov. 26)

I understand why the city police would adopt this method of ticketing, but it seems that it is one more step in separating our police from the public.

There are no more neighbourhood police stations, and the district stations we do have are not open to the public, with the exception of the headquarters downtown, and its open hours are limited.

Things are changing in this world, yes, but let’s try to keep human, and humane, contact. “Building relationships, a culture of safety for all” is the Winnipeg Police Service motto, and I think real contact could be part of this. Thank you.

Judy Herscovitch

Winnipeg