Letters, Jan. 6

Canada must take a stand

Canada needs to get off of the fence when it comes to American-dictated foreign policy. Either we believe in international law, or we believe in the U.S.’s self-proclaimed right to do whatever it wants around the globe, be it illegal military actions, illegal unilateral sanctions, or funding illegal proxy wars.

The unprovoked and completely unjustified military strikes against Venezuela and the kidnapping of their president Nicolas Maduro is just the latest in a vast history of U.S. meddling and aggression.

Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand all but justified Trump’s brazen war crimes with her statement on the matter by denouncing Maduro’s allegedly undemocratic “regime” and repression in his country. Convenient charges that could just as easily be levelled against the Americans, and even ourselves, if we’re honest about it. The truth is that it is all political posturing in order to manufacture consent for the U.S.’s goal of replacing Maduro with a handpicked puppet who will sell off Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to American oligarchs.

It is so painfully obvious that this operation against Maduro and the Venezuelan people is completely contrived. The U.S. has been trying for decades — with the help of Canada and other Western nations — to overthrow the government of Venezuela going back to Hugo Chavez, whether through funding hostile opposition forces, illegal unilateral sanctions and economic warfare (which many of Venezuela’s legitimate crises stem from), and now finally in a hot war.

Canada should be denouncing the U.S. government’s actions, not justifying them. How can we expect to be taken seriously as a nation that respects the “rule of law” or “democracy” when our own morality on these matters is so inconsistent? Whether it’s Gaza, or Venezuela, Canada has a long way to go to rebuild its credibility with the non-Western global community.

Evan Marnoch

Winnipeg

U.S. no model to follow

With the invasion of Venezuela, the Trump administration has proposed to take over management of that country. The arrest, or rather kidnapping, of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife may be beneficial to the people of Venezuela, however the U.S. plan to bring about “a safe, proper and judicious transition,” for their country lacks credibility.

For his country, U.S. President Donald Trump and his appointees have defied court orders, imposed tariffs and carried out military operations, ignoring the country’s constitution and bypassing the need for Congressional approval. Breaking laws, both American and international, is common for his administration.

The U.S. can no longer hold itself out to be a model for other countries to follow, when its president has threatened or mused about takeover of Canada, Greenland and the Panama Canal and who has now directed the invasion of a sovereign nation.

There has been a steady stream of negative impacts and chaos caused by his administration related to tariffs, improvements in health care, benefits of vaccines, foreign aid, action against climate change and failure to stop the Russia-Ukraine war. These actions are dismantling decades of progress and rights provided by previous administrations, as well as shrinking the image of the U.S. to the world.

David Stones

Winnipeg

Matter of integrity

Re: Alone, afraid and betrayed (Jan. 3)

As one of 16,000-plus members of the Manitoba Teachers’ Society, I believe our union must prioritize the integrity of our profession over the protection of those who violate it.

The recent reporting on David Wray’s quiet resignation exposes a system that favoured silent departures over accountability. While due process is a right we all value, it should never be used as a shield for serious misconduct. When allegations of grooming are as severe as those reported, “shuffling” a member out of a school while leaving their certificate in good standing for years doesn’t protect our profession, it stains it.

We’ve seen how “shuffling” bad actors has failed other major institutions; we cannot allow the same culture of silence to define us. We deserve transparency and a leadership that understands that protecting 16,000-plus reputations means removing those who shouldn’t be in a classroom.

It’s time for MTS to answer the concerns raised by Cameron Hauseman and provide the transparency we, our students, and the public deserve.

Emily Bjornson

Winnipeg

Leave Henteleff Park alone

Re: It’s déjà vu for opponents of proposed housing development near riverside ‘oasis’ in 2018 (Dec. 31)

I am disgusted with the City of Winnipeg, in even considering and possibly reversing the previous bylaw restricting Progressive Real Estate Group from building another four-storey building in addition to pickleball courts, which will further interfere with Henteleff Park!

Many of us who are daily walkers love the contrast of the peace and tranquility of the park, compared with traffic, construction and general noise of daily living. It is a gem that need not be the subject of further discourse.

I attended the original meeting, in 2018, which became somewhat heated.

What is the point of having any laws if they can quickly be reversed at the whim of any real estate group? The Henteleff family deserve better. Stop this nonsense, please.

Pat Knudsen

Winnipeg

Fighting winter

Winter for Canadians is not simply lived through; it is adopted as a personality trait amongst us. Enduring the icy weather is not just expected but worn as a badge of honour, one that is flaunted in conversation as if it were a gold medal.

Tolerating winter for Canadians has become a competitive sport. We compete by not wearing gloves mid-January and announcing “it’s honestly not even that cold,” while shivering so violently it looks like weird dance. Parkas are unzipped on principle; hats are dismissed as a way to show strength of character. As a Canadian, feeling cold is acceptable, but admitting it is not.

This behaviour we exhibit suggests that the bone-chilling cold we experience has been misconstrued with our Canadian identity. We proudly tell our treacherous winter survival stories in the same way others discuss hobbies. Navigating through Winnipeg blizzards is seen as basic character development. Slipping on ice in public, a crucial but humbling rite of passage every Canadian must experience. And of course, losing feeling in your face due to the -40 degree weather is simply a given of being a Canadian in winter.

An obvious performance can be seen in early spring when temperatures reach +2 degrees, as we just love to celebrate by wearing shorts as we trudge through the remaining icy sludge. This is not due to the new warmth but instead the need to express the hope we feel physically, no matter the impracticality of it. Dressing appropriately would be an implication of weakness among Canadians.

Even though we Canadians do this, it does not mean we actually enjoy winter; it simply means we are too stubborn and pig-headed to let it win. By pretending to love it, we maintain the illusion of control over something that feels like it will never end and actively tries to injure us.

Perhaps Canadians have not adopted winter as a personality trait, and instead, it is a simple case of Stockholm syndrome with snowbanks and black ice. Either way, I’m sure we Canadians will continue to insist that we are “built for this” while simultaneously having to aggressively scrape a sheet of ice off our windshield in the dark.

Grace Aprile

Winnipeg