Letters, March 31

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 31/03/2023 (1262 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Peaceful approach not enough

Re: Quiet pacifism inadequate response to war in Ukraine (March 28)

Although I applaud John R. Wiens’ optimism, I cannot agree with his suggestion that pacifism can play a role in ending the war in Ukraine, or any other place in the world where ruthless murderers have wrestled control away from peace loving citizens.

His proposition that global leaders descending “en masse on Moscow, collectively confronting Putin face-to-face” is, indeed, “fatally naive.” If such an event occurred, do you think Russian President Vladimir Putin, a ruthless dictator, would welcome them to a lavish state dinner to discuss possibilities? Would that work with any dictator, anywhere, ever? Highly unlikely.

More likely, Putin would show them to their prison cells.

The idea of “multinational UN peace reservists,” 20,000 of them, gathered as a human barrier at the Ukraine border is equally ridiculous. Even as I write this, Russia is sending column after column of untrained men released from prisons across their country to be cannon fodder in an effort to slow down Ukrainian forces’ advances by compelling them to spend their bullets on Russian sons, brothers, fathers and uncles.

The Russian leadership and clearly many Russians are not concerned about human life — even the lives of their own fellow citizens.

The most unfortunate and dangerous aspect of the accommodating ideas Wiens promotes in his opinion piece is based on a glaring misunderstanding of what is required when dealing with psychopaths, sociopaths and the seriously deluded who gather with torches and pitchforks. Wiens seems to think they can be dealt with peacefully, with a supposed shared common sense.

I once believed such things, too. I still do believe that love ultimately sets paths straight. But, for now, when we are confronted with unabashed evil and destruction on a scale not witnessed since the Second World War, I believe actions have to be taken to stop the shedding of innocent blood. We have to force them to stop.

Michael Boss

Winnipeg

Don’t tolerate hate

Re: Distressing rise of hate on agenda for activist’s lecture (March 27)

“It’s very much about speaking up and standing up,” says Israeli-American actor and activist Noa Tishby. I think the above statement is correct. The problem is we Canadians are too meek and not wanting to cause trouble. As we are taught as children, it’s as though we’ve been over-socialized.

Studies show that, as a group, Canadians are more compliant than those in most other western countries. We need to learn that when we see wrong we call it out, for not doing so will only allow the cancer of hate to grow to everyone’s detriment within the society.

I hope, as time goes on, Canadians will be less tolerant of discrimination towards Jews and any other group receiving such awful behaviour.

Alan Levy

Winnipeg

Downside to needles

Re: Machines dispense harm reduction supplies to front lines of need (March 27)

From a compassion standpoint, one finds it difficult to dispute the idea of harm reduction. Until such a time as a person is willing to seek treatment, it is certainly a humane and supportive strategy on the journey to recovery.

Putting aside the purported benefits to the individual and the community highlighted in the article, it fails to mention a plan to mitigate, let alone consider, the maleffects created from the mass distribution and availability of needles. Most harm-reduction plans I have glanced over offer little insight into this dilemma.

Improperly disposed-of needles pose a serious injury and infection threat to both people and pets.

On patrol with the Bear Clan last Sunday, I was dismayed to hear that over 1,000 incorrectly disposed needles had been collected over the weekend in the West Broadway neighbourhood alone.

On our walk that afternoon, we gathered exposed needles in areas varying from the entrance of apartment buildings to within a stone’s throw from schools and playgrounds. At one point, two children approached us to alert our team of a batch they had found while at play.

In order for a specific health approach to be a net benefit to society, all stakeholders need to be considered. Second- and third-order consequences cannot be ignored for the temptation of a desirable first-order outcome. Health care is an incredibly complex subject and the inequities that exist within it (racial, socio-economic, etc.) are very real and require all of our efforts to repair.

That said, if we are to push forward with new strategies such as harm reduction, the downsides of these initiatives need to be researched, stated openly and followed with a mitigation plan to lessen their potential harmful effects.

Alexander Hupé

Winnipeg

Money talks

Yes, inflation is making food more expensive, but with everything going up all along the chain that supplies food to our stores, it is hard to see a solution.

Likewise the price of gas is higher and higher, but in that case there are a lot of federal subsidies that would better be directed at the food industry. Petro-giants are making huge profits and somehow also are getting government subsidies. Where is the justice?

Then with this week’s federal budget, those same petro-giants are getting incentives and subsidies to their projects about hydrogen and carbon sequestering, both of which are ways of green-washing their industry.

So many people need to eat and yet those industries, so responsible for the climate problems and historically responsible for undermining electric cars, electric transit and electric rail, somehow find ways to support oil instead of people.

Every vote counts… but money buys governments.

Shane Nestruck

Winnipeg

Jets an embarrassment

Mike McIntyre’s recent piece Jets’ tailspin continues with 3-0 loss to lowly Sharks (March 29) was scathing, and generally aimed where it should be — on the players — but where is the accountability from management? General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff has built a lemon and it’s now too obvious to ignore.

Readers may remember in letters I wrote last season that I had a target in mind: the coaches. Well, they’ve replaced the coaches. It was on the players, and for the first half of the season I think it went better than expected. Then, for some reason, we’ve suffered what must be the worst collapse in the history of the NHL, from first to worst.

Chevy and executive chairman Mark Chipman need to be brought to account for this with a road map for fixing it. In my opinion, we need to start selling off assets: Mark Scheifele to Carolina for Seth Jarvis would be a good start; Connor Hellebuyck to Detroit for a package of their young up-and coming-talent; Blake Wheeler traded with significant retention on our part to maximize the return. Pierre-Luc Dubois to Montreal for whatever scraps we can possibly get, he’s backed us into a corner and we have no choice but to take a bath on that one.

We have extremely good talent on this team that, put together, has no chemistry and a toxic locker room; individually, to other teams, these guys have significant value.

We don’t need a 10-year rebuild, we need to sell for maximum young pieces, develop them with our current picks like Rutger McGroarty, Brad Lambert and Chaz Lucius, put the C on Josh Morrissey and build from there.

Look, Winnipeg is a depressing place, we’re about to enter what no doubt will be a record-breaking cold April after a 100-year record for no temps above zero in March. The one thing Winnipeggers ask for is a hockey team that doesn’t embarrass us, because we have nothing else to hold on to.

Chevy, Chipman: this one is on you — fix it.

Will Jones

Winnipeg