Letters, June 3

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This article was published 03/06/2023 (1066 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Don’t dehumanize the addicted

Re: Councillor criticized for calling users ‘drugged-out zombies’ (June 1)

Once again I shake my head over Coun. Jeff Browaty’s comments. This is not the first time he has shown his true colours but I certainly hope it will be his last.

We expect more from our elected officials and we deserve more. This city councillor is on the executive policy committee as well as chairperson for the standing policy committee on finance and economic development. Mayor Scott Gillingham perhaps all elected officials would benefit from a “language matters” course.

Stigma is any attitude, belief, or behaviour that discriminates against people. When it comes to substance use, stigma impacts people with lived and living experiences, as well as their families. Stigmatizing language is inaccurate, hurtful and disempowering to vulnerable people.

In a Facebook post where this started Browaty referred to substance users as “drugged out zombies.” He also stated “providing clean needles is only enabling and getting more people on the wrong path.”

There is more but let’s stop out of respect for loved ones gone too soon, those who can no longer fight and for those still fighting the fight of their lives.

Coun. Browaty please use language that is compassionate and respectful when discussing substance use… instead of junkie, addict, zombie… let’s use “human!”

Janis Gillam

Winnipeg

We lost our daughter to substance use disorder in May of 2018; a pain nobody should have to experience.

She was caring, kind and always said “everyone deserves a chance.” She was not a “drugged-out zombie.”

She was happily married, working at a job she loved and raising their child. She experienced health issues, then the use of substances took over.

She tried endlessly to seek help for this life-threatening disease and unfortunately lost her battle. Coun. Jeff Browaty definitely owes an apology to families that have lost a loved one to this disease.

Susan Turney

Winnipeg

I ask Mayor Scott Gillingham what he is intending to do about Coun. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan), the councillor whom is truly out of control and needs to resign his seat at the table.

He sits in office representing the people, does he not? What do you intend to do to call attention to the importance of his language? “Language matters” your councillor Browaty has held the “stigma kills” banner very high. He needs to apologize at the very least to the families whose kids are suffering with drug addiction and to those families that have lost a loved one (like mine) due to poisoned drug supply.

Nobody is a “drugged up zombie,” they are people who use drugs, each person that you see as drugged out zombie is someone’s child, they hold down full time jobs, many hide in their homes because of stigma, many hang out in parks or bus shelters because they have no home or a SCS, many suffer mental health issues.

You make me so very angry Coun. Browaty, you are unkind and lack compassion for those in need. You do not deserve to represent the people of Winnipeg.

Mayor Gillingham needs to have a serious talk to his councilors about their use of language. It hurts. My son was not a drugged up zombie. You, Coun. Browaty… serve us (the public) and you work for us. I’m a human being and I have much grief I must hold. You have a right to your ideologies but you do not have a right to call people who use drugs “drugged up zombies!” Not ever.

Christine Dobbs

Winnipeg

Defining libertarianism

Re: Do universities brainwash students? (Think Tank, May 31)

Scott Forbes in his article refers to libertarianism five times. I wondered if its meaning was clear.

He justly notes that brainwashing is often linked to sleep deprivation, hypnosis and threats to individuals subjected to brainwashing. He uses the term “libertarianism” twice noting it is a new brand of right wing value. He also uses the term ”libertarians” three times when it is additionally applied to Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba and even Florida and Texas constituencies.

I wondered if the term “liberty” from which libertarian is derived is known, especially in contrast to “freedom.” Often these words are confused when we hear of a freedom convoy rather than a libertarian convoy to Ottawa. With liberty one is concerned mainly with oneself alone as in “I am at liberty to carry a gun.”

However if the action links to others we use the word freedom.

Should the gun be used in a murder or wounding of others, it becomes freedom to carry the gun since freedom concerns interacting with others while liberty concerns me alone.

For some the convoy to Ottawa was a freedom convoy since its action linked to others. However for those concerned about vaccines it was a liberty convoy since vaccines often relate to others.

Attending university is usually a freeing action since students are empowered to assist others. Only a libertarian university would attempt to educate students only for their own selfish development. This is rarely the goal of a university education.

Barry Hammond

Winnipeg

Waving the white flag in face of AI

Re: Yet another article on AI (Think Tank, June 1)

In Yet another article on AI (June 1), Gwyn Dyer seems to have unfurled a white flag in the face of the emergence of a “selfaware” (sic) artificial intelligence. Indeed, one ought to pay attention to and express gratitude to the 1,100 experts who are sounding some ominous alarm bells as to the very survival of the human race. Their collective voice ought to be heeded.

Nonetheless, I wonder if our fears are fuelled by what could be called a “limited anthropology” i.e., a highly attenuated understanding of what it means to be human. In other words, thinking is only one of the many attributes of a human being. Indeed, those business people and scientists who signed the open letter did so, not because of their intelligence, but because of their concern (some might say “love”) of humanity. Whence comes this capacity to care?

I would suggest that their concerns arise from humans’ capacity for transcendence, that inchoate capacity to experience life beyond the limitations of what we think. It’s what the sages and saints of all ages, cultures, and religions have pointed to. We know it only by its fruits, which include love, forgiveness, justice, and a sense of connection with the wholeness of things. It’s revealed in the cry of a newborn child and the wisdom of the aged. It’s the lifting of spirits in the face of those “eternal verities” of truth, beauty, and goodness.

Such things are not about intelligence, real or artificial.

Edwin Buettner

Winnipeg