Letters, Aug. 28

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/08/2023 (1001 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

No infants on the links

I am in complete agreement with Patrick Bailey in his letter “Right move” (Aug. 22) regarding the Free Press article “Baby not on board” (Aug.19), in which a golf course was judged as discriminating against Heather Worth who brought her infant along while she played golf.

Worth noted that golf has historically been a sexist sport, but I fail to see what that has to do with safety on the course for a seven-month-old baby.

The course’s spokesperson is correct in stating that golf carts are not equipped with the necessary restraints to secure child car seats, thereby posing a safety concern. Also, errant shots do occur and increase the risk of potential injury.

Ms Worth states that the baby is allowed to attend baseball and hockey games where there may be flying balls and pucks. Though this may be allowed, it doesn’t mean it is a good idea when one looks at it from the standpoint of benefits and risks to infants and very young children. They have no choice but to go where their parents take them and cannot give consent as to whether they wish to attend.

Therefore, it is up to the parent to do what is best for their children.

Using a large sporting event as an example, of what possible benefit is it for a baby to spend hours in a noisy, unsanitary environment with throngs of other people with the potential of inappropriate and unsafe behaviour, inclement weather and of course, the inherent risks of the sport being played? The young child has no understanding of the event and will have no memory of it but in the moment, may be uncomfortable, tired and frightened. There is nothing cuter than a baby wearing a team jersey but their attendance at these events is usually not in their best interest.

The well-being of the child always needs to be the most important consideration.

Linda Bretecher

Winnipeg

Don’t downplay it

Call it a “climate emergency”!

When will we finally acknowledge that we’re in a “climate emergency”, and stop referring to it as the much less serious sounding, toned-down “climate change”?

Case in point, the otherwise excellent piece by Niigaan Sinclair (Aug 24/23, “Climate change, wildfires disproportionately devastating to Canada’s Indigenous communities”).

Without doubt, we ARE in a climate emergency and we need to deal with it as the “emergency” it truly is!

And as Seth Klein in his enlightening “A Good War” advises, we need to use the same thinking and mobilization of resources that were used in WWII.

Anything less, and our existence will soon be history.

Dennis Bayomi

President, Green Party of Manitoba

Canada

Taxes for services

Al Yakimchuk wrote in a letter headlined “Tax and spend” on Aug. 25 that the NDP will increase the PST one per cent or more.

In contrast, the Conservatives gifted us a one per cent decrease in the PST and education property tax rebates. Wonderful.

This benefited the wealthy and property owners at the expense of much needed services.

The Conservatives also closed three emergency rooms and dismantled our health-care system. Some facilities are being expanded, but who will staff them?

Patients are lingering in hospital beds waiting for placement in care homes, while others suffer as they wait for critical surgeries.

Education tax rebates may be great for property owners, but they do nothing to educate our future taxpayers.

I would not object to an increase in the PST and elimination of education tax rebates in exchange for improving and stabilizing our much needed core services.

Nettie Lamb

Carman

Where are we?

I don’t know about you, but when I start reading the headlines today, I can barely believe that I’m still in Canada. Food banks utilized to levels that they can’t keep up with demand. This week, we read a gentleman was pushing a stroller with it his grandchild and he was stabbed multiple times for no apparent reason, other than being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Why have we allowed our political leaders to become so policy timid? So timid as to not deal with the necessary social welfare issues so that our society may resolve poverty and we are assured to remain economically strong? Yes, a young couple should be able to purchase a house!

Is it outrageous that we go to an emergency ward at our local hospital and then have to wait many hours in order to receive required care? My question to all Canadians is, does this look like your Canada? Why do we allow our political leaders to behave with such weak policy and decision making? We act as if we have little confidence in the long term.

Looking at just our short term interests is not the way we should go about it. We have the talent in this country to be boundlessly creative. Why do we fear such rare opportunities ?

We must go to the polls and vote Canada. Our numbers and voting are low compared to many other democracies. There is no reason why we cannot have an increase in voting from the many constituents who currently see no need to do one of the few required acts to live in a democracy.

Vote. Many of us are just to lazy to do even that. We are great at bellyaching and even better at doing nothing about it.

Well, we’re at the point where the wheels are falling off the cart.

If we continue to elect spineless bungee-cord leaders, do not expect life to get better. It is up to us and to us alone, the voters. Canada is worth saving for the promise that it has. We just need to realize we are better than others will have us think.

Good solid leadership, sound policy maintenance and implementation is badly needed so that all citzens may enjoy the fruits of this wonderful country!

Alan Levy

Winnipeg

A step forwards

It’s encouraging to see the proactive approach that the Winnipeg Humane Society is taking to get the message across about farm animal welfare, in this case concerns associated with the transportation, husbandry and housing of pigs in the province’s industrial farms. This approach would not be possible without Brittany Semeniuk and the powers that be at the WHS.

There have been many many well informed individuals along the way who have fought (and still are) for the ethical treatment of farm animals. Vicki Burns started the ball rolling many years ago with Quit Stalling at the WHS and now heads Hog Watch. The industrial farms are a huge contributor to the algae problem in our lakes and Hog Watch is doing everything they can to raise awareness.

Manitoba Animal Save regularly holds vigils and events around Maple Leaf’s pork facilities and have witnessed first hand the transport of pigs to slaughter.

My heartfelt thanks goes out to these and many more organizations that work tirelessly to speak out for these animals that have no voice. Horses transported for slaughter, geese force fed for foie gras or killed and maimed for their feathers or down, dairy cows perpetually impregnated and their babies sent to slaughter…. the list is endless.

As the article states, write your MLA. Write the department of Agriculture. Support Farm Animal Rescues and if you can’t volunteer with these worthwhile organizations then for goodness sake give whatever you can afford. Our environment will be better for it, our health can only improve and you will be doing something for helpless animals to hopefully have a better life.

My thanks also goes out to the Free Press for their ongoing quest to bring news that matters to their readers.

Lois Taylor

Winnipeg