Letters, Oct. 17

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/10/2023 (1066 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Calls for humanity

I write with heavy heart, burdened by relentless tragedy unfolding in Palestine and Israel.

It is a stark reminder that innocent lives, especially children, continue to be caught in the crossfire, suffering the consequences of a conflict they did not ask for nor deserve. The images and stories of children being killed and the relentless bombardment and heavy shelling are heart-wrenching. This calls for urgent global attention to, and world leaders must act swiftly to bring an end to this horror.

Innocent Palestinian children and civilians are not safe, not just facing violence but also captivity, a harrowing ordeal that no one should ever endure. It is a tragic irony that innocent people are asked to evacuate their homes within 24 hours, forced into a situation where they have nowhere to go, leaving us to question the very essence of humanity.

In this time of crisis, it is our moral duty to extend a hand of compassion and support to those who are suffering. Let’s come together to advocate for peace, humanitarian aid and just resolution to this long-standing conflict. The world needs to stand up, for the sake of humanity and innocent lives at stake.

Yog Rahi Gupta

Winnipeg

---

Last Friday, I went to the main mosque in the city for the regular Friday prayer. I was surprised to see a visible police presence around the mosque. I later came to know of a similar police presence around synagogues. All of this in anticipation of potential hate driven attacks, following the rising tensions in the Middle East.

The Jewish and Muslim communities have the common painful experience of being targets of antisemitism and Islamophobia respectively. This shared experience has brought them together in standing against hate and calling for acceptance and respect. The recent escalation of violence has deeply impacted both communities. At times of rising tension, reaching out and finding common grounds is essential to avert any possible attempts to saw mistrust and hate.

Being at the receiving end, both communities need to continue working on combating hate at every level. A local Palestinian businessman was subjected to threats; similarly, a Jewish student was the object of hate at the university. Occurrences of this nature should be seen as an attack on both communities and be equally condemned.

Having different political viewpoints and expressing them peacefully and respectfully is a right guaranteed for all Canadian. However, hate, threats and belittling of the pain and suffering of any group is some thing that need to be roundly condemned. The situation in the Middle East is complex and dire; however, there are fundamental and universal shared values that both communities need to stand for during these difficult times.

Included among them, the sanctity of human life, the right of dignity for all, the right to live in peace, the right to be treated with justice and the unwavering respect for human rights. No lost life should be belittled, no inflicted pain should be justified, and no denial of basic rights should be overlooked.

At times of tension, our sense of humanity and our stance for justice and peace need to be unwavering and nonpartisan.

Ismael Mukhtar

Winnipeg

…And a call for decency

Re: The cheapening of discourse (Oct. 14)

Russell Wangersky has raised a hugely important issue, namely that social media is allowing media users to call people vile names like “pedophile” with impunity. This name calling is part and parcel of a more deeply disturbing phenomena, that of dehumanizing others.

And we are seeing it everywhere: the Middle East, in our countries, cities, towns, schools and hockey rinks.

Words mean something. Labels are dangerous. They are distancing phenomena.

What happened to common human decency?

Mac Horsburgh

Winnipeg

Time for universal plan

Re: Pharmacare would cost public sector billions more a year: PBO (Oct. 13)

Regarding Pharmacare would cost public sector billions more a year: PBO, we could start by forgetting those stupid F-35s that only serve to kill people, then follow up by NOT increasing our military budget as requested by our southern neighbour and NATO.

The United States Pentagon budget for 2024 is already approved at US$888 billion (that’s right, billion), and probably will be higher. It’s the one issue both Democrats and Republicans agree on. Google and read The Costs of War Project at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, or Google “Tom Dispatch” and read the articles by Andrea Mazzarino, co-founder of TCWP at Brown University.

A federal plan would enable us to acquire prescription drugs at a much reduced price, thereby saving much, not only for seniors, but those in the low income category and also enhance their health and reduce the pressures on our health-care system; both economically and for the professional caregivers involved.

In addition, costs of employer/employee plans would be reduced, because older members would be accessing fewer services and could be retained after age 65 for non prescription drug services; thus enhancing their healthcare and contribution to the employer, rather than being dropped from the corporate plan, or having to pay a total premium, no longer split with the employer.

Obviously, the pharmaceutical and insurance industries would be upset. Their gouging of drug prices and premiums would be curtailed with a public plan. To say that they are making a large number of prescriptions more affordable goes against people’s and corporate plan experience. Why are our prices increasing for both prescriptions and premiums? Insurance companies want younger employees on plans to reduce the usage and increase their profitability.

Come on, Mr. Trudeau, get the universal plan going.

Don Halligan

Winnipeg

Obscene accusations

As a retired teacher with 40 years in education, I am deeply offended by the extremists who accuse me, and by extension my educational colleagues, that we are bent on an objective to; “indoctrinate, groom and we are closet pedophiles.”

We do no such thing! As educators we accept any and all of our students as who they are. Regardless of how they identify themselves.

Personally, every student was important to me and I made sure to give them the very best that I could through the subject matter, and to try to make them multidimensional thinkers where they could express their opinions, but also to listen to and respect the opinions of others. It was my hope that through my demeanour of acceptance and neutrality that I would somehow act as an example of tolerance. I pray, I had a positive affect on the thousands of students I taught.

These extremist people have absolutely no idea how multidimensional our profession is. Our goal is to educate, enlighten, and provide a safe and open environment for our students — your kids. Not to turn them into some kind of societal zombies that spew the views contrary to your absurd idea of everyone has too be “normal” according to your own belief system.

I assure you, after 40 years, I know kids. They are open minded and accepting because they are immersed in a diverse environment everyday and see their fellow students as “normal” functioning fellow kids. The indoctrination they are getting is from you, not us.

I have LGBTTQ+ members in my family. Including my youngest. I know their discomfort of not being accepted; not from their friends and family, but from you extremists.

So in closing I’m going to say to you intolerant, biased, ill-informed extremists something I never said to any of my students. Sit down, shut up and pay attention to your child, and the world in general.

Brad McKay

Winnipeg