Letters, Nov. 7

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/11/2023 (707 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Correction

The Think Tank column Saturday, Nov. 4, entitled “Corned beef and an invitation” misspelled the name of Myer’s Delicatessen. The Free Press regrets the error.

Scrutinizing history

Re: Unacknowledged massacre (Letters, Nov. 6)

The supposed “Pilot Mound massacre” described by Daryl Martel in his Nov. 6 letter is almost certainly a massively exaggerated retelling of an actual battle between Yanktonais Sioux and Métis hunters that occurred near present-day Minot in 1851 in an area known as the Grand Coteau of the Missouri.

Descriptions of the “Pilot Mound massacre” have no identifying details of participants or suggestions of where this information is recorded, feature suspiciously precise and extreme casualty figures (597 dead Sioux) and propose a logistically implausible number (1,500) for the size of the Métis hunting party.

By contrast, descriptions of the Battle of Grand Coteau cite actual Métis participants and missionary observers and include believable numbers of participants and casualties. In the actual fight, the outnumbered Métis had time to prepare defensive positions and circle their carts and inflicted several dozen fatalities on the attacking Sioux, who, quite reasonably, retreated long before losing 597 fighters.

Applying a bit of critical thinking can help in differentiating plausible historical accounts from implausible legends.

Bob Armstrong

Winnipeg

Time to grow up, Poilievre

Re: There are likely many atheists in foxholes these days (Nov. 4)

From the Faith page of the Saturday Free Press:

“‘Our veterans don’t have a prayer under Trudeau,’ part of a tweet by Pierre Poilievre, that went on to say, ‘Now his government is banning Muslim, Jewish and Christian military chaplains from praying at Remembrance Day ceremonies, I will reverse this insanity when I become prime minister.’”

And his source of information for this tweet, a right wing publication called the Epoch Times then repeated in other right-wing publications. What kind of wannabe prime minister gets his information from a conspiracy site, and then uses it to rile members of our armed services, and likely some easily stirred religious groups, in order to secure political points? Obviously that question becomes rhetorical when one sees the identity of the tweeter.

The article went on to explain that Poilievre’s information was totally incorrect, and the story was in reference to guidance issued to military chaplains of all faith, to be sensitive and inclusive when conducting prayer services, for multi-faith audiences, at upcoming Remembrance Day services, something already made lawful by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Poilievre continually uses this preferred method of wedge-making, as opposed to solution-based politics. Continually attacking his political rival in this fashion is akin to the school age gossip circles favoured by some kids to alienate and bully others in the playground or elsewhere. The problem is, Canadian voters are well beyond those prepubescent times, and should be treated to adult style debate and behaviour, free of conspiracy theories and divisiveness.

Ian Campbell

Winnipeg

Broader meaning of ‘faith’

In his article, John Longhurst rightly calls out Pierre Poilievre for his misrepresentation of the Canadian Armed Forces chaplains’ directive to “adopt a sensitive and inclusive approach when publicly addressing military members.”

However, perhaps Longhurst needs to be called out on his misrepresentation of the word “faith.” He claims we “live in a society of many faiths and, increasingly, no faith, as growing numbers of people disaffiliate from organized religion.”

In this sentence and many others in which he identifies “people of faith” (as opposed to the rest of us,) it is clear that for Longhurst — and many others in our society — “faith” is shorthand for “faith in a particular tradition,” usually involving belief in metaphysical claims, such as all-powerful supernatural beings or an afterlife involving rewards and punishments, acceptance of its ethical and political prescriptions and commitment to its ritual practices.

If you subscribe to such a tradition, whether European or Asian or Indigenous Canadian, you are a “person of faith.” This category, “person of faith,” is hived off from the rest of the population, and by default assumes a special status in his discourse.

I think Longhurst has a limited understanding of faith when he confines it to these narrow parameters.

Faith is the act of trusting the other, of believing the other even knowing the other may be lying, or may not do what they promised to do.

Faith is the necessary element in all of our human relations, without which society begins to erode and self-destruct. Faith entails courage and risk, in each other, and it is on the basis of keeping our promises and speaking the truth (which is itself a difficult and ambiguous concept) that our human societies can function and thrive.

Faith does not require commitment to metaphysical systems or institutions. It only requires that we trust and hope in each other.

In this reading, we are all people of faith. It may be more accurate for Longhurst to describe his subjects as theists, or believers.

Karen Zoppa

Winnipeg

Yes to Palestine, no to Hamas

Context and language are very important. I, like many Jews, support a free Palestine, but one without Hamas. If you add “No Hamas” to your calls it would be clear you want Palestinians to live in peace. If not, you arguably want Canada to be the next Iran.

The Hamas charter calls for your death unless you convert to its way. It targets any non-Muslims, certainly Christians, Jews, feminists and LGBTTQ+ people. It calls for the world to become a fundamentalist Islamic regime like Iran. Unless you make clear that you do not support Hamas, it can be argued that is what you support.

Actions speak louder than words. Hamas beheaded and baked babies and raped and killed young and old women and men, both Jews and non-Jews, with no warning, posting this proudly on the internet. Whether or not you feel Israel’s actions are disproportionate, it regularly warns where it will be attacking in the hopes that civilians move out of the way (Hamas fighters are safely in underground bunkers right now while their children seem not to be allowed in them). Israel’s charter does not call for the death of anyone, they allow Arabs to vote in their elections and to use their bomb shelters. That is their record.

If you do not support terrorism and Canada becoming the next Iran, please add “No Hamas“ to your signs and calls for a Free Palestine.

Avrom Charach

Winnipeg

Time for a ceasefire

I’m starting to see more and more poppies being displayed and it’s making me fear, are these just meaningless ornaments now? Hear me out.

We talk a great deal of “Lest we forget,” but is that really so? Because it sure seems like we’ve forgotten, considering we’re so complicit through what seems to be the nascent stages of the third world war.

Innumerable innocent children continue to be killed in Palestine, yet we choose to remain silent. We put on poppies to comfort ourselves as if we’ve done our part in commemorating the past and striving for a better future. But this is merely self-deception.

True commemoration entails us doing everything in our power to ensure that the atrocities of those past world wars never occur again. It’s about time we attach authentic action to our symbolic words and collectively call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Lest we forget.

Ali Shahan Butt

London, Ont.