Letters, March 15

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This article was published 15/03/2024 (751 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Time to move on

Re: Parental consent essential for student pronoun changes: Manitoba Tories (March 12)

Wayne Ewasko needs to let it go. He is acting like a petulant child who is not getting his way.

The only thing good about him being a former teacher and counselor is the former part. He needs to stop pushing his own personal agenda and remember he works for the people. His party ran on this exact and other extreme right positions. The people spoke last fall … loud and clear I might add. It’s done.

Instead of beating this dead horse, he needs to spend his time researching the negative mental health effects on individuals who must live a lie or are outed before they are ready. Let counselors do their job that best fits the well-being of the student. It’s time to move on!

Andrea Sever

Winnipeg

Conservative politicians have a disturbing belief that parents are so out of touch with their kids and communities that government must intervene about what pronoun children might use at school.

It demonstrates a remarkable lack of faith in parents to communicate not only with their children, but also with their kids’ friends and classmates, other parents, and teachers. Do Conservative politicians really believe that all these people, including their own children, are part of a grand conspiracy to hide “the truth” from parents?

Or is it more likely that Conservative politicians are trying to create fear and distrust because they have little else to offer Canadians, especially nothing constructive about controversial issues like this?

Jim Clark

Winnipeg

Obstacles to peace

Re: Pleased by premier (Letters, March 14)

There is no moral equivalence between the actions of Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization, and the defensive measures taken by Israel to protect its citizens from indiscriminate rocket attacks and terrorism. Equating the actions of a sovereign state with those of a terrorist group undermines the principles of justice while conveniently ignoring the complexities of the situation.

Contrary to the implication in Shahini Siddiqui’s letter, Israel has consistently supported efforts to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid, including food and water, to the people of Gaza. Despite security challenges posed by Hamas, Israel continues to facilitate the transfer of essential goods and services to alleviate suffering in Gaza, demonstrating its commitment to humanitarian principles.

It is important to acknowledge Hamas as the primary obstacle to peace in the region. By deliberately using civilian infrastructure as bases and civilian populations as shields for its terrorist activities, Hamas endangers innocent lives and complicates military operations aimed at neutralizing legitimate security threats. Canada, among other nations, recognizes Hamas as a terrorist organization for these reasons.

With regard to Ms. Siddiqui’s claim that the Israeli government is guilty of state terrorism and continued colonial occupation, denying the Jewish people the right to their ancestral homeland of Israel while glorifying Hamas as freedom fighters undermines the fundamental principles of self-determination and perpetuates a dangerous narrative that delegitimizes Israel’s existence.

Ms. Siddiqui’s assertion regarding “people” celebrating violence and oppression is both unfounded and divisive. The Jewish and Muslim communities uphold shared values, including a desire for peace, and respect for human life and dignity.

Indeed, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is complex; but denying Jewish history and rights while legitimizing Hamas’ violence only serves to deepen divisions and prolong suffering for both Palestinians and Israelis, and by extension, Muslims and Jews in the diaspora.

Sending warm wishes of Ramadan Mubarak to our Muslim neighbours and friends in Manitoba.

Jeff Lieberman

Winnipeg

Tackling climate change

Wednesday’s editorial cartoon nicely portrayed Pierre Poilievre’s worldview while missing reality badly. Poilievre (along with many reality deniers) would have us believe that the carbon tax is a monstrous problem of Justin Trudeau’s creation. That is misdirection at its finest — the equivalent of fiddling while Rome burns.

The truly monstrous problem is climate change. It’s a human-caused problem 5,000 years in the making, exacerbated since the industrial revolution. And if we don’t do something meaningful, it will destroy the world as we know it.

Identifying the carbon tax as the problem reminds me of my experience during one of Manitoba’s spring floods. Along with my son, I went to a site in St. Norbert where volunteers were requested for dike building. When we arrived, we found a pile of sandbags, a crowd of volunteers doing nothing, and two “leaders” arguing about the proper way to build the dike. Shortly thereafter, a squad of army personnel arrived. Their leader sized up the situation, made a decision about how to build the dike, and ordered the squad to start work. Of course, the volunteers all followed that lead. The real problem was that the flood was coming and something needed to be done quickly.

We have a similar situation with climate change. There are many, sometimes competing ideas for addressing climate change. I’m no expert, so I cannot argue their relative merits. I do think that the carbon tax by itself is not nearly enough but it’s a start. What I really need is for somebody to show leadership by recognizing the real problem and getting on with meaningful solutions.

Not identifying that the real problem is climate change and that we need an immediate plan and action is a failure of leadership. That would be monstrous!

John VanWalleghem

Winnipeg

Responsibility in short supply

I’ve watched this city in steady decline for approximately 25 years. I tried to put a finger on the problem and attempt to dissect it. Now it appears to me and others that there are many social issues that plague our city and province. Drugs such as meth seem to be the frontrunner in this problem.

I have watched with dismay, for some time, the normalization of provincially funded distribution of needles and naloxone kits.

Besides the most recently legalization of marijuana, are all hard drugs not illegal?

Why are we, again, normalizing drug use?

I try to get exercise by walking to work, spanning a stretch of approximately three kilometres. I cannot avoid countless needles, people under the influence, who continually accost you, being at risk of being jabbed by the very same government-regulated needles. Something is very wrong here.

I’m not unsympathetic by any means, however, people make choices in life. My parents weren’t well off by any means. I learned to appreciate the value of life. I made a choice to not do drugs, go to school, buy a car, buy a house, get married, and, for me, not to have children.

I call this responsibility. Responsibility!

It frustrates many of us that we have to continually support people who made terrible mistakes, which, again, are normalized without accountability. There’s a real issue in this city and it’s deeper than drugs. Unfortunately, most have to endure it without having a voice. I truly don’t know the answer to this problem, but as a heavily burdened taxpayer, I say, get these people off our streets.

I really don’t care about the approach. Maybe build more jails, shelters, etc., I don’t care. Give them the opportunity to dry out, while offering them programming and shelter. It’ll be up to them if they want to accept the help, but get them off the streets and stop normalizing this problem. Address the real issues and let the taxpaying citizen finally have a voice without being ostracized.

I just want my city back. The city I was once proud of. I just feel that it’s long gone, unfortunately.

Ryan Johnston

Winnipeg