Letters, Dec. 7

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 07/12/2024 (400 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Reason for repeal

Re: NDP’s blunder-laden supervised drug-use site selection plays right into opponents’ hands (Dec. 5)

Tom Brodbeck is correct to point out ideology as the prime reason Conservatives are against saving lives with safe consumption sites. The Liberals and the NDP are also ideologically against repealing drug prohibition which would save the most lives.

Evidence for that is the history books and alcohol prohibition. Many people went blind and died of tainted alcohol during the 1920-30s good intentioned experiment inflicting puritan morals. Repeal ensured a safe supply of alcohol from reputable dealers. Few go blind or die of poisoned alcohol today. There is no reason to believe repealing drug prohibition would not have the same results for the same reasons; access to a safe supply works.

Alas, it looks like not enough people, or important people, have died yet for these ideologues to reconsider the law that delivers all this death and mayhem to our doorsteps.

Qui bono? Who benefits from the state being our masters over the drugs people want to consume? Politicians that need scapegoats to blame for all of society’s ills is the right answer. The question is why we permit these puritans be our masters in 2024 when repealing drug prohibition would save the most lives.

Chris Buors

Winnipeg

Climate change already here

Re: Climate-change myopia delivers brief political boost on the way to global catastrophe (Dec. 4)

Climate change is not a distant threat. It is a crisis we are living through. Dan Lett’s column challenges us to confront the scale of this crisis and Canada’s duty to lead by example.

For decades, scientists and activists have warned of this moment. As a child in the 1980s, I understood the dangers of pollution and wrote to prime minister Brian Mulroney to ask for a ban on leaded gasoline. Yet here we are now, still treating the greatest existential crisis of our time as a minor inconvenience.

Canada is the 10th largest global emitter of greenhouse gases, with some of the highest per capita emissions worldwide. This is not just a statistic — it’s a moral failure. While our total emissions are smaller than those of larger nations, our outsized impact leaves no excuse for inaction.

Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator balking at the $35-billion cost of clean energy highlights how short-term thinking continues to cloud our collective decision-making. Investments in a livable future are seen as burdens instead of opportunities to create a healthier planet and a more sustainable world. Investments in clean energy are a foundation for progress. They create jobs, drive innovation and future-proof our economy.

The impacts of climate change are no longer abstract warnings. They are already reshaping our world, with intensifying wildfires, floods and heat waves. We must act now to stem the tide of escalating disasters.

The need for systemic change is clear. We must transition to renewable energy sources, provide stronger support for vulnerable communities and commit to being a global model of climate resilience. Canada, with its wealth, technological capacity and responsibility as a major emitter, must lead the way.

The time for debate has passed. The time for meaningful, aggressive action is now.

Kyle Geske

Winnipeg

Prime choice

Justin Trudeau is so unpopular that the Tories could probably put forward a five-pound prime rib roast as the leader of their party and successfully form the next federal government. With the ridiculously high price of beef this is unlikely to occur, but it’s worth considering.

Pierre Poilievre is full of empty slogans such as “axe the tax,” and he speaks of defunding the CBC and other institutions, but more importantly I’m concerned that he doesn’t have the aptitude, character or experience to bring our country together, to achieve a better future for my granddaughter.

I often disagreed with the policies of our last Conservative prime minister, Stephen Harper, but I did have confidence in his intelligence, character and motivation that he would do what he felt was best for Canada. I have no reason to have the same faith in Poilievre, and fear, in particular, that his position on climate change and his opposition to programs intended to reduce the use of hydrocarbons will be harmful to our economy and to our planet. We have reason to fear a Poilievre-led government.

Since the Conservatives are almost certain to form the next government, it’s time for the Tory backroom movers to do the right thing and replace Poilievre before the next election.

A grocery store flyer delivered with the Free Press this week featured an attractive sale for prime rib roast. Now is the time.

Cliff J. Greenhalgh

Winnipeg

Positive steps

Drugs have been a huge problem in our city for a number of years, but thankfully some changes are being made.

The health minister announced there will be a safe consumption site located in the inner city. This will prevent many overdoses, and protect drug users from potentially being exposed to drugs that have been laced with deadly substances.

The Manitoba government has provided $450,000 to go towards a new virtual rapid access to addictions medicine clinic. This will allow people to access help who otherwise face barriers, like responsibilities at home or shame of their addiction.

And finally, the “No Thanks, I’m Good” campaign by the Singing Red Bear foundation is educating young people on the risks of illegal drugs. The sooner people know the dangers, the more likely they will make good decisions.

I want to commend all of these initiatives for doing their part in addressing our drug crisis. My hope for the future is that we continue to come together to find solutions that work for everyone.

Alyson Benoit

Winnipeg

Time for payback

Advocate Al Wiebe nails it when presenting at conferences by saying that “being homeless is a full-time job.”

That should mean they qualify for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s $250 cheque. It’s a lot of hard work seeking shelter, food and safety. Along with seniors, those on disability and employment insurance and those who volunteer, I’ve been calculating my own grand total when I send my I.O.U. bill to the prime minister.

According to Statistics Canada data, Canadians volunteer two billion hours per year! Many of those volunteers are serving the growing number of seniors lining up at food banks. The data does not include time off “real work” to look after ill children and elderly parents. StatCan also says, “In many ways, time spent on unpaid work and care is not considered productive time in our society,” which is why they instituted the survey on unpaid time. I’m forwarding a copy to the prime minister in case he missed it.

While volunteering at the Children’s Hospital Book Market, I found a memorial card for Tommy Douglas between pages in a donated book in which he said, “It’s not too late to make a better world.”

That was in 1985. It’s payback time.

Heather Emberley

Winnipeg