Letters, Nov. 21

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/11/2025 (185 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ridiculous rationale

Re: Charter rights override on trans laws to prevent ‘medical experiments’ on children: Smith (Nov. 20)

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith talking about “science” and “data” is an absolute joke.

Smith’s government has spent the last several years brushing aside all evidence and data regarding public health, vaccine safety, mental health care, addictions treatment and prevention, climate change, Indigenous history and rights … the list goes on and on. The very fact that Smith thinks science is something that can be blindly believed in, like a religion, rather than properly understood as a framework for creating and furthering knowledge about how the world works, is proof (as though more were needed!) that she has no business butting into the expert fields of pediatrics, endocrinology, psychiatry and family medicine.

As a physician, I am appalled and insulted at the vile accusation that compassionate physicians providing evidence-based and patient-oriented care are conducting “medical experiments” on children, with all the Joseph Mengele connotations in that phrase. Stay in your lane, UCP — stick to funding and leave health care of transgender children, youth and adults to the individuals, families and healthcare teams who know what they are doing and actually care about the well-being of their families and patients.

I wonder how the UCP government would have reacted if their new favourite human rights-denying notwithstanding clause had been imposed by the federal Liberal government in 2020 to mandate public health measures? No wonderment needed — they would have shrieked! In fact, the federal government did not impose that draconian piece of legislation precisely because the public health measures taken were — and were subsequently adjudicated to be — lawful, reasonable and necessary.

By contrast, stomping on transgender health care is unreasonable, unnecessary and an affront to human rights. Only cowards hide behind the notwithstanding clause.

Sowmya Dakshinamurti

Winnipeg

Abnormal circumstances

Re: ‘Quiet, piggy’, Trump tells female reporter (Nov. 19)

Under normal circumstances an article like this would shock me and probably most of your readers. But these are not normal times with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House.

These rude comments to reporter Catherine Lucey are unacceptable, but mild compared to past and ongoing behaviour of this president. The American people elected this rude man even though they were aware of the many felony charges against him, and his many undesirable characteristics — narcissistic, xenophobic, racist, homophobic, bigot, a history of sexual misconduct, and in this situation, as with many female correspondents a misogynist.

And add to this his cabinet of unqualified sycophants who support his rude behaviour. This is the new norm in the Trump administration and it’s only a matter of time and they will all self-destruct, making the world a better, safer place.

Terry Meindl

Winnipeg

The howling class

Re: Two reports, two views on crime, zero solutions (Nov. 17)

In spite of the somewhat misleading headline (the second report cited in fact does offer solutions), columnist Dan Lett lands some well-deserved punches on the too often dishonest discussion around crime and bail reform.

Beyond that, he also introduces a new and potentially useful category of analysis, namely that of the “howling class.” The North American political economy has been notoriously averse to a class analysis, preferring more ambiguous terms such as “middle class,” “lower class/ upper class” or the “one per cent.” That said, “working class” does seem to be having its moment.

As a category, “howling class” is more descriptive than analytical and doesn’t capture the social dynamic of the classic pairing: working class/proletariat versus capitalist class/bourgeoisie. It does, however, provide us with an interesting (and dare I say, entertaining) lens through which we can observe and consider the fearmongering largely perpetrated by provincial and federal Conservative politicians.

Howling class, indeed.

Sig Laser

Winnipeg

Costly solution

Re: Fifteen highlights from the throne speech (Nov. 19)

While it’s nice that the people of Carberry are getting a new ($100-million) overpass, is it really necessary? Wasn’t the collision caused by human error when the bus driver didn’t do that thing our parents taught us — looking both ways before crossing the street?

So a new overpass will fix driver error potential (at that spot only), but at a pretty high cost. Couldn’t that money be better spent on prenatal care or, doctor recruitment or — God forbid — lowering the deficit ?

Derek Rolstone

Winnipeg

Literacy of utmost importance

Re: Health first, reading second (Think Tank, Nov. 17)

It is disheartening that Jordan Laidlaw seems quick to dismiss science-based evidence about literacy scores. Part of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission’s findings are directly related to students with dyslexia, dyscalculia and similar conditions that are going undiagnosed or unrecognized. Teachers should be provided with literacy tools that help identify these conditions early, so support can be provided, as too many children are reaching middle years and high school undiagnosed.

I agree that mental health supports need to be created by the province to improve access for families. However, this can occur outside of the school system. Laidlaw quotes that one in seven students deal with mental health issues. A tragic number, but those students will benefit the most from strong literacy skills, as well as the other six of seven, in knowing how to access health care, improve economic opportunities and more, later in life.

Literacy in not only the foundation of education, but the foundation of a healthy society.

Kevin Tomanek

Winnipeg

Pleasure to visit city

Thank you Winnipeg. I have just returned home, here in Indiana, after my third trip to your fair city this year.

My first trip was back in May when my wife Arlene (McPherson, formerly of St. James), and I came north to help our daughter Peggy Glassco with her annual fundraiser for the Winnipeg Children’s Hospital sponsored by her business GymKyds Gymnastics Centre. My second trip was in July when my wife and I, along with my brother and two sisters, came to enjoy a surprise birthday party for Peggy put on by her staff at her gym, it was a special birthday but I won’t say for what year. Whenever I am here in the summer I always attend a Goldeyes baseball game.

I have been in several baseball stadiums both major and minor leagues and your stadium is the only one that I have been to that has a section especially for customers who have an allergy with peanuts. That is a great consideration for baseball fans. My third trip was this past week along with my brother, which was to be in Winnipeg for the Grey Cup festivities and the main reason was to watch our daughter Peggy, who was a Blue Bomber cheerleader back in the 1980s, and her other cheerleader alumni perform their routines in the convention centre.

Your convention centre is second to none, what a great building and event centre it is. The people who worked at the convention centre and all the volunteers were so helpful to my brother and I that I can’t say thank you enough.

I have been coming to Winnipeg every year since 1961. You have every reason to be proud of your city, which is a shining star in the middle of North America.

John Tribble

Brazil, Ind.