Letters, Feb. 18

Canadian values

Re: Canada at the centre of Olympic curling controversy (Feb. 15)

Well, this is embarrassing. The International Olympic Committee’s mission is to “unite the world in peaceful competition and foster an atmosphere of peace … tolerance and understanding.” How is Canada doing so far?

Well we have curler Mark Kennedy’s overly aggressive, profane response when challenged by the Swedish opponents for making an illegal throw. Kennedy, while protesting his innocence, attacks the Swedes by stating that “they’ve come up with a plan to catch teams in the act” and “he might have been upset that he was losing.”

John Morris, a former teammate and Kennedy apologist says Kennedy is not a cheater, the rule has never been enforced before and anyway, it has no impact on the outcome of the shot. Others suggested that Swedish TV deliberately set up a camera to record the alleged misconduct as if that is the issue rather than the misconduct itself. None of these responses sound like those of an innocent party.

In fairness to Kennedy, he is simply bringing Canada’s hockey culture into curling. When Tom Wilson was selected to Canada’s Olympic hockey team, there were many who were surprised at the choice. He is a player with some hockey skills, although not nearly sufficient to justify his inclusion on this elite team. But he does have a history as an NHL hockey goon. And not unexpectedly, he broke an Olympic hockey record (there had been no hockey fights since 1998) by being the aggressor in a fight with Pierre Crinon of Team France. Equally disturbing was the way Wilson was praised by his coaches and teammates for the fight because his opponent allegedly tried to injure a Canadian player. Wilson certainly is an expert on “deliberate intent to injure” situations with an NHL disciplinary record of among other things, six lengthy suspensions and three fines.

We can make light of the uncouth and belligerent behaviour of these two athletes as the Canadian media has done but it does a disservice to our Olympic athletes, coaches and their families who have dedicated countless hours to representing Canada honourably … and peacefully.

The French Ice Hockey Federation has suspended Crinon, the non-aggressor in the fight, for the rest of the tournament because his conduct was against its values. The Canadian Olympic Committee should immediately do the same for Wilson. If not, we will know what Canadian Olympic values are.

Robert Pruden

Winnipeg

Compassion for others

Re: United in grief (Feb. 14)

The photo on the front page of Saturday’s Free Press shows what being “woke” really looks like. The term has been much misappropriated and used as a derogatory adjective, often by those with right-leaning ideologies against others who raise concerns for the vulnerable, for the environment, or about abuses of power.

They seem to miss the point that it is regard and caring for each other, for other creatures with whom we share our lives, and for this fragile planet. This world needs many more people wide “awake” and sooner rather than later would be good.

Marjorey Dwornick

Winnipeg

Weak response on measles

I can’t help but wonder about the province’s lackluster response to the measles epidemic. In their public comments, our public health people can’t even be bothered to tell people where or how to arrange a measles vaccination, one of the best ways to prevent further outbreaks. And let’s not forget the 175,000-plus Manitobans without access to a family physician. No wonder the outbreaks and unwanted exposures continue!

I am presently in Mexico. A single measles case was detected in Puerto Vallarta. Within days the authorities set in place a plan to be able to vaccinate 6,000 people a day, starting from the home where the case was discovered. A door to door campaign!

Imagine bringing the service to the people, rather than forcing people to find out on their own how to protect themselves and their families.

And imagine all the parents of newborns and infants, being afraid to go anywhere, including now a Jets game(!) in case of a random measles exposure that at worst could prove fatal to their child and at best cause long lasting repercussions.

I wish public health would be a leader on this issue. Lukewarm press releases are not the way to go.

Laurie Allen

Winnipeg

Working for change

Re: Protest bylaw goes too far (Think Tank, Feb. 14)

I’m grateful for the clarity with which the authors speak to the inadvisability of the proposed “bubble zones” around peaceful public protest. Because each time we reduce the capacity of concerned citizens to call out injustice and advocate for change we move closer towards the unravelling of democratic society.

It’s easy to take pride in Canada’s moral stance as we watch the frightening slip toward authoritarianism in our southern neighbour and in the world at large. Or is it more a case of untoward complacency, or of our human tendency to bury our heads in the sand?

Of course I recognize and celebrate Canada’s achievements in fostering a caring and inclusive society. But we need to pay very close attention to our own authoritarian leanings if we are to avoid our own rapid slip into chaos: to Canada’s relentless avoidance of the reality of climate crisis through the promotion of fossil-fuel megaprojects; our entrenched reluctance to bite the bullet and provide effective and humane responses to the severe impacts of climate-related disasters carried by our First Peoples through Hydro mismanagement practices; our failure to effectively respond to the ongoing crises of homelessness and food insecurity in our urban centres; the gutting of social and health services and research capacity; our failure to put an end to the support of genocidal wars by Canada’s arms industry that ultimately reduces every country’s security, including ours… The list is long, the challenges interconnected.

I understand that on one level the problems are complex and therefore belie easy solutions. But surely endorsing policies that intensify unsustainable conditions; that interfere with public calls for a safer, more caring, and more just society is not the path on which we want to travel.

And perhaps by continuing to fall back on the argument of “complexity,” we obscure a simple truth; that in a wealthy country such as ours, it is and has always been a question of who profits from the distribution of wealth and who is left wanting; of who has a voice in deciding how and on what we distribute our resources and who is silenced.

Surely now is the time for deep change in our distribution structures and to learn from and celebrate the folks who are working for change, including those engaged in peaceful protest.

Frances Ravinsky

Winnipeg

Protecting protest rights

Re: Protest bylaw goes too far (Think Tank, Feb. 14); City’s proposed ‘nuisance’ protest ban doesn’t pass Charter test (Feb. 14)

I think Winnipeggers should be extremely concerned about the proposed nuisance protest ban. I am entirely prepared to risk being offended by a protest if the freedom to protest is safeguarded. The lack of definitive terms describing the ban is very concerning. Who determines which protest is a nuisance protest? Which specific characteristics result in a location being determined to be a vulnerable social location?

As it stands, the proposed ban brings to mind recent situations in a country of which I am not a citizen and do not wish to be.

As Tom Brodbeck states in his column, Canadians have no constitutional right to be free from discomfort in public.

Lynn Silver

Winnipeg