Letters - October 2

Speak no evil

Re: “Bracing for the New Boss,” September 25-October 1

My support and gratitude go to the employees of the former Honeywell Electronic Materials plant, caught as they are on the frontlines of defending our precious right to free speech against the long arm of Chinese interference. I was truly shocked to read that the new owners, the China Silian Instrument Group—wholly owned by the government of China—thought they could dictate, on Canadian soil, what workers could talk about in the plant. We know that’s how it’s done in China, but the new ownership better learn in a hurry that when you’re in Canada, Canadian rights prevail.

While Canadians’ eagerness for ever-increasing trade with China may suggest a willingness to look the other way where rights are concerned, a line must be drawn here, clear and bold: workers in Canada have rights, and there is no compromise.

 Monday, please keep us informed on this situation.

Kathie Putt, Victoria

All the news that wasn’t

Re: “Oh Gary, where art thou?,” September 25-October 1

If you believe the propaganda sent out from the Dogwood Initiative last week about media not covering their event in Sidney on September 20, I’ve got a bridge over the Saanich Inlet I’d like to sell you. 

Not only did Charles Campbell grossly overestimate the number of protesters attending the rally (there were close to 100), he grossly underestimated media coverage. The Peninsula News Review (covering the Saanich Peninsula, including Sidney) ran a story prior to the rally, on our front page, which Campbell was interviewed for. We also ran a front page story the following Wednesday, and a story and video were uploaded to our website following the rally.

Monday should say “Oops” for its lack of fact-checking. Go to peninsulanewsreview.com to read our stories online.

Laura Lavin, editor

Peninsula News Review

Buffing up

Re: “Naked and Unafraid,” September 25-October 1

In explaining the reason behind the nudity at Poetry in the Raw: Covered, Missie Peters calls it an “empowering event. It pushes the performer into new realms, to give them new tools, to provide new experience to the audience, and to broaden their horizons.”

So how does the nudity accomplish all that? Miss Peters doesn’t tell us; she merely hides behind the usual platitudes that are common in certain circles. 

If people want to take their clothes off, I have no problem with that. But why do these exhibitionists need a reason for taking off their clothes? Surely they don’t expect their pretentious fantasies of “broadening their horizons” to be taken seriously?

Kjell Nilsen, Victoria

Queer little issue

Re: Letters, September 25-October 1

I read first with amusement and then dismay the letter from Martha Watson, Colin & Justin’s Toronto representative, in which Ms. Watson took umbrage at the headline of Bill Stuart’s article, “Homos Away From Home.”

I’ve watched C&J;through their various home-decor shows over the past several years and can count at least on one hand the number of times one or both of these gentlemen have used the “H” word, always in the context of irony or fun with which it was intended in Stuart’s headline.

The huffiness of Ms. Watson reminds me of the time, back when I did such things, when I interviewed a member of the British royal family about her forthcoming book, which focused on the menage â trois between a French king, his wife and his mistress. I showed the completed article to the lady, who approved it, and then it went on to my editor, where it was given the headline “Royal Three Way.” I thought this tongue-in-cheek headline appropriate for the book and its own tone of risqué amusement. Alas! When I sent the published article to HRH, I nearly had my head bitten off—because of the headline.

Interestingly, after putting my head back on, I went to a book party for the author, and in the receiving line I was singled out by this same lady for having written “that marvelous article about the book.” So maybe Ms. Watson, as HRH, was just having a bad day, or she just happened to leave her sense of humour at home. Either way, her letter, given the facts of the matter, seems to me both uncalled for and—for the manager of Colin & Justin—strikingly dull.

Grant Hayter-Menzies, Victoria

Who wants to swap?

Re: “Stratego,” September 25-October1

Thank you to Sid Tafler for drawing our attention to the concept of strategic voting. Readers may be interested in a non-partisan website, votepair.ca, which matches voters with others who wish to swap voting locations with them. For many, this is the only chance to have their vote count in our first-past-the-post-system.

For example, if I wish to vote Green but feel it would be a throwaway vote in my riding, and the website can find me a match in a riding where a Green vote might realistically contribute to a win—but where, for example, the Liberal candidate has no chance whereas in my riding the Liberal candidate does—then that other Liberal voter and I would agree to “swap” votes. S/he would agree to vote Green and I would agree to vote Liberal. Both of us would benefit.

Lest others wonder, this practice has been deemed legal by Elections Canada. Also, the website is open to voters of all stripes. I never vote without getting a shiver down my spine—and this is a way to make our precious democracy even more so.

Silvia Schriever, Victoria

Election selections

Re: “Vote or else,” September 18-24

I don’t always read Monday Magazine, but my husband appears to enjoy it. (I think it’s because he likes to find the “M.”) Liberals (which I feel you must be), no matter how “crappy” their candidates are, no matter how badly they have put the country in debt, are unable to be politically correct and never seem to care whether their candidate can speak English, keep raising our taxes. You all continue to vote Liberal! Why?

My vote is too precious to put in another bumbling Liberal. Why can’t you see we have a super prime minister already? Yes, he’s shy, but look at all the attributes he has. He’s paying off the debt, cancelled subsidies to the oil sands until 2010, he’s outlawed all corporate and union donations to political candidates or their parties, lowered the GST, finally—after four years of trying—got the “Faint Hope clause” passed to stop creeps like Clifford Olsen going before the parole board and on and on. Our country is the most prosperous it has been in years and Stephen Harper has won the respect of all world leaders. Use your brain and think!

When something ain’t broke, why on Earth try to fix it? I’m proud to be Canadian, thanks to our intelligent, honourable, dignified prime minister, who has been voted the “World’s Best Leader” by a MacLean’s poll. Scaring seniors won’t work this time.

Eileen Nattrass, Saanichton

When our Canadian soldiers started to die in Afghanistan, we all felt sad and troubled.   Then the government tried to explain to the country that in a war, soldiers die. We tried to understand, but more and more our soldiers  are sent home dead; each time it happened, our subconscious told us, “When are we going to wake up? Canada will never win the war in Afghanistan.”

Canada is not a military power and will never be one. Harper can invest all his pennies in our Canadian army; it’s still a lost cause. Our force should be a diplomatic one instead, just like when Lester B. Pearson was in charge. Let’s say no to an offensive army. We cannot let our guys get killed over there.

Harper wants an election. Unfortunately, the dead in Afghanistan are not able to vote against him, so let’s do it for them.

 Al Goguen, Victoria

Interesting editorial and an instructive comment on how the B.C. Liberals are “favouring the few and the rich over the many and the struggling.” But is the natural corollary that voting will change that situation? Isn’t the premise based on actual democracy? And do we in fact live in an actual democracy—or is it in fact a plutocracy and we should start acknowledging that reality?

And what happens when the poor and dispossessed who are fighting for the right to vote actually get the right and then elect leaders? How about in Haiti? Canada, along with the USA and France (the former imperialist colonizer of Haiti) intervened to overthrow democratically-elected president Aristide. And in Venezuela, where the U.S. and NED and the CIA and USAid and other created bodies work overtime to overthrow the repeatedly-elected Chavez; or in Chile, or Bolivia or Ecuador or Guatemala . . . the list goes on and on, and no one wants to admit that reality.

To be told one must vote “or else” has the thread of corporate plutocratic fascism in it. And as we are told of how free we are and democratic are our institutions it is useful to recall Goethe’s words: “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Enjoy voting.

Foster Griezic, Victoria

You spin me right round

Re: “Digital Antidote,” September 11-17

That was a great article by Rick Gibbs, especially for a vinyl collector like myself. The sound of a vinyl record has no equal. Thanks!

Bruce Goertzen, via mondaymag.com