Ignorance is adult, don’t blame the kids
Re: “Don’t call Horgan a racist,” letter, Oct. 16.
One letter writer said that “racism is taught by ignorant people to ignorant children.” I have worked with children professionally almost my entire life, mostly with children with diverse or special needs.
It is not children who are ignorant. Children are mostly oblivious to differences and if they become aware it is really only to ask a question like “how come?” or “does it hurt?” or “do you burn?”
Perhaps this particular letter writer meant to say that “racism is taught by ignorant adults to innocent children.”
Ann Wilmut
Oak Bay
Rail revival a poor use of resources
Rail revival proponents talk about “the incredibly positive impact a full restoration of rail service would have for our Island economy”. However, the story only mentions costs, not benefits.
The key thing to note about the new consultants’ report is that it is an “economic impact” study, not a cost-benefit analysis. Construction and labour are costs, not benefits. If the $470 million is spent and ridership is very low, it will flunk any cost-benefit test
The proponents of an E&N rail revival have yet to demonstrate adequate demand for this service. In this pandemic era, with inter-city travel having ground to a halt and bus operators with comparatively low capital costs having trouble surviving, can a revived E&N be anything but an expensive novelty for local tourists?
All indications are that this venture would prove to be a poor use of scarce public and private resources, regardless of how many dollars are spent or person-years of employment created.
Even if no one cares anymore about how much government finances deteriorate, public subsidies for the E&N will still crowd out more useful forms of public capital spending.
Chris Lawless
Victoria
No money to pay for those promises
“Unprecedented bribery being dangled by all three major parties,” editorial, Oct. 15.
The editorial rightly concludes that all political parties are attempting to bribe the electorate prior to the provincial election.
However the prize being dangled – spending, and more spending – will never be awarded as there is no cash left with which to bribe, as our coffers are empty, have been for some time with no realistic plans for replenishment.
All that is left are empty promises….that never will, and never can be kept, by any party.
Will we ever learn not to be misled by politicians who try to bribe us just to get re-elected to well paid positions with gold plated benefits and pensions?
N.G. Giuliany
Colwood
Quiet park taken over by a tent
Beware, Victoria residents. We hear all the time that camping is not allowed in most parks in the city. I live near a small park and the only thing in the park is a children’s playground. No facilities whatsoever!
We now have a tent and someone camping so we contacted the city bylaw officers – and lo and behold the camper can stay because they are more than 23 feet from the playground.
This park is used by several daycares in the neighbourhood and also has a walkway that is heavily used by children going to school. Needless to say the only person using the park in the future will be the person camping.
This will drive out all the daycares and the neighbour children. Why am I paying taxes when we can’t even enjoy a quiet neighbourhood park.
Eileen Cannon
Victoria
You can see colour, and also not see it
I was an educator for 31 years in Mississauga, Ont., a very multicultural city. The schools I worked at had many students from around the world. It was akin to a mini United Nations.
There were children from Lebanon, Egypt, Haiti, Mauritius and many French- speaking African countries. It was an enriching experience to interact with students and their parents from such diverse backgrounds.
It did not take me long to realize that children and parents the world over are very much the same.
Did I see colour? Of course I did. Literally! I would have had to be visually impaired not to. However, over time I did not see colour. Figuratively!
When one says that one does not see colour, it is not meant to be offensive. Rather, it is a sincere and heartfelt manner to say that one sees everyone as being equal no matter their race, religion, or culture. I don’t understand how this simple sentence can be construed as offensive.
Why? Who decided this?
Lynn Bourget-Cowie
Ladysmith
How to remove unwanted graffiti
I was very glad to read that Victoria council had “finally” made the right decision to remove the All Cops Are Bastards (ACAB) acronym from the street art that Victorians paid for. But then I was dismayed when I read the council did not not know when and how that might occur.
Allow me to assist them here:
WHEN: Immediately.
HOW: With paint and paint brush.
Russell McDonald
Saanich
Photocopies? Who can do that?
My mail-in voting package included a form 3003662 “Vote by mail ID requirements” which stipulates providing a photocopy of ID in order to qualify to vote in this manner. What nonsense! I have been voting for years and am in the system.
This may discourage some from voting using this method.
I don’t have a photocopier and it’s inconvenient to do this. Voting by mail should be convenient, not a burden.
I predict many votes will be rejected due to this and wonder if statistics will prove this after the count.
Bennett Guinn
Victoria
It’s simple: VicPD needs more money
I read with absolute shock and horror that Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins and their cohorts on the Victoria and Esquimalt Police Board have once again set out to handcuff its police department by cutting back on the unquestionable need for every penny Police Chief Del Manak has asked for.
The city has blown millions on projects that could have been stretched out by many years at the expense of protecting its citizens, including the most vulnerable, from the consequences of political mismanagement.
Bike lanes, for example, are not urgent.
Saving lives is.
It may be of no concern to them, but I will not travel to Victoria to enjoy its many offerings both day and night, not because of a lack of parking, but simply because the parkades are too dangerous and the streets are just too uncomfortable to be on.
Jack Trueman
Brentwood Bay
Of course, scientists can make mistakes
Re: “Putting profit above the planet,” letter, Oct. 16.
The writer expresses surprise that a U.S. trade association places profit above people and the planet.
Of course they do — that is economic theory that states that when everyone maximizes their profit, society as a whole will benefit. This has worked over several hundred years, and there is no chance that we will change to any other system.
Then there is geochemical theory, which states that planet Earth has gone through cycles of ice ages and hothouse ages. These are caused not by plastics, which are relatively harmless geologically speaking, but by variations in atmospheric gases. This is even better-established theory, but operates over a longer time scale.
Are scientists ever wrong? Of course they are. Science is the clash of hypotheses, the better ones win and become theories. As a scientist, what we got breathtakingly wrong was the time scale. Myself and many others imagined changes over thousands of years: In fact, we are seeing changes already from a couple of hundred years of industrialization.
My hypothesis: we are doomed! Mass migrations and wars will occur (actually are already occurring) as densely populated regions stop producing food. Eventually, the remaining human population will settle down as a few million on Antarctica. Am I crazy? Probably, but as an 84-year-old I will never know.
Joe Harvey
Victoria
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