Don’t be selfish, it’s not Normandy
Thanks to the hordes who descended on the legislature this past weekend who exposed themselves as totally selfish and thoughtless in oh so many ways.
Five hours of obnoxious noise disturbing a lot of people and children in the name of what? Those poor souls!
They’ve had it with restrictions and protocols that have been implemented to help save lives, keep our hospitals functioning and eventually get us past this pandemic.
They don’t want to get vaccinated because their bodies are somehow special.
For God’s sake, all they are being asked to do is get a shot and wear a mask, not storm the beaches at Normandy.
There’s probably no one in B.C. who wouldn’t like to see this all come to an end. But to flaunt these efforts by blowing their horns for five hours just shows how childish and immature people can be.
Get a grip and deal with it.
Bob Bardagy and Polly McIsaac
Victoria
That convoy needs a more complete name
Freedom Convoy? It needs a new name.
How about: Inconvenience a city, disrespect a couple of cherished monuments, harass some young restaurant workers, cause a mall to close due to irresponsible behaviour, bully volunteers and demand food from a charity, assault a homeless person, hurl racial slurs at someone trying to do his job, Friends of COVID Convoy.
Did I miss something? Oh yeah, the swastika imagery.
No wonder the protest got a shout-out from none other than Donald Trump at a Texas “Make America Hate Again” rally over the weekend.
These people, even the majority of which did not engage in the above behaviour, do not represent the consensus of Canadians in general, notwithstanding our frustration over the past two years.
Sandy Szabo
North Saanich
Check the definition of that ‘freedom’ word
Our parents and grandparents fought wars for “freedom.” They and our allies fought an international enemy. Many made the ultimate sacrifice: their lives for the good of the people and country back home.
Others gave their time, energy and possessions. They willingly offered jewelry, gold and silver to help out in the war effort. The war for “freedom.”
Now it seems the meaning of “freedom” has changed. Flipped. Now it means “I won’t give up anything, I won’t do anything that may inconvenience me.” By today’s definition: The good of the nation must give way to the good of me.
You want to protest for “freedom”? Good! But check your definition first.
Jori and Mike Mitchell
Victoria
A lifetime of seeing immunizations work
I am a 92-year-old retired public health nurse and am distressed about the recent actions (convoy and marches) of protesters about the vaccine requirements.
I remember when I was a child my mother telling me about her best friend who died of smallpox when they were 12 years old, and now thankfully we do not see it any more.
I also remember in the 1930s and 1940s how worried my parents would be about polio. I graduated from university in 1953 as a public health nurse and shortly after that we started immunizing children with the vaccine for polio, and now we do not see it any more.
I also remember my children, now in their 60s, having mumps and measles, which for some can be very serious, and now my grandchildren and great- grandchildren will all be vaccinated for those diseases.
When we follow public heath guidelines, we are taking care of each other. Friends, family and even strangers.
I am so saddened to see the protesters in Ottawa and Victoria protesting about the current vaccine requirements.
Hilda Shilliday
Campbell River
About personal rights and responsibilities
On Saturday, on Douglas Street, I saw and heard many vehicles and people heading downtown with flags and handwritten signs. The local news confirmed they were protesting in support of truckers in Ottawa.
Individual freedoms and rights seemed to be a popular topic among the protesters. I started to wonder if there is any connection between individual rights and freedoms and the vitality of the society in which we live.
What, if any, are our individual responsibilities and obligations to ensure that our society continues to be safe and healthy? Do these responsibilities have any connection to our personal freedoms and rights? Is it necessary to choose between personal freedoms and rights and the needs of society in general?
The topic may be worthy of further discussion.
Kenan Sweezie
Victoria
Destruction ignored Cook’s place in history
Re: “Desecration of monuments draws condemnation,” Jan. 21.
I guess the condemnation depends on whose monument you desecrate. Terry Fox? Definitely out of bounds, Emily Carr the same, but the greatest navigator of all time, Capt. James Cook — that’s fair game.
Cook treated the peoples he came across during his voyages as legal possessors of the land they inhabit. A very rare quality for explorers of his day.
He also insisted on being the first ashore when they encountered these peoples as he wanted to make sure “ to restrain any crew member from using firearms against these people” and “the shedding of their blood is a crime of the highest order.”
These are the principles Cook carried with him through out his voyages. I doubt those who desecrated his statue and threw it into the harbour are aware that if Cook didn’t exist, there’s a big chance they wouldn’t either.
There is no question of the fact that the Europeans were coming here, and if the Spanish or the Americans had taken possession of this coast their treatment of the rightful owners would have been brutal and probably genocidal as their history clearly illustrates.
The ignorance and hatred that led to the Cook statue destruction seems to have been sanctioned by the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and city hall. Cook was one of the greatest men our civilization has produced and his place in history must never be forgotten.
Brian Town
North Saanich
We’re just letting the bad guys win
While I believe that we need to collectively rethink our understanding and presentation of Vancouver Island history to include the stories and experiences of the Indigenous peoples who thrived and prospered on this land long before European colonizers arrived, I do not believe that rewarding vandalism is the best place to start.
The decision of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority to permanently remove the Capt. James Cook statue from the Inner Harbour following its vandalism is simply the rewarding of uncivilized and illegal behaviour.
The message it sends is this: If you don’t like something, tear it down and demand that it be replaced with something that more completely accommodates your world view — your perspectives, your opinions.
No need to bother yourself trying to explain or convince others of your views through peaceful dialogue or rational argument, no, hooliganism and brute force will win the day.
It is indeed pitiful that it appears no criminal charges have, or likely will, be laid against those responsible for the destruction of this piece of public art, and shameful that these vandals are now to be rewarded for their actions by getting exactly what they apparently wanted — the removal of the statue.
The statue should have been repaired and promptly returned to its original place, and those responsible for its damage held fully accountable. Then, the rest of us could openly engage with one another to honestly reconsider how the past should be displayed and commemorated in our harbour.
Anything else is just letting the bad guys win.
John Boswell
Victoria
A vaccination is a small price to pay
I am 85 and living in a senior retirement residence. As a citizen of this country I value both the rights and the responsibilities that go with citizenship.
Rights and freedoms are important, and we are truly fortunate to live in a country that ensures we can enjoy them.
We all feel frustrated with the restrictions of the pandemic. However, before considering the promotion of your rights and freedoms, consider the situation of seniors in care homes who have been accepting even more restrictive conditions.
They do this because they understand their responsibility to help keep their neighbours safe. Even though our rights are being limited during the COVID pandemic, we need to find the right balance between them and our responsibilities to our neighbours and the whole community.
When we have to access to hospital care, hopefully it will be available. It can be if we follow the advice of the public health experts.
The need to work is also important. Getting vaccinated is a small price to pay when the evidence is so clear that it is the major contributor to ensuring those who need to work will be able to do so safely.
W. John McDonald
Victoria
Those two protests: C’est la même différence?
On Jan. 29, the Times Colonist reported that on Friday three people were arrested during old-growth logging protests on downtown Victoria streets, and that police officers had to close several streets in the area to minimize disruption and keep people safe.
On Jan. 30, the Times Colonist reported that on Saturday thousands gathered downtown for the truckers’ rally against pandemic restrictions, and that hundreds of vehicles had choked the Trans-Canada Highway and Douglas Street heading to the B.C. legislature.
B.C. Transit service was not possible into parts of James Bay; police were on the scene during the rally and had been advising residents that traffic in the city was disrupted by “severe traffic congestion” and to avoid the area.
How can the glaringly unequal treatment by police of the two groups of protesters be explained, especially considering the great differences of scale and effect on Victoria residents?
Brenda Mark
Shirley
Apology made, action taken
Re: “City of Victoria recommended changes to Coun. Ben Isitt’s email management to prevent privacy breaches,” Jan. 27.
As noted in this story, I have admitted that I erred in 2016 in adding residents to my newsletter mailing list without their approval.
I recognize and apologize for this mistake and have already removed these email addresses from my list. I will continue to do so at the request of anyone on the list.
I have also sought help from experienced list-managers to save me from making such mistakes again.
I want everyone to know that I am taking active measures to respect their privacy. I hope we can now focus on collectively addressing the major issues facing our community, including housing rights, climate action, community safety, the high cost of living and expanding opportunities for democratic public participation.
Ben Isitt, councillor
Victoria
Fees for physicians have not kept up
Comparisons may be odious, but give some food for thought.
When I immigrated to this country in 1984, the following may be of interest.
1984 ... 2022
My GP fee $19.00 ... $31.62
Gas (cents/litre) 39 ... 167
Staff wage/hour $7-$9 ... $27-$30
Honda Civic $7,000 ... $27,000
House $205,000 ... $1.1 million
’Nuff said.
Peter Houghton
Saanich
Many other buildings will have to go
Most of Tourism Minister Melanie Mark’s observations about the Royal B.C. Museum are true: There is asbestos in the building, the structure is not as seismically up-to-date as new buildings are, the displays need updating, and huge parts of the B.C. story need more inclusion and expansion.
The same is true, even more so, for the Parliament Buildings across the street, and much of Victoria’s delightful “old town” and indeed, “old towns” in Vancouver, especially with regards to building codes, etc.
So what to do, tear down and destroy everything built before 1990? Of course not.
Alas, the ministry has bungled the need to bring the museum up to date and expand the B.C. story to be more inclusive.
The minister notes that: “The museum engaged the public in 2019 about reimagining what the inside of the museum could look like.”
Sadly, although I have always been keen on how schools and museums engage the public, I must have been asleep that year for I don’t recall this initiative.
What her ministry has done so abruptly is ensure the RBCM’s very loyal patrons are excluded from a broad engagement of how to improve the museum and expand its rather narrow story by shutting everything down and destroying it in order to start from scratch.
B.C. governments have never been generous funders of arts and culture in the province compared with other jurisdictions. Despite her lofty intentions, I fear the RBCM will never have the funding to rebuild what was destroyed and include the range of stories that are clearly missing.
I will have “checked out” long before this is even half done. I suspect that reconciliation will be one of the casualties of this clumsy approach.
Barry Rolston
Victoria
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