Stop the madness of using coal
Re: “Giant stacker built at Victoria shipyard arrives in Vancouver,” Aug. 20.
Why are we celebrating the construction and delivery of this thing? This beast that will improve and increase the delivery of coal? The world is burning. Pandemics are causing tens of thousands of deaths and trillions of dollars in economic loss and hardship. Yet, we celebrate the shipping of coal?
I am glad to hear it is metallurgical coal for making steel, but it is still coal. We need to stop this madness.
Barton Bourassa
Victoria
Respect each other and get on with life
When I hear it said that our new finance minister is the first “woman” to hold the position or that Kamala Harris is the first “person of colour” to be running for vice-president I cringe.
Highlighting these irrelevant points is part of the problem. We need to stop focusing on our differences, stop whining about words that hurt our feelings, and realize we are all humans who need to respect each other and just get on with life.
C. Scott Stofer
Victoria
The key issue is not homelessness
Re: “Homeless people camping at Beacon Hill are mostly from here,” commentary, Aug. 19.
The writers say that numbers in the recent Point In Time study support the notion that “homeless people are mostly from here.” I beg to differ.
The study found 16 per cent of 1,523 respondents were here less than a year. That’s 244 people, a very large homeless camp. Any reasonable person would assume that similar numbers came to Victoria in previous years and as the authors state, less than half of the respondents have lived here more than five years.
The authors claim that these 244 people came here not because they were homeless, but “because family moved here, to be with family or friends, and to find employment.”
Even if this is true, no one should be moving to one of the most expensive cities in the country without the means to support themselves.
On the truth there is complete silence. This issue we have is not “homelessness” at all. The issues are migration, drug and alcohol addiction and mental health issues. No amount of “affordable” housing will change that.
As the authors indicate, “more than 600 people have been housed indoors since the pandemic began.” Many hundreds more have been housed previously. And still, we have about the same number of homeless as we have had for years, and far higher per capita than any other area in the country.
Until these authors and others face up to the true causes of this issue and deal with them, nothing will change. The record speaks for itself.
Chris Lawson
Victoria
If you don’t like it, don’t look at it
Re: “Fantasy-creature mural causes a stir in Nanaimo,” Aug. 20.
Wow! This certainly trumps other critical and important matters surrounding us: COVID-19, unemployment, business losses, getting our kids back to school, issues on our streets and the list goes on.
Don’t like it, don’t look at it!
John Stevenson
Victoria
Raise the drinking age to limit COVID-19
As the major increase in the number of new COVID-19 infections appear to be coming from people in the 20-to-40 age group, and as this appears to be a result of drug- and alcohol-related parties, why not raise the legal drug and alcohol age to say 41 until the curve is flattened once again?
Talk about an incentive!
Bruce Cline
Victoria
Language is major component of power
Re: “Acceptance of words varies with time,” letter, Aug. 20.
Your correspondent overlooks certain important aspects of the situation she criticizes. First, language is not just about expressing thoughts. It is a major component of power. Power that is exercised through varying degrees of deprivation, oppression, exploitation, discrimination, physical beating, etc., against minorities. Reforming the language used to justify these behaviours is not merely about offending people. It is part of a worldwide struggle for social justice.
Secondly, she shows no respect for people on the receiving end of those forms of power. It is not just “a few academics” who aim to reform this kind of language but also thousands of activists and victims of abuse who want to see members of minorities respected for who they are as human beings.
The letter-writer puts herself on the side of “facts” and logic. Empathy and understanding are required if one wishes to educate oneself about the true nature of her topic.
Rennie Warburton
Victoria
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