Letters, May 6 – Winnipeg Free Press

Opinion

Stop space

Again: The city needs to adopt a gardener's perspective (Think Center, May 3)

Bravo, Michelle Durand-Wood, thank you for your speech and your insights into urban planning in our city. Bigger is not better. It's past time to freeze space and make Winnipeg a more livable, walkable city. Providing existing areas with tree-lined boulevards should be a priority for City Council and the people of Winnipeg.

Consider the number of people who prefer to walk on shady streets on a summer's day compared to the sunburnt streets of the neighborhood.

Gerry Thorsteinson

Winnipeg

Still supporting the home team

It's time for fair-weather Jets fans to complain about not getting past their first playoff series.

After all, “we fans deserve better!” They quickly made us forget the six months of fast and fun games we'd seen and helped shorten the long cold winter nights. We are lucky to have our planes! Spend the summer with your family and your loyal fans will be waiting for you in the fall.

Go Jets, Go!

Cathy Geeky

Strathclair

While all of us Jets fans are disappointed with another playoff loss, I don't see it as a lost season. The Jets have been a fun team to watch this season.

I am a member of a season ticket sharing group, my son and I bought extra games (I attended 18 games this season). Retired from hockey; I love to participate in games. There are things that happen in games that I can't see on TV.

As fans, we have to take a breath, winning the Stanley Cup is not easy. That's the goal for 32 teams every year. Teams like Washington, St. Louis and Dallas all had years of disappointment before winning the Cup. There are 11 teams that have never won the Cup (others haven't won the Cup for decades). Some were much better, went deeper into the playoffs and lasted longer in the league than the Jets.

I will never see the Winnipeg Jets win the Stanley Cup in my lifetime. But I agree, they provide me with winter entertainment and are a good fit for our town.

Jerry Comeau

Winnipeg

About ag-gag laws

Again: Animal activists are up in arms after parts of Ontario's farm law were ruled unconstitutional (April 30)

Another peculiarity of ag-gag laws is that they are broken when efforts to introduce significant legislative changes to improve animal welfare move at a glacial pace…

Animal agriculture is subsidized to the tune of billions of dollars, so taxpayers have a right to know what goes on behind the closed doors of industrial farms. Instead, they are fed a litany of euphemisms designed to moralize, greenwash, or otherwise mislead.

Which of our Canadian values ​​allows us to deny legal protection to the most vulnerable in our society while enacting laws that criminalize those who seek to expose their abuse?

Debbie Wall

Winnipeg

river rights

Again: 'Water is life': First Nations file $4 billion suit over Lake Winnipeg pollution (May 1)

I listened to the voices of local people concerned about and protecting the environment.

In the early 1990s, my father attended public hearings regarding the City of Winnipeg's practice of allowing untreated sewage to flow into the Red River.

He was the head of the Manitoba government's small environmental health department. “The Red River has a right,” he said, as one of the concluding parts of his detailed statement calling for adequate infrastructure to stop sewage from flowing into the river.

This led to laughter and teasing. The Conservative government at the time managed to get him to go to work as a doctor for the health department in northwestern Ontario.

30 years later, there is still debate over whether we have the “right” to dump sewage into rivers. First Nations are committed to helping every Manitoban.

Ian Sarsfield

Winnipeg

Go hard

Navigating Highway 75 south to the American border is like a carnival at the Red River Fair.

There are bumps, potholes, cracks, and chips on the surface of the concrete highway that test the integrity of your vehicle.

You will not fall asleep at the wheel on this highway.

Robert Moskal

Winnipeg

Injustice

Again: A better response to victims of sexual violence (Survey Center, April 30); Actor Depardieu was accused of sexual assault (April 30)

More examples of how rich people can use their money to get out of legal problems, including the most heinous sexual assault. Starting with Bill Cosby, he was released from prison before serving his minimum sentence (three to 10 years). Due to the number of girls and women he raped, he should have been sentenced to life in prison, but he was released before completing three years on a ridiculous technicality. Jeffrey Epstein was another man who victimized girls and women for decades before he was finally charged. Peter Nygard eluded justice for decades before being tried, convicted and imprisoned.

Actor Gerard Depardieu has been accused of raping and/or sexually assaulting many women over the decades. He denied rape for a long time. As a big celebrity in France, he was able to deny his guilt and avoid official charges.

Harvey Weinstein, who is in prison on other rape charges, dropped rape and sexual assault charges in another case.

Rich people have been allowed to continue their attacks on girls and women for decades, proclaiming their innocence, calling all accusers liars and refusing to admit that what they did was wrong. They had the financial resources to spend millions of dollars persevering in trying to get them out of jail, released from prison, and finding ways to deny their victims the justice they deserved. It begs the question how many people (the justice system, politicians) have been able to influence improperly with bribes to deny justice.

Gary McGimpsey

Winnipeg

Things to negotiate

Again: A striking and disturbing contrast (Thinking Center, May 2)

There are a number of statements in this comment that concern me. I have concerns when a writer boils down a decades-long struggle to such a stark either/or description.

For example, to describe the October 7 attack as a “primary crime” ignores decades of crimes committed on both sides of this struggle. Likewise, the description of the Israeli state's response to this horrific attack as “just” is troubling. I struggle to see a just answer (other than an apology) on both sides of this war.

Finally, generalizing various rallies as “good/bad” ignores the humanity of all those trying to support innocent civilians in Israel and Palestine.

Can we agree on a few “truths”? One: if there was a simple solution to this conflict, it would have happened long ago. Can we agree that we seek peace for all citizens of Israel and Palestine? Second: Isn't it anti-Semitic or anti-Islamic to criticize government actions and decisions? If we disagree with our leaders, it's not a condemnation of all citizens of that country or a hatred of “those people.”

I hope we can agree that we want the hostages in Gaza to be returned home and families reunited. Can we agree that we want the bombing of Gaza to stop so that the Palestinians can feel safe again and build their homes again? Is the security of the Palestinians linked to the security of the Israelis? Does everyone deserve a place called “home”?

If we cannot agree on these things, I have little hope for our future.

Carl Langelotz

Winnipeg