Volume Nine, Number Four   September 2004    www.columbiajournal.ca

Letters

BC Apathy Threatens Our Rights

Just had to respond to Teresa Crouse's (Columbia Journal June edition) letter saying hospital workers "should consider themselves lucky” since they put the brakes on privatization (for how
long?) and it only cost them a 15 per cent wage cut.

That's like saying, "we got screwed, but not as badly as it could have been, so it's okay". How defeatist is that?

I moved to BC from Quebec six years ago and continue to be amazed at the apathy of the public here. A few months ago in Quebec there were massive protests simply at the suggestion their provincial government was looking into privatization in the public sector.

They hadn't even done anything yet and there were literally thousands in the streets! Come on people, get off your asses and stand up for your rights and hard earned tax
dollars! Some of you may have voted in the "Liberals" in 2001 (not me), but that does not mean we have to put up with their draconian anti-social agenda.

Charles Leduc
Vancouver

Israel Article Biased, Inaccurate

I sincerely hope your newspaper is willing to publish a challenge to the false allegations made against Israel in the article "Is Criticism of Israel Anti-Semitic? "by Mordecai Briemberg. It is curious that Mr. Briemberg blames Israel for all the problems of the Palestinians and ignores the multiple efforts that have been made to achieve peace. It is because Israel is a democracy that a range of opinions are expressed without consequence or repression. The Palestinian Authority has refused to live up to agreements or put an end to the killings of innocent civilians by suicide bombers.
How is it possible for those who purport to defend and honor human rights to align themselves with dictators who repress and punish and deny human rights to their own people? It is a proven fact that Mr. Arafat has diverted mullions of dollars intended for his people into his own bank accounts. Why has there been so little improvement for the Palestinian people under Arafat’s leadership. Millions of dollars have been donated for that purpose.

To blame Israel or the United States for the conditions facing the Palestinian people is to ignore documented facts. Why is no attention being paid to the cruel persecution of Christians under Arafat’s leadership? It is too easy to blame the United States, Israel, Western Civilization, on anyone and anything, except themselves. People in the Sudan are suffering misery and starvation. They do not resolve their problems with suicide bombing. 

Sally Rogow
Vancouver


Boost the Economy. Buy Back Our Debt

I wouldn’t mind public debt so much if the interest payments were put to real progressive use (Civilizing the Banks—April).

For example, what our government can do, with the encouragement of the likes of the Fraser Institute, is to improve our economy by producing a greater incentive for mostly-average-income Canadians to buy-up, at least, the lion’s share of our nation’s debt.

Those Canadians, needing to spend the interest payments they receive from their government bonds on life’s necessities, would circulate that money within our nation’s economy.

The only unfortunate alternative is for foreign lenders to spend in foreign nations the considerable funds (i.e., billions of dollars) they receive from our tax-dollar interest payments.
 
Frank G. Sterle, Jr.
White Rock

Olympic Woes not About Money

As a Canadian who cares about this country, I was offended at seeing our coaches lamenting on how poorly our athletes did at this summer’s Olympic Games and then whining about needing more money from the federal government in order to do better.

I just learned that Cuba, with a shoestring budget for its Olympic athletes, won almost as many medals as we did.

Obviously, it’s not about money. Maybe it’s just that people in other countries are more patriotic and respectful of their heritage than we are in Canada. Maybe Canadians, including the coaches and the team managers, should put more pride and effort into showing the world the great potential Canadians have, instead of crying for more hand-outs.

Jeff Smith
New Westminster