Art gallery exhibit deserves to be seen
Thank you for such the splendid Feb. 15 article about the current exhibition at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria celebrating the fine works of Canadian artists of Black ancestry, long overlooked.
This powerful exhibition of the work of Denyse Thomasos, a child from Trinidad, raised in Canada, who travelled the world in search of her ancestral heritage then gave us impassioned paintings of her profound images of her universal realizations.
I have seen this exhibition three times, and will go again. Her highly original images are just now being discovered by the world.
Her architectural structures and unique painting techniques are breathtaking.
Tragically she died suddenly, only 47, at a routine medical test.
Go with a friend, and have long talks about the works. An original way to find ourselves again. Celebrate this artist.
Carole Sabiston
Victoria
Mark Twain gave us these words of wisdom
True words of wisdom remain relevant across generations. Here are three quotes from Mark Twain (1835- 1910) that seem to be apropos for today:
“The trouble with the world is not that people know too little; it’s that they know so many things that just aren’t so”; “Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience”; and “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
Daryl Jones
Victoria
Fringe took away from a legitimate protest
The freedom convoy started with people who sounded normal, and polls suggested 33 per cent of Canadians sympathized with their concerns.
Then came the true fringe minority to join those who had rational and understandable complaints about pandemic restrictions.
The media did their duty and told us about swastika-waving, loud-horn grave-defilers.
These extreme fringe people have once again ruined things for those who have legitimate concerns about government policies. Anybody today who says anything positive about the freedom convoy will likely be stigmatized.
The stigma should be directed only at those few who robbed the many peaceful protesters of their chance to have their voices heard.
We all lost, due to the “fringe” loser crowd.
Stigma can be a weapon in the future, if we choose to stigmatize those who deserve it.
Thomas Parsons
Victoria
Please don’t say the protest was peaceful
Re: “‘Freedom convoy’: Flash in the pan or budding political movement?” column, Feb. 20.
I was shocked to read that according to Lawrie McFarlane, “the vast majority of the protesters have been peaceful.”
There is nothing peaceful about illegally occupying a city, advocating overthrow of an elected government, subjecting its citizens to extreme noise for three weeks, intimidating people for wearing masks to the point where they were afraid to leave their homes, and forcing a major shopping mall to close without considering the impact on fellow Canadians.
I do not agree that the Ottawa demonstration (and others) were necessary; that is my personal opinion, but please do not call them peaceful.
Ed White
Cobble Hill
Comparisons between Japanese and protesters
Re: “Remembering an ugly chapter of government-condoned racism,” column, Feb. 20.
As I was reading Monique Keiran’s piece, I began seeing parallels with the Freedom Convoy and government and media response. Although the situations are completely incomparable, similar prejudices and government overreach seem to echo.
Like the Japanese, peaceful protesters are being stripped of their rights — property damaged and confiscated by the state, bank accounts frozen and credit cards cancelled, jobs lost simply for donating.
Not to mention the gaslighting and vilification stoked by government and irresponsible legacy-media demonization.
It appears mass hysteria has made a triumphant return. “Should we tolerate those people,” indeed.
Guess human nature never changes, just the victim.
Mark Taylor
Cowichan Valley
Is this the kind of Canada that we want?
I believe in the vaccine, but my beliefs about Canada have been shaken over the past six months.
I cannot believe how easy it was for government to take away the rights of the unvaccinated — take away their jobs, take away access to their children, ostracize them from society, and how easily the majority of Canadians supported it.
Although not quite on the same scale, it reminds me of my grandfather, a community respected Lutheran minister, who was sent to an internment camp in New Brunswick for several years during the Second World War because he was German.
I really hope people will reflect on what kind of Canada they want to live in going forward and what kind of government they want to support.
Debbie Sutcliffe
Crofton
PM should try dialogue instead of legislation
From the outset of the Freedom Convoy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has shown no willingness to listen to those who drove to Ottawa. Instead, he has spoken contemptuously of them.
This, ironically, led to entrenchment, a prolonged presence of the protesters. Having created this situation by his disdain and intransigence, the PM caused the issue to escalate, and now uses force and freezing of bank accounts.
In 1962, U.S. president John F. Kennedy wisely observed: “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
There was the possibility of a peaceful resolution, one that would maintain the dignity of the government as well as the dignity of the protesters. But that required the government to show that it was listening and willing to compromise within reason.
Trudeau seems incapable of seeing that. In a democracy we first attempt dialogue; we don’t invoke the Emergencies Act to crush a peaceful protest.
Edward Field
Duncan
Warning, warning! Yahoos on the loose
I was working in my garden Saturday when I heard several loud blasts from truck horns.
I would like to thank these truckers for sounding a warning that there were yahoos on the loose in downtown Victoria.
Perhaps I could return the favour someday.
Brian Jones
Victoria
Selfish group-think is on full display
The Canadian Civil Liberties folks get involved in the debate on the truckers’ convoy and the Emergencies Act, and I have to wonder if the irony is lost on them:
While the protesters wail about their civil liberties being infringed, they take extensive, “uncivil” liberties with the welfare (medical, economic, and security) of their fellow Canadians.
Their group-think is so very selfish. I wonder about their upbringing, and about the values they are passing on to their children.
Steve LeBel
Victoria
After the protest, what was accomplished?
What is happening in my beloved country? Protesters running around wrapped in the Canadian flag? Really?
Go home, look in the mirror, ask yourselves what exactly you have accomplished, other than preventing people from going about their everyday business and terrorizing peaceful neighbourhoods.
This is not my Canada, the Canada I have lived in for 72 years. Let’s go back to common sense and the rule of law.
Wilma Sayer
Courtenay
More than just hockey, it was a global celebration
That was more than just a hockey game in Beijing. Was not every country in the world — other than Russia, of course — cheering for Finland?
It was also a nice diversion from all of the silliness in Ottawa. When that final siren blared and the Finland players leapt over the boards, witnessing their joyous embraces, for a sliver of time I felt all was right in the world.
Ted Daly
Saanichton
Don’t scrap the helmet law, try enforcing it
The Seattle area’s recent decision to abandon its mandatory bike helmet law seems to be based more on stupidity than science. If we were more diligent in enforcing our bike helmet law, we’d sure recover a lot of stolen bikes.
Chris Foord
Oak Bay
Falcon needs to talk about our health care
Re: “Next B.C. election might be decided on personalities,” editorial, Feb. 18.
New Liberal leader Kevin Falcon named child care, housing and the opioid crisis as his top priorities, which I feel missed the most pressing current issue.
The health care of a vast number of British Columbians is in jeopardy due lack of doctors and deficiencies at various health care agencies.
The primary care by a family doctor is not available to many, and clinics are not filling the void as so many are closing. As well, long-term care facilities for seniors have proven to be inadequate as evidenced during this COVID-19 pandemic.
It is obvious that throwing money at the current health-care system is not solving the doctor shortage for one, and clinics and care homes certainly need maximum attention.
It is long past time that an new health-care system be given every consideration, perhaps after a study of the public/private systems in many other democratic countries that seem to do much better than Canada (and spend less per capita).
Falcon must add health care to his priority list if he is to be in tune with the public.
Stanley Brygadyr
Victoria
Top priority should be B.C.’s health care
Re: “Next B.C. election might be decided on personalities,” editorial, Feb. 18.
The editorial said the new Liberal leader’s top priorities are stated as child care, housing and the opioid crisis.
Apparently, the Liberals, NDP and Greens are oblivious to the overwhelming public demand for more general practitioners in B.C.
I believe, if you conducted a poll today, the majority of B.C. voters would select this issue as their top priority.
GPs are the heart of our health-care system, any referrals to a specialist start with your GP. If you don’t have a GP, you won’t get a referral for any serious medical issue that may arise.
Whoever you are, senior, adult or child, if you are waiting for a GP and end up in the ER, you may eventually be seen by a specialist, but sadly, it may be too late.
For the sake of thousands and thousands of B.C. voters without GPs, I implore our politicians to listen to the majority of the voting public. B.C. desperately needs more GPs.
David Mansell
Courtenay
Dental clinic model should be followed
I really like the observation by Dr. David May, president of the B.C. College of Family Physicians, that “an ongoing relationship with a family doctor leads to better overall health outcomes, higher patient satisfaction and reduced costs to the health-care system.”
He also announced that his organization wants to “find ways to support and enhance” such ongoing relationships.
It is remarkable that the dental clinic model has found a way to dedicate sufficient time to each in-person interaction. For example, after I received the full dental service on a recent 40-minute visit, I paid a portion of the fee personally and my dental insurance covered the rest.
Applying the dental clinic model to a 20-minute visit at a family practice clinic, the Medical Services Plan insurance covers as we know the first 10 minutes of the visit, and the patient of sufficient means would pay for the second 10 minutes personally before exiting the clinic.
The dental-clinic model sure has lots going for it, since there is no shortage of dentists in each community, large or small.
Bob Bray
Campbell River
A special Twosday that is second to none
I’m a numbers guy, so, I’m hoping the Times Colonist gives recognition this Tuesday, or as I call it, 2sday.
22022022!
John Cook
Saanich
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