Series a vital reminder of government racism
Re: “Righting a historical wrong for Japanese Canadians,” six-part series.
Those of us who live in British Columbia owe a debt of gratitude to John Price for his series documenting the treatment of Japanese Canadians during and after the Second World War.
Price shows clearly that the actions of the governments of B.C., Victoria, and ultimately Canada, while being couched as a defensive necessity, were nothing more than an overt example of government-sponsored racism against this innocent minority.
The lives of more than 20,000 residents and citizens were thrown into chaos for an entire generation. It is only because of their generosity of spirit and devotion to rebuilding their lives that the Japanese-Canadian community has managed to re-establish itself across the country as a successful and beneficial complement to our multinational population.
This is not the only example of such discrimination in our history. We can note aspects of the treatment of Chinese-Canadians, citizens of First Nations and other visible minorities who have suffered significant mistreatment. We only need to watch the daily news to see that this type of activity is rife in many areas of the world.
In Canada, we like to take pride in our history of peaceful democratic behaviour. It is useful, and appreciated, that individuals like Price can hold up the mirror of history to remind us that we must continue to hold our governments to account and ensure that we can, and will, do better than certain of our predecessors.
P.S.M. Pearlstone
North Saanich
Angry rhetoric undermines column’s argument
Re: “Why isn’t there a Ministry of Men? We have everything else,” column, Dec. 8.
Lawrie McFarlane’s column claims there is a “war on men,” that “boys and young men are having their wings clipped,” and that the new federal cabinet represents “an insult to men.”
While urging “a thoughtful re-examination of the roles both men and women should aspire to,” he uses angry rhetoric to frame the debate.
As the mother of four daughters, I believe that we should celebrate the fact that “girls and young women are being taught to spread their wings.” As a parent, I agree that we must identify solutions for boys who struggle in school and young men facing social isolation.
However, this column does not further respectful and constructive discussion of these issues, only days after commemorations of the shootings at École Polytechnique 30 years ago.
Annemieke Holthuis
Saanich
Don’t give borderline views a megaphone
Well, Lawrie McFarlane has stepped into it again. His latest missive advocates for a federal “Ministry of Men,” since there are ministries for everyone else — women, Aboriginals, etc. — and goes on to claim men are disproportionally suffering because traditional standards of male masculinity have been emasculated by all this equality talk and action.
That, in his opinion, is why there’s so much drug addiction and other problems among men today.
It’s one thing to hold and express borderline views — everyone’s entitled to their opinion in Canada. It’s another to get a megaphone. McFarlane’s latest opinion piece should have been left to a social-media blog, not our newspaper.
Kevin Bishop
Saanich
Don’t worry, guys: You’re taken care of
Hey, Lawrie, relax, there has been a “Ministry of Men” for years — it’s called the old boys’ network and it’s still going strong after all these years.
Dorothy Mullen
Victoria
Disregard the suffering of men at your peril
Congratulations to Lawrie McFarlane for writing and the Times Colonist for publishing the column.
Individuals and societies that deliberately disregard the suffering of men have to face the awful fact that what damages men also damages women and, even worse, damages children.
The constant attacks on and scrutiny of what constitutes “proper” masculinity is ridiculous. I have a friend whose 10-year-old son came home from school crying because he was told to admit that he was, by default, a rapist.
The kind of social narrative that would spawn an event like that is based on an ignorant and vindictive reading of history. Only a prime minister to the manor born could be blind to and do nothing about the overrepresentation of men in suicide, incarceration, early death, assault, workplace injury, disaffection, parental alienation, homelessness, and generally poor school and academic performance.
Speaking purely biologically, nature does need fewer males than females.
The phenomenon of highly driven and accomplished men should not, however, justify turning a blind eye to the vast majority of men who might need help, social justice, or even encouragement for all they do right.
How did we get to the point of needing a Ministry of Men? Whatever the answer, it is clearly the case that we do.
Robert Creese
Victoria
‘Advisory’ bike lanes a recipe for disaster
My parents have lived on Richardson Street for 41 years. I lived on Richardson Street for over 29 years and still visit my parents’ place almost every day.
Richardson Street is too narrow to safely use the proposed “advisory” bike lanes. These lanes would have cars in both directions sharing one lane. When the vehicles need to pass, they would move into the bike lanes on either side of the road.
This sounds like a recipe for disaster and could increase collisions. The intersection at Cook and Richardson is already very dangerous, with four lanes of traffic, and this plan is just going to make it worse. It’s already very hard to cross the street there as a pedestrian — I was almost hit by cars in the fourth lane on multiple occasions.
The Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition has also spoken out against this design, as it poses a hazard for cyclists and drivers. If cyclists and drivers all don’t feel safe with these lanes, will they even be used by cyclists?
Also, where will residents park on Richardson Street if there is no space on the road? Richardson Street and other streets with proposed advisory bike lanes will become a “bumper cars” carnival ride, with cars, cyclists and parked cars competing for the same space. I would worry about pedestrians, including children, trying to cross the road with all of this dodging and swerving going on.
I would encourage readers to voice their opinions to the City of Victoria by emailing their thoughts to engage@victoria.ca
Marion Smardon
Victoria
Time to make up for missing shop class
Re: “Turns out we needed ‘shop’ after all,” comment, Dec. 8.
Geoff Johnson nailed it. A lot of baby boomers missed out on “shop.”
I remember clearly in Grade 12 in rural Nova Scotia in 1970 being slightly envious of those kids who grew up on area farms, orchards and industrial shops, learning the basic requirements of life at the age of 16: driving a tractor, cleaning a .22 rifle and where to buy your bootleg beer.
I was steered along the “high” road of education: math, physics, English lit and history because good grades meant a good profession. And it did, with no regrets other than one: I should have taken “shop” back in 1970.
Now retired after 40 years in the military and public service, my haywagon of experiences in management, leadership and teaching still doesn’t show me how to hitch that wagon to a tractor.
If it hadn’t been for my mechanic father and my seamstress mother, I would not have learned how to cook, iron, sew, tune a carburetor, operate a chainsaw, snare and skin a rabbit, filet a fish, along with a myriad of other common-sense things that were, in essence, basic survival skills for a family with little money.
My “professional” income ensured that I didn’t have to do any of these things. Now in retirement, I want to learn some of those more advanced “shop” skills because, to quote a popular romantic movie, they would “complete” me.
Dan LeBlanc
North Saanich
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