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Letters Nov. 19: Safe six, same six; cleaning up at Island View Beach; guaranteed income

We simply must protect those around us In the wake of seeing rally signs and roadside postings that are responding to medical officials giving suggestions or setting rules, I have this message: Those of you who believe you are losing your freedom and
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Strolling along Island View Beach. Darren Stone, Times Colonist

We simply must protect those around us

In the wake of seeing rally signs and roadside postings that are responding to medical officials giving suggestions or setting rules, I have this message:

Those of you who believe you are losing your freedom and refuse to wear a mask, or those of you who don’t believe in taking other precautions regarding becoming ill with a human-borne virus are letting nature take its course.

Maybe there is an argument for this. We are only an animal species, and though we think we are above all other animal species, we are, just that, another animal species.

We have an advantage over any large predators that might attack us. We kill them with guns. If a predator threatened my child, or my frail grandfather, I would surely have fought to save them. That is a natural response.

Invisible threats are more effective in reducing the human population. Why not let the vulnerable die? Is that what you think?

There are too many humans on planet Earth, so let’s reduce the population. Let’s refuse to take any precautions and let COVID-19 or the next virus eliminate a significant number of us.

That is what your signs or your refusal to follow accredited science, mean to me.

I do believe we need to work on our population growth, but I advocate doing it from the other end: Have fewer babies.

Once a child is born into this world, the right to a full life is paramount. Protecting each other is an instinct we share with some other animal species. For us, it is one of the characteristics of being human. It is inhumane not to do everything in our power to protect those around us. Just because we can’t see it, does not mean it is less lethal than a visible predator. Get with the program!

Gail Mitchell
Duncan

Time for Dr. Henry to take a tougher stand

I am rather disappointed by Dr. Bonnie Henry’s continued nicely-nicely approach regarding mandating the wearing of face masks.

Masks might not be a panacea to stop the spread of the virus but they do help. And, if the truth be known, we need all the help we can get at this time.

Henry’s calm and measured approach may have been appropriate during Phase 1, but I fear that it has encouraged a “we are all right, Jack” attitude among too many British Columbians.

We need to grip the rise in cases now, perhaps following the example of the state of Victoria in Australia.

So, my advice to Dr. Henry is to toughen up, now. And tell British Columbians to smarten up.

David Collins
Victoria

The safe six are the same six

I listened to Dr. Bonnie Henry’s COVID‑19 report on Nov. 16 and her concern about people not understanding what was meant by “Safe Six.”

Perhaps the advice offered to the public would be better understood if it was restated as “Same Six.”

Jo Ross
Nanaimo

Guaranteed income should be offered

The COVID-19 pandemic has made household incomes less predictable, causing great stress and anxiety for affected families and individuals trying to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies.

Worsening homelessness and domestic unrest can be prevented when governments provide a guaranteed basic income.

It can be implemented quickly and simply, much in the way the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors is already being administered as a topup for incomes below a certain threshold.

Anything paid out over that limit can be clawed back at tax time the following year.

A basic income would have a stabilizing effect on our communities and would ease demands on government agencies, emergency services and health-care providers. It can’t come too soon!

Anke van Leeuwen
Victoria

Get the two Michaels out of China

Does the government have nothing better to do than go to court on behalf of the United States to keep Meng Wanzhou here two years?

The courts and lawyers cost money, taxpayer money. This has to stop.

China is holding two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Enough is enough. Stop spending our money and negotiate a release for our Canadian citizens.

The U.S. will not be happy, but they are never happy. China is not respecting human rights but their top executives get the royal treatment. Please, somebody, make a move.

Gabriele Osborne
Port Alberni

If you love Earth, help look after it

Yesterday I went for a beautiful walk at Island View Beach and I started ­noticing bits of white styrofoam everywhere, which is very harmful to marine life.

I always take a bag with me to pick up trash anyway, so I began picking it up piece by piece. After a while I came across a tire compacted with styrofoam in amongst the driftwood and very close to the shoreline.

I had located the source.

There were pieces all over the immediate area so I began the daunting task of picking them all up.

The tire was too heavy for me to move and the styrofoam too hard so I put pieces of driftwood over top hoping that would contain it until I could contact someone to pick it up.

Today I went back because of the storm we had and it was high tide; I was concerned that the tire would float out to sea.

As I began to try to find it again I was horrified at all the other trash that was everywhere.

Bottle caps, pop cans, eight beer cans, sharp plastic pieces, shoes, children’s balls, plastic plant pots, cigarette butts, plastic straws, plastic dog doo bags, the list goes on.

Finally, I located the tire and a gentleman walking his dog came along and I asked him if he would pick it up for me and roll it over inland more until I can call the Capital Regional District or someone else to come pick it up.

He kindly did that and I was so ­grateful.

In all, I spent almost two hours in the pouring rain and strong wind picking up trash.

Sadly, it became very clear to me today just what a very destructive, wasteful species we are. The oceans are not ours to pollute like this.

With the pandemic lockdown, wouldn’t it be wonderful, fulfilling and purposeful if everyone took a bag to their nearby beach and picked up trash?

If we all did our part it would help so much.

No wonder the whales and other marine life are in so much trouble. Like the wise priest Father Charles Brandt, whom you reported about recently after he passed, said: “Only when we love something can we save it and the only thing that really lasts is love.”

Anne Forbes
Victoria

Thanks, CRD, for great communication

My family and I live in Esquimalt, close to the new wastewater treatment plant and pump house.

Throughout the project the Capital Regional District sent us letters and emails informing us of road and park closures, excavations, blastings, paving, and tree-plantings.

While we are pleased these inconveniences will soon be over, I feel it is worth acknowledging that the CRD has done a reasonably good job of mitigating them, and of keeping us informed about project developments that affect our neighborhood.

The CRD receives a lot of criticism (some of it deserved). But as far as wastewater treatment plant communications go, they get a solid B+ from me.

Doug Stacey
Esquimalt

Get salmon pens out of the ocean

The recent report about the disastrous, disease spreading, polluting, unhealthy, un-environmental, salmon farming ­industry, which is primarily owned by giant multinational corporations, leaned much too far to the “pro” side for my ­liking.

It was all about inflated potential job numbers and imaginary money being injected into the economy.

The last sentence, regarding well-done studies by scientists who have lived and breathed the nightmares of these open water cess pools, using the words “some studies claiming these farms spread parasites and disease to wild stocks” seemed like an afterthought to relieve just a pinch of extreme bias on the part of the Times Colonist.

If British Columbians want the small number of wild fish that are still left, after decades of Department of Fisheries of Oceans mismanagement, to survive and continue to support a healthy ecosystem they will petition the federal government to get farmed salmon pens out of the ocean and onto land where their waste and pollution can be managed.

C. Scott Stofer
Victoria

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