It was a recreational mob event
Re: “Students ‘die-in’ for climate action,” Sept. 21.
This is a textbook example of the old saying “when in fear, when in doubt, wave your arms and run about!”
The young people of “the war years” (I am old enough to remember them), without ado, went out and collected scrap material for use in fighting a war of democratic survival.
It seems we now have recreational mob events as a way of solving perceived world problems.
Roy Crichton
Victoria
Personal action is also needed
It is encouraging to see Canadian youth willing to take to the streets to bring awareness to the risks to the environment threatening our shared planet. What is questioned is their willingness to focus on government action versus a call for personal responsibility.
Every youth who is energized by this conversation should also be asking themselves, what more can I as an individual do? Can I take a shorter shower, turn off the lights more often when exiting a room, recycle better and take this on in my own personal world? Government can move mountains but so can individual effort.
Pamela McColl
Vancouver
Instead of protesting, do something useful
While part of me admires the youth protest on Friday, I can not support their negative tone. They may believe our planet will be dead soon, but I would love to see them take on positive-action projects instead of feeding into what they currently hear every day from our politicians, which I see as fear mongering.
Start a community garden at school. Clean up the beaches and shores. Nurture, enjoy and protect nature. Act.
Take a positive group action, publicize it, as it will speak louder than well-worn words.
Gail Brighton
Nanoose Bay
Vaping illnesses traced to illicit cartridges
Re: “As young Canadians turn to vaping, we should be worried,” Charla Huber column, Sept. 22.
This paper has published several scare stories about vaping in the past several days. All share the same misleading theme as evidenced in the latest offering from Charla Huber: “the cause of the respiratory failure or illness is vaping.”
These stories never mention that the Centres for Disease Control in the U.S. (where this outbreak began) are increasingly focusing their attention on illicit THC cartridges purchased from street dealers.
Huber also feeds the growing panic about vaping by claiming that “more teens are turning to vaping rather than smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol.”
This simply isn’t true. According to the latest figures from Stats Canada, youth smoking and drinking rates exceed e-cigarette use.
“Vaping has also been touted as a ‘safer’ alternative to smoking tobacco. Whether it’s true or not, this claim can sway people, especially teens, to think they are picking the healthier option.”
Health Canada disagrees; it says vaping is less harmful than smoking.
Let’s be clear: vaping illicit products purchased from drug dealers is harmful. So is scaring cigarette smokers (young or old) away from vaping.
Chris Lalonde
Victoria
What Trudeau did was not racist
The term “racism” is thrown around much too often these days, which does a disservice to dealing with the real problem. Justin Trudeau’s prank was foolish, but not racist, unless he said something ridiculing brown people, like mimicking the accent some of them have. There is a thing called the statute of limitations. When we were young and foolish, most of us did foolish things. Can’t we get back to talking about more important things?
Thomas B. Widdowson
Saanich
A minimum standard of behaviour
Canadians expect at least a minimal standard of behaviour in their political leaders. Justin Trudeau has shown himself again lacking in judgment, and integrity. He clearly operates a double standard. Perhaps the honourable thing would be to just go?
David B. Collins
Oak Bay
How Trudeau should be judged
The Canadian election brings out the worst in many people!
The attacks on Justin Trudeau have made a mountain out of a molehill. The mud-slinging negative report of what happened 18 years ago has no relevance to the 2019 federal election.
I am appalled by the negativity of the political parties and the Canadian journalists. I refuse to watch or listen to the nasty negative ads on the television news. The reporters who are involved in this should be dismissed for unethical, unCanadian behaviour.
Justin Trudeau should be judged by his ability to lead this country. His judgment when he was a much younger man is of no importance to this election. He has not always made the right decisions, but he is the only party leader who is anywhere near capable of leading Canada into the next decade.
Kirsty Williams
Saanichton
Puzzled by complaints about handyDart plan
Re: “Benefits promised with handyDart project,” Sept 22.
View Royal residents are concerned about noise and air quality from a handyDart facility? Seriously? HandyDart wants to put a facility beside the TransCanada highway, and people think it’ll increase the noise dramatically? Two or three dozen little buses going in and out are going to change the air quality when you’ve got cars, buses, cement trucks and semis thundering up and down all day?
And I’m guessing handyDart facilities close down fairly early in the evening — not even Jack Knox has ever mentioned a late-night handyDart Vomit Comet.
A quick look at Google Maps shows that the only folk who might hear noise from the new facility are the folks at the Our Place outpost that used to be the juvenile detention facility beside the highway, and I’d need to see evidence they’re the ones making a fuss.
Liz Pogue
West Shore
Disrespect for believing in miracles
Re: “A painting and belief in miracles,” letter, Sept. 21.
The Times Colonist published a letter saying that “Some people . . . believe that a painting of Mary is sending a message by crying real tears is a miracle.” And then goes on to say “I believe that the miracle . . . is that some people believe it.”
This after days of listening to how hurtful it is for our prime minister, or anyone, to attend a costume party dressed as character who just happens to be a person of colour. Yet the Times Colonist chose to publish a letter so offensive to a particular religious denomination that it defies belief. Is it alright to publicly ridicule people for believing in a god or religious faith but it’s not OK to enjoy our multicultural society by celebrating it at such events as costume parties?
The writer and the Times Colonist owe a tremendous apology to those of whatever faith who believe in this miracle, as is their right in a free country such as Canada.
Jack Trueman
Brentwood Bay
We need to look after ourselves
Re: “These hikers also got lost on Thetis trails,” letter, Sept. 21.
I am concerned with a growing expectation in society for the government to effectively be obligated to hold our hand when we choose various activities, specifically, hiking in the outdoors.
Thetis Lake has recently had a dramatic improvement in signage and it should be easy for any reasonable person to enjoy without getting lost.
The letter suggesting something be done before someone is lost is outrageous.
If you get lost in this park, sorry, it’s your fault, not the fault of the Capital Regional District. Take responsibility for your own choices and take the very basic of precautions before doing any activity. Specifically, a map, compass or phone, some snacks and proper clothes.
We need to start taking some responsibility for our actions and not expect the state to take care of everything. It’s a park, the less government interference the better.
Jakob Wiebe
Victoria
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