Letters, Nov. 6

Trump’s actions about ego

Re: Trump makes us look — again (Think Tank, Nov. 4)

U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent sabre-rattling concerning Nigeria doesn’t come as a surprise for two reasons. There are two things Trump needs to massage his ego. The winning of a Nobel Peace Prize, for no other reason other than the fact Barack Obama has won it. The other, to be a wartime president. Most people have forgotten this. Trump has articulated in the past that he would like nothing more than leading a victorious nation through a wartime experience.

Igniting hostilities with Nigeria is more than just the obvious. Polls show support for Trump crumbling even among his base. How to regain that support especially with the evangelical community? By using the religious violence in Nigeria as a pretense for starting a “crusade” to rescue the persecuted Christian community. A “war” would do two things: it would distract his base from focusing on the economy and the current social conditions and would re-energize his support among the right wing Christian community.

He just might as well skip all the rhetoric and proclaim deus vult (God wills it). The world has heard that chant before.

Don Reed

Winnipeg

Premier should apologize

Re: Kinew stands firm on support for pedophiles getting jailhouse justice (Nov. 4)

So, Premier Wab Kinew feels that those convicted of possessing child pornography (or “skinners” as he calls them) should be deliberately placed in general population to receive jailhouse beatings from the other prisoners. He goes on to say they should be buried under the prison. Whether the premier would prefer the offenders to be killed first or buried alive is not clear.

These inflammatory and reckless comments are wrong on so many levels, and they are most certainly not aligned with the policies of a modern correctional system, including our own in Manitoba.

As someone who has served over 40 years in various positions in several of our facilities, I can tell you that the safety of staff and prisoners alike is always the primary concern of custodial care. A facility that condones or promotes violence is an inherently unsafe living and work environment. I vividly recall the Headingley riot in 1986, during which some staff were seriously injured and traumatized, along with some of the so-called “skinners” who were beaten and had fingers chopped off.

Jailhouse justice is seldom just; rather, it is often an orgy of violence with terrible consequences for both prisoners and staff. For our premier to advocate such behaviour is almost beyond belief. Regardless of whatever else the premier may do to walk back these comments, he owes an unqualified apology to all the men and women in the correctional service who strive to keep their facilities safe for themselves and for those in their care.

Paul Peterson

Winnipeg

Pandering performances

Re: Kinew stands firm on support for pedophiles getting jailhouse justice (Nov. 4); Poilievre’s maple MAGA methodology (Think Tank, Nov. 4)

For those who see the best path towards a well-functioning society as being through free markets and entrepreneurship, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s rhetorical antics may have made voting Conservative a nose-plugging prospect for some, or perhaps impossible.

For those who prefer an emphasis on socio-economic equity and individual well-being, several recent acts of low-level pandering, both capped and topped by condoning that justice be meted out inside prisons, make voting NDP in Manitoba now similarly tainted.

Ken Clark

Winnipeg

Slow progress is still progress

It benefits our society if the public is engaged. Unfortunately this engagement often takes the form of rage against politicians and judges.

We overlook the fact that incremental improvements are likely the best we can expect, and that achieving these improvements requires incredibly hard work.

Beware those who promise they can totally solve social problems. Value those whose goals are more modest, yet achievable.

Kurt Clyde

Winnipeg

Calling out lies

Re: Poilievre’s maple MAGA methodology (Think Tank, Nov. 4)

Judy Watiuk identifies and describes a primary threat to democracy, a very real and effective threat. Failure to name dishonesty and blatant unethical manipulation of the truth, clearly misleading attacks upon education, science and the role of government in providing for the people, by mainstream media makes the media complicit.

A healthy fourth estate is fundamental to the health of a democracy. Failure to take this responsibility seriously creates the conditions for police state and fascist ways, as we are witnessing to our south and around the world. Coverage of the dangers of “social” media platforms is quite common. Self-coverage of the failure to identify lies and clear manipulation of the truth, and of the private support to political parties by nefarious truth-denying “right”-wing entities is rare.

Whether for profit or for fear of censure, identifying problematic behaviour is risky. The dangers of speaking truth to power are clear, present and pervasive. Pervasive in the work place, pervasive in institutions of learning and of science and pervasive in mainstream media. On the one hand it is easy to say courage and ethics are fundamental to democracy. On the other hand, situations are often complex and murky. This increases the vital role leaders and mainstream media have in identifying and advocating for the realities in which we live, not letting truth and courage slide by, but by modelling that to which we all must strive if we wish to maintain and strengthen our democratic ways.

Yet, in the case of workplace or government politics and world leadership, situations are often highly complex and we must place our trust in our leaders, taking care not to rush to judgment, but by careful observation and learning the facts.

The complexity of decision-making and communication requires sincerity of effort and clarity of thought. My observations of the words of Prime Minister Mark Carney, of cabinet minister Melanie Joly and of others in the Liberal Party, inspire cautious trust. The words of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and others of the conservative right are quite another thing.

Garrett Loeppky

Winnipeg

Focus on bigger issues

Re: “Reasonable limits” (Letters, Nov. 4)

In response to Terry Dann’s letter and the issue of residential and school zone speed limits, I offer these facts:

MPI statistics show the number of collisions on Wolseley Avenue for cyclists and pedestrians from 2005 to 2020 varies between zero and two per year, most often zero or one. There is no statistical difference before or after the 30 km/h school zones came into effect in January 2015. You can view these MPI statistics at WWBCsite.org, or call MPI yourself. The top 50 places for collisions and fatalities occur at busy intersections on busy streets. If Winnipeg really wants to reduce injuries and deaths, it should concentrate on fixing problems where they happen. Creating “problems” that do not exist is merely a distraction from bigger issues.

We have many serious problems which are all getting worse. Homelessness, crime that is getting worse and more violent, crumbling streets and an inadequate sewer system are just a few of the problems.

It is foolish to spend millions of dollars on lower residential speed limits (and bike paths that are under-used, narrower streets that make travel more dangerous and getting rid of parking) when we have many other problems that are much more serious and should be dealt with first.

Ray Hignell

Winnipeg