Scoundrels get to do election over again
There’s little to argue with in Enzo DiMatteo’s Andrew Scheer election post-mortem (NOW, October 24-30) – emphasis on the “mortem.”
But I did balk at this: “Before the vote, pundits offered that Trudeau’s star power had faded.” With their relentless scandal drumbeat, it was the media themselves that sought to engineer the demise of Trudeau the rock star.
Almost from the beginning with the Aga Khan furor (people still ask, what’s the issue?), then all the way to the dredged-up-from-the-past Brownface/Blackface horror, the media have set their laser-like sights on bringing down this born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-his-mouth PM.
Now they get to try to do it all over again in the next election.
Ian Scott, Toronto
Legalization’s new normal
Regarding Jonathan Kuiper’s A New Lease On Pot (NOW, October 24-30). More people who use medical marijuana need personal growers. It’s cheaper and a more sustainable industry for cannabis. I hope it becomes the norm.
Micheal Pineda, From nowtoronto.com
Cannabis gives roots to our Charter rights
Personal growers are the forgotten link in legalization? We are the only fucking link to all Canadians’ Charter rights and freedoms for unabashed, unhindered access to cannabis as food and medicine. Any suggestion otherwise is in fact irresponsible. We “personal growers” are every Canadian, just to be clear.
CB, From nowtoronto.com
Media lacks fairness in Murphy case
It is absolutely shocking to me the lack of objectivity the media (including this publication) has shown in relation to the Meghan Murphy controversy (NOW Online, October 16).
She is entitled to her opinion, and in a free and mature society, such ideas should be allowed to be discussed openly and debated without fear of violence or repercussion.
As a gay man, I absolutely do not support Pride’s warning that “there will be consequences” if the Toronto Public Library allows the Murphy event to go forward. I highly doubt that the majority of gays and lesbians in Toronto actually support Pride’s actions.
If you don’t agree with Murphy, have a debate. There are ways to disagree with someone while showing compassion for a difference of opinion.
J. Palmer, From nowtoronto.com
Misleading logic in gender controversy
The title of Meghan Murphy’s discussion on October 29 at TPL’s Palmerston Branch is Gender Identity: What Does It Mean For Society, The Law And Women?
This title certainly indicates a discussion that is not about women’s rights. The title clearly indicates a discussion about gender identity and not the rights of women except in relation to gender identity and civil laws concerning gender identity.
White landowners who collectively refuse to sell property to Black people claim their behaviour has nothing to do with race but with rights of property owners. When I was a kid growing up in the southern U.S., many white landowners used this deliberately vague argument to keep housing racially segregated.
Those defending Murphy employ the same misleading logic.
Stephen Donahue, From nowtoronto.com
Halal is about animal welfare
Re Eating Halal In The GTA by Zakiya Kassam (NOW, October 24-30).
It’s the first time for me to read such an article in NOW. Bravo!
However, in Islam halal food, more specifically halal meat, is not just about how an animal is slaughtered but it’s about animal husbandry and animal welfare as well. I did not see anything mentioned about the latter two.
Just to add, in Islam, food is considered halal when the money you buy it with is earned by honest means.
As a Muslim, I would rather buy meat from a small Ontario farm where animal welfare is the priority than a halal package of meat from a big wholesale company.
Let’s make animal husbandry and welfare the priority, not the halalness of the slaughter. We owe them at least this much.
Mateen A. Javied, Toronto
