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Letters To The Editor News

Letters to the Editor

Email letters@nowtoronto.com


Riding subway to votes in Scarborough-Guildwood

I read Jonathan Goldsbie’s article on the Scarborough-Guildwood by-election (NOW, July 25-31). I do agree that vote-pandering is wrong, but in this case I am with Mayor Rob Ford and subways.

Two important things against LRTs is that they don’t last as long and they don’t carry as many people as subways. I don’t know that Toronto taxpayers were thrilled by the expense, but the Yonge line has been the basis of our transit system for 60 years.

Unfortunately, Toronto did not create the multi-line systems that other cities did when the costs would have been more moderate.

I relied on the subway for decades in Toronto and used it seven days a week. The decision-makers in government at all levels should be made to give up their cars for six months and use buses, streetcars and subways for all their commuting needs, and then they will see how important subways are.

One only has to go to New York or London, Paris or Tokyo to see how wonderful a comprehensive subway system is.

Dawn Fisher


Toronto


Tattooing losing its edge

The more mainstream tattooing becomes (NOW, July 25-31), the more it loses its edge. Inking your body has become too trendy to have any impact any more.

If you want to be a rebel and stand out in a crowd nowadays, don’t get any tattoos.

Michael Bolvary


Toronto


Tit for tats

As a non-inked individual, I can nevertheless appreciate the interest in uniqueness, using the body as a canvas for self-expression. But bear in mind that tattoos are forever! Removal still leaves scarring.

And while tats may look awesome on trim, fit bodies, they may seem a lot less cool on a flabby 50-year-old.

Who knows? Like bell-bottoms, platform shoes, and shoulder pads, will tattoos eventually go the way of other fashion trends?

John Lindesay


Toronto


Royal piss-off

And I thought Bill Maher’s rude comments about the royal baby made him sound like a cranky old reprobate. He has been trumped by John Semley (NOW, July 24).

For the record, I am neither a moron, idiot or monarchist. In a world of crap everywhere we turn – from the Zimmerman verdict, anything out of Rob Ford’s mouth, Putin’s crackdown on gays or the daily examples of Obama’s incompetence – a good-news story like a royal birth should be taken for what it is, a good-news story.

If you don’t like it, you can always wallow in bad news.

Brian Stein


Toronto


Teflon M.I.A.

It says a lot about the current musical generation that M.I.A. has any credibility at all (NOW, July 25-31). She’s lucky to live in an era when her fans don’t know or care who her husband was.

Artists used to be held accountable for their actions. Now it doesn’t matter how many Third World dictators you perform for.

One big reason J.Lo, Sting, Beyoncé, Mariah Carey, 50 Cent, etc, get away with it is the media.

We shouldn’t be surprised when another generation grows up to think not much of anything is important.

Nick Winters


Toronto


Ecoholic an amazing watchdog

I am so appreciating Adria Vasil’s product reviews (NOW, July 25-31). I’ve been a thorough label reader for decades and try not to put anything on my skin that includes ingredients I would not ingest orally. And even though I thought all the products I was using were body- and eco-friendly, some of them, as it turns out, were not quite up to my usual standards.

So as a result of some of Vasil’s recommendations, I have switched brands and passed on the advice to others. I really appreciate her being such an amazing watchdog for those of us who care about the planet and about what we put on and in our bodies.

Keep up the fantastic work.

Luba Lesychyn


Toronto


Syria hysteria

Regarding Paul Weinberg’s Sorting Out Syria (NOW, July 18-24).

The U.S. proxies in the Mideast are clearly trying to do to Syria what they did to Libya, so it’s no wonder that the Assad government now has, by all accounts, the overwhelming support of Syrians. (Some polls have shown that 70 per cent support Assad.)

What is bizarre is the U.S.’s support of al Qaeda (which was also a NATO ally in Libya).

John Kerry’s recent meeting with al Qaeda’s al Nusra leadership would be enough to put ordinary citizens in prison for life on terrorism charges. The public American dealings with al Qaeda should help the causes of those who are living under impossible conditions for merely being suspected of ties to al Qaeda.

Karin Brothers


Toronto


Canada’s Mideast hypocrisy

While criticizing Russia for sending arms to Syrian regime forces, Canada is selling $2.2 billion worth of light-armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia.

Those vehicles, along with tanks, were used to crush the Arab spring protests in Bahrain. What is the difference? Bahrain is home to an American naval base. So much for the honesty, freedom and human rights that I thought you stand for, Canada!

D. Mitrowich


Toronto


Online hater proves First Nations point

Last week you asked permission to reprint an article I had written entitled On Racists In Cyber Space (NOW, July 25-31).

The article asked why the public and media outlets allow the online “conversations” about First Nation people to be taken over by vicious and dumbed-down caricatures of First Nations people.

With the posting of my article online, I was surprised to find comments from one individual who describes First Nations people as “terrorists,” “thieves,” “liars,” “the enemy within,” “fraudsters” and “worthless drunks with feathers in their hair.”

If such comments were made against Jews, blacks or gays, they would easily be taken as neo-Nazi or hate. So why the casual acceptance of such abuse against First Nation Canadians?

It’s not just individual Canadians who have a responsibility to push back against this racist hate. Media outlets that allow this hate to find a forum need to also take some responsibility.

Charlie Angus


MP, Timmins-James Bay


NOW welcomes reader mail. Address letters to: NOW, Letters to the Editor, 189 Church, Toronto, ON M5B 1Y7. Send e-mail to letters@nowtoronto.com and faxes to 416-364-1166. All correspondence must include your name, address and daytime phone number. Letters may be edited for length.

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