Rating: NNNNN
Guilty as charged
re unjust desserts (now, february 21-27). I don’t read NOW very often and I now realize why. Although the article was well written, I cannot fathom the writer’s complete ignorance of events in O’Neil Grant’s case.
As I kept reading, “Grant was not guilty,” “Grant was not convicted of murder,” I began to get real perturbed, to the point of anger and disgust.
To say that Grant is a victim of the system is completely ludicrous. In my opinion, he took part in the armed robbery at Just Desserts. He knew the rules and the possible tragic consequences going in. I’m sorry, but what the hell are you thinking?
You should be ashamed of yourself. Try explaining your warped rationale to the victim’s family. Believe me, Grant got off easy. Instead of rotting in jail, he’s probably lying on a beach in Negril.
Domenic Lacquaniti , Toronto
Forget this gangster
who is supposed to care about O’Neil Grant?
Do you think this gangster was held in jail all this time without “reasonable and probable grounds”? He couldn’t even make bail. Excuse me, but give me a break.
Goodbye and good riddance to Mr. Grant.
Canada deports or rejects hundreds of good immigrants every day. Go take up their cause and forget these gangsters.
Name withheld by request, Toronto
Things people don’t read
i want to commend you for your News Insight: Made In Canada (NOW, February 21-27). This is the kind of information I’ve been wanting to learn about but cannot find in the big newspapers. That’s why I read independent papers like NOW.
I just wish more people would stop to read these articles rather than fast-forwarding on to the club and concert listings.
Lindsay Angelow, Toronto
True Jewish conscience
re awol on the west bank (now, February 21-27). The most encouraging development yet in the deadly and intractable Palestinian-Israeli conflict was the news that at least 250 Israeli army reservists serving in the Occupied Territories have signed a petition condemning “the deporting, destroying, blockading, killing, starving and humiliating” of Palestinians.
Wholly unlike the many artful and professional apologists for Israel from the Canadian Jewish Congress and B’nai Brith, these courageous Israeli reservists are the true conscience of Israel and the Jewish people
O.G. Pamp, Tweed
Israel has no choice
there is something to be said about the evolutionary nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As in the U.S. in the twilight years of the Vietnam War, with the refuseniks and peace groups that seem to want no part of the Occupied Territories, we are starting to see fissures in the Israeli fabric.
Israelis are realizing that there may not be a solution other than Arafat’s own if durable peace is to be achieved.
That would be for Israel to walk away from the Occupied Territories with all their belongings and resettle on their pre-1967 land, however overcrowded it may be.
Mohan Rao, Toronto
Five-ring circus
the olympic fiasco having dominated world attention to the exclusion of terrorism, possible war with Iraq and nuclear disaster, the time has come to ask, what use are the Olympics?
What possible connection can there be between the noble Olympiad of antiquity and the current travesty, rottenness, corruption, cheating and illegality fed by commercial sponsorship?
A new Olympiad should be convened in Greece on a non-professional basis without sponsors.
The Games — “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield” — should be the thing.
Clifford G. Holland, Toronto
Miller missing in action
in his letter, john richmond (NOW, February 21-27) suggests that councillor David Miller’s putative campaign for mayor is spinning its wheels because Barbara Hall won’t “give him a chance.”
What on earth is he talking about? If councillor Miller thinks he has what it takes to run for mayor, he might want to start by trying to assemble a city-wide coalition, raising the required money and demonstrating an ability to attract Liberals and moderate Tories to his cause.
As far as I know, he hasn’t shown a great deal of progress on any of these fronts.
Bruce E. Walker, Toronto
No laughing matter
i’m a relatively new reader of your publication, and one who concurs heartily with your political stance against corporate and governmental imperialism. I’m also a graphic artist and writer.
I was rather surprised, therefore, to find that you only carry American comics (Life In Hell and Ernie Pook’s Comeek).
Is this because you haven’t found any talented Canadian cartoonists, or for some other reason?
I have talked to several readers who were similarly disappointed, and all of us are hopeful that this oversight will be rectified in the near future.
Mick Luna , Toronto
Uninformed bigotry
letter writer brian martinka has dispensed a whole lot of prejudice against pot smokers (NOW, February 14-20), and he should be aware that we may not want the misfortune of being in an elevator or on a sidewalk with an uninformed bigot. But we all have to get along.
Chuck Beyer
Victoria, BC
Race questions for the TTC
on thursday, february 7, between 8:20 and 8:40 am, my boyfriend made a terrible mistake. He decided to surprise me and wait for me at the St. Andrew subway station.
TTC security officers surrounded him, questioned him and escorted him to a nearby wall.
Apparently, his Mediterranean colouring and black beard didn’t agree with their sensibilities and concerns about safety.
The overzealous pseudo-officers proceeded to grill my partner.
When he told them he was waiting to walk his girlfriend to work, they kept pressing, “Well, where is she?”
He assured them I would be there. They pressed, “She isn’t here. We strongly recommend you leave.”
Do they strongly recommend we purchase a car? We’re strongly considering it.
My boyfriend is quiet. He is extremely shy. He was just waiting and minding his own business. Does this fit the terrorist profile?
TTC security staff need to ask themselves whom they are protecting. Under what prejudices are they now conducting business?
Don’t compound all the recent fear and paranoia by harassing law-abiding citizens in the name of public safety.
Helen De Nobrega, Toronto
Who hired these ruffians?
re the khaled concert at massey Hall. What could have been a great night turned into hell thanks to a bunch of power-tripping, iron-pumping students hired as security.
I was harassed four times by these bullies for having one foot in the aisle (which they keep clear to comply with fire regulations, understandably), my seat being on the row’s edge.
Not only was I singled out, but it was done with pulling, grabbing, yelling and threatening body language.
I finally had to push one of them off me. They called the cops. When the police arrived, they told me I was under arrest for trespassing!
They pursued their aggressive and abusive intervention by yanking my arms and twisting my fingers to the point of breaking and pushing my face down with their fists in my hair. I nearly fainted.
Result: I paid $100 to have my body and hand bruised so that I can’t use it for a couple of weeks, embarrassing since I’m a professional musician.
Britt Besson, Toronto
Reek of the 80s
re my style (now, february 21-27). Calling Spud the Dud. Calling Spud the Dud. Please call home. Your cloning operation has had “rad” side effects is putting general population into mild state of conFusion. Doc Martens? Pinch yourself. Your clothes reek of the 80s.
Constable Lydia G., Fashion Police
