Two-faced on racism
Long-time reader. First-time writer. Couldn’t help but notice how the two-faced-ness of your publication was revealed in last week’s issue. Bookended in fact.
You lead with a condemnation of the issue of racial discrimination in the rental housing market (NOW, March 16-22) and closed with a supportive piece on Scaachi Koul and her recent book, wherein you tacitly defend her decision to hire non-white and non-male writers for BuzzFeed Canada. This is what is known as a double standard.
How are you/we going to get rid of racism if you guys continue to print these mutilated and myopic bits of “journalism”? Just saying.
Duncan Walker, Toronto
Realtors caught in racial housing squeeze
Re Renting While Black (NOW, March 16-22). I’m a realtor experiencing similar issues of race in Markham. It’s all very sad.
I grew up in this country, and race has never been as prevalent an issue as it is now.
Charlene Williams, Toronto
Theatrics at the Kingsway?
Re Kingsway Or The Highway (March 16-22). Letter-writer Bebe Tanna has as much right to boycott the Kingsway Theatre as the owner of the theatre does to set rules he considers necessary. Why is this even an issue?
David Honigsberg, Toronto
Pointing an accusatory finger at Toronto
I used to enjoy reading your print and online newspaper. Lately, that is not the case.
I can’t continue to read about groups of people in our society expressing their feeling that because they are visible minorities they are for some reason looked at and treated differently by all people who are not visible minorities.
It irritates the heck out of me, and I consider it completely unfair. I don’t like having that finger pointed at me as if I am one of the bad guys. I get racial discrimination. I know the world is full of racists of all colours and religions.
But why not write about how we can all work together to ensure that communities are doing their best to combat racism? Let’s talk positively. Please stop poking your finger in my face for something I have not done.
Michael Weingarten, Toronto
Pee is for problem with gender-neutral bathrooms
Re Gender Free And Safer, by Kevin Ritchie (NOW, March 9-15). I’m all for adding inclusive, gender-neutral bathrooms wherever possible. I will always support transgender people using washrooms that correspond to their gender identity.
But I like gender-specific washrooms as well. I am not gender neutral. I am a woman. I don’t feel safe in gender-neutral washrooms.
Mind you, the gender-neutral washrooms I go to are not on the campuses of nice, clean post-secondary educational institutions. I work in film and television. We use bathroom trailers or whatever bathroom is available on location.
Mostly I don’t like gender-neutral bathrooms because they’re so much dirtier. I hate having to put down the seat or, even worse, having to clean it because some guy just sprayed all over it.
Julia Wille, Toronto
Dispensaries a model for harm reduction
Re Future Of Cannabis Culture Dispensaries Up In Smoke After Police Raids, by Kieran Delamont (NOW, March 12). The “foot-dragging” referred to in this article is because the government doesn’t know what to do. That’s some serious foot-dragging!
In the meantime, we’re supposed to believe that raiding dispensaries is the most constructive response and best use of our law enforcement and justice system resources.
All it does is galvanize a community against the government and law enforcement – and force consumers to buy cannabis on the streets. How does that in any way address concerns around public health and safety? How does that keep it out of the hands of minors?
Dispensaries are good and necessary and have been recognized as such by the courts. Yes, legalization is taking a while, but at least in the meantime we can have a constructive approach to perceived risks and challenges that come from consumer demand.
Imre Kovacs, From nowtoronto.com
Cannabis crap-out
What a colossal waste of taxpayers’ time and money trying to hound the Emerys out of business. If my experience with Cannabis Culture stores is any indication, they would have been out of business soon enough if left alone.
Of all the dispensaries I’ve visited – and there have been a few! – Cannabis Culture is my least favourite.
Luckily, there are still plenty of other places to visit.
Deb Matheson, Toronto
Cops stoned on Gator raids
“Gator raids”? That’s what Toronto police are calling their crackdown on marijuana dispensaries? Someone was stoned when they came up with the name.
Nas Hedron, From nowtoronto.com
City’s music advisory council fiddles about
Re Toronto’s Vanishing Venues (NOW, March 2-8). The Toronto Music Advisory Council has accomplished nothing after three years in existence.
Have members benefited in any way, financially or otherwise, from the sage decisions they purport to have made?
They appear to represent a group of music insiders concerned only with protecting their own pieces of turf. Their participation should be purely altruistic, but after three years all these charlatans seem to have done is fiddle while Rome burns. We deserve better.
Richard Kadziewicz, Toronto
