Aiming at the wrong target
Re: Liberals Should Respect Their Promise To Ban Assault Weapons (NOW Online, November 1). Having never gone through what Nathalie Provost and her friends, family and fellow classmates went through, I can only imagine the horror of what happened at École Polytechnique. It should never be forgotten. There should be more effort and funding to stop physical and emotional violence against women and tackle the underlying causes of gun violence.
The survivors and the families of the massacre have been protesting for decades about firearms. They got their way when the Firearms Act was adopted. They got their way when the Criminal Code adopted new crimes and punishments for firearms-related activities. They got their way when fully automatic firearms were prohibited. They got their way when all firearms were required to be registered. They got their way when semi-automatic “military-style” firearms were banned. But they’re making a huge mistake going after those of us who obey the laws instead of going after criminals.
Tony Specht – From nowtoronto.com
Most Canadians don’t want to ban guns
I read your op-ed on firearms prohibition. No one in rural Canada would vote for a firearms ban. People who grow up in families that own firearms aren’t irrationally afraid of them. Rather, they enjoy sports shooting and hunting. I would also like to point out that anyone who has had a grizzly trying to get into their house while their children slept are happy to be armed. Canadians don’t want to ban guns. A few uneducated fools who think that our laws are similar to the U.S. do, which is a shame.
Peter Broswick – From nowtoronto.com
Doug Ford devalues meaning of higher education in Ontario
Doug Ford’s effort to turn Canada Christian College into a university that can grant B.A. and B.Sc. degrees will devalue the meaning of university in Ontario. It will also grant additional status to its president, Charles McVety, who has often made Islamophobic and anti-LGBTQ statements.
Among other things, I wonder if Ontario’s Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board has the ability to look into governance issues and possible nepotism in deciding whether an institution qualifies as a university. The fact that McVety’s father founded the college, that his son is the vice-president and general counsel and that his wife is the registrar at least raises the appearance of nepotism.
Bruce Couchman – Ottawa
Liberal dirty tricks versus Conservative party’s “paralysis politics”
It is unsurprising that PM Justin Trudeau would place the electoral fortunes of his Liberal government ahead of political transparency. Morality is whatever Mr. Trudeau makes it – one rule for SNC-Lavalin, another for WE Charity scandals, and another for crushing anti-corruption inquests. How ironic that Liberal House leader Pablo Rodriguez accuses Conservatives of playing “paralysis politics” when his party filibusters attempts to reopen the probes and refuses to surrender documents concerning the mothballed WE deal.
How fortunate that Mr. Trudeau has the support of the dead-in-the-water NDP to back his threats of an election. The real issue is the willingness of the PM and his party to use every dirty trick to avoid liability for their history of poor judgment.
Christopher Mansour – From nowtoronto.com
Comfort in the time of COVID
I really look forward to receiving your newsletters. Living in northwestern Ontario in 2020 is very different with the COVID-19 virus. You’ve given me much insight on how we are all coping with the changing landscapes in health, real estate, business as well as the amazing human interest stories. Thanks a lot.
Susanne Wickstrom – From nowtoronto.com