Carson Crimeni was left to die of an apparent overdose as he was being taunted by a group of teens he thought were his friends.Handout
Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Try to keep letters to fewer than 150 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com
Mourning Carson
Re ‘Why Did They Do This?' (Aug. 19): Carson Crimeni’s story is without doubt the saddest The Globe and Mail has published since you ran the picture of Alan Kurdi in 2015, the three-year-old Syrian boy, lying dead, face down on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. Both boys died, one a refugee trying to escape terrorism, another a 14-year-old Canadian boy trying to escape bullying.
Until we as a society show the compassion, care and support to strangers, and to those who are different, these stories will continue, with tragic consequences for citizens and refugees alike.
Bob Nosal, Ancaster,Ont.
As I read, heartbroken, about the death of this beautiful boy who just wanted to belong, I ask myself: What has happened to the human conscience? Those responsible for this unfathomable evil should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law to demonstrate the repercussions of such actions. Carson’s manner of death must not be forgotten.
Rhonnie Cohen, Toronto
Elections Canada shocker
Re Climate Talk May Be Partisan, Charities Told (Aug. 19): If Maxime Bernier, who “has expressed doubts about the legitimacy of climate change,” also insisted that the world is flat, would the non-profit Royal Canadian Geographic Society be denied the right to refute such lunacy? Truth is under threat in the U.S. Let us not go down the road of suppressing public debate when the future of our species depends on it.
Jim Reynolds, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
This shocking warning from Elections Canada undermines the very essence of Canadian democracy. Will a charity now still be able to correct factual misstatements by politicians on topics such as the cause of housing shortages, costs of proposed transportation infrastructure projects, and effectiveness of various health-care policies? I hope saner heads will prevail, and that Elections Canada will withdraw its appalling definition of partisan activities.
Randall Peterman, Burnaby, B.C.
What is happening at Elections Canada? First, the conflict of the election date with a Jewish holiday, which will affect the ability of observant Jewish candidates to campaign, was sloughed off, even after a court asked the chief electoral officer to reconsider.
Now, environmental charities are being told that, since one political party denies that climate change is caused by human activity, if the charities promote the science of climate change as real and urgent during the federal election campaign, that could be regarded as partisan activity and threaten their charitable status.
Is the next step that charitable organizations will be gagged from speaking out against the other policies of the People’s Party of Canada, which supports ending official multiculturalism and its funding, and reducing immigration and refugee access? Or gagged from speaking out when parties promote racist agendas?
When I served as a federal returning officer, the clear policy of Elections Canada was to do everything possible to enable citizens to vote. For example, by mandating that all polling stations be accessible. It seems to have lost sight of its prime directive.
Marcia Zalev, Toronto
Accused of terrorism
Re Canada Assails U.K. Over Accused Terrorist (Aug. 19): Bravo to the U.K. for having the guts to rescind the citizenship of Jack Letts. Mr. Letts is an alleged terrorist. Canada has enough homegrown terrorists without importing people accused of terrorism. Canada, at the very least, should not issue a passport to him.
Randy Sterling, Blenheim, Ont.
SNC obsession
Re The Mystery Of An SNC-Lavalin Obsession (editorial, Aug. 17): To judge by the tenor of letters published in The Globe and Mail over the past few days, any obsession over l’affaire Lavalin would appear to rest in the media. One letter writer stated their vote would not be influenced by this matter at all, while another suggested that since no one has died there’s no big deal. One hopes that we haven’t reached a point where only a body count is noteworthy, and that the ethical black hole that is Ottawa will get people’s attention at some point.
What, exactly, will it take to move us beyond lethargy and self-regarding cynicism? With an election coming, we should be deeply concerned by the fact voters must choose between Very Little and Even Less. The paucity of political leadership is deeply troubling; the fact that many other countries find themselves in the same position is no consolation. If it is true that we get the leadership we deserve, we all need to look beyond our narrow self-interest and see the bigger picture, even if there are no body bags in sight.
Steve Soloman, Toronto
Bench double dipping
Re Retired SCC Judges Are Free To Work In The Private Sector, But Appearances Matter (Aug. 19): Judging is a well respected but difficult and often lonely life. More frequently now, we see judges retiring before mandatory retirement. Many who do so use their skills to take employment as arbitrators and mediators, or return to the private practise of law. These are well-paid occupations.
We clearly need more judges, not fewer; reports of courts clogged for lack of judges are frequent.
Governments could encourage judges to remain in their public professions by ending double dipping, requiring those retiring early to subtract their new private incomes from their generous public pensions.
Michael Robinson, lawyer, Toronto
‘Seeing’ the Mona Lisa
Re What’s So Great About The Mona Lisa? (Aug. 17): The fetishizing of the Mona Lisa is nothing new. When I was in the Louvre in 1994 and had my time in front of the famous painting, I chose to sink into a state of absorption to see if I could really be present with da Vinci’s creation.
Alas, it was not to be. I was so jostled by so many other tourists jockeying for position to be photographed in the presence of the painting that it was impossible to concentrate.
Forget about not seeing the other paintings that surround the world’s most famous painting; my sense was that even then, most people who stood beside the Mona Lisa did not truly even see what they had travelled so far to glimpse.
Conrad Sichler, Hamilton
Vagina truths
Re The Vagina Lies (Opinion, Aug 17): I enjoyed Dr. Jen Gunter’s wonderful essay, not only for the myths it debunks, but also for its humour and pro-female common sense. “Please don’t put parsley in your vagina” had me almost rolling on the floor, as did the good doctor’s views about rectal coffee enemas: “Dear God, no” and “I. Just. Can’t. Even.”
Too funny, but inspiring as well.
Marg Nelson, Vancouver
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