From left, U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, respond to base remarks by President Donald Trump after he called for four Democratic congresswomen of colour to go back to their "broken" countries. All four are American citizens, and three of the four were born in the U.S. Ms. Omar is the first Somali-American in Congress.J. Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press
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
..................................................................................................................................
The right enemies
Re To Win, Trump Needs The Right Enemies (editorial, July 16): The collective, overtly-progressive agenda, speechifying, tweets and other pronouncements in the media and elsewhere by the four Democratic congresswomen who call themselves “the squad” – Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib – could never match that of the occupant of the White House.
Trying to out-crazy the POTUS and go left, left, left will not help the Democrats change the party of the presidency in 2020. The President provides the fuel they need simply by existing, and they do the same for him – a perfect match made in U.S.-politics hell.
Clay Atcheson, North Vancouver
.................................
Donald Trump told four Democratic congresswomen of colour to go back where they came from if they aren’t happy in the United States. All four are American citizens; three were born in the U.S., one came to America as a teen.
One could rightly suggest that Mr. Trump himself isn’t happy in the U.S., what with “unfair” questions from Fox News’s Megyn Kelly during the Republican candidates’ debate, “rigged” elections, constant complaints about the American media picking on him, whining that Twitter and Google are censoring Conservative voices (unfortunately, not his), and the American census.
So I guess Mr. Trump will have to follow his own directive and return to the country from which his father’s ancestors came. But does Germany want him?
Jerry Steinberg, Surrey, B.C.
.................................
Since these women are American citizens, they in fact share one government, and that’s the one led by Donald Trump. Ironically, his tweeted description, intended to demean them, fits what turns out to be his own leadership rather well: “a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most … inept anywhere in the world.”
Sarah Andrews, Edmonton
Six dead horses
Re Chuckwagon Safety Back In The Spotlight (July 16): I am distraught over the loss of six innocent, majestic horses at the Calgary Stampede.
As an animal advocate, I am against using animals as any form of human entertainment. Our government has the power to update Canada’s antiquated animal cruelty legislation and put an end to such events as chuckwagon races, dog-sledding competitions, horse racing and bull riding.
Animal advocates are not superheroes. We desperately need our government’s support and action to stop what’s happening.
Tracy Jessiman, Halifax
.................................
It takes time for pursuits that injure or kill innocent animals to be rendered obsolete by legislation, and it takes even longer when those things are perceived to be part of a nation’s culture.
Canadians generally consider the spectacle of a matador slowly murdering a bull, or a throng of riders chasing a hapless fox, to be cruel. So please explain to me how the Calgary Stampede is any different?
Jerry Amernic, Toronto
Down-to-earth homes
Re The Era Of The Single-Family Home Is Over (July 13): Your editorial is breathtakingly dismissive of folks like myself who live in single-family homes. Neighbourhoods are all about community. As big cities like Toronto continue to grow upward, they are selling their citizens’ quality of life for tax revenue and developers’ profit.
Cast your gaze beyond big cities, and you’ll find smaller ones languishing from economic neglect. This is a breeding ground for discontent, as we have witnessed in Ontario and the U.S. Isn’t it possible for co-operative federalism to use the instruments of government to divert and distribute economic opportunity to places such as London, Windsor, Sarnia, Thunder Bay, Inuvik and elsewhere around Canada where it is badly needed?
Wouldn’t that be planning with people, not numbers, in mind?
James G. Heller, Toronto
.................................
Taking in boarders, as Jennifer Keesmaat’s grandmother did, is not today’s “Canadian dream” (Home Is Where The Heart Is. But It’s Also Where Housing Solutions Lie – Opinion, July 13).
We cannot roll back time to when our houses held large families and rooms were shared all the time. Then, adding a boarder when the older children moved out was a continuation of how the house was already being used, and was well within the social norm. The design of today’s homes reflects a different norm, and most modern houses would be difficult and expensive to separate into smaller, private units.
Our last house was built in the 1920s with a bright, private basement apartment. We rented it to a university student; later, it’s where my mother-in-law lived when our kids were young. When she left, we used it as extra living space.
Most Canadians are not likely to accept sharing space that they think of as “theirs,” but if houses, detached or otherwise, were required to provide the built-in privacy and flexibility of that 1920s house, the market would adapt and adjust.
Russell Mawby, Osgoode, Ont.
.................................
Re Co-op Housing Is Due For A Revival In Canada (July 15): My husband and I lived in a co-op. It was a great experience. We were in a wonderfully diverse community, with access to great collaborative child-care opportunities.
The modest housing charge allowed us to save to buy a house of our own. Housing co-ops are an essential component of affordable housing. All levels of government need to step up to the plate and encourage this model.
Jane McCall, Delta, B.C.
In the 20th century …
Re Aldrin Becomes Second Man To Step On Moon (July 15): Your Moment in Time presentation brought back memories of myself as a kid watching the moon landing at our Toronto home with my family. My dad was so impressed, he saved the newspaper from July 21, 1969, which reported the historic event the day before. I still have it today. He also took a picture of us watching the moon landing. A very exciting and memorable time, even for a then-seven-year-old.
Bob Ferguson, Aurora, Ont.
.................................
Eric Reguly’s article, Many Moons Ago: Remembering The Launch Of Apollo 11 (Opinion, July 13), brought back quite wondrous memories.
As a then-20-year-old in northern England, I recorded the moon landing, as it was being transmitted by BBC Radio, on my old Grundig tape recorder. I vividly recall hearing those immortal words, “one small step for man,” as Neil Armstrong left footprints on the moon’s surface.
Sadly, upon moving to Canada some years later, the tapes were lost forever. Fortunately, my memory of that event is still very much alive.
John P. Nightingale, Lethbridge, Alta.
.................................
It’s been so long, I’m a bit confused. Was it Neil Armstrong or Neil Young who landed on the moon?
Terry Toll, Campbell’s Bay, Que.
..................................................................................................................................
Keep your Opinions sharp and informed. Get the Opinion newsletter. Sign up today.