Your letters for March 13

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Longer way to go for total equality

Re: Every day should be Women’s Day in Alberta, Opinion, March 10

The headline is laudable yet what the writers may forget is that women already participate in the economy, even from the home. They anchor it, in health care, education and mental health care. They are just not counted in GDP.

We need equality between men and women in paid work but also equality between women in paid and unpaid work. We all work. To include women in decision-making, which I endorse, it is odd that the federal task force on women in the economy is heavily weighted to daycare activists, operators and union reps for daycare. What about including mothers at home, home-based businesswomen, grandparents, nannies in the discussion? Or would that inclusiveness be a step too far?

Beverley Smith, Calgary

Delaying second shots means more people vaccinated

Re: After a year of COVID, city prepping for vaccines, March 6

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My experience registering for shots parallels that of another writer although, being 92, I did get up two hours later. My second shot, booked for April 20, will also likely be cancelled under the new arrangements and this is perfectly acceptable.

There are so many working in more vulnerable situations than mine. This is a good management decision. Expand the protection.

John Price, Lethbridge

UCP can’t pretend all of their decisions didn’t happen

Re: Fight with doctors? It never happened, claims minister, Opinion, March 10

Don Braid speculates the fiasco that UCP politicians most want to be forgotten is the fight with doctors. I suggest there are several other close contenders in this political denial competition: the threat to close or delist provincial parks; seizure of public sector pensions; perpetuation of coal mining leases; bad bets on O&G; and death by a thousand cuts to K-12 and post-secondary education, justice services, workers’ safety and compensation, and services and income supports for seniors, special-needs children and disabled Albertans.

The UCP government will be hard-pressed to claim that these boneheaded moves never happened.

Carol Berndt, Calgary

Critical thinking lacking with opposition to literature

Re: “Not the first time art and literature considered subversive”, letter Mar. 8

John Steinbeck is a pillar in American literature as were many others — James A. Michener, F. Scott Fitzgerald, William Faulkner, Samuel Langhorne Clemens (better known as Mark Twain). They all wrote novels that took place in their own time, and for decades nobody took offence.

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That is until the Millennials and Generation Z showed up. They were never taught classic literature. If they dig into one of these great novels, they make a mistake and apply the story to present times because some educators told them they are critical thinkers.

I do not blame the youth as they are the victims of this deception, but I certainly blame the establishment that allowed it to happen.

Caspar Pfenninger, Calgary

Free speech isn’t just for those we like

Re: Tourism ad shocking, Letter, March 10

It would be terribly hypocritical of me to first say that I support freedom of speech and then say that the tourism ad from China should be censored because of the way the Chinese government is treating its Uyghur minority.

Freedom of speech must apply to everybody, even those we dislike. That is the ultimate test of our tolerance for differences of opinion. Anything else is a slippery slope towards totalitarianism. After all, we don’t want to become like the Chinese government.

Peter Mannistu, Calgary

Council on record in support of mine

Re: Conflict of interest for coal mine supporter, Letter, March 10

It is my understanding the Municipality of the Crowsnest Pass is on record in support of mine development in the area. So Councillor Lisa Sygutek cannot speak in support of mining because her husband works for a coal company? I know no one of greater integrity and more supportive of her neighbours and community (than her).

Supporting one’s constituents is not my definition of a conflict of interest.

Robert Franz, Brooks

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