Letters and comments, Nov. 13

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/11/2018 (2191 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Trump and Truman

Re: Don’t dismiss Trump’s chances in 2020 (Nov. 8)

While commenting on U.S. President Donald Trump’s re-election chances for 2020, Adam Treusch (Nov. 9) could have drawn a few parallels with Harry S. Truman and the 1948 U.S. presidential race.

As vice-president, Truman took over the White House after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1945, and his career saw him make some of the most difficult decisions in American history. Among them were the approval of the nuclear attacks on Japan, the refusal to cave in to Soviet pressure during the Berlin blockade and the choice to commit U.S. forces to the Korean War.

However, in the 1946 midterm elections, his 32 per cent approval rating led the Republicans to gain a total of 66 seats in Congress so that the pundits were predicting Truman was strictly a lame duck and would be voted out in 1948.

This was the prevailing sentiment even on the eve of the presidential election when he faced former New York governor and Republican candidate Thomas E. Dewey. Yet when the votes were counted, not only did he remain as president, but also, the Democrats regained control of both the House and the Senate.

One of the main reasons for this upset was the fact that the U.S. economy was rapidly strengthening and consumers, remembering the privations and shortages of the Great Depression and during the Second World War, felt these improvements were what really counted. So with a continuing robust economy, Trump could easily repeat.

Edward Katz

Winnipeg

 

Time to clean house

Re: Public asked to support Stella’s employees amid harassment allegations (Nov. 10)

Here’s the thing. There is policy around the issue of harassment and bad work practices… and then there is harassment and bad work practices. Any business can say it has policies or is looking into them. But clearly, when it comes to Stella’s, there is a disconnect between what is in the policy binder in the office and what is actually happening on the floor.

I have been a supporter and enthusiastic customer of Stella’s in the past, but need to know that things are going to change in order for me to be able to enjoy a relaxed meal there in the future. I suspect that is the case with many of us.

Clean house quickly. Please.

Marsha Dozar

Winnipeg

 

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I’m surprised we haven’t been getting reports from other establishments.

— JustWondering

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@JustWondering: Now that Stella’s staff have broken the ice (so to speak), maybe we will hear more about other establishments. I’m sure there are a lot of horror stories out there just waiting to be told.

— Woofers Ad Infinitum

Lest we forget

Re: Stella’s under fire (Nov. 10)

I was extremely disappointed to see the front page of the Free Press.

Yes, the tribute to Manitoba’s last fallen soldier was front and centre as it should be. However, the title above, with photos was “Stella’s under fire.”

Really? How are they under fire? Under heavy criticism, for sure, but fire? No.

How must a veteran feel when reading that headline in so prominent a position? It totally distracts from what should be the most important message this weekend.

I’m sure the paper understands it is 100 years since the signing of the armistice on Nov. 11, 1918. I attended a school Remembrance Day service yesterday, and all schoolchildren are marking that solemn event. The very least my newspaper could do would be to give this Remembrance Day the most prominent notice.

It was extremely inappropriate and disrespectful to suggest that Stella’s is “under fire,” as if their lives are in danger from battle. More appropriate would have been to put their story, which deserves to be heard, on the inside page. I fully support the staff’s calls for help.

Let’s respect our veterans as they deserve. “Lest we forget.”

Freda Tsouras

Winnipeg

 

Re: The Last Manitoban (Nov. 10)

I was interested to read the story by Kevin Rollason about Robert McCrae from the Gladstone and Roblin area. It was surprising that the descendants of his sister, Nellie, did not know about him.

My family had a cousin, Leighton Davis, who was killed at Passchendaele on Oct. 30, 1917. He was only 18 years old. He was considered a big hero in the family.

I think it is important for Canadians to remember the terrible conditions that soldiers in the First World War endured and to remember the horrors they faced. It is sad to think of a young man like McCrae being hospitalized for so long and he died before the end of the war.

Congratulations to Rollason for his excellent research and writing.

Ruth Swan

Winnipeg

 

Don’t take care out of CancerCare

Re: CancerCare on board with review (Nov. 7)

When you receive a diagnosis of cancer, you instantly become a member of an exclusive club where you will have a long and intimate relationship with various medical staff and procedures, all of which have a single purpose, which is to keep you alive.

I am able to write this letter today because of the extraordinary care I received from all the doctors, nurses and technicians who were involved with me through CancerCare after I was diagnosed with cancer. I know that there are thousands of you out there whose lives have been affected by cancer and who have also received the same wonderful treatment from CancerCare.

This is the time to let our government know that we will not support nickel-and-dime cuts to medical services as a way out of debt, the result of which puts our lives on the line. Send a letter to the Pallister government and let them know that they cannot take the care out of CancerCare. If we all have a choice between supporting football stadiums or medical services to treat cancer, let the government know that we unequivocally support cancer treatment and we are fully capable of backing this choice with our votes.

Mary-Jane Robinson

Winnipeg

 

 

Re: By the numbers (Letters, Nov. 10)

Louise Schoenherr writes, “With an aging population, cancer rates will continue to grow.” From this, readers may get the impression that risk of cancer is increasing. In fact, Manitoba cancer rates are declining.

Canadian Cancer Statistics 2018 states, “Although age standardized incident rates (ASIR) are not increasing, the number of Canadians diagnosed with cancer every year is increasing. This increase is due to the growing and aging Canadian population rather than increased risk.”

In fact, the ASIR/100,000 population for Manitobans fell from 535.7 to 506.0 between 2009 and 2015 while the number of new cases remained about the same over that time period.

Better that it be said, as a population grows and ages, the number of people diagnosed with cancer will increase even though cancer rates may decline (as shown by ASIR statistics).

Other than that, I agree that CancerCare Manitoba needs to anticipate types of cancer and the number of patients that can be expected in the future.

Edward Gatey

Niverville