Letters, Jan. 30

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/01/2021 (1427 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Police exoneration appalling

Re: No charges for cop in teen’s death (Jan. 29)

There is no word in the English language for how this makes me feel. Appalled is in the area, outraged is closer, heartbroken is also true.

That we live in a province where a cop can shoot and kill a kid. That the cop doesn’t have to answer for that. That the investigating body, the Independent Investigation Unit, can look at that video which shows the vehicle driven by the teen trying to get away from the police and accept this may mean the driver was trying to kill the police. That the findings are to exonerate a police officer who did not even have to explain himself under oath.

That a stolen vehicle and a robbed liquor store are worth the life of a child.

Shame on the Winnipeg Police Service. Shame on the IIU. And shame on the Manitoba Prosecution Services, which rules there are “no grounds to justify any charges against the subject officer for his use of lethal force.”

No justice. No peace.

Gloria Enns, Winnipeg

 

I understand how terrible this must be for the parents who lost their daughter in this very unfortunate incident. I think it is unfair of the father to state that this was a race-motivated shooting, when in all probability the police were trying to protect the public from a vehicle being used as a weapon. I feel it was lucky that Eishia Hudson didn’t kill a member of the public or a police officer with her erratic driving.

Doug Ingram, Winnipeg

 

Prioritize teachers for vaccine

Re: Teachers not priority group in province’s vaccine plan (Jan. 28)

It is surprising to find that the province’s plan for vaccine rollout does not include school staff who have been risking their own health to provide an education for Manitoba students. Teachers and other educators choose to leave their homes because they are dedicated professionals who care about their students and families. There are many educators who have underlying health conditions that put them at a greater risk, never mind the fact that they are surrounded by many children who, at this point, will not be eligible for the vaccine due to their age.

If the province truly wants schools open, put educators on the priority list.

Pat Malis, Winnipeg

 

Letter writer Shane Nestruck opines that “postal workers, bus drivers, grocery employees and teachers” are greedy and narcissistic for wanting to move up in priority for vaccine shots. Does he not realize that they are concerned about coming in contact with many people as part of their jobs? If teachers should be criticized, it should be for their inability to develop caring and thinking skills in people like Nestruck.

Greg Giesbrecht, Winnipeg

 

RHA boards only advise

Re: Pallister ‘disappointed’ in travelling WRHA board chairman (Jan. 29)

Winnipeg Regional Health Authority board chair Wayne McWhirter made a truly dumb decision to travel to Arizona and he should resign out of shame; however, the quotes about his “duties and influence” are dead wrong. I was a board member of a RHA for six years and chaired some meetings.

I can verify that such boards and their chairs do not make critical decisions; they are arm’s-length advisory groups and have little day-to-day influence. It was explained to me early on that the main priority of a RHA board is to assist in hiring the best chief operating officer available, provide the executive with policy and general direction, and then get out of the way.

Most people who work for the WRHA would not even know Wayne McWhirter’s name.

It’s correct that this appointee is Premier Brian Pallister’s friend. The premier needs to pick better friends.

John Zaplitny, Carman

 

Premier Brian Pallister calls Wayne McWhirter a “volunteer.” In my world, a volunteer is someone who is happy to get a cup of coffee at a meeting, not a cheque for $700 a month. My fury seethes at the thought that, to our premier, $9,000 a year is volunteer work.

Val Kellberg, Winnipeg

 

Trailer visits restrictive

Trailer visits have finally commenced at my mother’s Middlechurch nursing home. My sister was lucky enough to get in for a visit; I called to book my visit, as only one person is allowed to visit at a time. I was told I would have to wait two weeks. This means that I may be able to visually see my 91-year-old mother every six weeks, as I have two sisters who also want to visit.

I questioned this and was told these are provincial guidelines. I chose instead to go back to my weekly window visits. I’d rather stand out in the cold and visit through a window than wait six weeks for a trailer visit.

Barbara McGhee, Winnipeg

 

Resist premier’s bullying

Re: Premier Grinch didn’t ruin everyone’s holiday (Opinion, Jan. 29)

The article by Tom Brodbeck was 100 per cent my thoughts and disappointment. I am one of many whose heart aches every day because I cannot see some of my family, a new grandson to be exact, and he is now one year old. I missed his first year of life and will never get that back because I was told to stay home and restrict travel.

I would like to commend journalists for their work. Please continue, and do not let Premier Brian Pallister’s bullying stop you.

Barbara Tkachyk, Elm Creek

 

Pondering Putin’s peers

Re: Putin strongly supported (Letters, Jan. 28)

I agree with letter writer Kurt Clyde that Vladimir Putin has every reason to sleep soundly. As long as he can suppress any opposition by killing or jailing any credible opponent, as long as he stays in power for years to come by moving the goalposts, and as long as he can maintain his popularity by controlling the press, he certainly can sleep soundly.

If Clyde wants to compare current democratic proponents to Alexander Kerensky and Boris Yeltsin, then he should also compare Putin to Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin. Certainly the latter two were as “intelligent” and, at some point in their careers, as popular as Putin.

J. D. Marion, Winnipeg

 

Stop claiming river ice

Re: Community co-operation transforms stretch of Assiniboine into winter playground (Jan. 29)

As a Wolseley resident, I have been very disappointed to see some of my neighbours who own riverfront properties try to claim the public river ice for their own private use. Some have posted signs on their river-ice rinks, claiming them for their own family or insisting that others should ask permission before using, though no contact information or even a name is provided.

The message of these signs breaks my heart. When I first saw the rinks and paths on the river, they appeared to be a generous offering to the community, built on community space, during a time of great need for more outdoor recreational space. In posting these signs, it is clear to me that the creators of these rinks have instead claimed public space for their own use, to the exclusion of others. They appear to believe that they are entitled to the river beyond their property line, and entitled to control who has access to it.

The river is public space and we all need it, especially in these pandemic days.

Diana Epp-Fransen, Winnipeg