Letters, March 16

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/03/2022 (919 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Handgun used in tragedy

Re: Time to restart handgun-ban discussion (Editorial, March 12)

This past month, our family had a young and loved member take her life with a handgun that had the serial number removed so it could not be traced.

I had a career in the military and so know something about handguns. I see no value for them in Canadian society.

A ban on handguns will save the life of someone else’s loved family member. The lives of our police forces will be safer, too. Isn’t that we want for all Canadians?

Brian Crow

Winnipeg

Please solve this riddle: how will banning legitimate, licensed and regulated handgun ownership reduce handgun crime? The three sources of crime guns mentioned in your editorial (smuggled, home-made, 3D printed) are already prohibited and subject to criminal prosecution.

By the way, there are two other sources: firearms stolen from legitimate owners such as sporting goods stores and private individuals, and those trafficked by “legal” rogue handgun owners. Those also are, obviously, prohibited avenues of possession.

It would be helpful to know the breakdown of the 182 handguns seized by the Winnipeg police in 2021. My guess, based on other Canadian gun statistics, is that most fall into the smuggled and stolen categories.

Full disclosure: I am not a handgun owner, although some years ago I was a member of a shooting range and shot a handgun owned by a relation. I went through the training and licensing process to legally posses a handgun. I did so partly to enjoy the hobby and partly to better understand the ownership and licensing process, as at that time I was a lawyer practising criminal law.

My solution for reducing handgun crime is vigorous enforcement of the existing firearms laws and severe penalties for all gun crimes.

Randall Janis

Winnipeg

I totally agree Canada should ban personal ownership of handguns.

I was born and grew up in Britain, which maintained strict gun laws, where police on the beat did not carry sidearms. Gun violence was virtually unheard of.

It would be a sad day in Canada if it gets to the point where someone out for a morning jog in bright daylight may lose their life from a gun shot because someone thought they looked suspicious.

My vote in the next election will certainly be decided by this issue.

Alan Inness

Winnipeg

For Omicron, good times ahead

Re: Two years of uncertainty, two years of death (March 12)

Notwithstanding the lullaby of Broadway assuring Manitobans COVID-19 is no longer the threat it once was, your paper would be wise to plan on publishing a similar feature to this one another two years from now. There will be a whole new host of the dead and debilitated to write about by then.

The Stefanson government’s decision to follow the dictates of politics rather than those of science guarantees the good times will just keep on rollin’ for Omicron and whatever merry band of variants turn up to join the party.

Ross McLennan

Winnipeg

California critic misses point

Re: New columnist controversial (Letters, March 14)

Tom Pearson writes from Indian Wells, Calif., as he criticizes Deborah Scnitzer’s new column as pretentious and “attempting to shroud seniors, men and women alike, with a pall of depression that we don’t really experience.”

His letter seems like ableist commentary from a white, wealthy male living in a climate that doesn’t barricade him in with six-foot-high snow walls and minus 30C temperatures. Very easy for a “healthy” active senior living in privilege to make judgments on the rest who are not.

Pearson completely missed the point. Schnitzer’s article was a thought-provoking call to action to create a better world and to insist that all are treated well, especially those entering their third act.

I’m looking forward to much more from Schnitzer, and a lot less from the Pearsons of the world.

Jacqueline Cassel-Cramer

Winnipeg

City growth outpaced hospitals

It was 41 years ago that Winnipeg celebrated the opening of a new hospital in the northeast corner of our city. Reported population of Winnipeg proper was 583,000, so with 2,437 beds overall the ratio was one bed for every 239 residents.

Population has steadily increased for 41 years, now reaching 833,000, plus very big growth in our surrounding bedroom communities.

We still have 2,437 patient beds overall, but now the ratio is one bed for every 341.8 residents – 102.8 more patients per bed. The 1981 ratio, applied to 2022 population, would require 1,045 more hospital beds just for the status quo from 41 years ago to be achieved.

Noah didn’t wait until is was raining to build the ark, and there were no bureaucrats or consultants back then.

P.E. Sveinson

Winnipeg

Clown therapy would be missed

Re: No one laughing over clown therapy’s uncertain future (March 15)

It’s sad to see Shared Health is considering whether to continue the clown therapy program at Children’s Hospital. I’ve seen this program in action and it is heartwarming. The kids who come to the hospital for care are often traumatized, and it takes a huge load off everyone, including parents and health-care workers, when the kids are entertained by the clowns.

Ken Campbell

Winnipeg

Canada needs pro curlers

Re: Team Jones announces current curling season will be their last (March 15)

Manitoba and Canada have produced some of the best curling teams in the world for years. It is a very demanding sport, both on the curlers and their families as they are apart from September to May. Yet scribes and fans of the game put the blame on the curlers themselves when they fail to bring back medals from the Olympics and world championships.

Folks, open your eyes. Many other countries have professional curlers, while we in Canada choose teams two months before the big event. Countries such as Japan, China, England and Korea play eight to 10 months of the year, with many of them coached by Canadians.

Until we make our teams professional curlers, we will play second fiddle to the rest of the world.

Paul Roy

Emerson

Leave ice drains to city

Re: Citizens should clear ice drains (Letters, March 4)

I pay taxes to have the streets plowed in the winter and cleaned in the summer, as well as having the sidewalks cleared of snow, and the drains cleared of ice and leaves as needed. Period.

If those energetic enough want to do the city’s work for it, they are welcome to come to my neighbourhood anytime.

Glenn Zaretski

Winnipeg