50,000,000 Greg Perry fans can’t be wrong
Dear Editor
When I receive the paper, the first thing I turn to is Greg Perry’s political cartoon.
The one of the “Irate White North” is one of his best (Feb. 19).
Keep up the good work, Mr. Perry.
A.C. Adam
Kelowna
Show truckers some respect
Dear Editor
I read the letters to the editor today and found, to my disappointment, the usual drivel from the same people, extolling the virtues of the Liberal government and trashing everyone else.
These are the same people that still support the carbon tax, despite broad consensus that it did nothing for the environment and was inflationary.
The truckers’ protest is a favourite target of their outrage. As viewed by most media outside of Canada, the truckers’ strike was a protest by working people to conditions (cross-border quarantine) that would have put them out of work.
Media in Europe, Asia and the U.S. largely blamed Justin Trudeau for ignoring protesters requests for a meeting and unnecessarily prolonging the protest. His decision to confiscate and freeze funds with compliance with Canadian banks, shocked even the most progressive of Europeans.
It is great that folks are able to express their opinions on sites like this. They would be more effective in getting their message across if they did a minimum of research on the topic they are ranting about.
Simply parroting the Liberal Party’s talking points, will get them no converts and little respect.
Ron Ramsay
Penticton
Our one-sided judicial system
Dear Editor
There is something drastically wrong with our judicial system that supports the rantings of a lunatic, but will not even read the evidence submitted to give them a clear understanding of the case before them.
It has been my sad realization that the judges in lower court do not read the information presented to them to define a pending case. I know this for a fact because several lower case judges did not notify the plaintiff that the case before them was a Supreme Court order and not within their jurisdiction to change. So, the plaintiff wasted a year of her time trying to get an order changed which the lower court judges should have known was beyond their capabilities and should have let the plaintiff know right at the start of her filing that the case needed to be heard in supreme court.
It actually took a court clerk to let the plaintiff know that any changes must be made in supreme court. Furthermore, this begs the question that if the lower court judge has not read the submitted evidence, then what is he/she basing their ruling on? I understand that if the judge is extremely biased on rendering a verdict or if he has overstepped his capabilities as a lower case judge, then a stay can be requested and a new judge appointed, who hopefully, has a better comprehension of the court system. It is disheartening to find that so many of the lower court judges leave a lot to be desired in a supposedly fair and equitable system.
I find that invariably and arbitrarily the judges tend to be swayed by the male and discount the females concerns whether the judge be male or female. Certainly, I have yet to witness a fair trial where both parties are treated with the respect that they deserve.
I am positive that my presentation is accurate from anecdotal information from other cases among people I know. I think an independent assessment of judges in our communities would benefit the people in need of justice within the court system and also the criteria of whether a case has merit to be indicted needs to be redefined. Laws defining what is indictable need to be changed and I am doing my best to change them.
May Taniwa
Summerland
Considerable land debt in B.C.
Dear Editor
The question is: Could a provincial government damage their credibility by following a Supreme Court decision to consult with First Nations Indians to reconcile Title and Rights to unceded/unsurrendered First Nation Indian Territories?
Answer: There is no bad time to follow the Rule of Law be it before or after an election.
The NDP was simply doing the right thing to consult with the First Nations Indians involved to reach a fair Reconciliation of Land acceptable by both parties. Opposing political parties and their supporters will spin this Land Reconciliation as an “Exercise in secrecy, and lacks credibility”.
The fact is the only parties required at the consultation table are the two elected governments - the Provincial Government, and the elected Chief and Council and their representatives within their territories. Throughout B.C., there is a considerable amount of “land debt” the provincial government owes First Nation Indians that must be reconciled through consultation in accordance with the Supreme Court Ruling (Delgamuuk vs. BC; Dec. 11, 1997).
The unceded First Nation Indian Lands have been contributing to the Province of B.C.’s GDP for decades without reconciliation to the First Nation Indians.
Joe McGinnis
First Nation Elder
Oliver
The legacy of Pope Francis
Dear Editor
Many Catholics have turned their backs on the past. Many have lived in a timeless subjection to authority. Our younger people have Woken to other things. Since the Holocaust our world has made a duty of remembrance.
Pope Francis, a Jesuit, who does not disdain the world, wants to make the Church a clearer sign of the worlds salvation. He has asked forgiveness for all the harm we have done and asked the Holy Spirit to guide us now in the path of justice and peace for all. Particularly we are to ask forgiveness for our refusal to build relationships with everyone.
The Pope reminds us that Jesus listened to everyone: the poor, beggars, lepers, Jews and pagans, sinners, the sick, men and women. He renewed the lives of all who came to him. He asks His followers to do the same in today’s world. The evils that plague our world, even in our families, is poor relationships with others. Relationships are the means by which we put Christ’s love in the world everyday.
Very often in the past we were unable to listen to those who were different from us. Pope Francis in a new Synodal document is asking the parishes to listen to everyone. Some people express their pain at being ignored or rejected because of sexuality or marital status. The different cultures require that we respect the uniqueness of all. Even Abortion is an unwillingness to accept a relationship.
The Gospels offer us many applications of this new world. The failure of the rich man Lazarus is that he did not even know the name of the poor man who begged at his door everyday.
Changes in the world were making faith obsolete. But Pope Francis is bringing it back. The scandals humiliated us but humiliation is good if it leads to conversion to truth. We are offered a new springtime for the remnant parishes. The future looks more potent than the past.
Fr. Harry Clarke
Kelowna
Balance needed for our forests
Dear Editor
Friday, March 21st was International Day of Forests. This year’s theme was forests and food, where we celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of forests and their role in food security and livelihoods.
Here in the Okanagan valley, we have ponderosa pine and douglas fir forests, the former being a relatively uncommon ecosystem type in BC - covering less than 1 per cent of the landbase.
These forests provide habitat for at risk animals such as little brown bats, northern goshawks, and even pollinator species, like the blue listed lilac-bordered copper and California hairstreak butterflies. Habitat for pollinators is critical to ensure pollination, an essential ecosystem service, continues to help grow our food, including Okanagan fruit.
Beyond pollinators and species at risk, many important and iconic wildlife species in BC also call these forests home, such as deer, elk, cougars and black bears.
Ensuring our forests can provide habitat for game species like deer and elk also contributes to food security.
The value of our forests goes well beyond timber, with healthy forest ecosystems supporting abundant wildlife and healthy communities. This is why change is needed in how we manage our forests, with a better balance between timber and ecological values.
That much was clear five years ago when the province conducted a review of old-growth forest management in BC. With wide consultation and expert input, the Old Growth Strategic Review outlined better ways to manage forests.
I feel hopeful for the Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework that was drafted as a result of the Review’s recommendations. This framework sets the stage for a shift in natural resource management that prioritizes biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Now, five years after the Old Growth Strategic Review release, the Province is overdue on advancing this framework. It’s time for the government to release an Implementation Plan and develop legislation.
A Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Law is what forests and species at risk in BC need to ensure they and the communities, food systems, industries, and ecosystem services they support, continue to thrive. That’s what I’m hoping for this International Day of Forests.
Meg Bjordal
Lake Country
Think of the consequences
Dear Editor
To the Neanderthals torching Teslas: An insurance company may replace them at market value, which includes profit. And your insurance rates may climb.
Bill Carere
Victoria
