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Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Try to keep letters to fewer than 150 words. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com

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May at the mike

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May may be a champion of environmental issues, but it seems that her education in what constitutes humour has been sadly neglected (Elizabeth May 'Very Apologetic' About Omar Khadr Remarks – online, May 11).

Ms. May should stick to what she knows best, environmental issues, and treat the Parliamentary Press Gallery dinner as if it were a toxic oil spill, to be avoided at all costs.

Jeff Spooner, Kinburn, Ont.

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Hip hip hooray for Elizabeth May!

She said out loud what she wanted to say.

No need to fear that her ratings are shrinking,

Ms. May said out loud what thousands are thinking.

And dear Lisa Raitt, try as she might,

Failed to derail this transport of delight.

J. Devereux, Halifax

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Inaction on nosodes

Re Pediatricians Urge Halt To Alternative Vaccines – Life & Arts, May 11: Carly Weeks reports that "Health Minister Rona Ambrose's office has so far resisted calls to take further action on nosodes" and "She did not respond to questions from The Globe and Mail asking why Health Canada continues to give its seal of approval to nosodes."

It is her job to take such action, and to respond to such questions. Ms. Ambrose and her office should immediately act on the recommendations of the Canadian Pediatric Society to crack down on nosodes and stop unsupportable claims.

Barbara Mathias, Richmond, B.C.

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Ontario Tories

Re Brown Puts Focus On Job Of Uniting Caucus, Party – May 11: I find it astounding that the new Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown, who "presented no concrete policies during the campaign," was able to win the leadership race. What does that say about politics in general, and the party specifically? Say nothing of importance, and you can win! No wonder people have less and less confidence in the electoral process.

Greg Ford, Barrie, Ont.

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In his acceptance speech, Patrick Brown spoke of both refocusing Ontario postsecondary education and cutting red tape. He might study up on the consequences of the last Ontario Conservative government's efforts in red-tape cutting. For starters, he could enter "Walkerton" into his computer's search engine.

John Armstrong, Markdale, Ont.

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Vancouver housing

An influx of foreign money, particularly from mainland China, has driven housing prices in key centres such as Vancouver and Toronto spectacularly out of whack (Some Wonder If It's Time For Vancouver To Act To Slow Foreign Buyers – May 8). For local buyers, this has not only severely undermined housing affordability, but also risks accelerating a social and political backlash as the divide between foreign "haves" and local "have-nots" widens.

Allen Kwan, Toronto

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A science lesson

I was surprised that the Folio article about Earth's roots (Listening to the Planet's Story, Right Down To Its Roots – May 5) did not mention one of the world's greatest earth science research projects – Lithoprobe. Perhaps this was usual Canadian modesty.

Lithoprobe was an investigation financed by the National Science and Engineering Research Council, the Geological Survey of Canada, industry, and provincial and territorial surveys.

From 1983 to 2005, more than 1,000 earth scientists were involved in co-operative research on a series of geological and geophysical transects from sea to sea. All the transects were examined with deep seismic testing.

It was a magnificent success, leading to a great body of knowledge and understanding of the Earth's crust. For his outstanding leadership, Ron Clowes, geophysicist at the University of British Columbia, received an Order of Canada.

To understand the Earth we occupy, every young Canadian should have a copy of Ghost Mountains and Vanished Oceans, by John Wilson and Ron Clowes.

D.K. Mustard (past president, Canadian Geoscience Council), West Vancouver

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Sex talk, straight up

I almost choked on my cereal reading Elizabeth Renzetti's column (Why Improve Sex Education For Kids When They Can Easily Access Porn Sites? – May 9). And it was even funnier the second time. Like all good social satire, her column makes a strong point: that Ontario's new health curriculum is long overdue, despite the protests of some parents and religious groups.

Sex education was almost non-existent in schools when I was growing up. Most parents were reticent or too embarrassed to teach their children even the most basic facts of life.

Misinformation was passed on in schoolyards. Girls who became pregnant were hidden away at home, their babies put up for adoption or raised by grandparents. Homosexuality was met with scorn and discrimination.

Do we really want a return to those dark ages?

Jim Hickman, Mono, Ont.

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Re Sex, Nuts And Modern Values – editorial, May 9: Your editorial states the new Ontario health curriculum "doesn't encourage anal sex or masturbation, absurd assertions made by too many parents who have let themselves be captive to misinformation."

Here is what is said in the Grade 6 curriculum (teacher prompt, page 175): "Exploring one's body by touching or masturbating is something that many people do and find pleasurable. It is common and is not harmful and is one way of learning about your body." This is certainly a green light, if nothing more.

Support of the curriculum can be achieved without maligning those who oppose it, or parts of it. But denying the truth of their assertions only fans flames and makes it more difficult to conduct reasonable discussion.

Jay Miller, Oakville, Ont.

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California drought

I wonder when will we hear the first appeal for a continental water policy from U.S. politicians (More Dire By The Day – May 8)? I'm sure they have noticed the surplus of water we are sitting on in Canada.

Alistair Thomson, Oshawa, Ont.

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Sounds like …

Overheard at a "vintage vinyl" fair on Main Street in Vancouver on the weekend:

Young son: What's that word again?

Father: Record.

Ken Grennan. Vancouver

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