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Military misconduct

Re Report Urges Cultural Shift To Stop Sexual Misconduct In Military – May 1: It's incredible to learn in 2015 that a "sexualized culture" exists in Canada's military. It is even more disturbing that senior officers claimed to be unaware of the extent of the inappropriate conduct. That this starts from the get-go at the Royal Military College of Canada, and that few have any confidence that drastic action will be taken to address the situation, is equally unbelievable.

Is this another example of attitudes toward violence against women based in a blame-the-victim environment, that lead to a refusal to take concrete steps to prevent it? Can the idea that "girls that come to the Army know what to expect" become the excuse for the actions of men who violate their rights? Surely this is not the Canada we want to show to the world.

Monica Cullum, Ottawa

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Why is the military given the job of changing the culture within itself when it is so obviously unable to do the job? The responsibility lies with the government, especially the Department of National Defence. Those in command should be told to clean up this mess, or we will do it for you. There should be demotions as well as dismissals.

Jack Mitchell, Toronto

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It appears the Armed Forces warriors didn't get the message about the most basic point of their job: to protect the values of a free, rational and compassionate society. That means protecting and respecting all Canadians, more than half of whom are female. If our soldiers are not fighting to protect the values of Canadian society, what are they doing? I suggest that to whatever motto each branch of the military ascribes, an additional line be added: "And we vow to uphold and respect the equality of women." Sexual aggression against female military colleagues is totally unacceptable.

Lesley Ann Patten, Halifax

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I agree with the military's decision to consult widely, and proceed judiciously with the discipline of our officer corps trainees. Far better that in future these men, courage and moral fibre already established, be in a position to disgrace all of Canada rather than merely themselves, as now.

Dick Martin, Chester Basin, N.S.

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We've been at this too long. Twenty-five years ago I ran a seminar for managers in the public service to help them improve workplace interactions between men and women. I recall one man telling me that, as a woman, I should never be allowed on a Canadian ship because of the bad luck I would bring! At the end of the seminar I wondered whether these managers would be able to change their behaviour on the job. Would they have organizational values to strive for, with consequences attached? Would their own managers support and guide them? If the military were to provide such a climate, the answer could be Yes.

Liz Murphy, Toronto

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The sweet pot

Re Ontario Sweetens The Pot For Power Workers – May 1: Premier Kathleen Wynne has called for austerity, especially in labour costs, as her government attempts to balance its budget within a few years. Yet workers at Ontario Power Generation and Hydro One are being offered general contracts with 3-per-cent raises, cash payments equal to 3-per-cent of their salary, and shares in Hydro One equal to 2.25 per cent of their salary for the next 15 years, all in the name of labour peace as the privatization of Hydro One takes place. Ms. Wynne says lessons have been learned from Ontario's previous privatization blunders, and that it will be different this time. This gift to the power workers appears to refute that claim.

David Kister, Toronto

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Chicken check

Canadian chicken feed is not spiked with food colouring, and chicken is not an "omega-6 fat bomb" (How We Killed Chicken – Life & Arts, April 28). Chicken is consistently lean, with fat content that varies from two to seven grams per 100 grams of breast meat.

Canadian chicken farmers work hard to provide families with choice, from free-range, organic chicken to conventional. All are almost equal in nutrient value. Whatever their choice, when Canadians choose Canada's No. 1 meat, they're choosing a versatile, flavourful, healthy meat at an affordable price.

Mike Dungate, chairman, Chicken Farmers of Canada, Ottawa

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I'm 87, and over the years I've seen meat, fresh fruits and vegetables became less appealing. When I was a child my family got much of our food from a small farm near Windsor. In peach season, my mother would shout "Stand over the sink!" when I bit into a peach, juice streaming down. I haven't tasted a juicy peach in years. Much is due to food being shipped long distances, so "farm fresh" is non-existent. I long for the days when food tasted like the food it was.

Dorothy Madge, Windsor, Ont.

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Salute to PEN

I find myself reading words that I don't understand. They are words spoken and reported on, or written directly, by several of my esteemed colleagues – Michael Ondaatje, Joyce Carol Oates, and Peter Carey among them – who are protesting against the proposed PEN American Center's award for courage of freedom of expression to the French satirical publication, Charlie Hebdo.

It makes me giddy each time I read one of these attempts to clarify the writer's reasoning for their protest, or for their withdrawal from the May 5 PEN gala. There is a serpentine political correctness being expressed here, and it goes beyond over-intellectualization or navel-gazing into what Nick Cohen of The Spectator calls "the literary indulgence of murder." I agree with him. And I salute PEN, and applaud its award to Charlie Hebdo.

David Cronenberg, Toronto

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Aid for Nepal

The Canadian government has pledged $5-million to help Nepal, and says it will match Canadians' donations to the Nepal Earthquake Relief Fund, until May 25. In contrast, how much are we spending to fight Islamic State forces, and how many millions to help train Jordanian soldiers (Canada To Supply, Train Jordan's Troops In Fight With IS – April 29)? Canada and the United States should devote their energies and wealth to helping the desperate in Nepal. Our priorities are completely skewed.

Armida McDougall, Vancouver

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Endless possibilities

The Vancouver Park Board's approval of a zipline over the exquisite and serene quarry garden in Queen Elizabeth Park alerts me to other great revenue sources (Why Stroll When You Can Zipline? – May 1). How about a bungee-jumping facility on the Lions Gate Bridge? Legal squirrel hunting – bow and arrow only – in Stanley Park? Rollerblading races through the park board offices?

Daniel Wood, Vancouver

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