Central American asylum seekers wait as U.S. Border Patrol agents take them into custody on June 12, 2018, near McAllen, Texas. U.S. border authorities are executing the Trump administration's ‘zero tolerance’ policy toward undocumented immigrants.John Moore/Getty Images
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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Hellishly cruel
Re As Trump’s Hard Line Splits Migrant Families, White House distances Itself (June 18): As a psychologist who has spent 20 years studying and working in the area of family relationships, I believe Canada must take a stand on the Trump administration’s inhumane policy of separating children from parents as families seek refuge in a nation that Canada has designated a “safe third country” under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
As a parent of a child we adopted at age 4, I have seen the terror of children separated from familiar caregivers, even if it is to be placed in the arms of a loving, forever parent. To use and traumatize children to support a political agenda is immoral and barbaric.
Ottawa must take a stand for the sake of vulnerable children who have no voice. Canada can and should play a role as an example of a humane government, by speaking out officially, loudly, and publicly against what is happening, and by doing all we can to offer safe haven to refugees.
Marilyn Kwong, psychologist, Vancouver
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I almost gagged when I read that Attorney-General Jeff Sessions cited the Bible to defend separating children from parents at the border. I expect Mr. Sessions believes in Heaven and Hell. That cruel practice deserves a special place.
Ellen Grant, Toronto
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The Trump administration has crossed another terrifying line on its march toward Nazi-era totalitarianism. No matter what the Republicans in control of the U.S. government do next, they have consciously, unnecessarily and inhumanely traumatized 2,000 innocent children. Donald Trump and his self-serving administration, along with the craven Republican Senators and Representatives who stand by him, have succeeded in writing themselves into the history books forever. “A special place in Hell,” indeed.
Sarah Shadowitz, Toronto
Protectionism? Security?
Re U.S. Lawmakers Warn Canada About Huawei (June 18): Are we living through a new version of the “yellow peril”? Two decades ago, it was the Japanese threat when fear-mongers warned Japan would dominate the world economy. Now we have the Chinese threat, with the paranoia-fed fear that China is out to dominate the world by seizing leadership in the industries of the future.
China will pose a significant competitive threat in the years ahead but protectionism isn’t the answer. It should not be lost on Canadians that while Americans are telling us we mustn’t use certain Chinese technology for national security reasons, they are blocking imports of steel and aluminum from Canada – also for national security reasons.
Canada should not allow American protectionism and paranoia to shape our relationship with Huawei. We are quite capable of making our own national security assessments.
David Crane, Toronto
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Despite continued warnings that Chinese smartphone maker Huawei poses a national security threat for Canada and the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing community, the Prime Minister and Public Safety Minister have steadfastly refused to re-evaluate the security risks in allowing the Chinese state-controlled telecom giant, Huawei, to do business in Canada. Chiefs of six U.S. intelligence agencies and three former heads of Canada’s spy services have said Huawei is one of the world’s top cyberintelligence threats, and that its 5G technology could be used for remote spying or to modify or steal information, or even shut down systems.
One hopes Justin Trudeau’s infatuation with China isn’t clouding his judgment on this important matter of national security.
Michael Gilman, Toronto
Diversity’s measure
Re After Trinity Western, Will All Law Societies Stand Up For Diversity? (June 18): I am a member of the Ontario bar. I respect the Supreme Court’s ruling in the matter of Trinity Western University Law School (TWU). Two equally protected rights came into conflict and the court was asked which should prevail. My objection is not with the court’s answer, but with the fact that such an impossible question was asked.
I wonder why my law society, a group of people sworn to uphold all protected rights, was not able to come to its own solution – namely a compromise. We continually ask lawyers to defend the rights of their clients even when they find their clients’ actions objectionable. Were it otherwise, only those who support wrong-doing could be criminal defence counsel. I see no reason why TWU students can’t do the same.
I find it unfortunate that TWU requires a uniformity of opinion on human sexuality. I find it equally unfortunate that my law society does the same. I think we would all be healthier if our support of diversity extended beyond physical characteristics and included diversity of ideas.
Mark Hunter, Stratford, Ont.
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It is shameful that in 2018 a Canadian university would attempt to dress up vile homophobic policies in the garb of freedom of religion. It taints this freedom to espouse it to justify hateful conduct.
Gilda Berger, Toronto
IT’s many failings
Re Senior Bureaucrats In Charge Of Flawed Phoenix Pay System Weren’t Fired (June 15): Reading this article, it appears The Globe and Mail thinks these bureaucrats should have been fired. Why pick on this project?
Government IT projects fail, and for the same reasons:
• People chosen to lead the projects don’t have the skills and experience to ensure success;
• Too much reliance is placed on external experts with no plan for knowledge transfer;
• There is a failure to adhere to defined development protocols, especially testing; and
• Effective – or even any – governance oversight is absent.
In Ontario, The Globe has reported IT failures over the years. Where were your demands to know who was responsible? To the best of my knowledge, after reading 20 years of reports, Ontario’s Auditor-General has not audited IT. Nobody seems worried about that, either.
Julie Wood, CPA, CA, Toronto
Subtle it’s not
Re Relax Ottawa: The Château Isn’t Falling (June 18): Alex Bozikovic’s thoughtful defence of the modernist Château Laurier addition overlooks a crucial point: Much great modernist architecture is great specifically because it is very site-specific. Think of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, cascading down the hillside in tandem with the stream it straddles, or any of Wright’s broad, low “Prairie style” houses.
By contrast, the modernist box proposed by Peter Clewes squats on the ensemble of Château, Parliament, canal, cliffside and river with the sensitivity and subtlety of a jackboot in a flower garden. Modernism acquired a reputation for being heavy-handed: That’s not fair, but Mr. Clewes’s design shows you exactly why it happened.
Peter Coffman, associate professor, History and Theory of Architecture, Carleton University