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Framing the niqab
The Nanos poll numbers on Canadian attitudes toward Quebec's face-covering law – 63 per cent of Canadians support or somewhat support Bill 62 – seem sharply at odds with the viewpoints that have been expressed by so many opinion writers lately (Quebec Veil Law Splits Federal Liberals Amid Calls To Ignore Court Challenge – Nov. 10).
But perhaps that only illuminates the degree to which we are talking past each other, framing the issue to suit our passions.
Despite evidence here and there to the contrary, I believe most Canadians have little difficulty with a relatively small number of women choosing to cover themselves in public – for whatever reason. My guess is Canadians don't so much "fear the other" as they simply see the niqab as a starkly visible symbol of a male-dominated culture of which they disapprove. At the same time, they are not convinced by the argument that it is a religious requirement.
Leaving aside Quebec itself, what Canadians who "somewhat" support Bill 62 may be indicating to pollsters isn't a desire to see the niqab directly suppressed, but a desire to see our government clearly express, equally symbolically, our disapproval of what we believe the niqab stands for.
Peter Conroy, Ottawa
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Respectful debate
Re What Happened To Respectful Debate In Canada? (Nov. 7): My thanks to Erna Paris for outlining several recent steps in a disturbing retreat from dialogue.
Thomas Healy in the Atlantic of June, 2017, wrote that American jurists use the mechanism of "counter-speech" to avoid the suppression of free speech.
Barack Obama, in a graduation address he gave at Rutgers in 2016, urged, "Don't feel like you got to shut your ears off because you're too fragile and somebody might offend your sensibilities. Go at them if they're not making any sense. Use your logic and reason and words."
The patience to respectfully listen and the courage to speak up are required to ensure that constructive public discourse takes the place of silencing, shouting down, shaming and delegitimizing.
Chester Fedoruk, Toronto
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Over the limit(s)
Re Something To Chew On (Folio, Nov. 9): Eating a little of an item labelled as high in salt, sugar and/or saturated fat can be healthier than eating a lot of a product that just sneaked in under the limits.
If the worst offending foods are red labelled, people will likely eat excessive amounts of food that is only marginally more healthy. A better solution is to teach consumers how to read and understand the nutrition labels we already have, including information for restaurant/prepared foods. Our propensity to eat too much will not be solved by putting special labels on a few food items.
Steen Petersen, Nanaimo, B.C.
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Well, whatever next?
There was Donald Trump at APEC, shown over and over again on TV on Friday initiating a (collusion?) handshake with his Russian hero and adding an affectionate back pat before stepping back for a group photo shoot. A rather hesitant Vladimir Putin seems to manage an NKVD-inspired grin in response.
Well, whatever next? What do these two oligarchs have to talk about: their mutual aversion to "crooked Hillary?" Surely dangerous Kim would come up? Perhaps even a whisper about uppity China? Could there be a nostalgic chuckle or two about a Moscow beauty contest?
Elections anywhere would be avoided. Vlad, the devil, might even consider distracting eager Donald with the offer of a Trump Tower in Crimea? Serious diplomacy and real concern for this planet? On hold…
William Emigh, Victoria
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Re Diagnosing Trump: Did The U.S. Elect A Madman? (Nov. 9): As hugely troubling as the apparent likelihood of a disturbed presidency may be, I believe Elizabeth Renzetti may have put the wagon in front of the horse with the argument that Donald Trump is driving the country crazy.
Isn't it possible much of the country was already crazy, and that this social pathology contributed to the election of someone manifestly unfit for office? I see little since the election that would substantially alter one's perception of Mr. Trump, other than, perhaps, his inability to deliver on a number of toxic promises.
I am siding with the "deep state" and hoping Senator Bob Corker is right in suggesting that a handful of rational people surrounding Mr. Trump may help prevent chaos beyond what we have already seen.
Julian Isitt, Victoria
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A different view
Your obituary of Murray Koffler, the pharmacist founder of Shoppers Drug Mart, detailed his many philanthropic contributions to pharmacy, health and the arts. He was a noteworthy Canadian (Founder Of The Shoppers Drug Mart Chain, Nov. 8).
You did not address, however, the role that Mr. Koffler played in public health. While he served as chair of Shoppers from 1971 to 1986, pharmacies were major tobacco retailers. Shoppers resisted the health community's efforts to persuade pharmacists that health professionals should not be involved in selling a product that was causing by some estimates 30,000 preventable deaths annually in Canada. Ironically, Canadian provinces are now suing the cigarette industry to recover billions in smoking-related health care costs as far back as the 1950s.
Garfield Mahood, president, Campaign for Justice on Tobacco Fraud
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Nature of war
Re For Two Families Of Soldiers Of Suicide, Battle For Recognition Is Over (Nov. 9): It is only fitting that suicide as a sequelae of war be recognized for what it is. Post traumatic stress disorder as a result of war is a sane response to an insane situation.
While 10 per cent of Canadian Afghan vets receive disability benefits for PTSD, the prevalence is believed to be far higher. The problem doesn't lie in the response to war. It lies in the nature of war itself.
Mark Leith, FRCP, psychiatry, Toronto
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Seize their phones
Re It's The Cars, Stupid (editorial, Nov. 10): Distracted driving is the leading cause of collisions, according to various police forces. If Ontario MPP Yvan Baker wants to reduce pedestrian deaths and the carnage on the streets and highways, he should introduce a bill calling for the seizure of cellphones and other electronic devices when used by drivers.
Even a casual observer of traffic can only conclude that recent increases in fines, demerit points and public awareness campaigns are not effective as a deterrent, as the chance of getting caught is negligible.
Richard E. Austin, Toronto
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Speaking as someone who, for 13 years, was a pedestrian, transit user and driver in Toronto, I suggest that countdown lights at intersections are a likely cause of more than a few of the city's pedestrian fatalities.
It's a boon for drivers to know how many seconds remain to clear an intersection they approach. It's no less a benefit for pedestrians, and for the same reason. However, pedestrians too often misuse the countdown to gamble on whether to start their crossing, rather than whether to accelerate it. That bet, plus wearing dark clothing at night, plus "smartphone dementia" may explain why The Darwin Awards were created.
L.W. Naylor, Waterloo, Ont.