Letters | Imagine for a moment if Gaza were Fredericton
Published Wednesday January 14th, 2009
Re: War in Gaza
Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on Earth.
If Fredericton were like Gaza, its 45,000 people would be fenced in between Queen and Dundonald, and between Regent and Smythe streets.
Inside this gated community would be government buildings, UNB, schools and shops, everything except perhaps Chapters. Its perimeter, airspace and all economic activity would be controlled by an alien power that has the fourth largest armed forces in the world, after the U.S., China and Russia.
Half the population of Gaza is 15 years of age or under, and half is forced to rely on food aid provided by the UN and other humanitarian agencies, a state of affairs brought about by decades of sanctions. That translates to over 22,000 each in a compacted Fredericton.
Gaza has been subjected to at least 100 F-16 strikes per day. According to the UN there are nearly 800 dead with at least 200 children among them.
In a compacted Fredericton, this translates to three strikes per day, and six children dead in 12 days, with UNB, churches, and several government buildings destroyed - enough to occupy the Daily Gleaner's front pages for days.
From Prime Minister Harper and his subjects and now Michael Ignatieff, we keep hearing the sickening mantra that Israel has the right to defend itself, as if history began with Hamas rocket attacks.
Do they not know the jarring words of Moshe Yaalon, the Israeli Defense Forces chief of staff, in 2002: "The Palestinians must be made to understand in the deepest recesses of their consciousness that they are a defeated people."
Isn't this what the Gaza massacres are really about?
Viqar Husain
Fredericton
Too busy for a dog
Re: Pet ownership
I normally wouldn't write but as I sit going through the popular website Kijiji, I am shocked at how many people use the excuse that they are giving away pets, more importantly dogs, due to a lack of time.
When one thinks they want to become a dog owner, one should strongly consider that dogs can live up to 20 years. They are not an inconvenience, nor a novelty. They become family members and look to us to provide for them.
Just because a child wants a puppy or you see a cute face doesn't mean you should get a dog. These loving, four-legged creatures look to us to care for them, keep them safe and love them. We don't have children and just give them away because another baby is on the way - we accommodate them.
I'm not trying to be mean here. I just want anyone who considers investing in a four-legged family pet to realize that they require a lot of time and money and they deserve to get back all the love and companionship they give us.
Furthermore, I don't recommend paying hundreds of dollars for a purebred dog. There are perfectly great dogs and puppies at our local shelters and almost daily they receive discarded pets.
Next time you see a cute dog and that little "Oh, I want one!" thought comes to mind, think about this: do you have the time?
Amanda Finkelman
New Maryland, N.B.
Give your head a shake
Re: Editorial published Jan. 6 called Give me a break
So you feel that raising the HST by two cents is no big deal and that it won't break anybody?
What a silly comment to make, especially at a time like this when people on fixed incomes are struggling as it is.
Give your head a shake.
Bruce Jack
Tracy, N.B.
The present system is flawed
Re: State of the forestry industry
We live in a forest, but people often cannot buy firewood, and we are importing wood pellets from Maine while trees in our province are being cut and shipped to Europe.
Several years ago the forest industry was claiming to employ over 30,000 people and that this justified how our Crown lands were managed.
There is no one talking about jobs today because many have disappeared, and no one is talking about government subsidies to industry in the form of reduced power rates or other subsidies. Despite the dismal state of the forest industry, no one is willing to admit that the present structure is flawed.
There is talk about developing other uses for the wood fibre and the waste. Ideas range from co-generation of electric power to producing chemicals.
The common thread is that the present industry base will retain total control over the Crown lands and the trees that grow on them.
The government actually manages these resources at a loss. Considering the dismal performance, both economically and environmentally, of the government and these companies, the future is not likely to be great.
What is needed is a policy that will allow individuals, groups and communities access to Crown lands and the resources existing on the land. The Crown lands belong to the people of New Brunswick - not the large companies like Irving or Fraser.
Tom Hickie
Fredericton
Help us reach our goal of 8,000 bags
Re: Clothing donations
How would you like to help make a positive change in someone's life? Here's your chance.
The New Brunswick Association for Community Living works on behalf of children and adults who have an intellectual disability and their families, and we truly change lives and change communities each day.
In New Brunswick there are about 22,000 people who have an intellectual disability and we receive on average 100 calls a month for support.
Since we are a provincial non-profit organization, it is up to us to fund our organization through fundraisers, projects and donations. Our Community Collection Program is one way, and it is vital to our existence.
We collect re-usable clothing and household items which generate the funds needed to allow us to reach out and offer support. We are reaching out to you to ask for your help as we must reach a goal of collecting 8,000 bags by March 2009. We especially need clothes, linens, coats, drapes and blankets.
Donations can be made at any of our orange donation bins or by calling us at 1-866-NBACL-4U. A complete list of our donation bin sites can be found at www.nbacl.nb.ca.
You can also organize a clothing drive at your work, church or service club. By taking five minutes to collect the items in your closet you no longer need, you will be directly helping change lives and change communities.
Jason Carr
Director of strategic initiatives
NBACL
Disabled
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Comments (24)
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thanks for the great article - it is such a shame that I have to get any sort of information about Gaza from the letters to the editor section and not the paper itself.
This said, we are getting a real glimpse of the atrocities, as they are purpetrated. But we don't get much of a glimpse of what, say, the U.S. and even Canada are doing in other places, such as Iraq (that evil, illegal war) and Afghanistan.
Might is not right, if that would be the bogus slant we always get.
Israel is not only an ally of the U.S., it is one of the most powerful nations on earth, armed to the teeth with the latest war machinery, including hundreds of nuclear weapons. Oddly enough, if Israelies were being murdered in such horrific numbers, the U.S. would be invading somewhere else.
With all of this carnage, do any of the war mongers of the world even remotely think that peace can ensue? The U.N. has long accused Israel of committing crimes against humnanity, but then the world condemned the U.S. for invading Iraq, so maybe it just depends on who you know, so murder goes by another name.
Hamas participated in a 16 month truce with Israel through all of 2005 and half of 2006 until Israel shelled a beach during a holiday killing an entire family of seven. They are willing to pursue peace negotiations through foreign interlocators when they are fairly treated.
That said, it is silly to pick sides in this conflict. Both Israel and Hamas are culpable for any damages suffered by being unable or unwilling to control their military/militants. The moment moderates are placed into power on both sides, with Hamas marginalizing its insane, violent radicals and with Israel alienating its demented Settlers and self-styled Generalissimos I might actually believe something will come of peace talks. I'm not holding my breath on either of the latter taking place.