Anger in Richmond over Chinese signs linked to ‘thinly disguised resentment’
Richmond council has unwisely stuck its nose into the Chinese sign issue again, as columnist Gordon Clark rightly noted.
I’m befuddled why people become exorcised over this issue. As a frequent visitor to Richmond, I find there are many stores that provide services in English (and Mandarin or Cantonese) and are thusly rewarded with my patronage.
I infer that a business that doesn’t provide information in English neither needs my money, nor requires my patronage to succeed.
Richmond’s urge to stir the pot, so to speak, seems to cater to some thinly disguised resentment on the part of some of the city’s denizens. Mayor Malcolm Brodie was wise not to vote with the language police among his councillors.
Richmond should reverse course before it’s likely reversed and humiliated by the courts. Lee Rankin, Burnaby
Put up bilingual signs
Gordon Clark’s column Friday about Chinese-only signage poses the question, why, in the spirit of multiculturalism, can’t Richmond’s Chinese store owners adopt bilingual signs voluntarily?
Canada has given these people everything. Larry Sharp, Vancouver
What about our rights?
I sometimes go to Richmond for business or for personal reasons. As a Canadian and an immigrant who had to learn English to get into the country, I want to be able to read all public signs in this great country of ours. I want to know what a restaurant has to offer and what I can buy in a store.
With all due respect, if the Chinese community has the right to have their signs in their language, I have the right to be able to read and understand a sign in one of Canada’s official languages.
I’m not racist. I have lots of very dear Chinese friends and I’m even trying to learn their language. Marta Heyde, Abbotsford
Liberals should step down
It’s time for Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberals to do the honourable thing and step aside.
The uncertainty and delay is bad for business, it’s uncaring for suffering patients languishing on waiting lists, it’s bad for commuters and transit users stuck in traffic, it’s terrible for parents on daycare waiting lists and fails to help our homeless looking for affordable housing.
Political gamesmanship disrespects our democracy. Doug Reynolds, Ladner
Greens ignoring voters’ will
I’m utterly gutted and disgusted in B.C. Green party Leader Andrew Weaver and his party. They have sold out for the sake of their pet projects.
They say they’re going to reject the Liberal’s throne speech without even knowing what it’ll say, without consideration of how good the plans may be for the people of this province. It’s so self-serving.
The second choice of Weaver’s constituents was a Liberal candidate, as it was for the other elected Greens. The people of this province elected more Liberals than any other party.
We wanted a Liberal minority government with the Greens to hold their feet to the fire and to give the more social-minded Liberals the clout needed to get some things done.
They have hijacked the will of the people. Who do they think they are telling us what we want? Susan French, Burnaby
Make lost hikers pay costs
Let me get this straight, I go for a hike, get lost, call 911 and get a helicopter ride for free? Put me down for two this summer. When is North Shore Rescue going to stop this ridiculous practice? Charge these people. Rescues aren’t cheap. Bob Grennan, North Vancouver
Manifesto is leap backward
While I’m not surprised that someone would produce a document called the Leap Manifesto, I’m surprised that NDP leaders would give it serious consideration. The manifesto would create a society as envisioned by Karl Marx, in other words, pure communism. The manifesto would limit trade and ban capitalism.
The document has proposals related to climate change. I don’t doubt that climate change is the most serious issue our planet has ever faced, but I believe it’s naive to think that if we did not export oil we would reduce greenhouse gases. If we don’t export our oil to other nations they’ll get it elsewhere and the Canadian economy will suffer.
Although our democratic system isn’t perfect, it’s the best form of government that has been tried. It’s perhaps why immigrants seeking a better life almost always choose capitalist countries.
George Brake, Summerland