LOOKING FORWARD TO A NEW NAME FOR RED INDIAN LAKE

I look forward to the adoption of a new name which can appear on Google Earth for the world to see that honours the Beothuk without ambiguity.

Reading The Telegram’s recent front-page story (May 27: “Lake name used ‘reverently and respectfully’”) about the name of Red Indian Lake reminded me of the discomfort I have felt teaching first-year university students terminology which is known throughout North America as derogatory.

The term “red Indian” has been used for hundreds of years by descendants of colonists from a point of view of hostility and disrespect.

Teaching students the name for a geologic feature in Newfoundland such as Red Indian Line makes me feel complicit in perpetuating pejorative caricature of a group of people.

I look forward to the adoption of a new name which can appear on Google Earth for the world to see that honours the Beothuk without ambiguity. Sharon Deemer Topsail

NOT ON MY DIME

I have been listening to the parade of people defend the recently released People’s Recovery Report on various media platforms.

None of the report’s defenders think much of Dame Moya Greene’s report and have shown little to no support for her multiple recommendations to cut spending.

They feel that their recommendations to tax the rich and increase taxes on businesses will solve the province’s debt problem and avoid any reduction to the public service.

However, reflecting on who was instrumental in writing the report, and who is spending so much time defending the report, I think the People’s Recovery Report should be more appropriately named The Public Service Special Interest Report.

In other words, raise taxes on successful businesses and people with successful careers to pay for an inefficient and bloated public service.

Really? I don’t think so. Not with my tax dollars at any rate. Barry Imhoff

St. John’s