LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Disarming police cuts violence

Re: 9,500 sign Edmonton petition to divest new police funding, June 10

Recent discussions focused on increasing civilian oversight of police and reinvesting police funding into mental health and social programs have merit and deserve exploration.

However, I find two important issues glaringly missing from the conversation. First, investment into addressing the root causes of crime — poverty, inequality and adverse childhood experiences — will go a long way in reducing people in distress and the need for police intervention. Without addressing root causes, providing mental health and social services to people in crisis is like putting a Band-aid on a hemorrhaging wound.

Second, creating conditions in our society to carefully disarm police officers will reduce violence and death. Several countries such as Britain, Norway, and New Zealand operate under the belief that carrying guns creates more gun violence than it prevents. Public trust and strong links with the community keep police officers and the public safer than guns do.

Dr. Vamini Selvanandan, Banff

City benefits from neighbours

Re: Tax outsiders who use Calgary’s roads, Letters, June 15

When people from bedroom communities come to town, they are spending their money at Calgary businesses.

If we were to apply the writer’s logic, could you imagine the outcry if the counties of Rocky View and Foothills put up toll gates at city limits to let Calgary residents leave the city. It is a ridiculous concept and I only use it as an example of how short-sighted the idea is to charge people from outside the city to use infrastructure paid for by all three levels of government. Brent Clark, Calgary

Older workers at greater risk

Heritage Park has started recalling some of its 500 seasonal employees. The problem is that those employees, many of whom are older, will be subject to a greater chance of being infected by the coronavirus by the visiting public while receiving less compensation than if they stayed at home where they would receive the $2,000/ month CERB benefit. This is not an equitable trade-off for those loyal employees and for their families who are put at an increased risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

Mike Priaro, Calgary

No Parliament but PM protests?

Re: Democracy in danger; There has been one particularly troubling casualty of this pandemic, Opinion, June 16

How refreshing to finally have someone in the media shine the light on Prime Minister Trudeau’s hypocrisy, rather than being a part of his cheering committee. We recall during his first term how he ran roughshod over democracy by shutting down parliamentary committees looking into his government’s possible malfeasance. Now, declaring it too dangerous to reopen Parliament during this pandemic, he decided attending a massive anti- racist protest on Parliament Hill was not dangerous?

Sadly, we have the NDP and Bloc continuing to support this minority government as it burns through $145 billion with zero oversight. I am fed up with how Trudeau has turned Canada into a dictatorship, as he is working outside the parliamentary system.

Larry Comeau, Ottawa

UCP attacking democracy

The hypocrisy of the above column is gobsmacking. Not one word is uttered about the UCP ’s constant attacks on democracy:

Bill 1 takes direct aim at free speech. The

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government can now define anything it likes as “critical infrastructure.”

In Bill 22, the UCP helped itself to teachers’

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pensions, resulting in the Alberta Teachers’ Association calling for an independent review of the plan to transfer their pension assets to AIMCO.

UCP Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer

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purged the Judicial Vetting Committee responsible for appointing judges.

And, the termination of Alberta’s election

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commissioner who was investigating the UCP for election fraud.

And yet a column is devoted to the prime minister breaking quarantine and joining protesters by taking a knee in support of Black Lives Matter?

Jo-ann Mason, Calgary