MOBILE BLOOD SERVICE CLINIC NEEDED IN CAPE BRETON

Dear Canadian Blood Services,

I settled in northern Cape Breton more than 40 years ago, arriving as a librarian from Ontario. With no library work available, I learned to fish. Living in a small village I got to know the community well, especially the fishermen.

I believe there are a lot of people in remote or rural areas who would be happy to donate blood. But we don’t travel to the city much except on supply runs.

Over the years I talked to several people in the health field, asking why Blood Services didn’t come to us, perhaps setting up at the local high school. Oh no, I was told. The place would need major preparation for such a service.

Eventually I stopped asking. I don’t like to see urgent requests for blood when there is no real attempt to bring the service to the people. Then I heard of mobile clinics. Why hasn’t there been one serving the island? The north of the island?

One thing I found about the community I settled in is that people love to be able to help. It’s unbelievable how much a tiny population will give to the steady series of benefits to help out local residents with medical or other emergency needs. Thousands of dollars with no tax receipts.

Perhaps what is true of remote villages is also true for some city neighbourhoods.

If you want blood, why don’t you come to us?

Margrit Gahlinger St. Margaret Village, Victoria Co.

CULTURAL INJUSTICES MUST BE BROUGHT TO AN END

I write to you as a woman and an Indigenous person.

I want to distinguish both because both of these groups are among the aggrieved of our society.

As an Indigenous woman,

I experience an even more elevated degree of grievance as reflected in the findings of the recent inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women.

I want to speak on the issues of race and cultural relations. I believe the latest social developments are very positive. The time has come for our community, region and country to recognize the importance of a person’s identity and how minorities have been degraded and subject to uninterrupted systemic discrimination.

At the core of most of our economic and social disparities is racism.

Unfortunately, it took a knee on George Floyd’s neck in Minneapolis to wake the controlling elements of society up so that they could finally see the knee they placed on the necks of all people of colour, Indigenous peoples, women and other minorities.

I want to commend the media for giving great coverage to these injustices. It is clear that the uninterrupted centuries of abuse, racial prejudice and hate directed against minorities by a systemically based power structure must be brought to an end.

A recent article in the Cape Breton Post (“Nova Scotia’s controversial monuments, streets,” July 6) highlighting the racist backgrounds of people on statues in the Halifax area was well done. All of these statues should be torn down.

For Indigenous peoples, the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are just a start. In my view, people of colour and distinctiveness should seek public inquiries that bring about similar recommendations for them.

It is now time for governments to provide financial reparations to Indigenous and black peoples as compensation for the many injustices they continue to suffer.

Carol-ann Denny Membertou