‘None of my books would have been written’

Re: Walrus editor quits amid uproar, May 15

The resignation of Jonathan Kay is regrettable for this reader of Walrus because the magazine became much more accessible under his stewardship.

As to the reason for his resignation, since when have writers been banned from assuming the persona most suited to what they wish to write about?

The publishers are free not to publish it, and readers can, and do, send protesting letters to the editor.

In a democratic society, writers must be free to express their views irrespective of who is offended by them.

How else will a society change for the better?

On a personal note, none of my five published books would have been written if I were banned from impersonating individuals of other cultures. Sudhir Jain, Calgary

For the last few days I have been trying to remember the name of the non-English writer who won a prestigious literary prize in the 1960s- 70s for his “splendid portrayal of English life and understanding of the culture” ( paraphrased from memory). I believe the gentleman was of African or Indian nationality. There were no thin- skinned snowflakes around in those days to be instantly outraged, so no agitation occurred, as I recall.

Nowadays, I suppose the Thought Police are everywhere, ready to jump on anyone who doesn’t toe the party line.

So to avoid the sin of cultural appropriation, I will be publicly burning my copies of Shakespeare, Mark Twain, Longfellow, Joseph Conrad, Rudyard Kipling — to name but a few.

However I will still read Jonathan Kay, in secret, late at night. Colin Mount, Belleville, Ont.

Jonathan Kay should not have to apologize for getting his free speech bug from the National Post. With the increasing universality of political correctness at the expense of free speech however, one wonders whether even the National Post is immune from this inversion.

It is ironic that with increasing globalization and cultural diversity in Canada, people are becoming anxious about cultural appropriation.

The idea surely is that Canada’s future depends on communication giving rise to changes in perspective, and a new sense of Canadian individualism and meaning. Having the freedom to share an idea, is freedom to add meaning to one’s life, and the lives of others. Gordon Watson, Rocky Mountain House, Alta.