LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Foolish TomaHawk talk
Re: Team risks a TomaHawk chop and Controversy greets new ‘TomaHawks,’ Feb. 27. It is simply amazing the amount of controversy swirling around the initial name selected for our national capital’s National Basketball League of Canada team. This is typical Canadian political correctness gone awry.
Thankfully, the Canadian government and military were not constrained by such foolishness in the 1950s or we would never have been able to call our most famous Canadian-designed and built fighter aircraft the Avro “Arrow.”
AL JONES, Almonte
Grateful for great teachers
Re: Give teachers overtime pay, Feb. 27. I used to be disappointed with my children’s public school education; now I’m just plain depressed about it. Especially after reading retired teacher Joe Spence’s letter, which I thought was bitter and cynical.
“Extracurricular” means “outside of the regular curriculum”; it doesn’t mean “not part of my job.” Plenty of teachers teach their classes, perform their mandatory supervision, and then go home. Others feel fulfilled and rewarded when they are able to share a special skill, interest, or passion with students outside the confines of the regular classroom. They don’t have to do it — they want to do it. That’s the beauty of extracurricular activities, they’re purely voluntary for both teachers and students.
When I think back to my elementary and high-school years, there are certainly some teachers who stand out in my memory as mentors academically. There are many others whom I remember because I got to know them in a slightly different, and more human, context — the Outers’ Club, the badminton team, fundraising; all these activities were supervised by teachers.
There is a lot of material for teachers to cover these days. Extracurricular activities offer a break from the grind of didactic teaching, and give kids a chance to try something new, or to just have a little fun. Encourage teachers to volunteer their time, but don’t pay them for it. Leave those who agree with Spence to grumble in the staff room, and be grateful for the teachers who love what they do.
L.C. STEWART, Ottawa
Trudeau should step aside
Re: Garneau sheds nice-guy image, Feb. 26. Justin Trudeau is intelligent, youthful, charismatic and can be melodramatic at times.
But I think these traits are perhaps popular for too many unsophisticated yet important voters for hopeful challengers to possibly stand a chance, unfortunately.
Politics may seem like theatre at times but it should be serious business. Practical experience in both, national and international affairs, and demonstrated leadership at a senior level should be some of the imperatives to become party leaders and, potentially, prime minister.
Perhaps Trudeau should reason this through, back off for a few years and let a more seasoned candidate like Garneau lead on for the Liberal leadership.
RICHARD COURTEMANCHE,
Orléans
Broken electoral system
Re: To improve politics, we must repair our broken electoral system, Feb. 26. Columnist Andrew Coyne is right: our electoral system is broken. Since 1945 Canada has had 22 governments. Only two governments were true majority governments where the party in power had a majority in Parliament and was elected by a majority of voters.
These two governments ran the country for 13.4 per cent of the time. By contrast, 11 governments had a majority in Parliament but were not elected by a majority of voters. These false majority governments ran the country for 63 per cent of the time which means that, during that time, their views and policies were not shared by the majority of citizens who bothered to vote. In nine cases governments did not have a majority in Parliament and were not elected by a majority of voters; they were minority governments.
Worse, these false majority governments have, over time, obtained their majority in Parliament with a declining proportion of popular vote which reached a low of 39 per cent with the elections of Jean Chrétien in 1997 and Stephen Harper in 2011. The proportion of abstentions has increased over time from the low 30s to 40 per cent for a variety of reasons of which our electoral system may be one. Voter turnout was only 61 per cent in 2011 and as a result, Harper’s “majority government” was elected by only 23.8 per cent of the total electorate, the lowest proportion on record. This is hardly an example of a good electoral system.
FRANCOIS P. JEANJEAN, Ottawa
Uphold law, not violate
Re: Ottawa police officer faces impaired driving charge, Feb. 26. It is most alarming that a second Ottawa police officer has been charged with impaired driving in the last month.
The force’s top brass along with the citizens of this city should be concerned with individuals who are trusted to enforce and uphold the law, not violate it. Driving impaired in this day and age is completely unacceptable and is responsible for many deaths and much carnage on our roadways. Yes, everyone is deemed innocent until proven guilty, but these incidents shake the confidence of the public.
These officers have been suspended but will still receive their full salary, an absurd policy that has to end.
STEVE FLANAGAN, Ottawa