Varying views on boycotting CNE Air Show

Re Boycott the CNE Air Show and its glorification of war, Letters, Sept. 2

I totally agree with letter writer Alexander Rapoport on the aggression the CNE Air Show represents.

Having been a small child in Europe during the Second World War, I suffer from great trauma every year during the show.

I relive the bombings, the panic, the injuries and death around us while my parents and I tried to escape and to hide.

I know there are many people in my situation. It is hard to forget the horrors of war. Why make us live through it every year? It’s extreme cruelty. Nina Théberge, Toronto I read Professor Alexander Rapoport’s letter with mixed emotions. I respect his opinion. However I do not agree with it.

Yes, war is horrendous. It is never the answer to any dispute or power grab. There is major destruction. People always suffer. They die.

I had close relatives who died in the Second World War. As young teens, my Polish-born parents suffered through that war as forced labourers in Germany.

Had it not been for the Allied presence by air, sea and land, Europe today may not exist. My parents would never have immigrated to Canada. I would never have been born.

We need our military aircraft to defend our nation and other nations being threatened by invasion and war. We need to continue being respected peacekeepers in the world.

Since I was a little girl, I have been in awe of the air show aircraft. Military aircraft are not the only planes I saw. The amazing Concord, firefighting planes, daredevil stunt planes, huge cargo carriers and helicopters were among the other aircraft I saw. The CNE showcased a variety of aircraft, not all were for the glorification of war.

When I did see military aircraft, I didn’t associate war with them. I was amazed at their speed, shape and capabilities, and admired the creative minds who designed them and the talented pilots who flew them.

Technological advances in aircraft design led to the development of the Space Shuttle. Today, others continue to work on advanced aircraft for further space exploration.

I want to continue to look to the skies on Labour Day Weekend, be in awe and appreciate the miracle of flight. Teresa Rybacki-Anisko, Mississauga Alexander Rapoport suggests that the CNE’s air show represents a glorification of war and is urging Canadians to boycott it. Good luck with that.

I was one of the thousands of people in attendance and what I saw was a magnificent display of skill, teamwork and precision — like a finely tuned orchestra, but more exciting.

If Rapoport wants to boycott the air show, he might want to set an example by not using commercial aviation (like Sweden’s Greta Thunberg, the 16-year old climate activist who refuses to fly commercially because of carbon emissions).

Commercial air travel is dominated by Boeing and Airbus, which together account for 88 per cent of the market share, both of which are also heavily involved in the manufacture of military aircraft and other items of war and peace.

And speaking of unnecessary noise and carbon emissions, I’m guessing that the fantastic symphonic sound of Toronto’s annual Honda Indy (my favourite event of the year) is not on Rapoport’s bucket list. David Honigsberg, Toronto