Chow’s rightful call for humanity and compassion

Mayor Chow on why the untold suffering in Gaza hits close to home for her and so many Canadians, March 18

I would like to voice my most sincere praise to Mayor Olivia Chow for her excellent opinion piece on one of the most important issues of our time. With so many leaders hiding behind their lip service to human rights and international law not backed up by actions, Chow’s article was most welcome in its clear call for compassion and humanity in the face of the starvation of many innocent people, most especially children. Many readers will have noted that British Member of Parliament George Galloway won by a landslide in the U.K. in great part because he voiced compassion and echoed the actual will of the people, not the politically expedient view. Chow should run for prime minister. She has values that I can vote for.

Joan D’Andrea, Toronto

Mayor Olivia Chow’s heartfelt appeal for us to reach out and support humanitarian efforts internationally not only conveyed a message to stir human compassion but also reminded us of her own family’s tortuous struggles to survive war and starvation. It is touching and yet refreshing to hear from a politician with an empathetic background who can relate to genuine human struggles. Unlike privileged politicians like Trudeau, Poilievre and Ford who have never been confronted with true adversity in life, Chow has a concrete understanding of life’s hardships which makes her an ideal mayor in a city where so many are suffering.

Maurice Sacco, Toronto

In her article about the present deprivation of the people in Gaza, Mayor Olivia Chow refers also to the hunger and sufferings her family experienced during the Second World War. Yet there has not been a single word about a tragedy that is unfolding right now in front of our closed eyes. Millions of desperate people have been displaced and are suffering disease and hunger in Sudan. Silence about this in the street protests makes one wonder if all this reaction is not just about the issue itself.

Jaime Oksemberg, Toronto