Sailor sore

As a professional mariner and captain of a ship for the last 12 years, I take issue with Sarah Rowland's comment about the Shipbreakers documentary in the Rencontres internationales du documentaire de Montréal where she slags "unscrupulous captains" ["Reeling from reality," Nov. 11]. Perpetuating the stereotype of rogue monarchs of the sea who abuse their ships, people and the environment is the reason why many honest professionals are turfed into jails around the world when shit happens.

Ship's captains are like the shift supervisor in a factory: they have very little real power. In this age of satellite communications, where every decision - including life-threatening ones if they involve money - has to be vetted by the owners ashore, a captain is set up to be a scapegoat.

Ship owners are the ones who decide when they can no longer squeeze any more money out of an asset and sell it for scrap. In this case, the vessels are usually towed, unmanned, to their final destination. This is merely the final phase in the transportation cycle that ensures relatively low cost goods are available in your local big-box store.

I'm not condoning the horrendous conditions portrayed in the film, but I would prefer a more informed view on a given subject. While Montreal is a long way from the Atlantic, let alone the Indian Ocean, it is a major shipping port. In addition, a cursory viewing of some shipping Web sites will show that, in fact, several Canadian-owned ships recently berthed in Montreal harbour were towed to Alang, India. Perhaps there's a good question there as to why it is more financially advantageous to drag a vessel half way around the world to cut it up than to do the work in Canada.

» Ron Gallant

NBA punks

To the idiot who wrote the letter saying that the NBA players are the best athletes in the world ["NBA punk prejudice," Nov. 11], where were you when the Olympics proved that the NBA doesn't even have the best basketball players in the world? Or are you a typical Yank who thinks that the world means the United States?

And I suppose you don't have a problem with an NBA player wanting to take a month off, with pay, to promote his rap album? After all, what's a signature on a contract? It's only his word.

» Anonymous

Language debate childish

I don't want to continue the language debate, but I will, because, geez, what a dumb-ass response last week ["Anglophone exclusion," Letters, Nov. 11].

So John C. Underwood doesn't want to learn French because school kids excluded him from their games? Hello?! Kids are very often mean and stupid. They're just human, you know. Instead of hiding behind unclear emotional reasons, Mr. Underwood could, as an adult, decide that learning French would be a smart way to enrich his personal and professional life.

It's because of childish reactions like this that we cannot solve our political problem. If everyone could act as responsible adults, maybe all that hate between francos and anglos would finally go away.

» Lysanne Lessard

More on GWAR smarts

With respect, D. Quinton ["GWAR intelligence," Letters, Nov. 17] seems to have responded to my letter ["GWAR Brainlessness," Letters, Nov. 4] before reading it carefully.

This practice is, unfortunately, becoming quite common in our age of itchy "send" buttons and disposable "e-bate." Please rest assured, D. Quinton! I know GWAR aren't "brainless," I realize they're an "ironic" act, and I too believe that they're entitled to their opinions. However, saying that Kerry is a gay-basher is a truth claim, not a personal opinion. It also happens to be a false claim, floated by RNC partisans, and propagated by corporate infotainment. John "Bush Lite" Kerry has plenty of things to answer for, but he is not a gay-basher.

» Aaron Ricker Parks

Children's Theatre lives!

I would like to point out a correction to Amy Barratt's article "Bye-bye, boys" in last week's theatre section [Nov. 11]. While founding directors Dorothy Davis and Violet Walters are no longer with us, the Children's Theatre is still alive and well after 71 years!

Since taking over as director 15 years ago, I have had the pleasure of working with a young and dynamic teaching staff that has helped us grow to create new classes. Last year, we launched a new program called "Children's Theatre in the Community" to celebrate our 70th birthday and give back to this great city. Our students performed at the Montreal Children's Hospital and Gilda's Club. We look forward to providing many more years of high-quality children's theatre classes.

Wishing Elyse and Clare many congratulations for their exciting new project, I look forward to attending the show. Dorothy and Violet would be proud!

» Shelia April, Director, The Children's Theatre

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