Mind your Ps and Qs

With regards to Sarah Rowland's review of Murderball ["Quad almighty," July 14], the "documentary that chronicles the intense rivalry between the U.S. and Canadian paraplegic rugby teams." Apparently Ms. Rowland missed an essential theme of the movie, which deals with the level of disability that rugby players must have to be eligible to play the sport.

Quad rugby, as it is commonly known, requires players to have motor impairment in both the upper and lower extremities, and most players are in fact quadriplegic (i.e. cervical level spinal cord injured). All too often, quadriplegia (or tetraplegia as it is now referred to) is innocently confused with paraplegia, a condition where only the lower limbs are affected.

And four limbs doesn't mean Christopher Reeve, people. Quads can have hand function or strong-looking arms to push around a wheelchair. The difference to most able-bodied individuals may be imperceptible, but the differences in the two physical realities are enormous. Just because a quad has some use of his arms does not necessarily mean he can scratch his head, unzip his fly or pick up his beer by himself. And while rugby players may seem to have impressive arm strength, getting a basketball up to the hoop is a task that requires the able arms and hands that quads are deprived of. And that's why God created quad rugby, for us tetraplegics.

Learn the language, friends, you never know who's next to join the club.

» Simon Lortie

Pit bulls still bullies

Bully: It's the Pits author Paul 107 may have a cute dog, but he comes across as having done so much research in defence of pitt bulls that he's lost proper perspective ["Life as a despised dog," July 28.].

The common conception of pit bulls as aggressive and dangerous, though perhaps excessive at times, is no stereotype. Even well-trained pit bulls can be unpredictable, thus dangerous. They're abnormally strong for their size, they have a high pain threshold and are known to fight viciously even while injured. Yes, it's usually the owners, not the dogs, who are responsible for their behaviour, but the fact remains that this behaviour is inherent in the breed, and has to be trained out of the animals with a vigour that isn't required with other species. So, given the amount of documented injuries and attacks that take place around the world, I'd hardly call these animals the "ideal family companion," as Paul 107 does.

Don't get me wrong, I'm in no way advocating "doggie genocide," nor restrictive legislature. My point is that Bully: It's the Pits seems more like a visually engaging piece of propaganda than a balanced argument.

» Peter Wilcox

For the love of freegans

As a frequent reader of the Mirror and as one who appreciates your coverage on environmental matters, I must thank Michael Citrome for writing about freegans [Networthy, July 21]. There is a need for more freegans in our very wasteful society. Indeed, I appreciate people who want it all for free and who live off the fat of post-industrial wasteland.

I get sad when I see restaurants junking tons of perfectly good food every day - I always ask for a doggie bag when I can't finish my meal. I get equally enraged when institutions junk perfectly good used computers, furniture and books instead of donating them.

For instance, I urge members from the public to look through the blue bins at McGill University on summer weekdays to find many perfectly good novels, non-fiction books and magazines. The other day I found out-of-print books by Hunter Thompson, Ernest Hemingway and a few others in the bins and took them for myself. It's a pity that McGill insists on throwing out these gems instead of donating them to second-hand bookstores.

I urge the Mirror to help make a difference by continuing to publicize such issues. Thank you for your great work.

» Michael Fremlin

Bad film reviews good

[Re: Stealth film review "Plane insane," July 28]: Ah, the cool, refreshing balm of vitriolic film reviews. Someone must give Mark Slutsky hell for them, but he should just keep flushing that crap down the toilet where it belongs.

I did think he was a little rough on poor George Lucas, though [Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith review, "Later, Vader," May 19]. But you know what, Lucas can take it. I'd rather see a lion torn to shreds than a skunk put on a pedestal.

» Jacob Eliosoff

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