Front fascinates

Well, after being out of town, I had a chance to catch up on the Mirror of Dec. 7, to find page 5 [The Front] quite fascinating.

First, Chris Barry informs us of a chance, arranged by Amnesty International, to send personal letters of encouragement to prisoners of conscience around the world. This is a noble endeavour, but Barry refers, as an example, to those who might have been in such a situation due to CIA actions.

I would have been more encouraged if that had also included the likes of Tibetans, Falun Gong adherents and Uighurs arguing for freedom against the Chinese, or the prisoners of Czar Putin I in Russia, or Baha’i prisoners of the Iranian theocrats, or prisoners for sanity in Zimbabwe against the Mugabe kleptocracy, or Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma etc.

On the same page, there is a photo of a Humane Society International-Canada truck showing pictures of the killing of some of the millions of fish eating, but awfully cute, seals in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. No mention of the more homely cows, pigs and chickens who are also killed and quite numerous, nor the tigers, rhinos and elephants killed, who are not numerous, but the killers are poor poachers, not “rich” Newfoundlanders.

Isn’t it easy to just have a knee-jerk reaction in support of what or who appears to be the underdog without either doing research or thinking things out?

Finally, there was Patrick Lejtenyi’s report on Muslim and Ayesha Harji’s cycle trip through Africa. This was a totally inspiring story of a father-daughter relationship, the forward-looking humanity of so many Muslims, as opposed to the jihadist minority we so often focus on, as well as the utter charm of the tortured continent that is Africa.

Wise people have warned others not to spend time in Africa, or you will lose your heart to it.

I did not heed and am such a victim.

» Ken Frankel

Harassment and help

At around 9 p.m. Sunday evening, I was walking along Mount Royal to see a friend who lives on Parc. I was approached by a man who I am pretty sure I have never seen before. He started asking me why I never say “Hi” when I see him. I politely said I didn’t think I knew him—or had seen him before, for that matter—and tried to be on my way. He stopped me again, saying how I walk by that area all the time, and that I ignore him. I could see he was starting to get a bit angry with me, and I could also smell he had been drinking.

Wanting to be on my way, I lied and told him I wasn’t from the city, and figured he would take the hint and leave me alone. As I again started walking away, he began following me asking where I was from and getting angrier. I guess he was calling my bluff.

He finally got right in front of me, blocking my way entirely, and then proceeded to punch me in the face before walking down the street in the direction of St-Laurent.

There were two people walking in front me and another walking behind me going the opposite direction than myself, and none of these people did anything to help me. They just walked away.

I will admit I don’t think my life was in danger. And looking back on it after, maybe I should have screamed for help, but I was so shocked at the situation, that all I could do was cry and make my way to my friend’s apartment. What else could I do?

I like to think that we live in a city where people are decent and humane, and that if someone needs help, those around them will do what they can within reason to give it to them. I honestly would have been satisfied if they had just asked me, “Hey, are you alright?”

To anyone who is reading this, I urge you, when you see someone in trouble, man or woman, don’t stand by and let it happen. You could be walking away from a situation that has a far more drastic outcome than mine did.

» Cara Giulioni

Bad Day

Thanks for bringing attention to Stockwell Day’s blog [Insect, “Stockwell Day’s bonehead blog,” Dec. 14.] While we can assume the climate-change jokes he made were tongue-in-cheek, it’s coming from the government who stopped Kyoto in its tracks and put in a continuous display of utter hopelessness when it comes to the environment. I can’t wait until the next election to see Day sent back to whatever creepy Christian haunt he came from.

» Janice Rosenberg

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