Society, seals and semantics

About the only coherent point I can make out in Edward Abramic’s letter [“Altruism and injustice,” Jan. 4] is that people who are concerned with some causes don’t have time to be concerned about similar causes that are even graver.

Fair enough, but I am not as worried about individuals as I am about society. Like many, I am very frustrated by, and often suspicious of the motives of those who are totally outraged by one sorry act (eg. the accidental killing of some civilians in a military action taken to protect one’s people) and have no time for those such as the genocidal killing of hundreds of thousands, and the displacing of millions, in Darfur by their government. You may not agree, but it is certainly worth pondering. Perhaps, not always, the reason may just be anti-Semitism or anti-Americanism—both forms of racism.

When one doesn’t have fact or solid arguments for support, one can always resort to emotion and rhetoric. It can work quite well, but you have to be good at it. Compared with the examples I quote, Abramic offers such “occupiers” as Dubya, Blair, Olmert and Stephen Harper for goodness sake! Tell me, having seen the fruit of returning Gaza to its inhabitants, would you be in a rush to return the West Bank if you were Olmert?

And what the heck is Harper occupying besides 24 Sussex Drive? Canada is in Afghanistan fighting jihadists at the express request of the democratically and traditionally chosen government of that country.

Beyond that, his letter appears to be incoherent, at least to my weak mind. I suggested that anyone opposed to the seal hunt who does not also oppose the slaughter of animals for any other purpose is being hypocritical. They do it because the seals are cute and opposing it sells well. It is not more or less cruel than any other animal killings in the opinion of many. On the sidewalk outside a fish store in NDG, someone wrote that “Fish are not food, they are our friends.” Whether I agree or not, at least I can respect the opinion. Fish are rarely cute.

Then I am accused of being “patronizing” and “condescending” because I took pains to distinguish the vast majority of mainstream Muslims from the jihadists. The latter are the ruthless and implacable enemies of everything the civilized world stands for and who profane Islam and decent Muslims everywhere by their words and deeds. I don’t even call these subhumans barbarians because I would not insult Barbarians that way. However, if I have offended any Muslims by distinguishing them from these monsters who act in their name, then I do apologize and assure them I meant anything but disrespect.

Lastly, at one point in his diatribe, Abramic referred to me as a “jerk.” Coming from him, I will take that as a high compliment indeed!

» Ken Frankel

Apathy waning?

There always seems to be constant talk about apathy and cynicism among the 20-something demographic, but the pages of the Mirror lately have indicated otherwise.

Your Noisemakers issue shed light on Alison Louder, who has been pushing the fight against City Hall for changing the name of Parc Avenue. While Gérald Tremblay managed to pass a motion along party lines, against 40,000 signature on a petition and the collective groan of an entire city, she’s standing up for the neighbourhood she grew up in (hey, not even a neo Montrealer!).

Then there’s the fine work being done by fellow-Noisemakers End Poverty Now, the ambitious student group with a growing list of members.

Even the loathed hipsters who would seem to spend their waking hours wrapped up in trivial bands and fashion instead of honing their recycling habits are aboard, as evidenced by Pop Montreal’s most recent annual benefit, “Save Frosty the Snowman,” to liven up the fight against global warming. Why, maybe there’s hope for us after all.

» Jennifer Bradley

Ignore the unelectable

Fidel Fuentes asks, “what would truly happen if we all turned out at the polls and voted for those that we deem unelectable?” We would have a mob of inexperienced, single-issue-obsessed hacks running our governments is what. Hardly the “informed, educated and responsible decisions” he thinks voters should make.

» Robert Hill

Pot laws Luciferous

Regarding Russell Barth’s letter, “Prohibition’s gotta go,” [Jan. 4]: As far as cannabis (kaneh bosm/marijuana) is concerned in the war on drugs, it’s an eye opener when [political leaders] are “blinded by religious or quasi-moralistic ideologies,” since Christ God Our Father indicates He created all the seed-bearing plants, saying they are all good on literally the very first page of the Bible. (See Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30.) It is Luciferous to cage humans for using or growing the God-given plant.

» Stan White, Dillon, Colorado

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