Violence not
the answer

[Re: “Street fights,” News, March 26] This letter is a response to the recent protest and, in turn, riot against police brutality held here in Montreal just two weeks ago.

This concerns no one involved in just protesting, and everyone involved in the rioting: The motive of a protest against police brutality or “violence and extreme force as a means of control” is an attempt to raise awareness about the wrongness and immorality of this violence.

These motives presuppose that you have assumed a morality in which there is no place for violence in human affairs, namely politics. So to start a riot and use violence itself would have to be the most unintelligible and contradictory action one could possibly perform.

You have used violence as if to counterbalance the situation or to even the score, and in effect, have completely contradicted the initial motives of the protest. Check your premises. You cannot fight evil with evil—it’s a contradiction in itself. This is equivalent to the logic behind a “war on terror,” or “fucking for virginity.” You have undermined your whole operation.

I suggest that in the future, instead of using primitive, brute force that you decry of the police officers, that you put your minds to use and stop following a blind herd of congregative, rebellious adolescents who just want to “stick it to the man.”

If you feel as strongly as you claim to feel about your stance on the immorality of extreme force as means of public control (a stance which you and I both share) then educate yourself and develop positions in politics and society where you can raise awareness and effectively make a change.

Swinging your 2x4’s in a brainless stupor is the most counterproductive action you can, and have, performed.

>> Lucas Marston

Lire en français

[Re: “Second life,” Books, March 27] I definitely appreciated the review for Nikolski in last week’s issue. It makes me really happy to see that this lovely little novel was finally translated into English, as you don’t see that often enough with newer French Canadian literature. And it looks like this one’s going to be a cult classic—at least locally—considering how much it reeks of Montreal.

However, since most anglos know, or are on their way to learning French, I would recommend reading this book in French. It’s a pretty quick read. After all, it’s a youth novel.

I’m a firm believer that, if you know enough of a language, you should first read literature in that language, since not everything translates and you don’t always get the same subtleties.

Mind you, I will probably pick up the English version and give it a go—just to see, but, I really didn’t find the French version challenging at all. So, get the French one first—it’s probably already in the library and way cheaper.

One final note...that book totally brought the delivery bike back into style!

>> Andrea P.

Slavery is no joke!

[Re: “Human traffic,” Riff-Raff, March 20] Raf Katigbak’s column was truly so over-the-top in terms of its lack of empathy, sympathy and just plain humanity, that I can only assume he knows absolutely nothing about human trafficking or the capture of slaves taking place throughout the world.

What he wrote was not funny; it was callous and certainly without any intellectual benefit. I strongly suggest he read some of the stories found on the Web site www.iabolish.org, they should enlighten him about modern day slavery.

And certainly attending the upcoming conference on “Slavery in the 21st Century; Human Trafficking” could be beneficial to you. The first evening will be Thursday, April 10, beginning at 7:30 p.m. and is held at 4100 Sherbrooke W.

Frankly, the worst that can happen by doing any of this is the possibility that he will become a better, more understanding human being.

>>Ruth Gover

Blueberries vs. bananas

[Re: “Back to the land,” News, March 13] Tracey Lindeman’s article was informative. Not only is it more environmentally sensible to eat locally grown food, but eating locally grown food also lends more freshness to the food and boosts the local economy.

Because of the frigid climate in Quebec, it’s not feasible to grow bananas and avocados on a large scale here as in warm Costa Rica or Mexico. But many other crops are grown in Quebec and yet are hard to buy locally and are very expensive. Blueberries, for example, grow abundantly in this province. Yet blueberries sold in Quebec supermarkets cost far more than bananas imported from Costa Rica. Why?

WE WELCOME LETTERS TO THE EDITOR!