It’s okay to be cool

[Re: “Verdun true to its roots,” Letters, Feb. 19] Mark Sabourin’s letter is on the face of it sensible, and even sympathetic—to anyone who’s ever had to confront the legions of self-identified “creative class,” with their obvious privilege and oh-so meticulously maintained sub-cultural elitism.

However, the content of his letter begs the question whether what he’s really so disgusted by are these shallow scenesters, or just what makes them specifically different from whatever it is that he believes sets them apart from him and his community (as he sees it) in the first place.

No one in this day and age is unfamiliar with the trappings of youth culture. Montreal is world-renowned for producing and attracting a certain flavour of young indie/emo/boho/pomo artsy types, and for good reason. Mr. Sabourin is certainly not alone in his disgust, and yet his vitriolic and sight-specific criticism of such people reeks of the crotchety old man shaking his fist at youth in general, rather than anyone with anything original to say on the matter.

Perhaps if he didn’t voice his opinions from what seems like a plainly regional, comparative perspective, as one who simply engages in neighbourhood competition, his voice might carry in a town that seems to pride itself on which side of the Lachine Canal one grew up on. I don’t live in either neighborhood, so when someone complains so viciously about the “effete” or “hip” profile of a part of town that he so clearly doesn’t live in, it causes me to wonder if the very things he hates about it aren’t possibly the very things that someone like me, who has no social pride vested in it, might discover are exactly what makes the place so interesting, much to his chagrin.

I think I might take a stroll down St-Viateur this weekend and see if I might not take some pleasure from whatever it is about that place that makes it want to “try to be cool” so badly in the first place.

>>Jack Shaftoe

Pandering to skaters

[Re: “The return of the Taz,’’ News, Cover, Feb. 26] I think that $13-million of government (ie. taxpayers’) money to build a 30,000 sq. ft. skateboarding arena is, to say the least, a bit excessive.

Most skateboarders I’ve seen are young guys, all I guess under the age of 20. Hence, it appears to me that even at this late stage of our evolution, we are still pandering to the demands of testosterone, and on another truly epic scale.

Why aren’t we building similar arenas for women’s sports, dancing and yoga? Don’t girls and women need to let off steam too?

>>R.P. Orlando

Let atheists have their say

[Re: “Keep God off buses,” Letters, Feb. 19] An ad campaign stating there “Probably is no God” is not an insult to anyone, it is simply a statement that can’t be proven or denied. If fanatics rise against such harmless words with violence, as Mr. Hoyer claims they might, we shall expose the closed-minded for who they are, and deal with them as necessary.

Personally, I think it’s about time some organization try raising the consciousness of the religious mind. This is the 21st century after all, not the fucking dark ages. Whether the deity-worshiping fundamentalists in the city want to hear any contrary opinion on the matter, there are those of us who live and work beside them, and do not care one bit for any Gods or religions. If you’re insulted and raging mad at hearing such news, then you best get on your knees and pray to your God for tolerance, as you’re in the wrong country.

Can’t the non-religious express opinions as well? Or are we really so primitive-minded that if someone, somewhere, says anything against any God, be he Zeus, Allah or Ra, the general populace will start burning and pillaging the city in anger. If some dictatorial God overseeing our existence doesn’t want us to express ourselves, he’ll stop us from doing so. Until then, smile Montreal, as this is your one chance at life, don’t waste it worrying over a sign.

>>Cory Keleher

Start talking

[Re: “Defending Israel,” Letters, February 26] While I respect the opinion of Rodney Johnson, as expressed in his letter, I sincerely feel that a realistic dialogue needs to be started immediately between Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, on the basis of all earlier UN resolutions, with pre-1967 borders between the two sovereign authorities as the starting point.

>>Jalaluddin S. Hussain

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