Young fogeys

[Re: “Act your age,” Riff-Raff, May 6] Raf Katigbak states, “Even worse than being a teenager is watching adults trying to be teenagers.” I could say that a number of 20–25 year-olds also irritate others because they are very conservative and act like young fogeys.

On an appearance level, in this era of epidemic obesity, a number of teenagers and young men look far older than their age because they have a big belly or because they’ve aged prematurely. Isn’t it kind of sad when a 20-year-old already looks like an avuncular figure?

>>Manish Patwari

Cheated in Verdun

Once again, I get a parking ticket for being parked on the wrong side of the street—in front of the house I own and pay taxes on. I want the city to run as smoothly as you do. I want it to be as clean as you do. I have no problem getting a ticket when I have prevented the proper functioning of the city. But when no garbage truck is passing and no street cleaner is passing, and you give the ticket anyway, you might just as well say “Fu#$ You Citizen!”

It’s just a hidden tax. You know exactly what I mean because you do it in the winter. No snow removal = no ticket. I don’t use my car a great deal, I use public transit. Starting my car just to cross the street for no reason is not very eco-friendly. Understand that I have no problem if the street cleaner passes or the garbage truck or something happens. But to give me a $42 ticket just because you can!? You make me want to tell people not to move to Verdun, but I like Verdun.

Play nice and be fair and remember: the city works and exists for the citizen. Not the other way around.

>>Za

Frankel, Groves, alchemy

[Re: “The Wajcer Whammy,” Letters, May 20] The letter from “Dimi” gave me a chuckle. “Dimi” (which is preferable to dhimmy or dummy I guess), thanks the Mirror for its “objectivity and neutrality” (referring to the Middle East). The Mirror is about as objective and neutral on this as Al Jazeera!

This was followed by the brilliant “Ken Frankel Dipshit Award,” which caused me seven nanoseconds of extreme anguish, followed by a recommendation from me that Dimi be named to the Oxford debating society for his, her or its stunning logic and splendid English.

In the same edition, the People column was about one Kathryn MacDougall, who promotes some Japanese water transformer. For all I know, the machine may be good, but the logic for it as written in the column is not. I know a bit about chemistry. Alkaline water (as the machine produces) is not inherently better than any other, though it may help you with acid reflux. Too much alkali (lye, ammonia, etc.) will kill you. If it is alkali, it has chemicals in it. In fact, water, like everything else, is a chemical. The supposed process transforms water into alkaline (impossible alone) and the water has a smaller molecular structure. (No, it is the same H2O). This is alchemy, not science.

Perhaps the promoter of this bit would like to write for the Palestinians. The logic is very similar and all too many people are just as likely to swallow it!

>>Ken Frankel

[Re: “The Wajcer Whammy,” Letters, May 3] With their myths shattered and the state they worship an international pariah, Israel’s beleaguered apologists are reduced to resorting to that tired and long-discredited anti-Semite card. Were it not for the tragedy involved, this would evoke a mixture of amusement and pity—like an old woman who dresses as though she is 20 and ends up only looking ridiculous. Stuck in a similar time warp, Israel’s supporters seem blissfully unaware that the once intimidating charge of anti-Semitism lost its sting a long time ago. Through abuse and overuse, that fearful weapon that used to silence critics is now but a harmless dud.

I almost empathize with the uncomfortable predicament of these wannabe Zionists who regularly appear in the Mirror. Having clearly voted with their feet and flatly rejected alyiah (emigration to Israel), they try to make up for their betrayal of the core tenet of Zionism by becoming mindless state apologists. But they get no relief. Not only are they denounced for supporting oppression, but they are also sneered at by sabra (Israeli-born) Jews for turning their backs on Zionism’s central mission.

No wonder some become Wajcer-like, angry hysterical wrecks who see anti-Semites lurking everywhere.

>>Shirley Grove

WE WELCOME LETTERS TO THE EDITOR!

Send your comments, compliments or criticisms to:

Letters to the Editor,
c/o Montreal Mirror,
465 McGill, 3rd Floor
Montreal, Quebec
H2Y 4B4

Letters to the Editor

All letters should include your name, address and daytime phone number.

If you wish to reach someone in particular, here's a list of people involved with the production of the newspaper and this site.