Eco appreciation

Your article "Eco activism in the hood" [Jan. 14] was misleading. On behalf of organizations running the Éco-quartier program in 10 West End districts, we would like to point out that the first three years of existence have witnessed innovative programming, resurgent community involvement and increased environmental awareness.

Claiming that very little has been done demeans the work of those who are dedicated to bringing about the changes necessary to make ours a healthier city.

In addition to major improvements in the areas of curbside recycling and neighbourhood cleanliness, Éco-quartier has brought thousands of neighbours out of the woodwork. An individual Éco-quartier is not a "branch." It reflects the characteristics of the neighbourhood it serves. Whether it's teaching the residents to grow nutritious food in NDG, showing youngsters in Émard how to make their own paper from scraps, explaining the principles behind the 3Rs to the many ethnic groups in Côte-des-Neiges, teaching Pointe-St-Charles shoolchildren how to build worm composters or linking the downtowners of Peter-McGill to a regional organic farm, local Éco-quartiers have proven to be much more than just a city environmental program.

Environmental education is a long-term commitment requiring continuous community support. If you'd like to see more environmental activism in your neighbourhood, get involved!

--The Board of Directors for the Éco-quartiers of Côte-des-Neiges, Victoria; NDG, Décarie, Loyola; Pointe-St-Charles; Émard, St-Paul, St-Henri; Peter-McGill

Robed racism

I am much perturbed at Juliet Waters' delight at author Brian Moore's portrayal of early Montrealers as "not as savage, but not much less, than the proto-punk sadistic Iroquois they had to deal with" ["Portrait of the author as a Canadian," Jan 21].

What if there were a movie where the WASPs were portrayed as almost as stingy with their money as Jewish folks? Or a play where Europeans were portrayed as almost as lazy as Africans? Would those also be worthy of praise?

Maybe the whites are sketched as depraved and pathetic in Black Robe, but that doesn't justify Moore evoking the tired and offensive old stereotype of First Nations peoples being savage and sadistic, or Waters' startlingly uncritical wonder at what a great story it makes.

And "proto-punk"? The Iroquois have a history that stretches many centuries. To frame this history's importance primarily as a prequel to a 20-year trend in Western pop culture is gauche, if not downright insulting.

This isn't about political correctness, whatever that means this month. Fiction creates our social reality. Do you think that the cops who beat Rodney King would have been acquitted if their all-white jury hadn't grown up on a steady diet of TV and movies showing cops as primarily good and white, and criminals usually as the opposite?

To be fair, when I saw the movie adaptation of Black Robe years ago, I was originally sucked in by its critical portrayal of the colonizers. But you know what? It doesn't erase its racism.

--Conrad Sichler

Enquiring minds

I'm a little surprised that Alastair Sutherland did not mention Les Sceptiques du Québec and its magazine, Le Québec Sceptique, in the article about the Skeptical Inquirer ["Skeptic tank," Feb. 11].

The Sceptiques du Québec have been promoting rational thinking for 12 years now. Each month, more than 60 people attend our monthly meetings, held the 13th of each month (everybody is welcome, member or not).

We are considered one of the most active local skeptic organizations in the world. We've already done firewalks, conferences on dowsing, needle beds, a demonstration of ear candling and many other subjects... all this in Montreal. (For info: http://www.sceptiques.qc.ca)

--Pascal Forget

Dead ringers

In response to the "anonymous" artist whose letter appeared Jan. 28 ["Ringing a bell"]. The artist refers to Bell workers as overpaid whiners. Perhaps movie stars, models, CEOs or professional athletes are overpaid, but I'd hardly consider wages of $20/hour too high in the present economy.

Workers who do the rest of us a service--operators, postal workers, teachers, etc.--deserve to be protected from corporate greed and misdeeds. Canadian corporations owe more than $90 billion in taxes, of which Bell's share is around $2 billion. Two billion dollars pays for a great deal of health care, education and infrastructure repair.

I propose that Bell clients hold back payments until Bell pays its big bill to the government. Better yet: boycott Bell--give up your phone. This is the only way to vote your disapproval in a corporate economy.

--"The corporate avenger"