Sutherland shouldn't exhale

Hey kids, thinking of having sex? Well, whatever you do, don't fear AIDS just because the government says it's bad for you.

Thanks to Alastair Sutherland's ringing endorsement of Jacob Sullum's right-wing theories ("Smoke free," Media Circus, June 17), we now know that public health campaigns are "a dangerous, hysterical and ill-founded jihad." HIV imposes costs on society? By Sutherland's logic, one could argue that it's actually quite a windfall, because victims "tend to die earlier... thus offering savings on Social Security and medical care in old age."

Sexually transmitted diseases are a nuisance? Maybe so, but imposing safer practices on one's partner is an "exercise in tyranny." Irresponsible behaviour can get you and your loved ones killed? Better that than to "threaten the freedom of anyone who dares to trade longevity for pleasure"!

That Sutherland was talking about smoking, not sex, changes little. If the above arguments don't hold when applied to AIDS (1,750 deaths a year in Canada), then they certainly make even less sense when applied to tobacco (45,000 deaths a year, plus 4,700 from second-hand smoke).

Please put that in your pipe and smoke it!

--Ian Lalonde

I think "Smoke free" is biased.

1) Yeah, the government is against us and want to control us, just for the kick of it. If it's not for economic or health reasons, why would the government create such a policy?

2) Okay, so the government wants to control us, but don't you think Philip Morris and Co., are controlling you more than the government and you do not cry for that?

3) People do not smoke because of advertising? Huh? So why is Philip Morris advertising? He's so stupid to advertise! Why did you start to smoke?

I'm not against smoking for fun from time to time. I'm against being addicted to something, especially because being addicted to cigarettes means being addicted to big corporations, which Sutherland is defending. I'm sick of those people who are against the government and not against Philip Morris. Not only are they not proposing anything to stop kids from smoking, but they're simply protecting their own source of nicotine by using stupid tactics like talking about pro-Morris books without balancing the point of view.

Don't you think that once you are addicted, you are biased? It's hard to talk against your pusher, isn't it? I'm 16 and I do not smoke cigarettes. Nearly all corner stores will sell cigarettes to teenagers without too much of a problem--that would have been a better subject for Media Circus.

--Anonymous

ACTRA vs America

Thanks to Matt Hays for his article on the ACTRA negotiations with independent producers. It provided some much-needed exposure to the plight of the small-but-determined performers' union as they were up against it in the midst of lengthy, tough negotiations for a new agreement. He brought a welcome focus to some of the issues on the bargaining table and a sobering look at some of the challenges facing local (and national) performers, as they adjust to a growing American production presence in show business in Canada.

Happily, an agreement (in principle) was reached in Calgary on June 14; with significant gains and important changes made.

The Mirror's support was very much appreciated.

--Matt Holland

Branch council member, ACTRA Montreal

Stop the festival madness

Just a quick comment on something I've noticed in Montreal for as long as I've lived here. Every summer brings scads of festivals and all of them have something to offer--the problem is they all happen in a three-month period and none of them are very cheap if you live on some kind of budget, like most people. And hey, even if you can afford them, there are multiple overlaps of the different events. Who wants to burn out by going to an unending series of "Special Festival Events," one after another, even if they don't overlap?

It's the most stupid thing I've ever seen. Why not space the festivals out over the year instead of having them all in one big cluster? Having all the festivals in one big cluster is just dumb.

--Anonymous

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