It's over, okay?
Twelve honest people in Kingston, Ont., judged the facts of the Shafia murder case. So why now have we a bevy of lawyers twittering about an appeal (Formulating An Appeal, The Defence Focuses On 'Prejudicial' Evidence – front page, Jan. 31)? Justice has been done, and seen to have been done. Let's not waste any further resources or time in prolonging the discussion.
Bill Avery, Furry Creek, B.C.
Talking of chutzpah
Our government is chastising the Palestinians for pursuing their goal of statehood, urging them to resume negotiations, instead (Canadians Bear A Blunt Message To Palestinians – front page, Jan. 31). They've been negotiating since the 1993 Oslo accords, while Israel continues to build and expand settlements. If the talks are stretched out much longer, there'll be no Palestinian territory left to argue about.
Andrzej Derkowski, Oakville, Ont.
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Who the heck do John Baird and Jim Flaherty think they are? If Quebec should resume its quest for sovereign statehood, will these two – and their boss, Stephen Harper – welcome a Palestinian delegation to give advice on how the negotiations should be conducted?
Robert Fothergill, Toronto
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The message of the Canadian government was indeed blunt but correct: Return to the peace process without preconditions. Settlements can be dismantled, as we saw in Gaza in 2005. The real obstacle to peace is not the creation of a Palestinian state that most Israelis support but the existence of a Jewish state that most Palestinians reject.
Martin Gladstone, Toronto
What the dickens?
Letter writer Mary Williamson (That Dickens Chap – Jan. 30) was remiss in not mentioning Halifax when she referred to Charles Dickens's 1842 visit to Niagara Falls, Kingston, Montreal and Toronto.
Dickens visited our House of Assembly and said: "It was like looking at Westminster through the wrong end of a telescope. The Governor delivered the Speech from the Throne. The military band outside struck up God Save the Queen with great vigour; the people shouted; the Ins rubbed their hands, the Outs shook their heads; the Government party said there never was such a good speech; the Opposition declared there never was such a bad one; and in short everything went on and promised to go on just as it does at home."
Gordon Hebb, chief legislative counsel, House of Assembly, Halifax
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It's interesting to note that Dickens found Kingston Penitentiary "an admirable jail … well and wisely governed." That such a sordid place should have won his praise throws into even sharper relief how shocking prison conditions were in 1840s London.
Frederick Sweet, Toronto
Sketch artist
How is it you're able to commit a deserved full page to remembering the great English illustrator Ronald Searle (Obituaries – Jan. 31) without even a mention of The Great Fur Opera, his hilarious 1970 work commissioned by the Hudson's Bay Co. on the occasion of its 300th anniversary?
Noah Richler, Toronto
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As Kildare Dobbs rightly noted in The Great Fur Opera, "merely to look at Mr. Searle's pictures is an infallible cure for the Vapours." It's sad to think no more will be added to their number.
M.J. McKenty, Winnipeg
Old age security
Brian Lee Crowley's view of what seniors do and how they live (We'll Keep Working, And We'll Like It – Jan. 31) seems blinkered to community volunteerism. With so many young people unable to find decent jobs because baby boomers won't let go of them, isn't it essential that those who can afford to retire do so?
There are so many areas (in Canada and around the world) where volunteer hands are needed. If seniors are looking for ways to stay healthy, there's no better avenue to good mental health than putting a smile on someone else's face.
Janet Ingram-Johnson, Aldergrove, B.C.
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Brian Lee Crowley argues that older people can enjoy and benefit from work, and suggests that increasing the eligibility age for retirement benefits is therefore a no-brainer. I agree that millions of older Canadians relish opportunities to remain active and engaged through work and volunteerism. I marshalled much evidence of this in my 2010 book on baby boomers, Stayin' Alive.
But our data also show that life circumstances and values differences produce huge variations in how boomers view work in later life. Work can be stimulating for those who choose it, or painful drudgery for those sick and tired.
Sure, let's adjust our policies to acknowledge extended lifespans and to harness the energies of all Canadians. But let's not pretend that compelling older people to work in order to avoid destitution will be fun for everyone.
Michael Adams, president, Environics Institute, Toronto
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Re Warnings On Old Age Security Contradicted By Expert Report (Jan. 31): As with the long-form census, climate change, the omnibus crime bill and the long-gun registry, the Harper government once again appears not to have let statistics and expert opinions get in the way of ideologically based positions.
Stanley Greenspoon, North Vancouver
Spanish lessons
I read your story on Jules Paivio with great interest (Honour For The Young Ideals Of An Old Warrior – Jan. 26) because my father, Eddie Shirley, was a volunteer in the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion during the Spanish Civil War. He's gone now, but I recall him talking briefly about this when I was in my early 20s.
In The Gallant Cause, Mark Zuehlke writes about the Canadians who joined the International Brigades and their belief that the situation in Spain represented the forefront of the worldwide struggle between fascism and democracy. "Had democratic governments responded with the same perceptiveness, it is possible that World War II might have been prevented and millions of lives saved."
I visited the Ottawa monument to the brigadistas on Remembrance Day several years ago, and wept as I affixed a poppy next to my father's name. It's ironic that, while Spain honours them, there appears to be a steadfast refusal by the Canadian government and the Canadian Legion to acknowledge on Remembrance Day the sacrifice of Canadians who quietly fought – and, in many cases, died – in a land far from home, for the democratic ideals we all enjoy today.
Samantha-jane Mugridge, Calgary
Reality check
Re Restarting Research In Motion (Report on Business, Jan. 28): When new RIM CEO Thorsten Heins was asked "how it was going" during a town hall meeting, he replied: "Great. Things are great." It reminds me of the scene in Monty Python and the Holy Grail where the black knight has his arms and legs lopped off by his opponent, all the while shouting, "Victory is mine!"
Gerald Vincent, Toronto