The mommy trap
As a working mother who stayed home for two years after each of my children was born (because I enjoyed being with them), I was disappointed to see Leah McLaren fanning the flames of the stay-at-home-versus-career-mom debate (Ditch The Guilt, Working Moms - Life, Aug. 7). Not only did she (naively) make caring for one's child sound like mind-numbing drudgery, she missed one of the most important considerations for women in deciding whether and when to go back to work: the availability of high-quality child care.
Without it, no woman goes back to work guilt-free. Most working mothers I know have agonized over finding child care that is nurturing, stimulating and affordable. Because Canada has no national child-care strategy - and since the current government has no plans to develop one - we have a patchwork "system" that is highly variable and largely unregulated.
Anyone who cares about maternal and child well-being should be more concerned with the state of child care in Canada than in igniting a divisive debate over who is a better mother.
Elizabeth Moreau, Ottawa
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Is denigrating stay-at-home moms the only way to celebrate working mothers? Neither choice is simple or easy or without regret. The point is that it is an entirely personal decision that should be supported by other women, regardless of the choice made. Unfortunately, that is clearly not the case in today's society. I certainly hope that by the time my daughter is raising her own children, she will be free of snap judgments at cocktail parties.
Shannon Bowie, Toronto
Cabinet-making
I am far from ready to see Canada become a republic. However, I might be persuaded to abandon "responsible government" (i.e., government where the cabinet comprises elected politicians) in favour of the American system of developing cabinets by presidential appointment (from neither the Senate nor the House of Representatives).
After a week of silly pronouncements on the census from the likes of cabinet ministers Stockwell Day and Tony Clement, capped by the appointment of the self-proclaimed "pussycat" John Baird as Government House Leader (Baird New Tory Point Man In Commons - Aug. 7), it might be nice to have some portfolios managed by people with some expertise in their areas of responsibility.
But alas, it wouldn't make a lot of difference with the present Prime Minister. He is well-known for his belief that his is the only "expert" opinion that is needed, whether correct or misguided.
D.G. MacLeod, London, Ont.
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It is bordering on disgraceful that the newest cabinet minister has been given the Indian Affairs portfolio (Duncan's Reward - Aug. 7). With all due respect to John Duncan's credentials and work with aboriginal communities in the past, a more experienced cabinet minister should be given the Indian Affairs job. What does Stephen Harper's appointment of a first-time cabinet minister say about his commitment to first nations communities throughout Canada?
Colin Campbell-Verduyn, Sackville, N.B.
No friend of the poor
Suggesting, as Roy Culpeper and Joe Ingram have done, that the G20 is a more representative or empathetic body toward the poor than its predecessor is absurd (Make Canada The G20's Permanent Home - Aug. 7). How, I would ask, were the new G20 members chosen? Compared to the rest of the world, they, too, are wealthy nations whose interests are aligned with those of the G8.
In its stated goals, referenced from the Toronto Summit Declaration, the G20 shows no signs of a growing empathy. Having bailed out the banks and large manufacturers, the onus for paying these debts has fallen upon the average citizen and, disproportionately, the poor. So-called advanced deficit countries, like Canada, the U.S. and Britain, will be going through programs of financial austerity that will see grave cuts to social spending in order to pay for the bailouts. This goes on while there is an absence of any talk toward raising taxes for the richest of the rich or regulating the financial industry, which created the recession.
The poor, who have not created this crisis, are burdened with its recovery. Suggesting that the G20 is a step forward for the poor is wholly contradictory to its stated goals. Instead, the G20 represents a further step backward.
M. Iain McCauley, Toronto
Clear as mud
Re Don't Be So Quick To Repudiate Sarah Palin's 'Refudiate' (Aug. 7): I am old enough to remember the term "safe deposit box." That makes perfect sense - a box for the safe deposit of your stuff. But over the years, people tended to hear it as "safety posit box" and evidently felt obliged to insert the extra "de" so the phrase would include complete words. The resulting nonsense term "safety deposit box" has become almost universal.
I pledge to fight this neologism until my dying breathalation, or until I remember where I stashicealed the key to said box, whichever comes last!
Judith Anderson, Burnaby, B.C.
Strength in numbers
The provincial premiers have done a very good thing in developing a joint purchasing arrangement for medication and medical supplies to increase market power and lower costs (Provinces Team Up On Drug Purchases - Aug. 7). In their communiqué, they also committed to work to reduce poverty. If they follow through, this will yield even greater savings in health-care expenditures because the evidence is clear that poverty is a major driver of disease morbidity.
Sid Frankel, associate professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg
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Is there anyone who seriously believes that the bureaucratic costs of a national drug-purchasing agency wouldn't cancel out the proposed savings?
Eric Pugash, MD, Vancouver
Summertime learning
I couldn't agree more with the notion that children need a summer break. Making that break meaningful in both a physical and intellectual way is definitely the key (Stop The Summer Slide - editorial, Aug. 7). And that is why a charity such as the Children's Book Bank, situated in the heart of Moss Park, Regent Park and St. James Town in Toronto, is such a valuable asset to the low-income families of the area.
It affords a safe, cool, aesthetic environment where children can come to read, receive literacy support and take home a book that they can keep at no charge. There are no membership requirements, no fees and parents can be confident that their children are not idling or, worse, sliding into the Wii and soda-pop abyss outlined in your editorial.
Jane Crist, teacher-librarian, Toronto
Mayor of all
John R. Merrick claims Toronto mayoral contender Rob Ford's democratic rights have been violated as a result of his opposition to same-sex marriage (Rights Vs. Rights - letters, Aug. 7). The issue is not about Mr. Ford's right to free speech but whether, in a democracy, personal opinion on morality has any relevance when one is a candidate for public office.
In Canada, marriage between same-sex couples is legal, whether Mr. Ford approves or not, and should he be elected mayor of such a diverse city as Toronto, it will be incumbent upon him, as a public servant, to embrace all citizens as equal before the law regardless of their personal lifestyles. This is the hallmark of democracy.
Anne Rowe, Oakville, Ont.
Attacks unprovoked
The article Skirmish Raises Stakes In Israel-Lebanon Conflict Of Nerves (Aug. 4), about an attack by Lebanese forces on Israel Defence Forces soldiers, portrayed Israel as the aggressor and suggested that Israel triggered the clash. The article overlooked the fact that the IDF had called UNIFIL to inform the UN that Israeli soldiers would be doing routine maintenance work and that the Lebanese forces were notified and aware that these activities were non-aggressive.
The bottom line is that unprovoked attacks on soldiers are blatant acts of aggression and Israel acted in self-defence. The gunshots fired by the Lebanese army toward IDF soldiers were a blatant violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, and constituted an attack on Israeli sovereignty.
Miriam Ziv, Ambassador of Israel to Canada
Wishful thinking?
For devotees of CBC Radio 2's intelligent, mature presentation of serious classical music programming on offer before his arrival and subsequent reckless drive for popularization, Richard Stursberg's departure is unimaginably sweet music to our ears (Top CBC Executive Leaves Broadcaster - Aug. 7).
Clifford Garrard, Ottawa
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As a former dedicated CBC Radio 2 listener, the sudden departure of the head of English-language services is good news indeed. Perhaps now there will be a slow and imperceptible move (to preserve reputations) back to quality programs, replacing so many recent mindless ones, and making that nauseating promo spot every half-hour unnecessary.
Malcolm Niblett, Kingston
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The importance of the departure of Richard Stursberg as head of CBC's English-language services and the manifestation of his enduring legacy I can now state in one sentence: "Peter Mansbridge, you may now sit down."
Bill Casselman, Dunnville, Ont.