'Rachel Barlagne belongs here'
Frédéric Bilodeau, the brother who inspired gold medalist Alex Bilodeau, happens to have cerebral palsy. Frédéric Bilodeau is a hero in his own right. Ironically, we are now reading about a family fighting deportation because their seven-year-old daughter has cerebral palsy ( Disabled Girl's Family Fights Order To Leave - Feb. 22).
Heroes, inspiring individuals, contributing citizens come in many forms. As Canadians, let's continue to humbly embrace every person for their special qualities and welcome them. Rachel Barlagne belongs here.
Helen Smith, Toronto
............
With all the self-promoting hoopla around the Olympics, you'd think Canada is just the grandest place to live, work and raise little champions.
But it's a bit hard to swallow when you read that the Barlagne family may have to leave this sterling nation because their daughter has cerebral palsy. It makes me ashamed to live in a land that prizes little gold medals above little girls with disabilities.
Tim Belliveau, Riverview, N.B.
Elementary, my dear whomever
Might our athletes' compulsion to apologize for underperformance be just a little tied in to the ridiculous amount of coverage the media have given these Games, beginning long before the torch was lit (Why So Sorry? Athletes Feel The Canadian Need To Apologize - Feb. 22)?
Papers, radio, TV - everywhere - there's been so much pressure on these kids, I'm amazed they can perform at all. The media must accept responsibility as much as, if not more than, any program for placing the weight of the country on shoulders not always equipped to bear it.
D. Lynch, Toronto
............
Who was the genius behind the Canadian Olympic Committee's idea to boast that Canada would come out on top in terms of the medal count?
It should have been obvious that such an irresponsible "prediction," if not goal, was doomed as a PR disaster - because if, in fact, Canada did win the medal race, it would've been no exploit, but a mere living-up-to-expectations performance. If the much more likely scenario of falling short came to pass, instead of celebrating the magnificent achievements of our athletes, we would be regretting their "failure." Elementary, my dear COC.
Arturo Sangalli, Sherbrooke, Que.
............
Hockey is part of the Canadian fabric - some may argue that it is the Canadian fabric - which is why it swamps winter and summer participation sports. The Canadian public just isn't interested, outside of an Olympic year, in track and field, swimming or speed skating - the list goes on. Should we downgrade hockey? Maybe. Because as long as it dominates to such an extraordinary degree, we'll always be also-rans when the medals are totalled.
Jose Naranja, Victoria
Bell's broadband investments
Your accusation of alleged broadband lag in Canada ( Canada's Broadband Lag - editorial, Feb. 22) is based on a flawed U.S. study that ignores Canada's significant broadband investments.
Bell recently launched the world's largest privately funded 3G HSPA (third generation high speed packet access) network, offering 93 per cent of Canadians access to mobile broadband services that The Globe claims are lacking. We've announced fibre-to-the-home deployments in Quebec City and new housing developments in Ontario and Quebec, and a new Fibe service delivering the fastest broadband upload speeds available. We continue to accelerate broadband spending, with $3-billion in capital investment in both 2009 and 2010.
In Vancouver, Bell built the largest Olympic communications network of all time. Every score, image and report is being delivered worldwide on a broadband network that will be an enduring legacy of Canada's Games. Such investments allow Canada to leapfrog ahead in broadband, and have been encouraged in part by last December's cabinet order to the CRTC to reconsider forced access to next-generation networks.
The Berkman Center study on which The Globe relies is widely regarded as out of date. Taking its flawed conclusions at face value only serves to threaten Canada's broadband progress by discouraging private infrastructure investment.
Mirko Bibic, senior VP, regulatory and government affairs, Bell Canada
Photographer's in the frame
Time and again, my eye will linger on a certain photograph in The Globe (Martin Rink Routs Not-So-Great Danes - Feb. 20 ). It moves down to the photographer. Sure enough. Fred Lum. Always great.
E. Jane Hamilton, Caledonia, Ont.
French at the Olympics
So Quebeckers have been "snubbed" by the Games ( The Big Snub Tarnishes Quebec Gold - Feb. 22). Ho hum. This follows the usual Quebec media line: English Canada, as always, sets out to deliberately snub, offend, outrage etc.; noble and morally superior Quebeckers bear it once again. Does the Quebec media's intellectual life consist of waiting to be insulted?
The Quebec press should grow up, please. These Games are supposed to lift us beyond petty bickering to take pride in human and athletic achievement. In that context, where athletes are from matters little.
Robert Cairns, Cobourg, Ont.
............
In stating that the invitation of "high-profile Quebec artists" would have ensured better French representation, Lysiane Gagnon follows the oft-repeated pattern of ignoring the fact that French language and culture is alive and well in many parts of this country.
What would have made for a better opening ceremony would have been the inclusion of French Canadian artists from all areas of Canada.
Donald Cyr, Toronto
Solid evidence can take heat
Climate researchers have to get over the new realities of modern Internet-based communications (Climategate's Guerrilla Warriors - Focus, Feb. 20). The public at large has not followed peer-reviewed literature; most people don't care or understand what it means or entails. The East Anglia e-mail debacle certainly has not helped the cause: They are perceptually legitimizing the critics by hitting back hard with defensive tactics, name-calling etc.
Perhaps they should take a page from medicine. We, too, have peer-reviewed literature that we base our practices on. The Internet, however, has made the days of covered wagons selling snake oil cure-alls seem tame compared to the nonsense disseminated as fact. We've had to deal with patients armed with reams of such nonsense for years. Today, people more readily believe what they read for themselves than what they are told by experts. Conspiracy theory thrives, leading to an inherent distrust of scientists.
Instead of shunning their critics, these climate scientists should be happy to have the debate joined by bloggers. If the evidence is truly balanced one way or the other, it will survive controversy and debate from all sides. Engaging the public in a meaningful discourse will allay the fear and distrust so many have surrounding the issue.
Richard Steinberg, Calgary
Don't think she's a philosopher
Cathy Young does well to point out some of the flaws in Ayn Rand's views ( The Darker Sides Of Ayn Rand - Feb. 22). But to speak of the "darker side" of someone's thinking is to imply there's a brighter side.
Ms. Rand's value to our culture is not just "limited," it is non-existent. She had little understanding of the philosophical history in which her ideas were set, those ideas themselves were ethically obnoxious, and her manner of presenting them was a travesty of the ideals of philosophical rigour. Randian "objectivism" is a vacuous construct, as most philosophers have been saying for decades.
It is dismaying to see Ms. Young refer repeatedly to Ms. Rand as a "philosopher." A large online survey of philosophers was recently conducted and one question it asked was this: Which "thinker" would you like to see people cease referring to as a philosopher? Guess who topped the list?
Byron Williston, chair, Department of Philosophy, Wilfrid Laurier University
'Our strong leader'
The Olympic video campaign starring Mike Duffy and Nancy Greene Raine is a crass attempt by the Conservatives to link their fortunes to the work of others ( Tories Push Patriotism - And Possibly Procure Votes - Feb. 20). The over-the-top banter comparing Stephen Harper, as their "strong leader," with the Olympic athletes is political opportunism written in a style reminiscent of the self-glorifying propaganda we see from China or North Korea. The Conservatives should be ashamed, but we know they won't be.
Edward Carson, Toronto
Prospectors are really smart
Re Newfoundlander Was Patriarch Of Province's First Family Of Prospecting (Obituaries - Feb. 19): I am quoted as saying that "prospectors have an advantage over geologists because they're stupid, they don't know scientifically what to look for. They look in all the wrong places and find all the right stuff." This statement needs context: I use it when I teach prospecting classes to get the class's attention, as in: "You guys have an advantage over us smart geologists, you are 'stupid' and not tied to theories - you go to all the wrong places and find all the right stuff. Then we smart geologists go and explain why what you found is there."
I don't believe prospectors are stupid. Prospectors are some of the smartest people I know. They remain the backbone of the exploration industry. I apologize to any prospectors who found the words attributed to me hurtful. I will continue to work with, and fight for prospectors.
Peter M. Dimmell, geologist, St. John's