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West Island letters

by Albert Kramberger
View all articles from Albert Kramberger
Article online since December 3rd 2008, 23:59
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West Islanders can send letters to editor@transcontinental.ca

West Island letters

Tips for writing letters

Every effort is made to publish each letter received by The Chronicle. Following these tips will increase your letter’s chance of getting published.

• Keep it brief: Consider how long you would spend reading a letter. A good benchmark is about 150 to 250 words.

• Keep it local, topical and timely: Letters should be issue-oriented, addressing topics that are currently in the news affecting West Islanders.

• Make your point: Long rants mean little to readers. In fact, they tend to turn them off. Arguments that are well thought out provide new perspectives on issues, giving readers pause for thought. Always back up your arguments with facts and figures that support your opinion.

• Send it on time: The final deadline for letters to the editor is Monday at 11 a.m.

• Expect to be edited: Letters will be edited for clarity and length, but care will be taken to preserve the writer’s point. Letters written with these tips in mind, however, should require little or no editing.

• If you can say it, you can sign it: All letters must include the author’s full name, municipality and daytime telephone number. The Chronicle does not publish anonymous letters. Those that are unsigned will be discarded.

West Islanders can send letters to editor@transcontinental.ca

Anglos can send message

More than 70 per cent of Quebecers were opposed to an unnecessary election.

Needless to say, that did not stop the arrogant Jean Charest from calling one regardless. So now, the 70 per cent of Quebecers who opposed this election have a

choice: either reward this contempt with a majority government or vote en masse against him.

Specifically, the anglophone communities can send a clear message. In the past, Liberal candidates would come to anglophones and yell: "Boo! Referendum!" and watch amused as anglo voters would run in panic to the nearest poll and mindlessly vote Liberal. Once elected, these candidates would contemptuously lift their nose over those very same voters as they went quietly along whatever language measures their party would care to impose in order to get nationalist francophone votes.

So rather than threaten the "price the Liberals will have to pay at the next election,” whyy not go and actually do it. There are now three parties to choose from and sovereignty is certainly not a threat this election.

Remember, we get the government we deserve.

Andre Bordeleau

Pointe-Claire

’Savage’ controversy overblown

There was quite a bit of controversy recently over Dick Pound's comments about our natives. He was asked a question about another people group, and said in comparison, they were much farther ahead than our native "savages." Of course that might offend some Canadians, but let's be realistic, and look at the facts.

Four hundred years ago, around 1608, many European countries had books, respectable vehicular travel, nice buildings, brick or stone roads, and other conveniences which the North American Indians did not have. It would be an interesting comparison of the many civilizations (China, India, Africa, etc.) and what they had in the way of culture, science, astronomy, psychology, and compare that with our "savages."

I don't think Dick Pound meant any harm or put-down. As I remember, many of us over 50 years of age referred to the natives as "savages." Read the history books, newspapers and magazines of the last few hundred years, and you'll see that the word "savage" was often used.

Why get all up tight over the use of this description today? Are we so civilized today, so modern, so politically correct, that we cannot say things as they were?

Ed Hoyer

Roxboro

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