Readers call for an end to anti-Israel protests across Canada, berate the Liberals' capital gains tax hike, and salute Gen. Rick Hillier
You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.
Re: Group banned in Germany gets carte blanche in Canada to glorify Hamas massacre — Terry Glavin, April 30
Since October 7, protesters organized by groups linked to terrorist organizations from outside our country have visibly violated our hate laws and our violence laws, calling for genocide against Jewish people. These terrorist sympathizers are also poisoning our young with their propaganda.
Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.
Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.
Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.
Don't have an account? Create Account
In February 2022, the Emergencies Act was brought down forcefully on innocent truckers and their families protesting in Ottawa. These people wanted an explanation from the government for its behaviour during the pandemic. Our government instead dispersed them, arresting some and freezing their bank accounts — an extreme act against innocent, well-intentioned Canadians.
There is now a real reason to invoke the Emergencies Act. Remove these terror supporters who are disrupting our democratic way of life from our streets. Honest, law-abiding taxpayers deserve this. What kind of country do the Liberals and the NDP want to leave for their children and grandchildren?
Gwen Johnston, St. Albert, Alta.
Re: Hatred of Israel is the great moral disorder of our time — Rex Murphy, April 25
I thank Rex Murphy for his brilliant and heartfelt articulation of “hatred of Israel being the great moral disorder of our time.”
I place the responsibility for this moral decay not only on Iran and Hamas, the primary perpetrators at this time, but our cowardly government and universities pandering to the ignorant, antisemitic and arrogant; the global obsession with diversity and equity except when it applies to Israel and Jews; and the general lack of journalistic pride and integrity that is adding fuel to the fire, in Canada and the world.
It is frightening to see and experience that the civil society we thought we knew, has disintegrated, and we are now residing under mob rule. They have been allowed to take over our streets and our institutions, vandalize property, harassing and calling for violence against Jews. Do we not teach our children that bullying is wrong?
Hamas speaks freely and clearly about committing genocide against Jews and yet the haters are getting a free pass to put this label on Israel over and over.
The world once again seems to require a scapegoat, and the 0.2 per cent of the global population is once again it.
Justin Trudeau, this is all happening in Canada under your reign. We will always remember that you were on the wrong side of history.
Marilyn Fenton, Toronto
Re: Justice minister says protesters crossed a line — May 1 (print)
One must wonder where Justice Minister Arif Virani has been for the past seven months.
He might be aware that terrorist-supporting thugs in Canada have violently targeted Jewish individuals, institutions, businesses and neighbourhoods. They joyously celebrate the attacks of October 7, and they openly call for the murder of Jews and the destruction of Israel.
This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness, verve and wit. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)
By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.
A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.
The next issue of Platformed will soon be in your inbox.
We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again
But now, only now, that the poor minister and his own precious neighbourhood have been personally affected by these same terrorist supporters, does he state that a line has been crossed. Imagine! His own front yard! The gall of those peaceful protesters!
He has probably requested a special RCMP security detail for his protection, while he and his gutless government continue to let the Jews fend for themselves.
Perry Medicoff, Lisbon, Portugal
Now that Hamas is demonstrating in Mr. Virani’s driveway, I hope he can empathize with the Jewish population of Toronto who have been assailed by hatred and violent attacks since October 7. Mr. Virani can and will call on security to control this particular horde, but the rest of us are unable to, and the police and other politicians appear afraid of the mobs, too. But Mazel Tov anyway — welcome to the clan!
Barbara Okun, Scarborough
Re: Freeland’s new ‘plutocrats’ look like you and me — Kelly McParland, May 1; and Trudeau’s gross fiscal mismanagement — Diane Francis, April 29
To suggest that physicians should give “a little bit more” by paying higher capital gains tax is insulting. As physicians we have seen our corporate tax doubled and income splitting revoked under Trudeau’s administration. Now to support flawed Liberal policies we are getting taxed more yet again.
Since we do not have pensions, physicians rely on investments to support our retirement. The value of these investments and hence our ability to retire is consistently and insidiously being eroded by this government.
Not to mention doctors have already spent “a little bit more” time in school to earn their degrees and taken on a “little bit more” debt to do so.
Rather than asking physicians to “give a little bit more,” Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland should keep her hands off the hard-earned retirement of Canadian physicians and instead consider spending “a little bit less.”
Jeremy White, Vancouver
Kudos to Diane Francis for her outstanding analysis of the endless reckless spending by the Trudeau government. This government has never had a real revenue problem — but does have a very serious addiction to ideologically generated spending.
Nothing demonstrates this better than its current plan to increase tax on capital gains to allow even more spending. This cruel tax increase is a direct attack on farmers, doctors and anyone in small business who must set up their own pensions and plan for the financial stability of their families’ futures.
Pierre Trudeau nearly bankrupted Canada with his mismanagement. His son is well on his way to pushing Canada over the fiscal cliff.
Larry Comeau, Ottawa
Re: Letters: Seven ways to kill the Canadian dream (courtesy of the Trudeau Liberals) — Ron Hoffman, Letter of the Day, April 27; ‘It’s clear’ Mark Carney wants Trudeau’s job and should appear at Commons committee: Conservatives — Catherine Lévesque, April 26; and Mark Carney’s elitist rhetoric ignores the frustrations of the masses — Adam Pankratz, April 28
Ron Hoffman’s succinct analysis of the state of Canada’s health should be must-reading for all Canadians. Code Blue is deemed to be the most serious alarm in a hospital. Basically it means that a patient is in need of resuscitation. Sadly, due to inept, ineffectual leadership, Canada is desperately in need of resuscitation. It will surely take more than simply replacing Justin Trudeau with Mark Carney.
While Carney may be a step up from our disastrous prime minister, he will inherit a group of ministers with a history of incompetence. The Liberal ship is ablaze. The task to restore Canada to good health will be a gargantuan one.
There will be two positives if a Pierre Poilievre Conservative government takes over. First of all, Poilievre is an intelligent human being who can make speeches without reading his notes, who is not a narcissist and who truly cares about Canada. Secondly, he has a really competent, strong supporting cast from which to choose ministers. In the words of Alexander Pope, “Hope springs eternal.”
Bob Erwin, Ottawa
Mark Carney needs to note that there’s also left-wing populism. It states the falsehood that we’re “strengthening the middle class and building a strong future.”
But, as the Fraser Institute reported recently, those Canadians earning $30,000 to 60,000 have high effective marginal tax rates, sometimes higher than those earning 10 times as much. That’s because, along with paying taxes, they lose federal and provincial transfer benefits. So why’s that necessary? For one reason because, for months on end during COVID, left-wing populists shovelled $2,000 a month in CERB payments to hundreds of thousands of Canadians who didn’t have a job to lose.
Colin Alexander, Ottawa
Re: Wearing the keffiyeh honours Yasser Arafat’s legacy of terrorism — Rahim Mohamed, April 25
Thanks to Rahim Mohamed for enlightening readers about the meaning of wearing the keffiyeh, which was popularized by the Israel-hating PLO leader Yasser Arafat. That Ontario Speaker Ted Arnott banned its wearing in the Ontario legislature speaks to his understanding of its representation, which was sadly lost on the leaders of each political party in Ontario.
Shame on Premier Doug Ford, NDP Leader Marit Stiles and others for their ignorance of it as a contemporary symbol of Palestinian political violence. One wonders how they would react it someone showed up gowned in a white sheet (à la KKK) or with a swastika armband? Would they defend such abhorrent symbols as “culturally significant garments?”
Ontarians deserve leaders who focus on making life safe and affordable for everyone rather than defending those voices who seek to demonize and discredit our civil society.
Susan Silverman, Toronto
Re: Ottawa abandoned Canadian Jews in their darkest hour — Gen. Rick Hillier, May 1; and Canada not ‘engulfed’ in antisemitism — for the most part, study says — Jamie Sarkonak, April 29
Gen. Rick Hillier (ret’d) is my latest hero. Such a strong, clear voice and such moral clarity amidst a sea of political cowardice and shameful appeasement.
The tepid response from our leadership at all three levels of government, all of whom have chosen appeasement and grubbing for votes over doing the right thing, is disheartening. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier Doug Ford and Mayor Olivia Chow would do well to remember the words of Winston Churchill when he warned that appeasement meant not that the proverbial crocodile wouldn’t eat you, but that it would eat you last.
In a study by Robert Brym, cited by Jamie Sarkonak in a recent column, of Canada’s religious groups, Jews were found to be the highest earners in the country, a fact that will not be lost on the political parties. When the next election rolls around and the candidates come calling, dripping honeyed words about Canada’s Jewish community, their hands outstretched for donations, Jews and other right-minded people should remember the treachery of these same politicians — and keep their wallets firmly in their pockets.
E. Joan O’Callaghan, Toronto
Re: Anti-Israel protests spread across Canadian university campuses to UBC, uOttawa — Ari Blaff, April 3
I am saddened but not surprised by the students setting up encampments on university properties. These young people do not accept the notion of appropriate boundaries because they have been brought up without understanding what they mean.
As a former school principal, I had to battle with parents to let their children experience the consequences for inappropriate behaviour and poor judgment. Parents did not want any action that might make their children feel “uncomfortable.” They refused to acknowledge that a logical consequence would provide an invaluable learning experience. We now have a group of young people with a strong sense of entitlement. They believe that what they think and do is right and should never be questioned.
To add to this sense of self righteousness, too many university academics are putting forth a single, personal point of view to be discussed. Without having to consider other possibilities or viewpoints, students are not compelled to develop the critical thinking skills needed to analyze complex situations or to learn to think independently. Debate, which involves trying to understand an opposite viewpoint, is not promoted. The desire to seek out what the truth may be is not fostered. Without these necessary analytic skills, hundreds of university students are behaving like sheep. They follow those that scream the loudest without any true understanding of what it is they are protesting.
Phyllis Levin, Toronto
Re: Liberals hold up $34B Trans Mountain boondoggle as example of socialist success — Jesse Kline, May 2; and LNG exports offer a wealth-creating way to reduce global emissions — Gwyn Morgan, April 25
Did you hear the joke about the Canadian government that bought a $4.5-billion pipeline for $34 billion?
If the Liberals are proud of the nearly $27-billion cost overrun on the building of the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion, they have numerous other success stories to be proud of as well, including the ArriveCan debacle, which must be the pinnacle of Liberal socialist success.
Jesse Kline quotes the Bank of Canada’s estimate that the pipeline expansion will add one-quarter of a percentage point to the country’s GDP. Not surprisingly, the Liberal cheerleaders pat themselves on the back for such foresight and noble nation building. Imagine how many GDP percentage points the Liberals could have added to our economy if Justin Trudeau had only said yes to Germany, Japan, Poland, Latvia, Ukraine, South Korea, Greece and the European Union, when they asked for Canadian LNG, instead of rejecting their appeals because there wasn’t any “business case.”
Paul Baumberg, Dead Man’s Flats, Alta.
Re: York prof responds — Dennis Pilon, Letter to the Editor, April 28
Dr. Dennis Pilon is correct: political science departments are — in part — meant to put the “actions of states in a critical light.” I would expand this, however, to include political actors, not just states. That said, I look forward to reading York University’s Department of Politics’ report on Hamas’s treatment of Palestinians, Bashar Assad’s treatment of Syrians, Xi Jinping’s treatment of Uyghurs, Ali Khamenei’s treatment of Iranians, and Vladimir Putin’s treatment of Russians — to name a few.
Peter Scapillato, Thornhill, Ont.
National Post and Financial Post welcome letters to the editor (200 words or fewer). Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. Email letters@nationalpost.com. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.
Celebrating 25 years of Star Wars LEGO
Celebrating Prime Day’s 10th anniversary with savings
Typeshift is an anagram-based game with a literal twist
Boll & Branch, Fable and Skylight, to name a few
Top hotel and dining experiences to remember
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Rami G Khouri
Mort Laitner
Donald Low
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
Michael Kwet
visit website
