No, thank you
Re: Courting Islam: Shariah law in Canada, Oct. 25.
After seeing an event that my friends helped organize on the front page of a recent issue of The Varsity, I felt all the more that you are out there covering what is of interest to the students and being the students’ voice. I felt I had to thank you for the efforts you put into the paper. Since we pay for The Varsity in our tuition fees, I wanted to let you know: the money I’m paying is worth it!
Faraz Siddiqui
Request granted
Re: Sodexho union organizers suspended, Oct. 28.
I was shocked to hear about the suspension of Maria Ferraz and Goretti Frias, two Sodexho employees who are helping food workers at the U of T form a collective bargaining unit.
It seems to me that this kind of strong-arm intimidation tactic on the part of Sodexho management is not something that ought to be tolerated without protest. The employees of Sodexho have a right to form a union if they elect to do so, and any attempt on the part of Sodexho management to intimidate them by suspending workers who are trying to help them exercise this right seems to me to be likely to result in a further lowering of respect for Sodexho.
I hope that these two workers will be re-instated as soon as possible.
Albert Masters
Car Free claims justified
Re: “Combustion love,” Letters, Oct. 25.
That cars are ‘cleaner’ and more efficient today than their predecessors doesn’t really take into account the larger number of vehicles now on the road, or the fact that much larger stretches of land are being converted into concrete playgrounds for these vehicles to play in.
Factor in the over 1,000 deaths each year due to poor air quality in Ontario alone, and the numerous fatalities involving cars, and I think [Car Free City’s] claim that an “increasingly toxic culture” exists is more than justified.
It’s time to grow up as a society and realize the easiest form of transportation is not necessarily the best.
Luis Filipe
On Oct. 29, the Graduate Students Union held an event where Private Brandon Hughey discussed his reasons for deserting his U.S. army unit that was being deployed to Iraq.
In his talk, Private Hughey accused the U.S. military of war crimes. He likened the brave men and women of my country’s armed forces who obeyed their orders to Nazi soldiers who, while standing trial at Nuremberg, claimed they were only following orders.
As an American whose family members have served in the U.S. armed forces, I was insulted and offended by these remarks.
Once the floor was opened for discussion, I began a statement in support of my countrymen and women who have died in Iraq. But about four sentences into my two-minute statement, GSU Vice President External Arij Al Chawaf said that they had heard enough from me and refused to allow me to finish.
GSU certainly has the right to choose a position on any issue, including the war in Iraq. This does not excuse GSU from silencing dissenting opinions from its members.
I ask that GSU and Vice President External Arij Al Chawaf apologize for interrupting my comments. I am hopeful GSU will see to it that free speech is allowed at their future events.
Tod Dickson
Abortion story personally enlightening
Re: I have had an abortion., Oct. 7.
I must admit, I found Ms. Richter’s exposition of her personal experience with abortion a rather enlightening one.
I have my own views regarding the issue of abortion, but I’m certainly not going to try to impart them on anyone else. I read Richter’s article and I can’t help but see a great value in the insight she has to offer. I often hear of street-corner protests, rallies, pro-choice and pro-life movements in what has been made an ongoing debate. Yet up until now, I’ve never heard from a woman herself who has gotten an abortion.
A very close friend of mine, a week before the publication of Richter’s piece, confessed to me that she had gotten pregnant, and gotten an abortion. This is the first time anyone has ever told me this, and thanks to Richter, I am now better able to respond to her needs in my role as her friend.
Richter brought to light a form of insight that doesn’t seem to come up a lot these days. Whether or not I agree with her choice of action is beside the point; she has given me the means to consider yet another facet of this issue that I wouldn’t have had had she not spoken up. For that I wish to thank her.
Gabriel Nylund
