An early-learning centre in Bowmanville, Ont., lies empty during the early COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020. The pandemic led to a 'baby bust,' with more Canadians postponing or scaling down plans to raise families.Melissa Tait/The Globe and Mail
Decisions, decisions
Re “The Federal Court’s decision on Trudeau’s misuse of the Emergencies Act sets the record straight” (Jan. 25): This case was decided on a strict legal basis, and many opinions appear largely divided between our increasingly polarized political camps. However, they seem to mostly focus on whether Justin Trudeau did the right or wrong thing.
What is missing in all of this is that Doug Ford refused to act on enforcement mechanisms available to Ontario at the time, which left Mr. Trudeau in the untenable position we are now reflecting upon.
Harley Nott Toronto
On and on and on
Re “The future of AI is in human hands” (Editorial, Jan. 20): But is it?
Using artificial intelligence to develop more advanced AI is an iterative process. In mathematics, this leads to intrinsically unpredictable outcomes. Fractals of infinite complexity result from the iterative application of a simple equation.
Self-awareness in humans stems largely from our interaction with other humans. When AI programs are allowed to freely interact with other AI programs, they gain the capacity to become self-aware.
Unpredictable. Self-aware. Will we still be in control?
Peter Gammon St. John’s
Real talk
Re “We need to talk openly about suicide” (Opinion, Jan. 29): Praise to contributor Trina Moyles for speaking openly about losing her brother to suicide, an eviscerating loss shared by far too many people in Canada.
Stigma continues to keep suicide shrouded in shadows, which makes its prevention more elusive. Open dialogue is needed to change societal views which, in turn, promotes both help-seeking and help-offering.
Mental health care is health care. The false idea with which Ms. Moyles was confronted, that selfishness is at the root of suicide, prevails.
People considering suicide are experiencing debilitating psychological pain and burden – not selfishness – so intense they can’t see a way out of their darkness. Kindness, social connection, open conversation and community-based mental health care are salves for this lonely, isolated condition – both for people wrestling with suicidal thoughts and for grieving loved ones.
Mara Grunau Executive director, Centre for Suicide Prevention Calgary
My brother killed himself 40 years ago.
Although the silence around it continued after he was gone, the silence that drove him to it was pervasive for many years before. My brother was gay and felt he could not come out.
Perhaps if we had accepted his sexuality, he might not have taken his own life in despair. Our parents are gone, so his truth can be told. But I regret that both we and he kept silent for so many years.
Nancy Marley-Clarke Cochrane, Alta.
The contributor points to our collective shame and stigma around suicide. These two culprits also show up when we try to understand our unease with loneliness, a pervasive and possibly more insidious problem afflicting modern, affluent nations.
Perhaps our disconnected, atomized living is both a cause and consequence of our underlying mental health condition, including depression, addiction and suicidality. The phantom of shame is just that: An illusion that needs the blunt force of reason to quash it.
Arif Uddin Toronto
In reverse
Re “Lifting the curse: On the historical, pervasive shaming of menstruation” (Opinion, Jan. 20): As someone with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, contributor Jen Gunter’s exploration of menstrual stigma resonates deeply. I appreciate her commitment to breaking down barriers around menstrual health.
Living with PMDD involves physical and emotional challenges, impacting quality of life. The lack of research and conversation around common menstrual challenges often leads to misdiagnosis. In my work as a clinical counsellor, I witness the consequences first hand.
It is my belief that the ongoing dialogue on menstrual health will improve the quality of life for many and, in the case of serious disorders such as PMDD, possibly even save lives.
Heather Anne Hendrie Editor, awfully hilarious: period pieces Whistler, B.C.
In the 1950s, as a young lad of 10 or so in small-town Newfoundland, I recall being sent, note in hand, to the drugstore to fetch “feminine napkins.”
When I presented my note to the pharmacist, he reached up to a shelf and retrieved a package wrapped in plain, brown paper that concealed the contents of the original blue box. A culture of shame was prevalent then.
I strolled home, tossing said box into the air as I gleefully went along, anxious to receive my fee for service and none the wiser for what the package contained.
Allan Roberts Quinte West, Ont.
Grand end
Re “Baby boomers are adjusting to a new retirement normal: No grandchildren” (Jan. 20): As a 74-year-old boomer with no grandchildren, I am perfectly happy with the situation.
If grandchildren arrive, I will welcome them. But I do not rely on others for my fulfilment.
Children are a privilege, not a right, at any stage in life.
Catherine Brydon East Gwillimbury, Ont.
The rapid decrease in parents and grandparents is an interesting reality beyond the eventual loneliness and sad end to a family’s lineage.
Were we truly born just to serve and please ourselves? How can any species continue to exist this way?
I suppose younger generations can enjoy themselves without the so-called burden of children. As such, they will also be the last humans on the planet to do so. I guess this naturally solves the climate change problem.
Mother Nature works in mysterious ways to maintain balance. Losing the once-powerful desire to bear offspring might be her antidote.
What a time to be alive.
Michael Neill Kelowna, B.C.
For boomers who have lost hope of ever having grandchildren, there is often a consolation prize of sorts: We get to take care of the animals who our offspring adopt.
At vacation time, dogs and cats arrive with all their paraphernalia and strict instructions. We provide doggy daycare and overnight boarding, in our case for three cats and an old dog who has to be carried up and down stairs.
At social gatherings, our friends regale us with cute photos and tales of their clever grandkids, and we listen with appropriate expressions of awe. Yet I’m at a loss to explain why no one is ever really interested in seeing pictures and hearing about the antics of our grand-critters.
It’s just not fair.
Wendy Kerr Hadley Mississauga
I have always thought it unfair that just because we decided not to have children, we are denied grandchildren.
Michael Feld Vancouver
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