Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks from behind bulletproof glass during a campaign rally in Asheboro, N.C. on Aug. 21.Jonathan Drake/Reuters
Supervised drug-consumption sites
Re “Ford labels drug-use sites a ‘failed policy’ as he defends shutdowns” (Aug. 22): While no one would disagree that care needs to be taken in choosing the location of drug-consumption sites, it seems ironic that the Ford government is closing neighbourhood sites during an opioid crisis while permitting sales of beer and other alcoholic beverages at corner stores – many more of which will be located in busy neighbourhoods close to schools and community facilities. Can we expect the same rollback of that decision with the expected occurrence of more public intoxication, theft and underage alcohol use?
Cynthia Rowden Toronto
Re “Ontario to close drug-use sites in shift on addictions policy” (Aug. 21): As provincial governments resile from these failing policies, and as Gary Mason asks for a meet-in-the-middle option, here’s one: voluntary committal. The state provides safe supply but only within a safe, supervised institutional setting, in exchange for a drug user’s enforceable agreement to remain within those walls.
I wonder how many would avail of such a quid pro quo?
Ron Beram Gabriola, B.C.
Harris and Republicans
Re “Conservatives should have no difficulty voting for Harris” (Opinion, Aug. 21): While agreeing that policywise, Kamala Harris is a palatable choice for conservatives, the political rationale is perhaps more compelling. Only by seeing Donald Trump resoundingly beaten, proving the MAGA movement to be unelectable, will conservatives have a chance to reclaim the Republican Party. If Mr. Trump wins in November, or even just comes close, chaos will continue for years. And four years from now, if MAGA forces can plausibly claim to be electable, it may have metastasized to transcend Mr. Trump and be helmed by a younger generation. Although many Republicans will find it unsavoury to ever vote for a Democrat – any Democrat – don’t they first have to lance the boil to get rid of the infection? Only then can recovery begin.
Eric LeGresley Ottawa
Andrew Coyne’s compilation of conservative qualities, the lack of which disqualify Donald Trump from any valid claim to being the defender of conservatism, sets a high bar. It is anchored by the traditional conservative cast of mind related to the practicalities of governance: fiscal (responsible), free trade (supportive), military (strong), law and order (tough), bedrock cultural institutions (reverent). Then crowned by core traits defining the conservative personage leading the community forward. To wit: modest, self-reliant, faithful, honest, brave. And (surprise!) Mr. Coyne adds three traditionally associated “liberal virtues” to round out his portrait of a conservative leader: compassion, tolerance, understanding. As an “annoying liberal,” I appreciate the nod. I was starting to feel left out. I will strive to be my very best. And I agree: No, Mr. Trump is not conservative in the least.
As a bonus, Mr. Coyne’s conservative character study can be a useful template for Canadians to apply as we move toward our own election. Putting virtues first, does Pierre Poilievre measure up? (See above and apply as needed.) So far, my (wacko?) liberal instincts are telling me: not so much.
John Brooke Montreal
The gang’s all here!
Re “High-frequency rail CEO welcomes airline interest in project after Air Canada joins bidding group” (Report on Business, Aug. 22): So let’s recap the potential stakeholders involved with this proposed high-speed rail project. We’ve got Air Canada, ranked dead last in timeliness out of 10 major airlines in North America, according to the International Air Transport Association; a rebranded SNC-Lavalin, once known for bribery cases plus massive incompetence on rail projects (such as the one in Ottawa); and a group led by the chief executive of the Montreal Port Authority, a port with a reputation for having been infiltrated by the Hells Angels. I’ve seen many billion-dollar boondoggles in my lifetime. But this is the first time I’ve witnessed the birth of one.
Pete Reinecke Ottawa
Smoke and mirrors
Re “Canada’s 2023 wildfires among world’s worst: report” (Aug. 15): This article rightly brings attention to the significant greenhouse-gas emissions associated with wildfires. However, it incorrectly states that Canada is consistent with other nations in its practice of not counting wildfire emissions in its annual greenhouse-gas update. Many industrialized countries do count emissions from wildfires, and Canada is alone in its practice of not counting wildfire emissions but then counting carbon sequestration from natural regrowth after wildfires in forests that have reached the age of commercial maturity. This biased accounting, which was criticized by scientists in a recent article in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, masks the significant carbon footprint of Canada’s logging sector and compromises the effectiveness of policy decisions to reduce GHG emissions.
Michael Polanyi Policy manager, Nature Canada Ottawa
Sooty EVs
Re “With tariffs on Chinese EVs, Canada will become the new East Germany” (Report on Business, Aug. 21): This is a blinkered analysis of the subsidy of Chinese vehicles and Chinese products in general. China builds cars with cheap, dirty, coal-fired energy. The steel, aluminum, plastic and everything else used in the vehicles are produced with coal-fired energy. China is still building coal plants like popcorn, and we are (and should be) moving to cleaner sources of energy. Don’t call it a tariff, call it a coal surcharge.
Brian Doyle Beaconsfield, Que.
Re-education
Re “A cross Jordan” (Letters to the Editor, Aug. 22): A recent letter-writer’s support of Jordan Peterson’s re-education contained a chilling line. “This is the legal precedent we need to eliminate unwanted opinions.” Really? Unwanted opinions make you think and re-evaluate your own. To farm out to the legal system what opinions are wanted or unwanted is a horrible idea. I am not talking about hate speech, which justifiably needs curtailing, but opinions different than your own, whatever they may be. Beware of a system that teaches you what to think rather than how to think.
Colin Lockhart Florenceville-Bristol, N.B.
Biggles flies again!
Re Editorial Cartoon (Aug. 21): I was surprised and delighted to see cartoonist David Parkins’s cartoon captioned “Biggles Lays an Egg.” Biggles? Who/what on Earth is Biggles? I will wager that practically no Globe and Mail reader knows. Biggles is the fictional hero of a series of air adventure stories written by British First World War pilot Captain W.E. Johns after the war to the enthusiastic delight of a generation or more of adolescent boys. Of which I was one. So why publish a cartoon that must be incomprehensible to the majority of your readers? Don’t know. Doesn’t matter. A totally delightful surprise. Thank you, David Parkins.
David McCray Walkerton, Ont.
Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com