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Seen to be done
Re There's No Need For Criticism. Canada's Jury System Works (Feb. 20): While it is quite correct to state that the jury in the Gerald Stanley case should not be considered racist based on its acquittal of Mr. Stanley, the process that put those particular 12 jurors in the jury box was tinged by racism.
For a defence counsel to be allowed to keep a prospective juror from sitting in the box, based on the person's apparent race, brings to mind stories from the American deep south with white juries acquitting white defendants who were accused of committing crimes against people of colour.
Former Supreme Court of Canada justice Frank Iacobucci had it right when, in 2013, he recommended that the Criminal Code be amended to allow the trial judge to supervise the use of peremptory challenges to ensure that they were not being used to discriminate against potential jurors based on their race. Had that process been followed in Mr. Stanley's trial, and had the same verdict been rendered, not only would justice have been done, it would have been seen to be done.
Mike Winward, Mackesy Smye LLP, Hamilton
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In this corner …
Re Alberta, B.C. Pipeline Dispute Escalates As Wine Ban Heads To Trade Tribunal (Feb. 20): Pipeline construction issues continue to be portrayed as being between Alberta and British Columbia.
In fact, the fight is between B.C. and Canada. Alberta is just the one in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's corner trying to get him to put his dukes up.
Brian Johnston, Edmonton
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Google 'Gupta family'
Re South Africa's Guptas Hid Bombardier Jet, EDC Says In Court Repossession Efforts (Feb. 20): I'm flabbergasted to read that Export Development Canada lent the Gupta family US$41-million to purchase a Bombardier Global 6000 jet in early 2015.
Without having to undertake any more due diligence than to Google "Gupta family in South Africa" or read a South African newspaper, the EDC individual(s) reviewing the loan application at the time could easily conclude that this transaction was dicey and not something the Crown corporation should consider.
So how come this happened?
An immediate investigation should be undertaken, along with full public disclosure.
If this is how the EDC conducts business, who else has it been involved with? Russian oligarchs?
Alan Schapiro, Vancouver
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Tax tip(s)
Re CRA Cracks Down on Undeclared Tips for Restaurant, Bar Staff (Feb. 20): How reassuring it is to know that the Canada Revenue Agency will scoop up thousands of dollars from hapless servers employed by a PEI hospitality group, while millions of tax dollars from Canadians listed in the Panama Papers will remain untouched.
Perhaps some of these Panama Papers folks dine in Maritime restaurants … and laugh up their sleeves.
Matthew Scholtz, Tillsonburg, Ont.
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Way to go, Canada Revenue. Nothing like cracking down on underemployed millennials working as wait staff trying to scrape together enough money to pay back their student loans.
Alison Campbell, Charlottetown
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She's not a jerk
Re Being A Jerk Doesn't Make You A Better Competitor (Feb. 19): Canadian curler Rachel Homan is being called out because she followed the rules. Really!
Since when in sport is it up to the players to decide whether rules will be followed or not?
I don't remember any penalties being declined in hockey games. It's up to the governing body of a sport to define the rules and enforce them. Once established, as in any other sport, when there is an infraction there should be a corresponding penalty. The fact that whether or not that happens in curling is apparently up for debate is ridiculous.
Art Dewan, Kentville, N.S.
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Simple fun
Re The Future Of The Winter Olympics? More Big Air, Less Ski Jumping (Feb. 19): Finally! Cathal Kelly gets it – Big Air, like halfpipe and slope style, is "simple and fun." (I'm assuming Mr. Kelly means simple in infrastructure, not skill.)
These events are also hugely popular with younger viewers. Watching with my 19-year-old and 23-year-old, I got schooled quickly that a "backside" isn't going into a jump backward (that's switch), it's going into a jump with a backward rotation.
Maybe now Mr. Kelly will give skateboarding a chance, after dissing it earlier as a Tokyo 2020 sport. Here's a tip: Go to any small town in Canada to see kids working on their tricks. And having simple fun.
Joanna Fox, Victoria
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Streaming inequity
Re As NDP Push For 'Netflix Tax,' Singapore Plans One Of Its Own (Feb. 20): The Prime Minister is right. GST isn't a tax on Netflix, it's a tax on Canadian consumers who buy its services.
But giving the "Netflix tax" a pass creates a disturbing inequity for other Canadian consumers – who are also taxpayers and voters – who live in rural areas, who have metered Internet, and for whom streaming TV would be exorbitantly expensive. And who, like me, are therefore obliged to pay for satellite TV, which means paying GST on every monthly bill.
We have less choice, pay substantially more for satellite than streaming, and then have to pony up GST on top of it all.
Brian P.H. Green, Thunder Bay
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Porn and kids
Re The XXX Generation: How Porn Is Hurting Our Kids (Feb. 17): As a parent of two teens, I agree that we need to educate our kids about the unfortunate proliferation of online porn, as Margaret Wente wrote in her column – and relegating it to the Internet's nether regions would be a parent's dream.
However, I don't believe that feminists are the enemy here. To the contrary, feminists recognize the extremely harmful effects that easily accessed porn (largely created from a male point of view) has on perpetuating detrimental attitudes toward women.
Misogynous behaviour – both in real life and online – is unacceptable and must end. This is what we need to teach our kids.
Sarah Gayda, North Vancouver
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That February holiday
Family Day: What a wonderful idea. I'm all for it. Now that I come to think of it, I seem to remember a time when we had one every week. But I don't mention it. I would be giving my age away.
Alma Javad, Burlington, Ont.