Trail Times Wednesday, August 7, 2013
www.trailtimes.ca A7
LETTERS & OPINION LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Youth embraces cultural experience, plans for future “Ich kann es einfach nicht glauben!” I mean, I simply cannot believe it! After a year of being away, I am suddenly back to where it all began. Upon my arrival, I was asking questions such as “How do we say that again?” or “What’s the English word for that?” Now, after almost one month of returning to the Kootenays, my English is again beginning to flow more smoothly and I can understand the role culture shock can play, even in my home country. Living, completely immersed, in another culture for a year allowed what was foreign to become routine and what was rou-
tine to almost become foreign.
DANIELLE
CLARKE
New Horizons
Now I feel that I have not only become a part of another culture, but that I have also become a much more independent, and international individual and I look forward to finding the balance between my two cultures and using them to define myself. The familiar smiling faces of loved ones, country music, ball caps, and back roads
has not only made my transition easier but has reminded me how beautiful our province really is. My love for Canada will never change but after my year exchange, I have left my heart in several other places as well! One day I know I will go back and visit my friends and family in Northern Germany because it really did become a second home to me; however, until then I have at least four years of university ahead at Carleton University in Ottawa. Beginning this fall, I will be participating in the Bachelor of Journalism Program in hopes of working toward a journalism job, specializing in tourism and travel.
This past year’s experience has changed my life and I attribute the opportunity is to the Rotary Youth Exchange Program. I would like to thank the Trail Rotary Club and its members, with a special thank you to Ray Masleck, for all of their help and support. As my year abroad truly does come to an end, I see the impact it has left on my life and could only wish the same life-changing experience for future young travellers. Danielle Clarke was a J.L. Crowe Secondary work experience student at the Trail Times last year and is currently in Germany as a Rotary Exchange student.
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Russia’s anti-gay crackdown casts a shadow over Winter Olympics An editorial from the Toronto Star When he’s not parading around Siberia in camo gear, hauling hapless 20-kilo pike out of remote lakes, Russian President Vladimir Putin is busy pumping himself up to bag a gold medal - that would be for bigotry - at the upcoming Olympic Games. Russia has never been a good place to be gay and on Putin’s benighted watch it is getting worse. Orthodox Patriarch Kirill has likened same-sex marriage to the Apocalypse. The city of Moscow banned gay pride parades for the next 100 years. The singer Madonna was threatened with a $10-million lawsuit for breaking St. Petersburg’s infamous “gay gag” law by voi-
cing support for gays. Gay-bashing is all too common. And pandering to popular prejudice, Putin has just signed a law, with heavy fines, that criminalizes the “propagation” of homosexuality and gay rights to minors, and outlaws gay rallies and use of the media and internet to promote gay causes. This not only stigmatizes gays but also hobbles media reporting on gay issues and legitimizes further discrimination. Foreigners who run afoul of the law can be jailed for 15 days, and deported. While popular with Russia’s many homophobes, this has cast an ugly shadow over the Sochi 2014 Winter Games. As concern builds, it’s good to see Prime Minister
Stephen Harper’s government forcefully expressing disgust, after quietly lobbying Moscow to drop the law. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has publicly and accurately denounced it as a “mean-spirited and hateful” incitement to intolerance and worse. The International Olympic Committee must now demand credible, formal assurances that gay athletes won’t get into trouble for affirming their identities. This anti-gay campaign is an affront to the Olympic Charter, which promotes “mutual understanding,” “friendship” and “solidarity,” and which repudiates “any form of discrimination.” And it isn’t going unnoticed. Gay activists in Canada and the U.S. are pro-
moting a boycott of Russian vodka and other products, and there have been calls for gay athletes to embarrass Moscow by individually showing their pride, or joining a pride parade. There have even been calls for a boycott of the Games itself, a move Russian activists oppose. Predictably, the IOC has been trying to assure gay Olympians and spectators that they will be welcomed with open arms without having to park their identities at the airport and watch their every move. That’s not how Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko sees it. Far from providing some assurance that gay Olympians will get a pass, he has just warned them to mind what they say and do.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Trail Times welcomes letters to the editor from our readers on topics of interest to the community. Include a legible first and last name, a mailing address and a telephone number where the author can be reached. Only the author’s name and district will be published. Letters lacking names and a verifiable phone number will not be published. A guideline of 500 words is suggested for letter length. We do not publish “open” letters, letters directed to a third party, or poetry. We reserve the right to edit or refuse to publish letters. You may also e-mail your letters to editor@trailtimes.ca We look forward to receiving your opinions.
MARKET QUOTATIONS Vancouver & Toronto Quotes
HSE Husky Energy Inc ............................. 29.29 MARKET QUOTATIONS MBT Manitoba Telephone....................... 33.79
ZCH BMO China Equity ........................ 13.32 BMO Bank of Montreal........................... 63.83 Vancouver & Toronto Quotes BNS Bank of Nova Scotia....................... 57.81 BCE BCE Inc ............................................... 42.55 CM CIBC...................................................... 77.54 Funds.............................. 36.91 CUMutual Canadian Utilities Vancouver & Toronto Quotes CFP Canfor .................................................. 21.56 Mutual Funds ENB Enbridge Inc ...................................... 45.61 ECA EnCana Cp ........................................ 18.42 FTT Finning Intl Inc ................................... 22.14 Mutual Funds FTS Fortis Inc .............................................. 31.75 VNP 5N Plus Inc ...........................................2.21
NA National Bank of Canada ............... 77.98 NBD Norbord Inc .................................... 32.11 OCX Onex Corp ..................................... 49.55 RY Royal Bank of Canada ....................... 64.04 ST Sherrit International ..............................3.79 TEK.B Teck Resources Ltd.................... 24.47 T Telus ............................................................ 31.32 TD Toronto Dominion ............................ 87.11 TRP TransCanada Cp ............................... 47.43 VXX Ipath S&P 500 Vix ........................... 14.99
Cdn Dollar US Dollar Gold Crude Oil Mutual Funds Cdn Dollar US Dollar Gold Crude Oil
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AGF Trad Balanced Fund............................5.86
Cdn Dollar US Dollar Gold Crude Oil London Gold Spot ..................................1283.1 Silver .............................................................19.485
Crude Oil (Sweet)...................................105.45 Canadian Dollar (US Funds) ................0.9641
Cdn Dollar US Dollar Gold Crude Oil
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