letters
Wednesday, December 29, 2010 Peace Arch News
Peace Arch News
They’re leading us backwards Editor: Re: Surrey must live within its means, Dec. 17 letters. I would like to see you post that same headline in your paper for some time to come. I fully agree with letter-writers Chris Hodgson and David Sparks. Moreover, our councillors are supposed to lead – but by borrowing huge sums of money at this time of financial/economic uncertainty, they are leading in the wrong direction. How can we set a proper example for our youth and coming generations with this kind of indulgence – and all at the expense of already-overburdened taxpayers? Surrey council, with exception of Couns. Marvin Hunt and Bob Bose, should give their collective heads a shake. How about providing the lead in the head-shaking process, Madam Mayor, and laying a solid foundation for a real and lasting legacy? G.M. O’Keefe, Surrey
minutes and check his lungs. The assistant said ‘no.’ When I asked why, she stared me down for like 10-15 seconds in dead silence, making me feel she wanted to punch me out. She then said they want to go home, too, and she motioned toward the door. She spent at least eight to 10 minutes trying to get rid of us. I felt very upset because of her inhuman reaction. My son was coughing continuously and looked very frightened of this woman. My husband and I are a hardworking couple and are permanent residents of this country. My son doesn’t have a CareCard yet, since he was born outside the country and the sponsorship case is not processed yet. As a worried mother who cannot afford to go to the hospital emergency and pay the private fee – over $ 1,000 for one visit – I felt very frustrated. There was no solidarity. The doctor who was walking around in the back and obviously saw us – was very ignorant of what was happening in the waiting room. Finally, the assistant went and whispered to the doctor for a couple
of minutes – again, enough time to examine my little one who was feeling even worse seeing this whole incident – then she came back to us with a victorious smile on her face saying “Sorry, you’ll have to come back in the morning!’ There was no sympathy, no kind words, no understanding. There was only an empty medical clinic with a doctor and her impatient, unhelpful staff, and a coughing little boy who didn’t get examined. Why? Sylvia Miklos, Surrey
Questions over future of park Editor: Re: Semiahmoo First Nation fences off park, Dec. 17. What is the Semiahmoo First Nation up to? Fences have gone up around the East Beach park area of the Semiahmoo First Nation land. Signs have been posted: “No dogs allowed in park.” The band is saying a
sinkhole in the area is growing, thus causing their action and concern for everyone’s safety. But is this really the truth? Nobody I know has seen this sinkhole. We know that the band has been testing the water table in the main field over the past year. And apparently there is a buried garbage dump left over from the days of the sawmill that used to operate on the river beside the ball fields. This area is supposedly going to be excavated. There have been statements made by the band suggesting they may be changing the zoning for the park area. So why would the band be spending so much money on water testing, excavation, and fences? And why are they wanting to change the zoning of that land? My guess is the land is about to be developed and in a big way that will change the look of White Rock and Semiahmoo Bay. Are we going to see a casino or a resort or highrises being built there? Am I concerned about this ? You bet I am. Perhaps Semiahmoo First Nation band council would like to let us all know what their plans are? P. Rogers, White Rock
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quote of note
Perhaps it’s time to do some soulsearching into why you own an animal and who is benefiting from this ownership – you or the animal?❞ ❝
Dee Walmsley
Get the trains here on time Editor: Re: Benefits to train travel, Dec. 17 letters. I echo Coun. Grant Meyer’s letter. I, too, wish the Amtrak would stop in White Rock. It seems to me this is a no-brainer and everyone is on board except the feds. I suggest to Meyer that he bang on the door of our back-bencher MP and remind him to start calling on his political betters’ doors to get some movement. I would like to see a stop in White Rock by summer 2011. Dan Hatcher, White Rock
No help for a sick child Editor: I had a horrible experience at a South Surrey medical clinic earlier this month. My son started to have a very bad cough, so I decided to take him to the clinic. We’ve been at this place before. The staff and doctors seemed professional and friendly at our previous visits. This time, when we walked in – even though the door was still open – the assistant basically tried to get rid of us right away. She told me they stopped taking patients at 3:30 p.m. and the rooms back there are full of people. It was obvious they weren’t. Her colleague was already switching the lights off in the back and the clinic’s parking lot was empty. “I don’t even know how you got in,” she said. “The door wasn’t supposed to be open!” I politely asked her to ask the doctor if she could just take a look at my six-year-old son for two
write: Two South Surrey letter writers offer explanations why some household pets end up in the news.
File photo
Some animals attack for a reason
Editor: Re: Coverage whips up canine bigotry, Dec. 10 letters. I confess! Yes, I am a “canine bigot.” But at the same time, I am the most ardent dog lover between Prince George and Patagonia… I’m in the top three anyway. And without a qualm, without a millisecond of hesitation I say: rid society of pit bulls. Their defenders say it is not the breed, it is the owner; and that pit bulls make loving family pets. Balderdash! There are just too many stories of these loving pets turning on their families. Children have been killed. Recall the story of the woman driving with the loving family pet pit bull in the passenger’s seat. Without any provocation the pit bull attacked. The woman managed to stop the car and fight him off, pushing him out of the passenger door. Immediately she was overcome with remorse at putting the family pet out into traffic, so she opened the door. The dog attacked her again. Yes, it is the breed. Pit bulls somewhere have a “screw loose,” a mangled gene. They are like a particular model of car that unexpectedly loses traction on a curve and flips. There are hundreds of other cars to choose from and hundreds of other dog breeds. This one should be eradicated. David Poole, Surrey
Throw-away society
There has been so much negative press of late, re “dogs gone bad,” consider the following conditions that
may relate to the reasons for these attacks: How many apartment dwellers own a large dog who spends all day in a kennel or chained while its owner works and then is taken for hopefully an hour’s walk before being contained again for the night? In your absence, do you provide your dog with adequate fresh food water and shelter? Can it reach either? Now switch roles… wouldn’t you become frustrated, wouldn’t you lash out at just about anything, if you weren’t treated as one of the pack? We are not only a throw-away society – pet a problem; get rid of it! – but there are pet owners who ignore the physical and mental well-being of the animals in their keep. These are the ones you read about. There are also many pet owners who treat their animals like family members, taking care of their everyday needs, including vet visits and socialization time with their peers. If you are not looking after the needs of your dog, perhaps it’s time to do some soul-searching into why you own an animal and who is benefiting from this ownership – you or the animal? I, for one, would like to read some “good dog” tales about those breeds that are labelled “bad dogs.” Many have been destroyed by the horrific actions of a few. Yet many lives have been saved by those same abused dogs. What’s your story? Dee Walmsley, Surrey
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