December
19, 2003
Pro-gay
supporters are intolerant
I am amazed at the intolerance of persons surrounding
the Nunavut Human Rights Act. Take this statement for
example: “The real division was between those MLAs
who read and understood the bill they were about to
vote on and those who had not.” (Editorial, Nov.
7, 2003)
The same person wrote another editorial on Nov.
14 on the same subject. In that editorial, the writer
characterizes one group as “right-thinking people.”
The right-thinking people being the ones who support
the human rights bill.
There are some very vocal proponents who would persuade
whoever will listen, that same-sex sexual orientation
is inborn. This assertion is based on some “scientific
studies,” some of which may be compromised, studies
that in some cases have been designed to come to a conclusion.
Biased, if you like. Truthfully, there is no scientific
consensus yet and the scientific community will not
come to a consensus for many more decades on this question.
Granted, sexual orientation had made great inroads
in politics and through the courts. It is also making
very strong efforts to muscle into some Christian churches,
and with great success.
As the editorial writer pointed out, the United
Church of Canada has allowed same sex marriages since
1990. Good for the homosexual movement! But will it
stop there? Apparently not! The American Episcopalian
Church (the American Anglicans) also have a Bishop who
is openly gay.
Jobie Weetaluktuk
Montreal
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December
19, 2003
Suicide
stops here
Writing this letter is not easy for me because I
have lost 14 of my friends, who took their lives.
Suicide must stop here because suicide is not the
answer. I want to get this message out to all the teenagers
in Nunavut.
I was suicidal before and I have seen bad things.
I’ve seen what Hell looks like and it’s dark
and scary. I know some people think suicide is the answer
to their problems, but it’s not.
Our teenagers are very important to our future.
If our teenagers keep killing themselves, our cemeteries
are going to be full and there won’t be room for
other bodies to bury.
Reading Nunavut’s suicide rate, there are 11
people in my community who have killed themselves and
we have to stop the suicide deaths in our community
because the youth are our future.
The community of Pangnirtung has to start talking
about suicide and speak without being afraid. I hope
this message helps my friends in Pangnirtung.
And everyone who lives here, let’s stop ignoring
suicide and help keep our youth from suicide. These
words are from my heart and my mind.
Tommy Taylor Dialla
Pangnirtung
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December
19, 2003
Global
warming a load of “bull-crap”
We recently heard the big announcement about the
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. They decided to
make the announcement here first because they say Nunavummiut
will be the first to see the negative effects of global
warming.
For the longest time, we have been hearing that
the Earth’s temperature has been rising at an alarming
rate, a rate so dangerous that the polar ice cap would
melt prematurely in a couple hundred years, causing
widespread flashfloods, hurricanes, world-wide famine
and so on, thus ending mankind as we know it.
I would like to ask the well-informed public this
question; by how many degrees Celsius has the world’s
global temperature risen since the Industrial Revolution?
Is it (a) 1 degree Celsius; (b) 3 degrees (c) 5
degrees (d) none of the above?
The correct answer is d) none of the above. It has
actually risen less than 1 degree Celsius — about
half a degree since they started recording temperature.
But why, you ask, would the environmentalists be
feeding us all this propaganda? The answer is simple,
money. Scare the gullible public and get them on your
side to make it a political issue, and then lobby the
politicians for money.
After all is said and done, we will be paying too
much for something that man has no control of.
Chris Pudlat
Cape Dorset
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December
12, 2003
In support of same-sex marriage
It's sad to hear that some people still oppose same-sex marriages.
How many of you people in heterosexual relationships are married? Many people
in heterosexual relationships are just living common-law. I mean, what kind
of cowards are you, who can't even get married?
Who are you to judge people who want to celebrate their love by getting married
when you haven't even got the balls to do it yourself?
Why is it that our MLAs are wasting their time on something that should not
even be an issue, something that should have been taken care of back in April
of 1999. You have a simple task that you have made complicated.
The more I hear about people saying they do not accept gays or lesbians, the
more I just lose respect for them, especially our leaders of Nunavut, which
does include the people at the church.
(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit
December
12, 2003
Why is no one facing charges?
Bravo to Tom Braggard for stepping forward and getting in someone's face about
the accident involving a city truck and the little girl who ran out on the road.
The driver may not have been able to prevent the accident but I honestly don't
think that it was all the vehicle's fault either. You see, I was right behind
the city truck when we both left the corner at Joamie School, and when I got
to the scene the truck was already stopped and the driver was yelling his head
off on a cell phone or something similar.
I stayed there until the police arrived and redirected the traffic. My sleeping
bag was over the little girl's body. My kids were in the truck with me. I also
would like to know why nobody is facing charges.
Edgar A. Lafave
Elk Lake, Ont.
December
12, 2003
Thompson's comments extremist?
Two weeks ago, Larry Spencer, a Member of Parliament for the Canadian Alliance,
gave a newspaper interview in which he equated homosexuality with pedophilia
and argued that homosexuality should be outlawed and criminalized.
The response was immediate.
Progressive Conservative Leader Peter MacKay called the remarks "ugly,"
"embarrassing" and "completely unacceptable."
Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper agreed, stating that "to equate
consensual homosexual activity ... with pedophilia ... is simply unacceptable.
It does not reflect party policy in any way shape or form." Harper fired
Spencer as the party's family affairs critic.
But when Nunavut's minister of education, Manitok Thompson, equated homosexuality
with pedophilia right in our Legislative Assembly there was no such outcry.
No one in our political system expressed dismay or revulsion or anything else
at her bigoted comments.
The day after her comments Manitok Thompson reaffirmed her position. "I
do not mind even if I am alone with my opinion in the world," she said.
It is worth pointing out that Manitok Thompson is not "alone in the world"
in her opinions. There are others who agree with her — Larry Spencer, for
example. But in terms of Canadian politics, her opinions put her way, way over
on the extreme end of the scale.
So extreme that if she made her comment in the House of Commons she would be
immediately kicked out of whatever party she was a member of. Her comments would
be termed "ugly" and "completely unacceptable" by the leaders
of all the political parties, and she - and possibly Nunavut as a whole —
would be seen as a national embarrassment.
Something to keep in mind if she tries to become Nunavut's next premier.
(Name withheld by request)
Iqaluit
December
5, 2003
Remembering Ralph Ritcey's compassion and love
Ralph Ritcey played a large role in the establishment of the Churchill Vocational
Centre. He believed that Inuit students from Nunavik and Nunavut should attend
one educational center. I first met Mr. Ritcey in 1965 when he came to visit
"his" students at the Churchill Vocational Centre.
As superintendent of vocational education, Mr. Ritcey encouraged and challenged
Inuit youth to move ahead through education and work. He cared greatly about
the future of Inuit, defended their rights and played a big part in eventually
dismantling colonialism in the Arctic. Mr. Ritcey stood very tall among his
fellow Canadians.
Inuit from my age group and somewhat younger, from Nunavut and Nunavik, identify
Mr. Ritcey as the person who sent them to southern Canada and gave them the
best education they could get. Youth went to Guelph to work at factories, to
Esquimault, and Chilliwack, B.C., to become heavy equipment operators, to Penticton,
B.C. to be a helicopter pilot; to Ottawa for higher education, and to Smith
Falls to be a nursing assistant, to name a few locations and training opportunities.
Ralph Ritcey was responsible for the pioneering government program that brought
young Inuit to the South for immersion in academic studies in public schools.
I have been asked by two of the original three young Inuit in that program,
Peter Ittinuar and Zebedee Nungak, who went to Ottawa in 1962 and 1963 respectively,
to express sincere condolences to Mr. Ritcey's family.
Mr. Ittinuar and Mr. Nungak both feel profound personal grief at this loss.
They say Mr. Ritcey possessed a genuine regard and respect for Inuit as a people,
which was unique among Qallunaat in the civil service at the time. He did everything
in his power, and more, to help all Inuit equip themselves for the great transitions
that took place in the 1960s and 70s all across the Arctic, by making access
to educational opportunity available to Inuit on a wide scale.
Four years ago, Thomas Kudluk and I were proud to nominate Mr. Ritcey as a
Member of the Order of Canada. Mr. Ritcey's achievement was recognized and he
was awarded the medal by the Governor General, Adrienne Clarkson, in June 2001.
On behalf of your former students from Nunavut and Nunavik, and all the people
of Nunavut, Thank you, Mr. Ritcey for your lifelong leadership, your compassion
and love.
Peter Irniq
Commissioner of Nunavut
Editor's note: This is an abridged version of the eulogy that Commissioner
Peter Irniq gave at Ralph Ritcey's funeral in Ottawa on Nov. 28. It has been
edited to fit the available space.
December 5, 2003
Northern MPs oppose
anti-scab law
By a margin of 104 to 86, Parliament recently voted down Bill C-328, legislation
designed to prevent the use of replacement workers during legal strikes.
All three northern Liberal MPs: Larry Bagnell (Yukon), Ethel Blondin-Andrew
(Western Arctic), and Nancy Karetak-Lindell (Nunavut), voted against this proposed
amendment to the Canada Labour Code, which applies to everyone in the three
territories except for federal and territorial public service workers.
Northerners know all too well how destructive the practice of hiring replacement
workers can be. This was the number one reason that the strike-lock-out at Giant
Mine in the early 1990s turned so ugly.
It is therefore utterly irresponsible for them to vote against a bill that
would have helped prevent a similar tragedy from ever occurring again.
In Quebec, such legislation has been in effect since 1986. Since then, in a
province where it used to be the norm, there have been very few violent confrontations
or even protracted strikes. Even a number of PC and Alliance MPs voted in favour
of the legislation.
What does all this say about our three northern MPs? Fortunately, you can be
the judge. A federal election is fast approaching and it will be time for these
three to stand before us, the electorate, and be held to account for the bad
choices they have made.
Jean-François Des Lauriers
Regional Executive Vice President
PSAC North
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