Cancellation of play a loss for free speech
Re: “Residential-school play cancelled after complaints playwright is white,” March 8.
A playwright’s free speech has been disallowed because it failed to include the voices of the oppressed (the residential schoolchildren) while delving deeply into the progressive moral failures of a nun-teacher, the core of the play. This play is an entirely legitimate exploration of the term “the banality of evil.” Racism is not part of the script.
The proponents of cancellation have no right to deny the playwright’s right to free speech nor the rights of audiences. The mentality of those protesters is no different than that which drives the insane banning of many innocuous school books in the U.S., or accusations of “cultural appropriation” when an actor or writer portrays a story about an ethnic group that isn’t his/her own; this latter accusation is actually racist itself.
Any author is entitled to express their feelings and opinion in a work of fiction, so long as it is not advocating violence, discrimination or dehumanizing an identifiable group. That’s what the right to freedom of speech is all about. That the theatre board surrendered that right is moral cowardice.
By contrast, a minister had to resign for the offence she caused by disparaging remarks about pre-Israel Palestine. As a decades-long Jewish advocate for Palestinian human rights, I did not regard her comment as truly racist. It may have had a kernel of truth, but it was not a hanging offence.
It was an example of free speech, but it was a stupid comment. It displayed insensitivity. We should expect our elected public officials to be extremely cautious when making speeches, especially on something as exquisitely raw as the Israel-Palestinian conflict. If her forced resignation was for being too dumb to continue as a minister, then that is understandable.
It is interesting that she has become very sensitive about putative anti-semitism by her colleagues. It is possible that she is exhibiting the same kind of oversensitivity that her accusers exhibited. The most extreme version of this type of overreaction is the accusation of anti-semitism when a B.C. public figure recently publicly advocated for a Gaza ceasefire.
Attacks on free speech can be the start of a slippery slope spawning censorship. We should not be complacent when it erupts.
Adrian Fine, MD, FRCP
Victoria
Theatre swims in the sea of controversy
“Extensive discussion” by the Fernwood Community Association’s board led to the cancellation of this production. I would guess that a good chunk of that talk centred around safety, a reasonable concern. But there are other priorities to consider, such as “what is the theatre’s artistic mandate?” — to entertain, to celebrate surely, but also to provoke, to inform, and to inspire debate and reflection.
Controversy is the sea the theatre swims in. Sometimes it gets windy and stormy. Caving into forces that would limit that mandate, for no other reason than it steps on tender toes, sends a chill through us all.
Theatre Inconnu is a valuable asset to Victoria. Its history is long, varied and colourful. Clayton Jevne’s slate of productions over the years have reflected his savvy and his curiosity. It is a shame indeed to limit his and Inconnu’s efforts.
It often takes guts to forge ahead. I think the Fernwood Community Association board behaved timidly and owes an apology to Inconnu. If the board is concerned about safety, they should hire some security.
Scott Hylands, actor
Victoria
Protect us from self鈥慳ppointed guardians
The people whose complaints led to the cancellation of the play at Theatre Inconnu are no doubt (correctly) appalled by the actions of those in many U.S. communities who are banning books from libraries because they (incorrectly) believe they are protecting others from evil.
In fact, we all really need protection from anyone whose absolute convictions are accompanied by the self-appointed right to decide what reasonable artistic expressions others can or cannot access.
Clive Jones
Victoria
Freedom of artistic expression under attack
At a time of mounting intolerance, artistic expression through the medium of live theatre has witnessed increasingly brazen attacks. In January, the Belfry Theatre was forced to cancel upcoming performances of The Runner. Now in March, the cancellation of Theatre Inconnu’s final performances of Sisters was abruptly imposed by outside forces.
It would appear that persons with the mentality of mob rule have succeeded in blowing out the flame of artistic enlightenment. What’s so disturbing is the underlying gall of people who have neither actually viewed the play nor read the script prior to adamantly making judgment on the dangers of allowing the public to form its own opinion.
Full and uncensored expression in the arts is paramount for a free society. There would appear to be those in the community who think limiting exposure to artistic expression is the easiest way to impose their sole view of the world on everybody else.
Should this continue to emerge as a dangerous trend, it will be virtually impossible to stop. We’ve witnessed this before throughout history, and it has never ended well.
Farley Cates
Colwood
Protesting is not shameful
Re: “When protests step on others’ toes,” letter, March 8.
It’s sad to see that people think protesting is “shameful” or “disgraceful.” Was Gandhi shameful when he protested for a free India? Was Martin Luther King Jr. disgraceful when he marched on Washington? Was Viola Desmond wrong for refusing to follow racist segregation?
When the world and our leaders won’t do the right thing, protesting is one of the few things the everyday person can do. The world is turning its back on Palestine. Our leaders watch innocent starving people be shot at when they try to get food and aid.
And what do they do? Nothing. Some even continue to support the colonial and genocidal Israel by sending money and weapons.
How is that not disgraceful? How is that not shameful to Canada? People get angry at blocked streets, but not at murder and war. It should be the other way around.
Char Johnston-Carter
Victoria
Cult not representative of Doukhobor people
I’m writing in the hope of forestalling an unfortunate misperception that might well arise from correspondent Ian Cameron’s excellent letter concerning Premier David Eby’s apology to the Doukhobor people (March 2).
The Times 91原创 headlined Cameron’s letter with “Doukhobors trained young terrorists.”
The truth of the matter is that only an infinitesimal minority of them did so, to wit, the notorious Sons of Freedom cult. Every population of any size is inevitably burdened with its share of misanthropes, cranks and nut cases.
The overwhelming majority of this ethnic group was, and remains, composed of decent, law-abiding, hard-working and family-focused people.
A few days spent in the Kootenay region will make this fact abundantly clear.
As Cameron points out, the Sons of Freedom were responsible for countless criminal (in fact terrorist) acts. Actually, the houses they so frequently burned down were usually their own, in accordance with their anti-materialist belief system.
Their children were, of course, indoctrinated with the mindset of their parents, who refused to send them to school, rejected cautious and prudent medical intervention for them when they were ill or injured, and forced them to participate in their many public demonstrations.
The government of the day acted completely appropriately when it apprehended these abused children, and indeed would have been at fault for not having done so.
Their parents were clearly failing to provide them with the necessities of life.
It is obvious to me that the subsequent lives of these cult survivors have been far more healthy, tranquil and successful than would have been the case had they remained in their parents’ custody.
Again, it is so important to get our words right; the headline above Cameron’s letter should have read “Sons of Freedom trained young terrorists.”
John C. Simpson
Victoria
Many rules exist for good reason
Re: “It’s beyond dispute — vaccines protect us,” editorial, March 8.
I commend your excellent editorial in support of vaccinations.
My grandson was born in Korea to parents who decided vaccinations were unnecessary. All was OK until he wanted to attend school some years later. He couldn’t attend unless he was vaccinated. A few weeks later, he was in school with numerous tiny holes in his arms.
We live in a society that includes conventions and rules.
Conventions such as “ladies first,” bringing a gift to a host and apologizing when bumping into someone don’t have to be adhered to — though not doing so may send out signals to others.
Rules such as stopping at a red light, not smoking on a plane and paying your taxes have all been established for good reasons that affect all society. Failure to adhere to them will produce consequences.
If those refusing vaccinations were to face meaningful medical or educational consequences, the compliance rate might be a tad higher.
Chris Harker
North Saanich
Paying the bill for others’ mistakes
As a fourth-generation 91原创, I resent having to apologize and compensate for something that happened 70 years ago. Children were taken away from their homes to protect them from harm, both physical and mental. What is evil about giving children the right to an education? An apology and cash for breaking the law, now that is criminal.
The cash given away comes from the taxes all 91原创s pay. Some of these groups never paid taxes, but now their children receive cash because “we 91原创s” provided an education for them. Without an education they probably would still be living in poverty. These children, 70 years ago, didn’t stand a chance of a better life without the help of taxpaying 91原创s.
Instead of having to apologize and having to give thanks for being on land that our ancestors toiled to clear and improve, let’s bury the hatchet and live together as one country. No apology or cash needed.
Gloria Nourse
Campbell River
Canada continues to fail Ukraine
Defence Minister Bill Blair has announced another “commitment” to procure roughly $100 million worth of 91原创-built surveillance drones for the Ukrainian army to be delivered “as early as this spring.”
This funding announcement is nothing but a re-announcement of a months-old “commitment” from Canada of about $500 million, but that is lost in the verbiage.
And it joins other recent “commitments” of funding for inflatable assault boats and anti-aircraft missile systems. Yet little or nothing of these “commitments” has actually reached the front in Ukraine.
They still live in the political fantasyland of the minister’s mind and in that of his spin doctors.
Having seen the growing Russian successes on the battlefield in Ukraine, and having heard the pleas of the Ukrainians for more artillery ammunition and air defence assets, why is it so difficult for Blair to understand that his “commitments” are just so much hot air?
The Ukrainians need the means to kill Russians in large numbers with things that tend to go bang! And they need those weapons now.
If Canada has any inventories of artillery ammunition in stock, now is the time to send it forward to Ukraine as Denmark has recently done.
If Canada does not have such ammunition inventories, then we had best spool up our manufacturing base to produce same — and fast.
We are sleep-walking toward an international military disaster not unlike the lead-up to the last world war and, if our government does not hoist that in pretty soon, a lot of young 91原创s are eventually going to pay with their lives for what is nothing less than criminal government incompetence.
Randy Morriss
Sooke
Scooter riders thought they were blending in
Re: “Victoria will allow e-kick scooters in bike lanes, low-speed roads,” March 8.
I find it hilarious that the City of Victoria has finally made electric kick scooters officially legal. Who knew we were surrounded by criminals commuting to work?
I think the people who have been riding them for the past few years never gave legality a second thought, and it just seemed like a no-brainer to blend in by using the bike lanes.
As far as the helmet law goes, all one has to do is look at the number of cyclists who opt out of wearing a helmet and I’m sure the same percentage of scooter riders, for better or worse, will do the same. The helmet law is loosely enforced at best.
C. Scott Stofer
Victoria
Where’s the blame in Vivid fiasco?
Re: “Vivid housing lawsuits embarrass NDP,” column, March 7.
It’s surprising the number of people who thought they had the freedom to game the system and buy a subsidized condo at Vivid on Yates Street. They deprived people with fewer assets or less income of a home and thought they could profit off the backs of taxpayers.
Maybe their freedom should be curtailed as an example by a custodial sentence rather than a fine, which no doubt most of them can pay.
There were serious amounts of money involved, even if some returned the properties as requested.
It’s also surprising that the real-estate agent can claim they didn’t understand the contract they were signing when they bought one of these subsidized units. Or that the developer is taking the three-wise-monkeys approach of seeing no evil when in fact they were a well-known and experienced firm.
Les Leyne isn’t helping the situation by the making Premier David Eby appear the guilty party rather than the victim in in his column on Thursday.
Ray Hunt
North Saanich
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