Actions vs. words
Dear Editor:
Five months ago, when Mark Carney was on a mission to woo Canadians in his bid to lead both party and country, he wrote, “Young people deserve more from their government. They deserve to have optimism and confidence in their future. That’s the Canada I want to build.”
Fifty-eight days after being elected and nearly 10 years after his landmark “tragedy of the horizon” speech about acting with foresight to prevent climate harms, Carney’s government rammed through Bill C-5 – legislation that gives cabinet sweeping powers to bypass environmental reviews and protections.
As the second-worst wildfire season in Canadian history forces evacuations from coast to coast to coast and leaders muse about taxpayer-funded fossil fuel expansion, I have to ask: is this the “more” that young people deserve?
Or are we seeing the continued sidelining of young peoples’ rights to a climate-safe future, leaving them with no choice but to litigate?
On International Youth Day (Aug. 12), I celebrated the bravery of the seven young Ontarians in Mathur vs. Ontario for taking their government to court over climate harms.
For them, and for me, actions speak louder than words.
Chris St Peters,
Guelph
‘Act accordingly’
Dear Editor:
Re: “Fergus youth face racism”
I am proud to have called Fergus home for 20 years. I experience our community as warm, welcoming and caring.
Unfortunately, as reported in the article on racism felt by youth in public places and online, not everyone has the same experience.
Often acts of racism (or attacks on other vulnerable groups) are seen as happening somewhere else or as isolated experiences and “not who we are.”
For children and their parents who experience racism it is anything but isolated. Once targeted, people often face repeated slurs, taunts and other abuses, or live in fear of the next insult.
If we think our community is “better than this,” we can act accordingly.
If people are being abused, we can actively support them in real time and tell the perpetrator this is not alright.
When racist comments are made in general conversation, we can say where we stand; we can insist that schools and other institutions dealing with youth do more to educate students and provide a safe environment, including acting against repeat offenders; we can support local groups within these vulnerable communities who are working to address these issues and to celebrate diversity; as parents we can discuss this issue with our children and help them deal with instances of racism toward others.
Beyond dealing with instances of racism and exclusion, we can provide opportunities to foster diversity and welcome marginalized groups into our community.
A diverse and inclusive community doesn’t just happen. It is a reflection of all of our efforts to ensure that it is.
Harvey Thomson
Fergus