Your letters for Thursday, Nov. 24

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No guarantee child homicides can be prevented

Re: “Her name was Serenity. Her brief life was anything but,” Paula Simons, Opinion, Nov. 19, and “Young victim Serenity died in misery, and yet nobody is to take the blame?” Don Braid, Opinion, Nov. 22.

Paula Simons’ coverage of the death of four-year-old First Nations child Serenity is vitally important. Don Braid’s opinion piece makes note of political promises that this will never happen again and that such promises have been made in the past.

We all hope that, but those promises cannot be fulfilled. Firstly, it is caregivers who commit child homicide. Social workers cannot continuously monitor parents and others who look after children. Secondly, the ability to predict with accuracy who will and will not kill a child is quite poor. The science is just not there.

The vast majority of those with risk factors do not kill or maim their children. Thirdly, the core issue of serving aboriginal families properly requires that the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission be implemented. It also means that the order from the Canadian Human Rights Commission to properly address child protection services in indigenous communities also be fully implemented.

These are sad cases. Properly funded and resourced child protection systems across Canada reduce risks, but we will never eliminate child homicide any more than we can eliminate risks of other tragic crimes.    

Peter W. Choate, Calgary

Peter W. Choate is a clinical social worker and assistant professor at Mount Royal University.

Stop whining about school fees

Re: “CBE should dump fees,” Editorial, Nov. 22.

Given that in Canada with the new child benefit and a variety of other family benefits, that most parents now pay none or very little of the financial costs of having children, while their luckless, childless neighbours and older, less whiny generations of parents are forced to instead, perhaps we can be relieved of seeing these types of stories.

These types of pleas deserve to fall on deaf ears, and if anything, school fees should be still higher.

Kerry Kaminski, Calgary

Ban sports and save the world

Re: “Skier’s concern is misplaced,” Letter, Nov 21.

Brian Findlay is correct, downhill skier Erik Guay’s carbon footprint is huge compared to the average person’s.

Now multiply Guay’s footprint by the millions of professional, semi-pro, collage, high school and amateur athletes travelling between practices, games, gyms, arenas, stadiums, green spaces and specialized sporting facilities, the carbon cost of building and maintaining facilities and the manufacturing  of equipment. Now add on to this the billions of spectators who travel to sporting events; the combined carbon footprint is astronomical.

So for the future of the planet and daughters everywhere, sports should be eliminated and we can all go about our lives without the threat of climate change hanging around our necks.

Another added bonus: no need for carbon taxes, cap and trade or opposition to the oilsands or pipelines, as the carbon problem will have been solved for the immediate future, giving us time to come up with a real solution.

 Robert Clark, Calgary

So much for Canadian values

Re: “Jansen may have made wise choice,” Letter, Nov. 23.

Sandra Jansen’s hate mail reminds me of the response I received when I was promoted to a middle management position in a male-dominated oil company in Britain 35 years ago.  

Jealousy may have been the motivation, plus the misconception that a female wouldn’t survive in the then-business environment. I chose to do it my way, and ethically. Support from outside the company, especially the media, was encouraging.

One attraction for my immigration to Canada was the anticipated “Canadian values.”

I wonder how many of these hostile MLAs would even pass the suggested test immigrants may face on accepting Canadian values?

 K. Ann Hambridge, Calgary