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Your letters for Monday, Jan. 29

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Nevermind political points, do some real good in the world

The news has been filled with Alberta NDP and federal Liberals talking the talk about wealth redistribution via carbon taxes, increasing tax on the rich to help the poor, as well as a focus on world help and greenhouse gases, super-minority rights, etc. But then stories come out like more low-income housing being closed than being opened due lack of maintenance and that Inn from the Cold is severely maxed out with family homelessness.

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When are governments going to get off their pet projects and focus on the corporal works of mercy to help those truly in need? These are: feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; shelter the homeless; visit the sick; visit the prisoners; bury the dead; and give alms to the poor.

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Eric Collins, Calgary

Anti-business Trudeau still not ready to govern

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is recently quoted as saying, “companies avoid taxes and boast record profits with one hand, while slashing benefits with the other.” This will send a chill through the boardrooms in Canada and give great pause to any company thinking of moving to Canada. Not only is his depiction of corporations grossly inaccurate, his comments lean heavily on the side of socialism and would more appropriately be accredited to a Venezuelan president. He confirms by this statement and all of his ethical misjudgments that he may never be ready to run this great country.

Andrew D. Weldon, Calgary

In defence of the Canada Summer Jobs program

Everyone has an opinion about the Canada Summer Jobs program.

There is one thing people seem to forget — finding employment is not easy.

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Most entry-level positions require at least one year of experience. As students head towards graduation with little to no work experience, they worry about how they will start a career in their field of study. 

Thanks to Canada Summer Jobs, funded by Employment and Social Development Canada, thousands of students like me can obtain valuable work experience and contribute to organizations and businesses across a variety of sectors.

Last summer, I was fortunate to be offered a position in the communications department at Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, a non-profit organization that focuses on improving the lives of children and youth. The job was funded through the Canada Summer Jobs initiative.

A non-profit is a unique environment. I worked alongside people with a diversity of career backgrounds and skill sets that have led them to this industry. I also took on many different tasks and gained valuable experience by contributing to the inner workings of the communications and marketing department.

I worked on branding audits of corporate partners, analyzed the marketing efforts of Boys and Girls Clubs across the nation, completed research reports, and wrote content for their national website and social media, among other things.

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This type of hands-on experience has enhanced my past skills, as well as taught me new ones, all with the end goal of making me more employable. 

Thousands of organizations are granted funding each summer through Canada Summer Jobs. Students can look online to see who has obtained funding and apply for multiple positions.

Making money while gaining quality work experience? It’s win-win.

Canadian students should take advantage of the Canada Summer Jobs program to kickstart their careers, build experience, and contribute to their future.

Josh Lopez, Calgary

The remarkable William Wilberforce

Re: Anti-abortionists make their move to gain influence in UCP, Opinion, Jan. 25

Don Braid’s column in The Herald refers to William Wilberforce as “a U.S. anti-slavery campaigner.” In fact, William Wilberforce was a British parliamentarian widely credited as the driving force to end slavery in Britain and its colonies in the 1700s, many decades before it was abolished in the U.S.

Historians agree that Wilberforce was motivated by his deeply held Christian faith that holds all humans as equal in the sight of God.

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This remarkable man sacrificed his health, social position and financial well-being to achieve the legislated end of slavery in the British Empire. A remarkable man.

Len Wolstenholme, Calgary

Cloning of monkeys raises red flags

Re: Cloned monkey, humans next?; First successfully cloned primate opens door to dilemma, Jan. 25

Most advances in science are greeted with acclaim and almost unquestioned support, although a cautious review should be considered.

There are many documented scientific advances that have harmed. Fortunately, the bad is far outweighed by the good.

The cloning of monkeys is concerning and raises many questions. The ethical checks in China are often reported as being less rigorous than in most other scientific communities. The creation of monkeys with genetic changes, apparently mimicking autism, in this case, provides fodder for science fiction films far more scarier than the Planet of the Apes series. Although the journey to human cloning has a long way to go, this is one further step on the path.

Medical research is necessary and if animals must be used then they should be treated as humanely as possible. Science researchers need a code like the Hippocratic oath in that they do no harm.

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Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia

National parks no place for Olympics

Re: Alpine venue hurdle to Olympic bid; IOC officials deem legacy facilities, including Dome, suitable for Games, Jan. 24

Kyle Ripley, head of Calgary’s Olympic Games bid, thinks “Canadians need to consider holding events in Banff National Park.”

Calgarians need to know that Canadians have considered this – multiple times in the past 50 years – and every time they have come to the same conclusion: Olympic events in Canada’s national parks and world heritage sites are not appropriate.

Lake Louise already struggles with managing millions of visitors, commercial development and protection of wildlife. The Olympics would exacerbate these struggles. This is what stopped the Games there in the 1960s and 1980s. In fact, creating Nakiska was the concession for NOT having the Olympics in the national park that allowed Calgary to host the 1988 Games.

We know that existing venues satisfy the needs of the IOC for an Olympic bid, including Nakiska. Let’s learn from the past — we need less, not more. Mr. Ripley, you have your answer.

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Anne-Marie Syslak, executive director, CPAWS Southern Alberta Chapter

South Korea Winter Games will open eyes

Calgary’s city council and the mayor are working under the delusion that they are competent when it comes to exploring the Olympics bid.

I daresay that the majority of Calgarians recognize the economic folly of bidding for another Olympics regardless of what the IOC said when they were here, theoretically on their own dime. I predict that after the taxpayer-funded vacation to the Games in South Korea, all of a sudden reality will set in and the enthusiasm for the bid will wane.

Why are cities all over the world, running, not walking away from the bid process? The answer, because it is an economic nightmare, a nightmare that Calgary cannot afford.

Peter Whitehead, Calgary

Trudeau is not perfect, but there’s more to him than acting

Re: “False story sets stage for Trudeau acting skills,” Chris Nelson, Jan. 22

In this age of instant news and social media, knee-jerk reactions in an attempt to be the first to get the story out appear to be the new norm for everyone. If the child’s story were true, and her story was under-reported, everyone would complain about not getting out in front of the story.

By singling out Trudeau, Chris Nelson’s ad hominem attack is merely projecting his own prejudice. I have my own concerns about Trudeau, but when people automatically attribute his behaviour to narcissistic acting, they render their argument as nothing more than meaningless histrionics. 

Bruce A. McFaul, Calgary

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