Proportional ballot idea is naïve

Dear Editor:

I feel obliged to respond to the letter by Andrew Tomsen that appeared in the August issue of the Kamloops Chronicle.  He implies that democracy would be better if we used a proportional ballot for provincial and federal elections.  He suggests that this process would ensure that each (political) party would be awarded the number of seats based on the popular vote. 

In my opinion, this approach is totally naïve and totally undemocratic for the following reasons.  I foresee that political hacks within each Party would be given the seats awarded to the Party.  With such a system, how do we as voters ensure that the issues in our local riding would be adequately represented by these Party appointees?

Mr. Tomsen’s suggestion is not unlike the present attempt of the Republicans in Texas to re-assign the electoral boundaries to increase their majority in the State House of Representatives, i.e. gerrymandering. 

Our current system is democratic.  The candidate who the voters believe will best represent their interest and voice is elected.  Voters are able to meet with the elected representative face to face and present issues of importance to them.  The elected representative then has an obligation to take those issues to the governing body and have them assessed in terms of the overall best interest of the province or of Canada.  This process gives each of us a voice in our governments.  The process suggested by Mr. Tomsen does not provide the same guarantee.  

— Allister Brown
Kamloops, BC

Editor’s take on A.I was all wrong

Dear Editor:

After reading Todd Sullivan “Get your artificial intelligence out of my news;” I spent the last 2 weeks dumbfounded to respond.

The miscued article reminded me of the movie “Gone with the Wind”, and than Bob Dylan sang the answer is, “Blowing in the wind.” How many times is a man found to be wrong? The answer my friend is “Blowing in the wind.”

— Gerald Antoniak
Kamloops, BC

Is this what young people deserve? Reflections on World Youth Day

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 ten 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 World Youth Day, I celebrated the bravery of the seven young Ontarians in Mathur v. Ontario for taking their government to court over climate harms..

— Hank and Eileen Hackett
Kamloops, BC

Advocate for your health

 With the anniversary of my mom’s passing approaching, I felt the need to write something.

My mom is Linda Wall, local author, poet, editor and social activist. She passed on September 22, 2024 at sunset.

Mom had suffered with fibromyalgia for at least 3 decades. She also had type 2 diabetes.

Fibromyalgia is a painful condition. I watched mom have good days and downright horrible days. Despite her pain, she loved walking on River’s Trail, especially at sunset. Up until four years before her passing, she would walk 3–5 km every few days to enjoy sunsets. I became concerned when she was unable to enjoy her walks. I tried to get mom to see her doctor regarding her decreased mobility, but she resisted, here is the point of my writing.

When mom would visit her doctor, yes, she was “lucky” to have a family doctor. All the doctor focused on was mom’s diabetes and made mom feel bad about herself. There was no time to discuss mom’s concerns.

Early in 2023 mom started talking about MAiD (medical assistance in dying) knowing she was serious (sort of), I took a vacation with mom. On that trip, spending 24 hours a day with her, I got it! I saw and heard the pain she was in.

After our vacation I went with mom to a few doctor’s appointments, and as her health advocate, pushed for tests to try and determine what was causing mom’s excruciating pain and decreased mobility. X-rays were ordered and didn’t show anything. Her pain got chalked up to, “It’s just fibro.” Mom had tried various medications for fibromyalgia that people she knew had tried. Their pain was lowered and their quality of life had improved. Mom wasn’t experiencing the same results.

When mom finally received the medical attention she needed, it was too late, July 22, 2024 we got the diagnosis of cancer in 3 locations, lungs, lymph-nodes and spine.

I try to not focus on the “What if’s”, but some days they wash over me.

What I hope people take away from this is, pay attention to family member’s changing health and patterns. Please advocate for your loved ones.

— Carrie Klyne
Kamloops, BC