The Ottawa Citizen from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada • 13

TUESDAY. MARCH 31, 2009 A13 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN MM IJL GANSEC show has economic benefits it if take place at Lansdowne if the event or industry is illegal. We need to strengthen legitimate local businesses that provide paycheques to our residents, and strengthen our communities, not work against them. D.J. BIRCHMORE, Ottawa Reasons unconvincing The reasons for allowing the city to host the CANSEC 2009 arms show in May at Lansdowne Park appear at best unconvincing, at worst just legal technicalities.

My opposition to CANSEC in no way diminishes the concern I have for the Canadian men and women who are currently engaged in warfare. However, in modern warfare, approximately 80 per cent of those killed and maimed are innocent civilians, including children. Ought not the lives of these unnamed little ones be of concern to us, too? When Tim Page, president of the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, blithely talks about the "pointy end" of technology featured at CANSEC, he dishonors the memory of all who have been maimed and killed by the lethal weapons sold at these arms shows. According to the International Institute of Strategic Studies, there are more than 500 million small arms and light weapons in our world. These weapons, including those from exhibitors at CANSEC, now fuel the violent conflicts in many places like Darfur, Haiti, Colombia, Afghanistan, and many other countries with dismal human rights records.

Can the city in good conscience support the sale of even more weapons? REV. KAREN NIVEN-WIGSTON Ottawa, Coalition to Oppose the Arms Trade Re: Military trade show draws fire, March 29. As a city resident and general manager of an Ottawa business that services trade shows at Lansdowne Park, I was disappointed (if not to see Councillor Alex Cullen's stand on CANSEC. I want to explain that this private industry association event: had to move to Lansdowne Park as a result of the Ottawa Congress Centre's closure. creates significant revenues for the city and business alike (taxes, hotel rooms, restaurant bills, etc.) employs thousands of local residents in both the trade show industry, and numerous other support services (outside the 10,000 reported directly employed in the local defence industry).

I had previously written to all council members outlining the importance of Lansdowne Park to the trade show industry. Any loss of CANSEC would be equally enormous to Ottawa I expect all councillors to look at the big picture, the reality of the defence industry and competitiveness of the world today, and provide support to Ottawa's businesses and residents who count on the trade show industry, as well as industries like CANSEC for their very livelihood. Tm certain other municipalities would be happy to engage CANSEC in discussions to relocate their event, and reap the benefits at Ottawa's expense. Special interest groups should not be driving this agenda and placing a viable, real world, private industry event at risk. Ethics should only enter the city's decisionmaking process on which events should and should not BRUNO SCHLUMBERGER, THE OTTAWA CITIZEN Canada geese at Andrew Haydon Park are an attraction for people who use the public land, writes Leah J.

Travis. Dog poop and litter in our parks make more mess than geese It is wall-to-wall dog along the Ottawa River. Many dog owners are responsible and actually do "stoop and scoop." Thank you. Enough of the pet owners do not that it is a challenge to walk between Andrew Hay-den and Britannia and not come home with gobs of the stuff on your shoes. The litter is vast: in the river, on the roads, along the walkways and in Andrew Haydon park.

The pollution of the city parks and the river, caused by us humans, far exceeds that of geese returning to what was once their natural habitat. Let's admire our geese, not shoot them We need to pay more attention to our own human problems of polluting our environment. LEAH J. TRAVIS, Ottawa who want to allow dogs on leash back into this lovely park. However, Citizen blog writer Elizabeth Payne thinks maybe the city should even let dogs off leash in the park.

Does anyone really believe that the goose droppings in the park would be less offensive than the dog droppings that would take their place? Our family lives beside the Ottawa River, along the walkway between Andrew Haydon and Britannia Beach. Three things characterize this time of year: the magnificent beauty of the flocks of geese that come to the river during their migrations and to nest, as they have done for centuries; the aroma of piles of dog poop revealed as the snow melts; and the prodigious quantities of litter. Re: Cooked goose, March 28. Here we go again. The spring season is upon us, and people want to shoot Canada geese.

Some even want to feed them to the poor, like Senator Nancy Ruth. Ruth gets "swimmer's itch" when she dips into the waters by her summer home. She thinks her personal discomfort would justify the killing of these magnificent birds. Feed them to the poor, she cries! I find the arrogance of this suggestion breathtaking. I wonden would Senator Ruth care to feed her own family on culled Canada geese? May I suggest Senator Ruth sell her summer home and donate the proceeds to the poor? Another brilliant idea comes from Bay Ward Councillor Alex Cullen What about 'faultless and virtuous' Canadians? Re: Talking aboot our American cousins, March 27.

Perhaps we should look at ourselves when referring to "our superpowerful American cousins" as columnist Janice Kennedy does. J. Bartlett Brebner (1895-1957), professor of history, Columbia University and author of North Atlantic Triangle, the Interplay of Canada, the United States and Great Britain (1945) observed: "Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, while Canadians are malevolently well-informed about the United States." Indeed, "talking aboot our American cousins" has been a hallmark of our elusive national identity and culture. Self-consciously fretting about our fragile sense of "Canadian-ness," petulant anti-American sentiments of raising ourselves up by belittling and maligning the folks below the border sadly continue to masquerade as pro-Canadian expressions of national sovereignty and morally superior values. It's been said that, without anti-Americanism, Canada would cease to exist.

Canadian nationalists always pride themselves on their politically-correct tolerance and commitment to "multiculturalism," while engaging in vitriolic anti-Americanism. Apparently in Canada, it has always been legitimate to be a bigot, as long as it involves hating Americans. Indeed, in officially multicultural Canada, hostility toward Americans remains as the last socially acceptable expression of bigotry and xenophobia. It would be unimaginable to say the things about any other nationality that Canadians routinely say both publicly and privately about Americans and America. That said, what a blessing we have a neighbour with so many faults.

How otherwise would we and the world know how truly faultless and virtuous we are? E.W. BOPP, Tsawwassen, B.C. on the section's mast to point to her story on the second sports page. This medal win at the world figure skating championships was the first medal for women's skating in Canada since Elizabeth Manley won silver in 1988 in Calgary. NANCY BARRY, Ottawa A special silver win for this skater question is not just, "What happens?" but "To whom does it happen? How does it happen?" "Why does it happen?" Some films, such as Memento, even tell a story backward, so that we already know how it ends.

Others, in O. Henry fashion, do not even provide a finale. Enjoying a satisfying conclusion is only part of the cinematic experience. To quote an old saying, getting there is half the fun. A new woman's voice Re: The abortion trap, March 28.

Yes, columnist Leonard Stern, abortion is a trap for women and for unborn children, too. I was trapped into believing the lies that abortion was a quick fix and just a "clump of tissue." I was trapped by my parents and boyfriend to abort. There is a new and growing voice on this issue and it is women like me who deeply regret their abortions, have great sorrow and have been damaged physically, emotionally and spiritually. We are pro-woman and pro-life and know that aborting your baby should be unthinkable! We urge politicians and doctors to stop abortion as a form of birth control. It is really child sacrifice; and not a medical necessity.

Many studies confirm that abortion causes depression, substance abuse, suicides, pre-term births in subsequent pregnancies, miscarriages, infertility and breast and cervical cancers. We were not informed about fetal development and did not know our babies had a beating heart by three weeks and arms, legs, fingers and toes by eight weeks. Abortion is a wrong, and not aright. The choice must be made on who, when, where and why to have sex with someone pregnancy is a natural outcome of that intimacy. Childbirth is the healthy and natural choice.

DENISE MOUNTENAY, Morinville, Alberta pecially those of us who operate in the ByWard Market) because of our real loss of sales due to the bus strike by extending our due date they sure did, a whole two weeks! They also raised our taxes by the looks of my first instalment up $1,000 this year. Nice easing of my burden. Thanks, City of Ottawa, for supporting Ottawa entrepreneurs, and the arts in my case, who are trying to make this city a little more unique and fun. Thank god for my loyal customers who have supported me. They get it.

PATRICIA PENZIN-CARISSE, Carisse Studio Cafe, Ottawa Worth knowing Re: When Knowing is dangerous, March 27. To reveal the denouement of a film, especially a surprise ending or twist, is a boorish breach of etiquette. To refuse to see a movie due to such a revelation shows a stunning lack of film literacy. But when a director like Alex Proyas whose movie Knowing is currently playing decries spoilers as an outright threat to the industry, that is indeed a sad commentary on the state of cinema and storytelling in the 21st century. If knowing the ending makes us avoid a film, then why would we see biopics or historical dramas? Why do we collect DVDs and build a home video library? Why would we see a film after its first run, or why do theatres replay well-known movie classics? How often do we tell the same joke over and over, and still find it funny and fresh? Surely not for the punchline alone.

How often do we read time-worn faiiy talcs to children, who want to hear them again and again? Why should the same not hold true for film and other visual media? As any high school student of English literature could tell you, plot is merely one element of storytelling. There are many others to consider: character, setting, mood, theme, symbolism, and so on. How the story ends is not the only thing that matters. The planned for 2010 by the provincial Liberals. Unfortunately, I don't see the outrage about the harmonized tax from Ontario taxpayers.

We should be rioting in the streets. This move will force many out of their homes and push many more to the brink. Frankly, I am afraid to do the math. Did Dalton McGuinty not promise not to raise taxes and not to run a deficit? Wake up citizens before it is too late, or is it already? ELIZABETH INNES, Oxford Mills No more Quebecers Re: Quebecers put strain on area hospitals, March 26. It enrages me that so many patients from Quebec are coming to Ontario for treatment No wonder our waiting lists are so long.

Citizens who live in Ontario and pay taxes here should be getting first priority unless it is an absolute emergency. If Gatineau doesn't have the doctors or specialists it needs then that is not Ontario's problem. With what Quebec gets in transfer payments every year from the rest of Canada, there is no excuse for this provincial government to not have a health care system to serve its own residents. I'm paying through the nose with my taxes and the health care premium I pay that I had better be able to get the care I pay for when I need it. Sorry, Quebecers, but you can go to the back of the line or stay in Quebec and wait.

SANDY JOHNSTON, Greely Gave us no break Re: Strapped taxpayers to get some time to pay, March 28. Please don't characterize the City of Ottawa as helping out taxpayers after what many of us have gone through since December 2008. 1 am a home owner and small business owner who pays my taxes on time even when my customers can't. When the city said they were going to give us small business owners a break (es Some of us suffer 'poor me syndrome' Re: 'He asked nothing in March 28. Rick Beaupre had to contend with diabetes.

Then he had to deal with blindness caused by his diabetes. Then he had to deal with kidney problems which necessitated dialysis. He never had time to feel sorry for himself. He reached out to others and gave freely of his talents and his money. He asked for nothing in return.

If only other folks in this world followed the same example. Canadians are blessed. Certainly, we have some problems, but what country doesn't? Canadians have become prone to what I call the "poor me syndrome." It affects all of us at one time or another, to varying degrees. We indulge ourselves freely in self pity and in lamenting our lot in life. Mr.

Beaupre had developed total immunity to this nefarious malady. In that he was blessed. As Keith Noble said: "He'll be sadly missed here in Ottawa." I think that there's likely another carpenter's son on high who will be greeting him with open arms and welcoming him home. Godspeed. LLOYD Less than impressed Re: The trashing of a crown jewel, March 28.

The article on the demise of the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography did not say how many visitors it received per day when it was open. I have seen many museums in other countries (France is full of them) and many have few or no visitors. The several times I visited the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, there were very few visitors, and I was less than impressed with the exhibits. "Crown jewel" my eye, I say! GORDON A. PARKS, Ottawa No taxpayers' outrage I hope that home owners in Ontario would be up in arms over the historic tax grab Re: Rochette realizes dream, March 29.

Regardless that Ottawa is a hockey town, I was very dis-arjDointed to see that the sto ry on Joannie Rochette's sil ver medal win was not on tne front Daee of the Citizen nor on the front page of the sports section. Her photograpn was WRITE TO US lettersthecitizen.canwest.com We welcome Letters to the Editor, which must be exclusive to The Ottawa Citizen. For purposes of verification, please include your home address and home and business telephone numbers. Due to space limitations, letters of 300 words or less are preferred. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject submissions.

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