The Martlet

Protest politely, please

Last May the ship Mavi Marmara (carrying aid to the citizens of Gaza) was attacked by the Israeli navy in international waters, resulting in deaths and serious injuries. On March 29, Kevin Neish, who was aboard the Mavi Marmara, presented live video footage taken during the attack. 

After the film, what had been intended as a question and answer period was dominated by a vociferous group of people who appeared to be unwilling to accept the fact that that the attack had actually taken place. They were extremely aggressive verbally and challenged all attempts by the moderator (a UVic professor) to maintain order. This group distributed flyers to all who entered, and I noted that they were stamped with the words “Israel On Campus at UVic.”

I was appalled to observe such behaviour on a university campus.

S. Scott
Community member

Questioning Libya’s prioritization

Re: “Libya and the UN,” March 31

Thank you, Stuart Armstrong, for making some sense of Libya. I do have two big questions.

What is our obligation to do anything? The world is full of tyrants in places such as North Korea and Iran who provide nuclear weapons to other tyrannies. Tyrants hurt civilians all the time, such as persons bringing food into North Korea and demonstrators in Iran. War hurts people: that’s why it should be prevented by early action against despotic regimes and groups.

Why was Libya given priority over other bad cases? Why is the UN supporting “rebels” whose questionable approach to life includes ties to the nihilistic organization al-Qaeda?

How can a society like Libya’s be turned into a democracy that supports human life? We see in Afghanistan and Iraq the pitfalls of compromised constitutions — which facilitate tyranny of the majority — and failure to fully defeat the enemy. It is not easy, but history shows it can be done.

The approach of strict separation of religion and state should be utilized when trying to replace totalitarian regimes with ones that foster the best in humans.

Keith Sketchley
Community member    Why can’t we be “Friends”?

UVic is part of the Oak Bay community. As a result, thousands of students scramble to find affordable, adequate and convenient housing every year in this area.

I almost cried bountiful tears of magical Harry Potter anger after receiving a newspaper from my dear fellow community members, “Friends of Oak Bay Neighbourhoods.” On their website, fobn.org, the organization claims that the “quiet, low-density single-family setting” must be preserved and that secondary suites should not be legalized in Oak Bay. The implication is that students would destroy the community’s identity. One member claims Oak Bay would be known as “Vic East” if secondary suites were legalized.

Issues of taxation and disturbances may all be very real for the Friends of Oak Bay Neighbourhoods. But it is not the 1800s any longer. It’s the 2000s, people. The world’s population is exploding and a massive housing shortage exists in Victoria.

I suggest that the “Friends of Oak Bay” include all of Oak Bay. We need work together to solve these issues. Students happen to be real people, too, and we’re as pissed off at some of the issues Oak Bay faces as the “Friends” are.

Students and suites are not going anywhere anytime soon. If the “Friends” cannot learn to work with the people they are trying to kick out, guess what? The “Friends” will find that moving away is their only solution.

Mike Dean
UVic student