Letter to the Editor, Toronto Star:

Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney is right in his assertion that the Holocaust began with words. However, it began with the Nazi government’s words, with a propaganda campaign of lies about “the threat from within” to the German nation from Jews and other minorities.

Once it had unleashed a torrent of words to divide a fearful nation, it passed legislation that day by day stripped German citizens of ba...sic freedoms, including the right to free speech and equal protection under the law.

When our government resorts to this kind of false analogy in order to promote its proposed security legislation, we have reason to question not only the legislation itself, but also the very assumptions on which these proposals are based.

Let no Canadian be misled by the old bromide: “It can’t happen here.”
Rabbi Arthur Bielfeld, Toronto

_____________________________________________________________

Letter to the Editor, Toronto Star:

 Tory rhetoric defies belief, Editorial March 12

As a Canadian-born Jew I am offended at Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney’s use of the Holocaust to justify his government’s draconian and vicious terror legislation, Bill C-51.
...

The roots of the Holocaust are to be found in the German government’s manipulation of hatred and fear of an ethic and religious minority that was seen by the government as a threat to the nation’s economic well-being and to the cultural and ethical values of the German people.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government are using words not only in the media, but in the very laws of Canada — to attack members of a religious minority.

The government’s rhetoric for writing and then defending Bill C-51 by its constant referral to jihadists and now to the Holocaust reeks of the crematoriums and echoes of jackboots smashing a human face.

Howard Tessler, Toronto

___________________________________________________________________

Letter to the Editor, Toronto Star:

 Friendly fire death won’t hurt ties with Kurds, general says, March 10

Once again a Canadian soldier has been killed, this time in Iraq.

 Prime Minister Stephen Harper has blood on his hands again as he plays world savior against terrorism and blesses mission creep....

 He, along with his minister of defence, should resign
.
Gen. Thomas Lawson, chief of the defence staff (CDS) of the Canadian Armed Forces, should stand up and state that the Canadian military doesn’t belong in Iraq.

 Glen N. Tolhurst, Guelph

____________________________________________________________

Letter to the Editor, Toronto Star:

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to mislead is to lead in the wrong direction, often by deliberate deceit. Similarly to lie is to create a false or misleading impression.

Why are the media tippy toeing around this point. I’ll make it easy. Our prime minister lied to us and he deceived Parliament. And this isn’t the first time....

 To put it in the kindest words possible, let’s just say Harper and the truth are strangers.

 And for his government to suggest that Sgt. Andrew Joseph Doiron was not in a combat mission when he was killed is so obscene.

 Our deepest respect, prayers and sympathy go out to his family.

 Frank Feeley, Fonthill