Letters to the editor, February 13, 2020

Child soldiers

The article written by Matt Stickland covered a lot of very important points regarding Omar Khadr ("If Omar Khadr is a terrorist, then so am I," Cover story by Matthew Stickland, February 6, 2020). I think it was very well done.

That being said, I think it fitting that Dennis Edney, Omar Khadr's lawyer, be recognized for his commitment to Khadr and for his commitment to justice. Edney experienced both financial loss and intense criticism as he defended Omar Khadr. A lesser soul would have buckled under the pressure. Dennis Edney did not, and both the public in general, as well as those concerned with true societal justice, should be grateful. Thank you to The Coast for being reasonable and measured regarding Omar Khadr.
—Clair Dillon via email

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I'd like help grasping how a 10-year "vet" (as he's referred to in the article) knows anything about modern warfare, from the one deployment he did, where he experienced no combat... —@drastic55 on Instagram

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I served 14 years—first in the army and then the navy. I'm sure Stickland's opinion would be different, and more valid, had he been an Afghan war vet.
—@lyn_Saeo

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Parkade fire

The proposed multi-level parkade beside the Museum of Natural History could not be more inappropriate. Fifty years ago such a choice may have been forgiven due to ignorance. Now that we know that building for cars has consequences as important as the end of life on Earth, then a parkade becomes a deliberate unforgivable act. Transportation contributes 30 percent to our global warming greenhouse gases. Sustainable urban planning is easy in this case. We invest in walking, protected bike lanes and stand-alone transit in the form of bus-only lanes. Halifax, to its credit, is already progressing on all three of these choices under the Integrated Mobility Plan.

In fact, there will soon be a bus-only lane that passes right by the front door of the hospital on Robie Street. The rapid growth of Halifax brings with it continuous traffic congestion which will make any alternative to driving a car a faster and more convenient way of getting around the city. Let us continue with the transition to sustainable travel modes and away from the car-dependent past. We must discourage the use of unsustainable transportation. One path leads to a living planet for our children, the other does not. Active transport—good for you, good for mother Earth.
—Claude via email

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New look

Bravo! Love the new design! ("Welcome to the new," Speaking for The Coast by Kyle Shaw, February 6, 2020.) I've always had bad vision and now that I'm older it's even worse. Your previous press seemed to produce greyer text and pictures on greyer paper compared to the Herald's newer press. The new version of The Coast is much easier to read.
—Michael Marshall, Dartmouth

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Correction

In last week's story about Steady Theatre Co. ("The Steady Theatre Co. steers on," by Michael Lake, Feb 6, 2020), we referred to Julia Schultz as a co-artistic director. In fact, she is the only artistic director. We apologize for the error.