Too much hate

Re Frank Marten’s letter Supports protesters (Castanet May 10)

Some old people haven’t got a clue as to why young, educated students in universities, who are well aware of the consequences to their future education, have taken to rise up against the oppressors, particularly when the lives of thousands of young children are at stake, as they are in Gaza.

Well, I am one of those old people, if you consider 68 years of age old. I was one who had to dive under my desk in elementary school in Vancouver when the air raid sirens at the edge of our playground went off during the Cold War. I’m old enough to remember (U.S president) John F. Kennedy getting shot and the 9/11(terrorist attacks) and so on. I protested the Vietnam War, as well as others. I was thankful our government did not take us into the Iraq war.

(Canada) has always been the world’s peacekeepers, but at that time, if my memory serves me, we changed to a combat military and had a base in Kandahar.

My whose husband, at the tender age of 13 months, escaped Hungary with his three-year-old sister and parents when (the then Soviet Union) invaded in 1959, killing at whim. Luckily, Canada took them in.

I heard horror stories from my in-laws, believe me, not unlike what is happening today in Ukraine. There is a similar form of genocide going on there. Where are the protests against that? Oh right, it is something Russia always does so no one cares.

I am not against protest, it is a fundamental right, but when you advocate for violence against others in this country, that has going a bit too far. You can have a protest, a different viewpoint, even a debate but never, never hate speech or promoting violence against fellow Canadians for their views or for who they are or where they are from.

They are just as innocent as the citizens of Gaza. They are not responsible here in Canada for what their former country is doing.

I am sure many are here to escape that, just as Palestinian Canadians have. Please do not bring your hate for each other into Canada.

Have we not learned anything from the Second World War and the genocide against a group of people only because they had a different culture and religion?

Why is it so hard to accept others’ differences without trying to impose your will over them just because you disagree? And do it in a violent way? I always believed as Canadians we were better than that. It is one reason so many from around the world want to come here. Let’s not change that.

I am sickened by what is happening in Gaza. But as much as we protest and demand the government do something, nothing will change unless (Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu listens and acts and, so far, he is refusing to listen to any country or the UN.

Taking it out on your fellow Canadian is not helping and will not change anything.

Carole Kormendy