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views encourage critical thinking.

wicked lefty college [“We need a more centred view,” Issue #45 Vol. 35, January 6, 2010).

Thank you, Garth, for your article bemoaning the “left-leaning” slant you feel you are exposed to at Douglas College.

In regards to the media, have you heard of Canwest Global? They own and control almost every single major and community newspaper in this province and the country. They own and control many of our TV stations, and even some of our radio stations. They are Canada’s largest media company and most certainly have a monopoly. A critical thinker might consider that a bad thing when it comes to getting an objective perspective on things that “make the news.” Canwest Global is also widely considered a “right-leaning” media company. In my mind, we have more than enough of that one perspective. Thank goodness that the teachers at Douglas College work hard to give students some balance; you might even say that they encourage us to think critically! That is something that is very important and vital for keeping an open mind. Virtually every higher learning institution does the same and I am very grateful for that.

When it comes to global warming and the fact that our federal government refuses to deal with it—well, it’s your future too that Harper is flushing down the toilet-—enough said.

As for unions being too militant, have you had a job where you were paid a decent, liveable wage? If so I bet you didn’t complain when you cashed your paycheque and it was likely a union fighting for your rights that got you that decent wage and those benefits. Maybe trying to survive on minimum wage is good enough for you but it isn’t easy to feed a family, put a roof over their heads and get around on transit on such a shameful amount of money.

As for your comment regarding InSite, addictions and poverty are never really that simple. Look at the U.S. war on drugs compared to how the Europeans approach society’s drug problems. Research it; you might just be very surprised at which one is actually effective.

And the Olympics? Enjoy yourself, because it is one seriously expensive party that will have Coca-Cola and GE whooping it up, dancing on the tables, and you and I feeling the nastiest hangover ever, with empty pockets for a long time to come! I sure hope I don’t see an article in a future issue of The Other Press where you complain about the high taxes in B.C.

Thank goodness for guys like Michael Moore; just like our teachers; they are all letting us know there are many different perspectives and two sides to every story.

T= following is a response to Garth McLennan’s article about our

—Laura Dupont

LETTITOR

What’s all this then?

Liam Britten

editor in chief

he first day I ever called the police was the same day I became a serial vandal. Apparently.

There I was, 19 years old, making my usual Friday night journey from the pub to my house after last call. I decided to cut through a nearby schoolyard and shave a few minutes off my trip, when lo and behold, I met a pair of my friends from high school whom I hadn’t seen in a long time. I came over to say “hi,” and we all got caught up reminiscing and generally shooting the shit, having a jolly laugh and all that.

Until three guys with baseball bats ran up on us, swearing and yelling and generally looking to beat our skulls in. Just another night in Port Coquitlam.

Instinctively, we ran. We ran about a hundred metres out of the park and then we hit a road, then we split up; I don’t know why we split up, I figured even at the time that staying in a group would have been the safest thing to do.

__ Regardless, one friend and I ran up the road, the

other guy went down the road.

I guess our assailants, whom none of us recognized, were feeling really brave that night because they all chased the lone guy who went down the street. The other guy and I got away, and managed to run to his house. We were clear.

The guy who split off knew to come meet us at the house; he was staying there that night, so where else would he go? We waited for a few minutes and he didn’t show. Understandably, we were worried. So, I called the police.

They came, alright. A pair of cruisers rolled up with lights flashing and we pointed them towards where we last saw our friend. They were off to the races, and before long, our friend returned on his own accord and the three hooligans were wearing handcuffs in the backseat.

Before we could even thank the officers who arrested the attackers, we got hit with a barrage of accusing questions, because it seems we were the ones breaking the law here.

Detective Dumbass (I forget his real name,

but this moniker fits well enough) gave us his brilliant theory: we were a crew of vandals

that had been operating in the neighbourhood, damaging school property and breaking into cars, and these three drunks with bats were merely brave homeowners who were defending their property. j

Open and shut case, Detective Dumbass!

It took nearly an hour of talking, but we finally got the cop to reconsider his ingenious scenario. He assured us he’d have more questions, but as far as I know, none of us were ever contacted for a furthering grilling.

I know what a lot of you dearest readers are thinking; it was just one jerk, a one-time thing, but most officers are fine public servants that deserve our trust. But really, why should anyone think that’s true? Take the case of Yao Wei Wu, a Vancouver man who was severely beaten by two VPD officers who were responding to a domestic disturbance call at his house—rather, at his neighbour’s house; the idiot officers went to the completely wrong address, and beat a man senseless in error. Oops!

You might think that they were just two “bad apples” who aren’t representative of our police forces as a whole. But then again,

I suppose the officers who killed Robert Dziekanski were just bad apples. And I suppose the officers who killed Frank Paul were just bad apples; so were the officers who beat petty criminals in Stanley Park and I guess every single complicit officer who tried to cover these wrongdoings up were just isolated bad apples. Am] the only one who wonders if there’s a single good apple left?

Until police officers have to answer for their misdeeds in a real, open, honest way, there’s no reason for anyone to trust them. Why should we? After all, any one of us could end up like me, a victim of crime who gets harassed for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Actually, come to think of it, if harassment is all you get from the police, consider yourself

lucky.

Your friend in high fidelity, Liam Britten

Editor in chief

The Other Press

WRITE FOR US!