To the Editor,

Re: Green fatigue weighs on little guys, Sept. 23.

Toby Gorman’s column was right on.

I listened to a repeat interview of George Monbiot, who wrote Heat some time ago.

Monbiot’s main point was it didn’t matter how many of us schmucks did all the environmental actions Gorman speaks of.

What we really need to do is push the politicians into action.

Andrew Weaver, and other peer reviewed scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, say we have 100 months to deal with this issue.

If we don’t, the economy is really going to tank.

Barbara Hourston

Nanaimo

Jellyfish real danger

in Nanaimo waters

To the Editor,

Re: Jellyfish carnage not unusual, Sept. 25.

In July 2005 my four-year-old son was at Departure Bay beach, playing in the shallow water with his boogie board.

When he laid down on his board, a wave came in knocking him upon a red jellyfish.

He was severely stung and couldn’t walk. He crawled out of the water screaming where his father picked him up and realized what had happened.

He was rushed to hospital, the first patient to be treated in our hospital for such a thing.

They called B.C. Children’s Hospital for advice as his body from his chest to his toes were fire engine red.

When they gave my son a needle of demeral and another of benadryl in each leg, he didn’t even flinch as he didn’t feel it. They covered his body in vinegar and paper towel and he was kept in hospital overnight for observations and continuous treatment.

That evening he was unable to walk which worried both his father and I, but the next morning he got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

To this day, my son is afraid of the ocean and will not swim in the water. He will only walk on the beach if you hold his hand and if something touches him he is literally crawling up me for protection.

I hope one day he will be able to enjoy the ocean as so many others do.

Don’t think for a moment that your children are safe on the beach right in front of you.

There are many dangers and red jellyfish is one of them.

Lianne Alyward

Nanaimo

Attackers must return

to trial for justice

To the Editor,

Re: Not guilty verdicts in nightclub deaths, Sept. 27.

What a society we live in.

A young man is beaten to death but the judge decides the three accused attackers are not guilty of manslaughter.

Who cares which one threw the first punch or the last punch?

An outstanding young man is no longer with us and the accused go free while his family weeps.

Lets hope they go back to trial and justice is found.

Rick Mayes

Nanaimo

Frustration setting in for retirees on pension

To the Editor,

Re: Pension clawback upsets vets, Sept 20.

I agree with Art Lefever’s thoughts on government taxing.

I have worked for more than 45 years and paid my taxes all those years.

The frustration seniors feel is evident.

Welfare is not the place to be, yet more seniors are forced to live below the poverty line after paying ther government all their working years.

We sit back in our golden years reading about wage increases for officials we elected to work for us.

For the working class, the balance has shifted.

We pay the government and pensions to use and invest while we work, yet the balance is not the same when we retire.

The government cheques we receive seem less but if we make any extra, it is quickly deducted.

We need elected officials who will balance the system.

Carol Ostermann

Nanaimo

Green or Liberal vote is giving nod to Tories

To the Editor,

In a few short years of a Stephen Harper minority government, Canada has become one of the worst heel-draggers on global warming.

Our military has shifted from peacekeeping to war making. Where we once welcomed war resistors, we now turn them away.

If Harper wins his majority, I shudder to think what Canada will become.

To vote Green or Liberal here is to vote Conservative.

In the Central Nova, N.S. riding, I would vote for Elizabeth May in a heartbeat. In Nanaimo-Cowichan, it would be folly.

Fortunately in this riding, what to do about it come election day is clear.

Jean Crowder is a good MP and the only candidate who can beat the Conservatives.

Bob Bossin

Gabriola Island