Letter to the Editor, Oceanside Star, Published: Thursday, February 18, 2010
Re. your editorial "The Magical Power of One."
Your prediction that our efforts in Afghanistan are doomed is unfortunate. Our country is doing its best to create a democracy there. While it may look like an impossible task, we just can't walk away and let the extremists win. Think about the Allies in the Second World War. Should the 'free' world have turned a blind eye to Hitler?
Your editorial also gave credit to the work of Alexandra Morton, who has been leading a campaign to virtually shut down the fin-fish aquaculture industry on our coast.
Her efforts are supported financially by funding from multi-billion dollar American foundations that have, in the recent past, also provided funding for the anti-forestry campaigns by the same naysayers that brought our forest industry to its knees.
Little thought is given to the welfare of the ordinary people of our communities who depend on our resource industries for a living. These naysayers are heartless.
There are little or no new job opportunities in our Coastal communities, especially in First Nation communities, other than in aquaculture, both fin-fish and shell-fish.
I realize that your South Island economy is not faced with the same challenges as ours is, so it is easy to sit back and pontificate so well, as you did in your editorial.
The challenge for an editor is to find out where the money comes from to finance the type of campaigns run by people like Ms Morton -- and why?
Gerry Furney,
Mayor, Town of Port McNeill
