I understand why AUS needs French translation
Re: “Putting an end to token translation” | Commentary | March 14
Dear Mr. William Burton,
I was intrigued by your inclusion of my name and that of my opponent in your Hyde Park, especially since I recently sent you an email regarding this very subject!
In your response, you told me how to go about it and even gave me information as to what defines a qualified translator. I do not think that my asking these questions implies that I do not understand why we need French translation in the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS); in fact, I believe it shows just the opposite.
As far as expecting Mr. Louis-Michel Gauthier to ask these questions, do you really think a francophone needs information on how to obtain a French translator at McGill? I appreciate that you recognize the importance of the VP Communications position regarding French translations, but I do not think that either of the candidates were remiss in our lack of questions to you.
As for hating Adil Katrak, the question never came to my mind. I apologize for this oversight.
Merci,
Maia Frieser
U2 Anthropology Major
AUS VP Communications Candidate
Stop, just stop
Seeing as how Middle East conflict seems to be a nice big topic of “discussion” in our Daily injection, I’d just like to ask activists on both sides to consider something. Let’s put on one side everyone who thinks that sending a national army into a residential area of another country to weed out terrorists is justified. Let’s say the justification is self-defense. Now let’s put on the other side everyone who thinks that firing rockets and sending suicide bombers into residential areas of another country that is warring on yours is justified. Let’s also call it self-defense.
Both sides might as well be looking in a mirror. Without objective thought, opinion on the morality of these tragedies is about as useful as a syringe stuck in my eyeball. There’s a lot of harshness in the world. You know who makes it worse? People who pick a side, build up a tower of self-righteousness, and then demonize and vilify an entire race or people.
Assigning blame is about as useful as putting steroids in the water supply. Why don’t Israeli supporters ever talk about their country taking responsibility for the thousands of innocent victims slaughtered for their cause? How come we never hear calls for justice for school bus bombers from Palestinian supporters? Good people don’t want vengeance thinly disguised as justice. They want the killing to stop.
It’s times like this I wish we had an armed moral authority. Israel and Palestine (and their annoyingly vocal counterparts in our student body) are like petulant children who’ve somehow gotten their hands on very dangerous toys. They need to have their toys taken away, and someone needs to give them a good tongue-lashing about treating human beings (of all nationalities) with love and respect.
Everyone needs to start taking responsibility for their own actions. Before you go to a rally, before you write a letter, stop and think. Are you already biased? Have you taken conjecture and hearsay from questionable sources and are you about to quote those details as fact? If you are, put down your mask, and close your email. Bombs and tanks are part of the problem, and so are you.
Richard Stern
Cont. Ed Chemistry and Management
B.Eng ‘08