THE North Shore News has been flooded with response to the July 7 Doug Collins cclumn on the recent international AIDS conference held in Vancouver. Aside from countless phone calls, readers have inundated the nev per with letters on the Collins umn and on the AIDS issue. The tenor of that input has ranged from reasoned and thoughtful response to hysterical threats. One caller — in a semi-deranged titade — advised that Mr. Collins should be taken out and shot as an enemy, of the people. Another ancnymous and ven- omous leaflet headlined “Doug Collins causes AIDS!” demands, among other things, that “North Shore businesses stop NSN distribution until Doug Collins is disallowed all access to the North Shore News.” This newspaper believes passionately in the free exchange of opinions and ideas on all issues — a philoso- phy to which many of the néwspaper’s critics are adamantly opposed. : i In the spirit of that open and free exchange. the News presents below a sampling of reader response to Mr. Collins’ July 7 column. Dear Editor: ; __ [wish to respond to the July 7 edi- torial published by the North Shore : News in which writer Doug Collins makes remarkably inaccurate state- ments and assumptions. _ i These statements are not only false, ~ but they are harmful, and do little to ‘ help the global crisis of HIV infection. It shows a clear abuse of editorial jour- —nalisin, and the willful promotion of ’ intolerance. If Mr. Collins had attended the Internationa! Conference on AIDS, - he.would have seen how widespread | the AIDS pandemic has become. AIDS is, and always has been, at heterosexual problem. Over 90% of * the people infected in the world are heterosexual; a fact which Mr. Coll completely ignores. AIDS is a global pandemic. In some countries. like the USS. and Canada, those infected may indeed be predominately homosexual and intravenous drug users. __ ‘The total number of cases represent: ed by this ‘homosexual’ community is a ~ mere 10% of the total world infections. This does not warrant the highly inaccu- “rate statement of Mr. Collins’, “...homo- sexual lifestyle, without which AIDS would never have been heard of.” Millions infected in the world and especially in Africa had little to do with homosexual orientation. To assert that only homosexuals and £V drug users are - atrisk is both dangerous and immoral. “Heterosexual infection continues to _ be the number one method of FITV infection and spread. To focus only on the North American experience can be compared with being an ostrich with its head stuck in the sand. Such tunnel ep Dear Editor: "| was tnily astounded by Doug Collins’ article which - NEWS photo Mike Wakatield AIDS graffiti greeted North Shore News employees Tuesday morning. The message was scrawled on the sidewalk at the newspaper's entrance. vision allows for Mr. Collins’ personal agenda; that of homophobia and con- tinued hatred of gay men and women. By not looking beyond the walls of his experiences, his facts are cloud- ed in his own misinformed interpreta- tions and prejudices. When viewpoints like those expressed by Mr. Collins are allowed to be published by a respectable news- paper, they misinform people and sup- port erroneous ideas and information. It is attitudes like those expressed _ by Mr. Collins that were heard echoed at the Reform party convention. Blatant homophobia at its worst! To echo Doreen Millman, the 63- year-old grandmother who tested posi- tive for the HIV antibody and lives on the North Shore, it does not matter HOW someone became infected, but how to PREVENT people from becom- ing infected. Ignorance and homophobia leads to the attitude of “i not my problem. AIDS is everyone's problem. » If you think AIDS doesn’t affect you, or worse, that you won't get infected; welcome to the first stage of infection — igno- rance. Keith Scott Vancouver appeared in the North Shore News on July 7. Even allowing for the editorial latitude normally enjoyed by contributing columnists, this piece far exceeds all acceptable journalistic limits. Surely, there must be some limit to the publication of controversial material s “ply for the sake of increasing newspaper sales. | seriously wonder if there is any ference between this scurrilous column and the communications which Canadians da” provisions of the Criminal Code. 66 To eche Doreen FAalliman, the §3-year- old grandmother whe tasted positive for the HIV antibody and lives on the Mart. Shore, it does not matter HOW someone became infected, but how to PREVENT pso- nie frem becoming infected. 99 Dear Editor: Only a few journalists like Doug Collins expose the gay community and the gay med! misinformation. Mr. Collins and Mr, Lautens both use solid facts and statistics; something we rarely hear about in articles written for the gay-supported media. ; Doug Collins may have strong opinions on many topics but, on the subject 0 which groups are the major contributors to AIDS/HIV, the facts presented give Mr. Collins good reason to say it straight. Reader Lyn Rankin, in her letter of re lifestyle.” “Tolerance und love for your fellow human being,” as she expressed it, is a wor thy expression but it is one that the gay community should debate seriously! Trevor Lautens, in his recent July 12) aticle, said it clearly and explicitly, “No major disease is as preventable as AIDS. {nat least four-fifths of the cases, preven- tion of AIDS is no further away than the end of a man's ...”. Instead of completing Mr. Lautens* explicit ending, 1 would rather ask all men who are involved in anal sex with men, whether they have had both of their heads examined lately? Dear Editor: Itis with great sadness and concer 1 read the editorial column written by Doug Collins enti- dled, “AIDS Circus is in Town” and pub- lished by the North Shore News July 7. ‘The role of edi- tor is an important one, and carries with it a great moral esponsibility to, ini- tiate debate about important issues facing society, itis clear how- ever, that the North Shore News allows its editorials to devi- ate from construc- tive insight and pub- lic debate to that of a personal platform for nothing less than a political agenda _ of hate and intolerance. Doug Collins uses, (and appears to be allowed to do so) the North Shore News as his seal of approval for what he in for their powerful campaign of AIDS primand of Mr. Collins refers to him asa homophobic racist and a bigot, but she avoided any mention of the facts surrounding the gay community's major part in perpetuating AIDS/HIY through their “chosen Dear Editor: : Doug Collins would not will- ingly disclose these facts about himself, but he was a Second World © War prisoner of war who escaped Nazi prison camps several times, a British soldier and fearless fighter for the peace that we all enjoy. and the eventuating tolerance (no, a pre- war attitude to the criminal act of sodomy) of homosexuality, the overwhelming cause of AIDS. And, as | worked in editorial newspapering with Doug I know him to be a truly kindly, fair (yeah you skeptics) and honorable (real) MAN, May [ congratulate you for pub- lishing his piece the “Gay Circus” and him for exposing the truth. Mike Cramond : West Vancouver and Trevor Lautens have the courage to Eugene Turney, Heffley Lake, B.C. nc en, Dear Editor: itis difficult to believe that a community newspaper can sup- port columnist Doug Collins. I have always found his columns to be unnoteworthy, but in reference to his column “AIDS Circus is in Town,” Sunday, July 7 North Shore News. | find hin. extremely offensive. His igno- rance is most apparent “they (homosexuals) brought their rou- bles on themselves through filth piled on filth {agree with Mr, Collins that continued support for brea: research and a myriad of other such devastating disease No one can deny that a publicized editorial carries with it a certain seal of approval from the publisher, regardless of any such denial. I think the North Shore News mus become more responsible for the m: al being presented in its publica Editori#?s must continue to spark mature, constructive debates which enrich and assist in social development. Although editorials are often meant 10 be provocative exactly for this reason: the editorials written by Doug Collins do not spark debatc. The Nosth Shore News is nearly as guilty of spreading hate and intolerance by allowing bis column to vontinue, Censorship is wrong. But freedom of ‘ ech carries with it a great responsibil- tial: 1. do not agree with his method ity, a responsibility which Doug Collins of senselessly and inaccurately continues to abuse. portraying AIDS to show his dis- This is why Canada had to enact content with the amount of funding anti-hate laws, When freedom of speech being directed towards this particu- , is. abused, society must respond, When Jar disease over another. an editor writes inaccurate, hateful, and itis a shame he can not use his destructive columns, the paper re onsi- position to inform and educate. ble for publishing it cannot tum a blind people, but { suppose without such eye. The message? Cleait up your act sensationalistic headings, no one North Shore News! would bother to read his column. Michael Ward Mrs, L. Crottey Vancouver North Yancouver