=== MAIL BOoX———— Columnist blowing smoke Dear Editor: Re: An incisive ale of immigration betrayal (May 28 Ripping Yarns). Timothy Renshaw lists “Immigrants ercate more would jobs than they take” as an enjoyed by the immigration niyth debunked w by Charles ©. ampbell: Even the children of immigrants? ing to put an end to Mercy. 50 this is why Canada status cconomically? Canada’s unemployment rate plummet to perhaps deport al] immi- grants and torce the rate even lower? [fall this is true, one is forced to wonder why Mr. Third World Renshaw did not simply call [f we for immigration to be stopped altogether. No, let’s get serious here. Campbell and Renshaw are owing smoke on this one. Alan Randell Victoria, B.C. arandel@islandnet.com immiuration, that U.S? Should Rejoice in immigration positives Dear Editor: Re: An incisive tale of immigration betray- al (May 28 Ripping Yarns column). I am the daughter of two of those “unskilled, illiterate immigrants.” “Average Canadians” (talk about barely veiled racism) have a lot to learn trom immi- grants like my mother and father and count- less others. My father is 2 baker. He has a Grade 10 education. My mother was a nurse in her country of origin. Here she worked in a clothing factory sewing zippers into men’s trousers (piece work, at two cents a zipper), then as a ward aide in a hospital. They were able to, with unbelievable sac- rifice and hard work, somehow, save up enough money for a down payment on a house. They have since retired comfortably in West Vancouver. _ They worked tirelessly, and you know what, they still don’t have proficiency in cither national language. ‘NORTH VANCOUVER - Capilano Malt - * Fabnetdad Sewing Club Afembers Valde Hotline What people need to know is that their story is not unique. Most immigrants (yes, most) or their children will have similar tales to tell. My parents have always told me their sta- ries and their triends* stories (also immigrants that scraped out livings, and eventually suc- cess, through hard work and open minds), about the discrimination they had to endure, their efforts at learning a new language, their efforts at adapting to a new culture. When ] was younger, J would shrug them off, take their successes for granted. But now, 1 am astonished by all that they have accom- plished. Don’t paint all immigrants with the same brush. You are speaking of the minority, the vast minority. And as with any group, you will have some bad eggs. Instead, try concentrating on the benefits of immigration, try rejoicing in our wonder- ful diversity, try not to be so divisive. Veo Bunderla North Vancouver “TL of 1997, 875-0244 fin her | December 8, 1999.. 3 naively expected that all of the con- Wednesday, June 7, 2000 - North Shere News - 9 advertonal. June 7. 2000 WOMEN'S RIGHTS if you like get.ing mail, you would LOVE being an MP. Every day of the week, quite apart from all the email messages and faxes, literally dozens of letters and magazines are delivered to our Ottawa oftices by Canada Post. Many of the letters conse from groups or organizations which « :n be broadly cat- egorized as "specie interest groups", and are designed to obby MPs over one issue or another. _ .¢ extremely rare for any of these mas produced sy cial interest group letters to have an impact of me, but t recently received one which DID have an impact. It came from REAL Women of Canada, a group which claims to be working for "Women's Rights Not at the Expense of Human Rights", and | decided to share the full text of that letter with you in this week's report. (Please Note: The capitalised REAL is part of the name, and is not my emphasis. In addition, | fully realize that only one side of the story is being printed here. For that reason. :ontact information for bot: sides is provide-) at the end of this report, enabling you to communicate directly with the two sides if you would like more information.) A LETTER FROM JEANNINE LEBEL Dear Mr White: We wish to bring the bias and dis- criminatory practices of the federal agency, the Status of Women to your attention. Status of Women Canada is a tax- funded public agency, which was established in 1973 in response to the 1970 Royal Commission Report on the Status of Women. Its purpose was the advancement of the equality of women in Caneda. New, 30 years later, this agency, with an annual appropriation of about approximate- | ty 17 million dollars, has become the tool of special interest groups who | are using government money and per sonnel to force their biased viewpoint on the national! agenda. This. agency is also an egregious example of providing yet another fed- eral government slush fund which allocates over $8,000,006 annually to special interest groups. in this regard, although our organization supports the equality of women, it was concluded that REAL Women's initiatives do not adequately address the Women's Program funding guide- 4 lines. ft should be pointed out that these guidelines were established by femi- nist groups which REAL Women, as a solitary voice, was unable to over ride. As a result, since these new guidelines came into effect in March our organization has received no funding from the Status of Women. Instead, the latter agency f now allots all of its funding to radicai Jeminist groups. A further example of tie discrimi- natory ‘practices of the Status of Women occurred ot a by-invitation- only consultation on gender equality sponsored by the agency in December. The conference was sup- pose Xo reflect a "diversity" of inter ests and viewpoints among Canadian women. This point about "diversity" was highlighted in the Status of Women invitation letter as well as by the Hon. Hedy Fry, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, opening _remarks on Thus, it was sultation participants: would have a | fair and equal opportunity to express their perspective during the four-day consultation. This was not the case. Instead, the Status of Women permit- ted the conference to be chaired and controlled by women from feminist only groups such as National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC), Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), and Equality for Gays and Lesbians Exserywhere (EGALE). Representatives from these organiza- tions disrupted the conference pro- ceedings, more than once, to demand that the representative from REAL Women be removed from the meeting since our organization did not agree with their ideology. The chairpersons adjourned workshops at will, held closed meetings, and only recognized their handpicked spokespersons to make statements at the two sessions attended by various Cabinet Ministers. In addition, the lesbian caucus (their term) at this government con- ference passed a resolution that REAL Women of Canada never be invited to attend a Status of Women conference again. In this regard, it is significant that the members of this latter caucus receive extremely gener ous funding from the Status of Women. This would appear to be due, at least in part, to the fact that the head of the Status of Women, Hedy Fry, represents the riding of Vancouver Centre in the House of Commons which has a large homo- sexuai/lesbian population. In fact, the Status of Women, under Hedy Fry, has paid out $253,918 to lesbian groups alone in the fiscal years 1996-1998. More than half of stiis went to lesbian groups in Ms. Fry's own BC province. Lesbian advocacy groups there received $145,418 during this twenty month period (April 1996-December 1998). The silencing and. discrimination against women with a differing vieuw- - point from. that of radical feminists, - by the Status of Women, is an insult to the intelligence, integrity and dig- . nity of all Canadian women and ‘makes a mockery of "gender" equali- ty, when there is no equality among women themselves. In a free and democratic country, no group or indi-- vidual should suffer. discrimination because of an approach or point of view, especially by a government agency. “The continued’ existence’ of the’: Status of Women necessitates parlia- mentary. investigation. Status © of Women Canada must equally repre- sent the interests and views of all | Canadian women, or, it should be dis- banded. Canadian women do not. want or need a.government agency which discriminates, silences and ignores their views. Yours truly, Jeannine Lebel National President iS IT FAIR? Regardiess of whether you agree or disagree with the aims and agenda of Real Women of Canada, Jeannine's letter cer- tainly raises a question of faimess, which you may fee! needs to be addressed. If so, you can. contact REAL Women of Canada by mail at Box 8813, Station “T". Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 3J1, by phone at (613) 236-4001, by fax at (613) 236-7203, and by email at realwena@istar.ca. The Status of Wornen Cariada can be contact: . ed by mail at 360 Albert St. 7th FI., Ottawa, ON K1A 1C3, by phone at (613) 995-7835, by fax at (613) 943-0449, and by email at vilas@swe-cfc.gc.ca_ Please do send me a copy of any correspondence you have with these organizations.