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Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino speaks to reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Dec. 14, 2022, regarding Bill C-21.

Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press

Re Scrubbed out words. Banned books. Stop the assault on reading, from the left and right (Editorial, May 5): The problem with censorship is that once you begin to bowdlerize, deciding when or where to stop can be difficult. As witnessed in many repressive regimes around the world, it may be more efficient just to eliminate the source of the offending words, for as George Bernard Shaw cheekily observed Assassination is the extreme form of censorship.

Paul Thiessen Vancouver

Banning words is a slippery slope that eventually leads to the censorship and removal of entire books, as we are seeing in Republican-led states to our south. Publishers should accept that readers are intelligent enough to discern that different times had different words. Leave books alone.

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Frank Malone Aurora, Ont.

People want to ban and censor books? Please, not Captain Underpants! I cant be the only father of boys that owes his sons literacy to this series of books.

Wayne Nickoli London, Ont.

Re Fair play? (Letters, May 5): Fellow Canadians and hockey lovers, stop whining about American dominance of the NHL. Forget about the NHL; lets form our own league with Canadas top teams playing the NHL (American) and European champions.

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Ed Janicki Victoria

I applaud the letter writer calling out the NHL and Commissioner Gary Bettman on their anti-Canadian stance. This has been demonstrated time and time again in addition to the scheduling bias of the Toronto-Florida series. Under Mr. Bettman, the NHL has shown no interest in placing another team (or two) in Canada. He is most interested in expanding in the U.S., especially in the south where Houston is waiting in the wings for a franchise. Both Quebec and Hamilton have been rebuffed in their attempts to have a franchise (in Quebecs case trying to get theirs back). The reasons for rejection are dubious. Consider Mr. Bettmans unapologetic support for the Phoenix Coyotes: They will never leave Arizona, even though they are in financial trouble and play in a somewhat temporary shabby arena. Im sure Quebeckers are not amused.

Another indication that Canada is out, is talk of expanding the NHL to Europe and even Australia. Whither Canada and our most cherished sport?

Robert Milan Victoria

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Re Why we need prizes for women and non-binary authors (April 29): Thanks to Susan Swan and her colleagues for establishing the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, rewarding women writers for their splendid contributions to literature. Im a 74-year-old geezer who discovered the power of womens stories three or four decades ago reading Gabrielle Burtons Heartbreak Hotel. I continue to read a bunch of guys (just recently catching up with Ian McEwans excellent tales) but toss a new Miriam Toews, an Emma Donoghue, a Kate Atkinson, maybe an old one of our Margarets, or, indeed, a Carol Shields on to my stack of books and Im a happy old guy.

Glenn Allen Rockingham, Ont.

Re Chanel No. 5 is introduced (Moment in Time, May 5): A century has passed since the launch of Chanel No. 5 and 78 years since the end of the Holocaust. That is not enough time to forget or pardon Coco Chanels virulent antisemitism and collaboration with Nazis. Celebrate Chanel as you wish but do not omit the context of her success and its cost in human suffering and death. Let readers choose whether her fashion designs are of greater importance than her human-rights abuses.

Moses Shuldiner Toronto

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Re The Liberal gun bill with a glaring hole at its centre (May 4): All this back and forth over assault guns and hunting guns seems to overly complicate the issue. Hunters can ask for larger-calibre centrefire rifles for hunting deer, moose, bears, coyotes and wolves. Waterfowl and game birds are hunted with shotguns that have a range of no more than 200 metres. Assault-style, large-magazine guns dont fit either of these needs so ban them, buy them back, get rid of them. Its that simple.

Martin Pick Cavan, Ont.

The Liberals, and the majority of the country, want to ban assault-style firearms that are regularly used in crimes and murders. But they dont want to to upset the (small but very vocal) hunting community, some of whom, for some reason, feel the need to use such lethal weapons to kill animals and birds.

Can I point out that, for the vast majority of these hunters, this is just a hobby, like marathon running, sports betting, or bowling? So, a widely popular ban on lethal weapons is being shelved in deference to a hobby?

Can these people not be persuaded to take up a less violent hobby, say mah-jong or even paintball if they really need to shoot something?

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Luke Mastin Toronto

I have to shake my head at all the talk of guns to be banned. This is to make it illegal to possess certain weapons with the understanding that those who would use them to do harm to other people, will refrain from doing so. Those people dont obey the current gun laws, so what on Earth would lead one to believe they will magically obey the new ones? This is simply making it harder for law-abiding hunters and target shooters, all of whom have undergone training and police clearance, to enjoy their sport, and have zero impact on reducing violent gun crime. Talk about a shot in the dark.

Don Bowes Burlington

Re Who owns Teck its shareholders, or the government? (Opinion, May 3): Canadas federal government must ensure that Teck Resources remains Canadian controlled and headquartered. The loss of true Canadian headquarters (not the temporary nominal headquarters offered by a foreign acquirer) would mean the loss of the following: executive decision-making, grooming of Canadian executive talent, research/development/design, legal and accounting business etc.

In the past 17 years, Canadas metal and mining sectors have lost the ownership control of Stelco, Dofasco, Alcan, Inco and Falconbridge. In contrast, Potash Corp. was saved from a foreign takeover by the Conservative Harper government in 2010. In 2018, Potash Corp and Agrium merged and created the Canadian-based world-leading Nutrien Ltd.

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We need strategic long-term vision and backbone. Keep Teck Resources Canadian.

Scott Kerr Mississauga, Ont.

Glencore has been convicted of bribery on an unbelievably huge scale. The company is reported to be delivering Russian aluminum to the London Metal Exchange now. Discussions will presumably be held with Ottawa to find out what promises are required to make Glencores acquisition of Teck acceptable. One hopes that Ottawa understands what and also whom they are dealing with.

Ian Robinson Toronto

Letters to the Editor should be exclusive to The Globe and Mail. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. Keep letters to 150 words or fewer. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. To submit a letter by e-mail, click here: letters@globeandmail.com

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Letters to the editor: 'Banning words is a slippery slope that ... - The Globe and Mail