Make allies, not enemies
I write to dispute the assertions and false assumptions drawn by Bryan Crockett in his letter of Aug. 26. Bryan Crockett evades the point that the vandalism was unjustified. I am aware that First Nation elders decried the reckless vandalism to the Cook statue, however it was rather late as the perpetrators had already committed the malicious act. It is their [the vandals] act I find reprehensible. If writers like Crockett do not face those facts, then they work against the possibility of reconciliation and intensify the misunderstandings that abound in Canadian society, rather than healing them.
Crockett urges me to learn history; I think he should study it. Cook was not only one of the world’s foremost navigators and hydrographers, he was also a man of science.
The false logic of Crockett claiming that my letter permits him to conclude I do not support Indigenous rights and lack the courage to say so, is ridiculous but tends to perpetuate the alienation many feel about his cause, as he appears to want to make enemies rather than make allies.
Chris Banner
Shawnigan Lake