Have your say

Kids love the Cat

I attended a performance of The Cat Came Back and wish to comment on your somewhat mean-spirited review (If we told you it was good, we'd be fe-lyin' (Feb. 4). I am an expert only as a theatre-goer, mother, grandmother and kindergarten teacher of 30 years. In my opinion, the production, both from a visual and a musical perspective, fulfilled the requirements of theatre for young children. Children in the audience were engaged, responsive and entertained. Kudos to the creators and performers for a well-done presentation. I'm sure the audiences yet to come will enjoy this cat and her people.

PHYLLIS DANA

Winnipeg

Children and their parents aren't looking for all those deep meanings, exact puppetry and whatever. They want to be entertained.

If the children and their parents enjoyed the show, that is what is important. Forget all the other stuff. Fred Penner is the greatest. And some shows are always better than others. As an entertainer, I know that for sure.

WENDY PATON

Kenora, Ont.

Controlling Glocks

Re: Intelligent look at semi-automatic pistol that is part of U.S. landscape (Feb. 4). I was pleasantly surprised to see a book review of Glock: The Rise of America's Gun in the Winnipeg Free Press. Knowing how most people (who are not gun nuts) get their information from Hollywood, it is refreshing to see a Canadian journalist taking the time to provide an alternate (and rational) source of information.

For the record, Winnipeggers might be interested to know that the control of Glock firearms (like every other handgun) will not be affected by the dismantling of the long-gun registry. It is also worthwhile to mention that those wanting to own such a firearm will still need to go through two background checks (one for the non-restricted firearm licence and another for the restricted firearm licence). Every sale will still need to be approved by the RCMP, and the owner will still need to obtain a permit from the chief firearm officer in order to transport the gun anywhere in Manitoba.

MICHEL TRAHAN

Verdun, Que.

Ready to govern

Re: Our national shame (Feb. 4). Prime Minister Stephen Harper says we can't just scrap the Indian Act and leave a big hole. Here's how to scrap the Indian Act without leaving a big hole. Give it to the Indians.

And here's how to do that this spring:

When changes to the Senate come up for debate, turn it into a House of Nations. Aboriginal Nations -- First Nations, Métis and Inuit.

If Harper can change Senate rules to elect senators without a constitutional amendment, he can change them to elect only aboriginal nominees and delegate the federal government's responsibility for aboriginal people to this senior house, which can then administer, change or phase out the Indian Act.

It would be entirely appropriate for the senior nations in this land to form our Parliament's senior house. They are more than ready to create a federated national aboriginal government for the aboriginal nations. Such a government could be financed by resource development on aboriginal and Crown lands. And it would finally satisfy the constitutional guarantees of aboriginal sovereignty and self-government.

Aboriginal people could then direct their own social and economic development free of any bureaucracy but their own.

ROSS DOBSON

Winnipeg

Swift action required

Re: Canadian envoy to stay in Syria, government says (Feb. 7). The totalitarian regimes in Russia and China have now laid down their cards on the Syrian crisis and gone all in with the ruthless regime of Bashar Assad. The West must recognize this for what it is, a meeting of minds, a holding of hands, the offering of full support to one of their own in the murderous tyrant club. Our response must be swift and decisive without hesitation or turbidity. We need to know who will lead on this issue and take the actions required of decent, moral and compassionate human souls. The United Nations is unable to act, handcuffed by the very totalitarian regimes it hopes to stifle, and the U.S. president has not shown a willingness to take charge.

The people of Syria have fought the good fight on their own up until this point, but it is now clear that the Syrian dictatorship and its cronies will not take the billions of dollars thus far stolen and go quietly into the good night.

Until our politicians step up, we must speak with our voices and our wallets. Boycott Chinese and Russian goods, call foreign leaders to act and provide support to those who only wish to enjoy the basics of human decency.

TERRY HALLIGAN

Winnipeg

Insomnia advice off-base

Re: Wake up to the fact your body needs sleep (Feb. 3). Dr. W. Gifford-Jones is correct to advise that we all need an adequate number of hours of regenerative sleep in a 24-hour period. He is totally off-base, however, when he recommends Bell Sound Sleep, containing melatonin, valerian root and other supposedly soothing "natural" compounds.

Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that aids in the regulation of our circadian rhythm. It is not an effective sleep-inducing agent. Claims of effectiveness on an Internet website are not valid scientific data.

As indicated by an expert panel of sleep-medicine specialists, conducting an evidence-based review of insomnia treatments, there are insufficient studies showing these agents are successful in the treatment of insomnia. Interestingly, being tested are strong, long-acting melatonin-receptor prescription stimulants that appear to have strong sleep-inducing characteristics with few side-effects.

The initial treatment of insomnia is not a sleeping pill, as Gifford-Jones suggests. It begins with a comprehensive medical history to detect other illnesses and their treatment that might be altering a person's sleep pattern.

For some insomniac patients, hypnotic prescription medications are indicated. For the right person, safe and effective compounds are available. An equally effective treatment of insomnia is cognitive behavioural treatment, during which one learns how to control the physical or emotional factors affecting sleep, again without the need for medications.

Gifford-Jones' advice to purchase some Bell Sound Sleep for a significant medical problem is unprofessional, simplistic and unsafe.

DR. David W. Hudgel

Faculty of medicine

University of Manitoba

Extracting pollutants

Re: Wetlands can help (Letters, Feb. 2) and From floods to drought fears (Jan. 25). With recurring floods and droughts, it is valid to comment on the province's lack of wetlands and their ability to stabilize soil moisture content.

The enormous algae blooms of Lake Winnipeg are caused by eutrophication, a natural process amplified by nutrient loading, particularly of nitrogen and phosphorus to stimulate plant productivity. The source of these excess nutrients is fertilizers used in agriculture and runoff from fields entering our watershed.

Manitoba was not always lacking wetlands. Drainage and loss since the beginning of European settlement has been estimated at 71 per cent in the Prairie pothole region. The Royalwood is an example of a subdivision incorporating wetlands back into a natural urban setting.

EMMA MILNER

Winnipeg

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 8, 2012 A11