Neudorf’s statements about new Canadians wrong
By Letter to the Editor on March 27, 2021.
Editor:
I was utterly appalled at the claim made by Mr. Nathan Neudorf in the Lethbridge Herald article of 19 March 2021 (https://lethbridgeherald.com/news/lethbridge-news/2021/03/19/province-taking-notice-of-high-city-covid-numbers/) that the sharp rise in cases is specifically due to “socio-economic factors, multi-generation families and the number of people for whom English is a second language”.
This claim on his part flies in the face of the report from our own chief medical officer, whose statements concerning social gatherings of various kinds “where restrictions are not followed” are based on broad, medically-aware information, as sound public communication should be.
Mr. Neudorf’s claims appear baseless, and are both reprehensible and dangerous.
In the first place, they spread misinformation and allow members of our community to believe that only certain marginalised groups are responsible, and therefore that only they need to take action to stop the recent exponential spread of the virus.
In the second place, they do a cruel disservice to those same marginalised groups who are working low-paying, high-risk jobs in our community, whose work is considered essential but whose safety is not.
In short, it is wrong both factually and morally for Mr. Neudorf to point the finger at new Canadians and accuse them of “contributing” to the rapid spread of COVID-19.
He is guilty of baseless statements, and of stoking misguided anger and resentment against these members of our community. In my view, he has shown himself to be unworthy of the public
Beth Gerwin
Lethbridge
-1
I missed the story you referenced in your letter and went back to read it (thank you) and wow! I’d like to know where Mr Neudorf gets his information but my guess it’s at the water cooler and not health professionals. I have a relative who works in a grocery store and who do you think doesn’t follow the mask precautions? She says it’s about 95% Caucasian people but Mr Neudorf has to throw mud at the vulnerable minorities. Didn’t vote for him and this further justifies that position.
I was amazed at your hypocrisy. You suggest that Neudorf gets his information at the “water cooler”. However you immediately then go on to assert another fallacious, ridiculous and bold claim of the opinion of a “relative who works in a grocery store”, then try to sell it as some sort of solid truthful fact. Such banter is usually just flimsy opinion which leans more closely towards unsubstantiated gossip. I always find it entertaining how some opinionated folks never see or realize their own hypocrisy but believe that their own fallacious statements are some type of enlightened truth. It appears that you throw quite a bit of mud yourself but it seems to come back and hit you in the face.
After reading your comment I see your point. I will step back from that statement and apologize. I can admit when I make mistakes. Now the question is can Mr. Neudorf?
Is this another unfortunate characteristic of the bumblebus Kenney UCP?
Nathan Neudorf is simply humming the neoconservative dogwhistle tune called ‘Blaming the Vulnerable’.
So, you have people who have left their ancestral homes to seek a better life for their families, who often work in exploitative settings, who may have to work multiple low-paying jobs to get by, who may have to share accomodations to make them affordable and, because of their lived reality, blame them for higher rates of Covid infections (whether true or not). It’s like burning someone’s house down and blaming them for being homeless.
Just when you thought these Reformers had run out of stupidity one of them comes up with something else. After we watch Tyler Schandro try to drive out rural doctors with all his sarcastic comments he hurled at them he has now confirmed that he has lost the fight and is desperately trying to buy them back with a $6 million taxpayer handout when it shouldn’t have been necessary .
These fools haven’t a clue about how to govern, blaming others is all the know. Kenney is constantly blaming Ottawa but offers no solution , just like his supporters who hurl their sarcastic comments at us but aren’t able to prove us wrong.
Lawyers tell us they wouldn’t stand a chance in court, just like Kenney found out with the Carbon Tax. He ignored what our oil executives have been saying for years and he ignored what Joe Biden was telling him and look at what that cost us.
Canada is bringing in more refugees than any country in the world. While we feed and cloth them; house them and provide Medicare for them, many live as families in crowded conditions. Seems Beth Gerwin doesn’t consider how such a scenario would contribute to COVID spread.
Why are you ignoring the fact that they faced strong restrictions protecting us while these Alberta fools who broke the laws faced none? Kenney claims he didn’t want to interfere with the rights.
According the the UN Refugee Agency there were, as of mid-2020, 26.3 million refugees worldwide. Just under 40% are hosted in just six countries, and Canada is not even close to the top of list. Overall, 86% of refugees are hosted in developing countries, and Turkey with 3.6 million refugees, hosts more refugees than any other country.