Dear Editor:
Re: Online poster proud of partaking in violent gay bashing attack, Letters to the editor, Burnaby NOW, July 22.
The letter posted by this paper on July 22, 2011, authored by a T. Trueman. would have been better titled as "Burnaby Now supports Bashing Parents' Voice." The publication of Trueman's little missive provides us with two important illustrations in today's world of media.
The first is provided by T. Trueman himself. The writer using that name demonstrates how delusional, deceitful and malicious some people really are.
The second illustration, that is more worthy of note, is the political bias and irresponsibility of the editor and publisher of Burnaby Now, in knowingly permitting false information, asserted as fact, to be published.
I challenge Burnaby Now and Mr. Trueman to the same test - Can you provide Burnaby Now readers with any credible report that justifies or supports the publication of T. Trueman's libellous assertions that Parents' Voice members are "ignorant, misguided, and bigoted" or that they are in "...favour of allowing gay children to be bullied in their schools" ? And when you fail to produce any such report I further challenge you, as publisher, to explain why you facilitated T. Trueman's unfounded vilifications of Mr. Lau and the Parents' Voice members.
I hope that your explanation involves two apologies: one to Mr. Lau and the other members of Parents' Voice for exposing them to contempt, hate and ridicule; and the second to your readers for deliberately attempt to dupe them by using the "letters" feature to assert, as fact, information that you know is wrong.
Mr. Lau and the Parents' Voice movement are the most inclusive, caring, transparent, active and informed group of parents and community stakeholders Burnaby has. This leadership movement of civility and common sense is not now just limited to Burnaby, but has given rise to like movements across this province - a movement that is long overdue.
I encourage every concerned parent and taxpayer to become involved in the Parents' Voice movement; after all, every one of you pays for the public education system, and has the right and responsibility to demand accountability for what transpires within those taxpayer funded corridors.
Kari Simpson
Co-Host RoadKill Radio.com
Executive Director, Community Partners
