To The Editor,
The last issue of The Glengarry News arrived in my mailbox. I was surprised that the newspaper had folded. I had been a subscriber even before moving to this part of Ontario, from Montreal, twelve years ago.I enjoyed the local news, editorials, letters to the editor and even read through the obituaries and advertisements. In other words, I got my money’s worth.
When it comes to media, I am eclectic. I listen to the radio, watch television on the weekend, scroll through CBC, CTV, CBS, NBC and CNN on my laptop because I like to be informed.I find that Canada is becoming more and more like the U.S. in that our society seems to be polarized. Why is it so difficult to find consensus on many issues? Why is it that one is labelled an outlier if he or she does not go along with the crowd?I’m reminded of a high school experience which opened my eyes to the possibilities, that opinions different from my own, had some validity. I was a member of a debating team. Initially I thought that I was going to have a blast promoting issues I felt strongly about.Imagine my dismay to discover that occasionally I was on the team which not only had to defend a theme that I personally felt was wrong but also champion it in order to win the debate.
Setting aside my own views, it was necessary to seek positives about subjects I never would have agreed with on my own.I rose to the challenge because I do enjoy a challenge. Did that process change my feelings about topics outside of school debates, is an interesting question I asked myself? I paused to answer until I understood what the idea of open-mindedness really means.
Jerry Boroff, Dalkeith
