Well, the Mirror's editorial page is burning up with missives vollying back and forth over sea lice on salmon and the arrival of Wal-Mart.
The sea lice debate is over who's got the accurate information. As is always the case in these debates, both sides quote either directly or anecdotally, experts and data that conclusively prove their case. For readers (include editors in that group too), it can be a confusing and daunting mish mash of reports and statistics. To determine your own position on the issue, you would need to go to those original reports and read them all. That is one shortcoming of the letters to the editor feature. It's not the place to quote or regurgitate data. It would take up too much space – more than what the paper has to offer. Sometimes we will run long letters on an issue but we're not prepared to provide any one letter unlimited space. The sea lice issue is a hotly contested scientific debate that not only has the general public debating the pros and cons but the academics as well.
Is there a conclusive position on the issue? Probably not at this stage. As a result the two sides lob their expert reports back and forth.
The letters to the editor space works best when people just express their opinion. Yes, it's good to back it up with data but the data doesn't need to be quoted or included. Just tell us how you feel about the issue in general. It's a good idea to direct people to where they can do further inquiry but leave the academic debate to the academics.
Meanwhile, the impending arrival of a Wal-Mart store in Campbell River is beginning to heat up the letters space. Now, this is an issue that is light on statistics and heavily weighted in favour of how you feel about big box stores. There are some studies out there that have been alluded to (as to whether Wal-Mart kills or doesn't kill smaller businesses) but for the most part, the debate is following along the lines of the impact the retailer will have on the character of the community. I still think that most people in Campbell River are supportive of or ambivalent towards the store but the letters are proving that there is some strong feeling against the store out there.
We will continue to watch both debates with interest.
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8 comments:
I Wonder if the lack of comment isn't because people are afraid they will be quoted in the paper.... after all, we all know ANONYMOUS opinions are considered invalid.
Sea lice, like Walmart, are opportunists whose global effects cannot be calculated by the unit or through short-term cost-benefit analysis. Both reflect humans' desire for the mostest for the leastest, which is left over from a vanished time of abundant resources. Both are killers of beauty: uniqueness, diversity, individual opportunity, high quality, the best of the best. Both are wake-up calls.
The lack of comments is because the majority of population of CR is tired of the paper's anti progress bias not to mention the repetitive oversimplification of the stoned greenys like sustainablebeauty. Talk about beating a dead horse! Forgive me for my political incorrectness but isn't it time to move onto a new topic? How many times can we hear the same arguments over and over.
Hoestly, I believe most Campbell Riverites are in favour of having Wal-Mart come in. The environmental issues originally were a smokescreen being puffed up by scared local businesses afraid of being paved over by low prices. I got news for all you businesses, allot of us are already spending our money in Nanaimo and Courtenay because we can't find what we're looking for here. I'm asked a hundred times a summer by visitors to our city, "Where's the stores?" Don't you have a Wal-Mart or Target, no K-Mart, no True Value, no Home Depot, no London Drugs?
The longer we keep people away, the less they'll want to come. Fear is a nasty four letter word. If businesses can't compete, change strategies, attract different customers, do whatever it takes? How do you think stores like Wal-Mart came to be in the first place? Because they quit at the first sign of competition, no way, they overcame, and good businesses will do the same, even in a town like Campbell River. Wal-Mart will attract another 30,000 shoppers to this city, probably more. Is there nothing our local businesses have to offer 30,000 new shoppers? If you are selling $150 fishing rods, you shouldn't fear Wal-Mart, they don't sell high end anything, let alone hundred dollar quality fishing rods. If you sell a $25 piece of plastic tupperware, or a $15 facecloth, you need to be worried, because Wal-Mart is going to charge what you should have been charging all along!!!
It's evolution, it's constant, and it's unrelenting. Adapt and survive. Fear, and you fail. Use Wal-Mart's presence to attract thousands of new customers to your business and enjoy times like you've never see before.
Re the ten million dollar mile: It actually cost eleven million before it was even finished. How much it cost in the end, no one really knows. And Willow Point does not really look that much better as a result.
Great article! Thanks.
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