Re Watch your Language, an open letter to Patrick Singh, Liberal candidate in Whitehorse Centre from Jan Stick, New Democrat candidate Riverdale South:
In a letter to the editor on Wednesday, candidate Stick called out candidate Singh in an “open letter to Patrick Singh” format, with the title “Watch your language.”
Now, I’m not sure if this was a decision of candidate Stick or the Yukon News, but it suggests, to the suggestible reader, that candidate Singh said something unseemly for a potential public official.
Candidate Stick went further to state that, “I am not about to repeat how Singh referred to this person,” as if candidate Singh had somehow breached community standards in his utterances and, by repeating this offending reference, it would somehow be a further breach in itself.
What Singh said did not denote economic status, race or culture. At worst, he said something that suggests familiarity. He was using a nickname in reference to someone he knows.
I agree with candidate Stick in her statement that, “We all need to be respectful of each other, whether in our daily lives or in the media.”
Candidate Singh has broad acquaintance with many people who live and work downtown. Through his hot dog cart on Main Street he listens to issues and fosters dialogue in open and respectful discussion “round the cart.”
Blame it on the cart.
I am a friend of Patrick (Paddy) Singh, but do not live in the riding he is running in.
Bill (William) Polonsky
Whitehorse