The Epoch Times has received dozens of letters regarding the Canada-China Foreign Investment Protection Agreement. The following are excerpts from letters received the week of Dec. 9–15, 2012.

In the next few days, our sovereign right to guide our own future as a nation will be threatened. Our government is pushing through a trade agreement called the Foreign Investment Protection Act, or FIPA. This agreement gives companies in China the right to sue our government for making decisions that negatively affects foreign interests.

[...] In matters concerning foreign profits versus the will of the Canadian people, our sovereign right to legislate will be trumped by a secret tribunal. Stephen Harper is selling our sovereignty, and Canada needs to stop him.

Michael Bolton
Edmonton, Alberta

[...] Prime Minister Harper must protect Canadian democracy and natural resources from corporate greed. Now that Harper has allowed this damaging Nexen takeover, he must not pass the secretive and extreme FIPA.

Anna Labarias
Montreal, Quebec

I do not approve of deregulation of environmental controls, cuts to subsidies of important governmental bodies; I do not approve of the recent sale of the Canadian fossil fuel giant Nexen to the Chinese; and I do not approve of the proposed Canada-China FIPA agreement.

Alexander Jerabek

FIPA would be like NAFTA, but more dangerous. Canada has already spent hundreds of millions on penalties from lawsuits launched under the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), and is currently being sued by a U.S. corporation because Quebec placed a temporary moratorium on fracking to study its controversial health and safety impacts. If FIPA passes, the door will be open for CNOOC and other Chinese corporations to do even worse.

Melanie Gauthier
Vancouver, B.C.

Harper’s decision to let China buy Canadian tar sands is bad for Alberta, Canada, and the world. We have the capital and the technology, and do not need China taking control over our resources. Please put effort to stop him on this.

Amir Sepasi, Ph.D.
Edmonton, Alberta

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The values and goals of those in power today and those during the Tiananmen Square protests have not changed a great deal. They are still a very strong communist country. They have made some positive looking changes but … are we ready to risk them gaining control of Canada’s vast natural resources?

Right now, daily, China exports incomprehensible quantities of “stuff” made from our precious natural resources, yet they import next to nothing. I do not need an MBA to figure out what could happen if Canadian companies lost ownership or control over our natural resources.

Every Canadian needs to understand that this threatens our security, our sovereignty, and our democracy, let alone our way of life.

Let’s ask ourselves a few questions. Why are so many people from China willing to leave their family, friends, jobs, homes, and country to come to our “home and native land” of Canada?

Why would the communist Chinese government want their businesses to gain ownership over Canadian resources?

We have all learned that laws do not offer bullet-proof protection. Why would we open the door for foreign interests to be allowed to sue us based on their interests first and foremost?

Why does the import/export equation between us and China appear lopsided in their favour?

Why are we importing “stuff” from a country that has environmental and humanitarian standards unacceptable within Canada? How can Canadian businesses compete in a global market when the rules aren’t the same?

Whose responsibility is it to pass on a better world to our offspring?

It is incumbent on us to know the answers to these questions before our duly elected government wrongfully represents us.

As a mother and grandmother, I have lived long enough and seen more than enough to beg caution on behalf of my grandchildren … adults of tomorrow who will have to live with the decisions this government is making much too quickly and quietly in a few days.

Beryl Pearson
Enderby, B.C.

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It also threatens Canada’s sovereignty, giving unprecedented coercive tools to a world power that has a radically different governing system from ours.

The Canada-China FIPA may adversely change Canadian governance at all levels. It has the potential to change the face of Canada in its ownership of natural resources and public services. It has the potential to coerce and interfere with the evolution of our laws.

The public and its elected representatives deserve to have time to understand the extraordinary ramifications of the treaty and openly debate them in the House of Commons, with full and timely disclosure of information.

Twenty-one days, without parliamentary debate or an informative press release, is unacceptable for a treaty of this magnitude. Knowledge is essential, while our elected representatives, and media, have not been given the required time or information to respond to the FIPA treaty.

Shock, secrecy, complexity, and speed of change has paralyzed effective democratic response to the Canada-China investment treaty.

Linda George

Gabriola Island, B.C.

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1. Dr. John Taylor’s anatomical studies of the foreskin are well known. However, it is a leap to say that this translates into reduced sexual pleasure. Neither Dr. Taylor nor anyone else has shown a scientific double blind study proving that circumcised men have less sexual pleasure than uncircumcised men.

2. Nature gave us ear lobes without earring holes and other features with which we tamper. The argument that we should not remove the foreskin because it is supplied by nature should not hold.

3. On the one hand, Dr. Jones discounts the benefit regarding penile cancer because it is so uncommon. On the other hand, he makes a big deal regarding disfiguring complications of circumcision even though these are even rarer than penile cancer.

4. Reduction in transmission of HIV and genital herpes is a huge benefit and should not be easily discounted.

5. There is no proof presented, nor does any exist, that erectile dysfunction is related to circumcision. Erectile dysfunction is rooted in psychosocial causes as well as atherosclerotic disease. I am not aware of any published studies linking it to circumcision.

Parents do have a right to decide whether or not to circumcise their sons, just as they have a right to decide upon immunization and other health related decisions regarding their children.

Dr. Gifford Jones should be more careful to present accurate information in his articles; or he should admit that he is only presenting his personal opinion.

Dr. Aaron Jesin operates a family medical practice and a circumcision clinic in Toronto.

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To the 2012 Presidential Candidates Messrs. Obama and Romney:

While the United States and much of the world are preoccupied with economic problems, there is another urgent matter that must be addressed as soon as possible. Systematic forced live organ harvesting of thousands of innocent people in China has been referred to as “a new form of evil on this planet.”

It is comparable to the crimes of the Nazi regime, which are well documented and remembered with the words “never again.” Yet when a comparable crime is being committed now, the world’s governments are in denial or are ignoring it.

We deeply regret to see that neither presidential candidate of this great nation has taken a stance on these atrocities.

The United States, as a free nation, rose to preeminence in world affairs after World War II. After the collapse of the Soviet Union empire, the United States became the only superpower and assumed responsibility as the leader of nations.

Yet, if the U.S. champions freedom, human rights, and the rule of law, why does it not now lead the world in putting an end to such a huge crime against humanity when it is right before us? Is it because the U.S. is afraid of backlash from a rising China for meddling in its internal affairs?

Actually, there’s no need to fear such a regime that will lose all credibility once the crime of the theft of organs and murdering the ‘donors’ is revealed to the Chinese people. But we cannot idly standby and wait for the communist regime to collapse while tens of thousands of good people are being systematically imprisoned, tortured, and murdered across China everyday.

The U.S. has the moral obligation to stand up to China to protect, not only the people of China for universal human rights, but also the people of the U.S. and the rest of the world from a dangerous regime, which has demonstrated in the past decades that it is a world menace that cannot be reformed. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) deceives the world, manipulates the global economy, while disdaining global protocols and international law.

If the U.S. does not stand up to China, no other nation can. The President of the United States has a special responsibility in this, which should not be shirked.

The atrocities of organ harvesting for big profit from vast number of healthy and imprisoned innocent people in China are coming to greater light. When the atrocities committed by the CCP are fully revealed, the regime will come to an end. Then what will the people say about the U.S. if it did nothing to put an end to the atrocities when the truth was known?

Relevant information has since been available in studies, witness accounts, U.S. congressional hearings and media reports. Two salient books have been published, Bloody Harvest (2007) and State Organs (2012), which provide hard evidence beyond reasonable doubt that these atrocities occurred and are still ongoing. Those subject to forced organ harvesting are primarily Falun Gong practitioners. The victims also include Uyghurs, Tibetans, and House Christians.

The mainstream media has not understood and reported well about the orchestration of live organ harvesting on a vast scale. Because the media doesn’t grasp the moral degeneration of the CCP, it cannot see the coming collapse of the CCP.

Eight years ago, at the Fairmont hotel in Washington, D.C., Bo Xilai, the then Minister of Commerce, was served with a civil lawsuit on the afternoon of April 22, 2004, by Falun Gong practitioners on charges of “torture, genocide and crimes against humanity.”

Now Bo Xilai awaits his criminal trial in China. Although the two incidents are eight years apart, they have close connections.

Wang Lijun, former police chief of Chongqing and one of Bo’s subordinates, fled to the American Consulate in Chengdu in Feb. 6, and likely disclosed information implicating his boss Bo. Since his tenure as governor of Liaoning Province, Bo was very much involved in the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners and political dissidents.

The most noteworthy information that Bo fears is being exposed about his approval of forced organ harvesting from living prisoners. He is concerned about evidence that he and his cronies profited from organ harvesting and use of executed prisoners’ bodies in worldwide plastination exhibits.

On Oct. 4, a ‘Dear Colleague’ letter was co-signed by 106 Congress Members, urging the State Department to make public any information regarding forced live organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners in China and in any of the secret materials Wang Lijun may have handed over.

The U.S.-China relations are not just about trade and economics. More importantly, it is the relationship between the American people and the Chinese people, as the latter live under the boot and mind control of the CCP

The CCP has created a more dystopian and hellish world in China than the one imagined in Orwell’s 1984. The U.S. should not be concerned about a worse and more dangerous regime taking power. China’s culture taught people morality and virtue, which the CCP has been trying to destroy. China has prospered for 5,000 years under such a culture without the CCP, and China will flourish again.

Recently, our friends have personally handed letters to each of you informing you about this urgent matter of organ harvesting. Please give it and this letter serious consideration.

The role America plays in putting an end to the atrocities may very well determine the nation’s position in the future global community. May future generations benefit and prosper from the right choices you make today.

Falun Dafa Association of Washington DC
October 16, 2012

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If Brian Lee Crowley is correct that Americans “just don’t get it,” then the reason is that they, like him, do not understand functional finance, as first propounded by the economist Abba Lerner back in 1941.

If there is a deficiency of purchasing power in the national economy because imports exceed exports and the private sector is net saving, then the federal government must fill the gap with spending, irrespective of the current debt level or debt ratio.

Failing that, a downward spiral of increasing unemployment ensues, as is evident in the eurozone where stringent austerity measures have led to riots in the streets.

But Americans certainly do understand that if they reduce their debt sharply by cutting back on government services and also increasing taxes, they will head right over a fiscal cliff and take the world economy with them.

Larry Kazdan

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

This is a shocking statement that unfortunately shows the usual deep lack of understanding about the role and accountability of political staff.

Many political staff, who are paid by the public, take part in key policy discussions and decisions; and so the public has a clear right to know what they are doing exactly, what powers they have, and their financial and other private interests. Without this information, the public cannot tell whether staffers are furthering their own, or their family’s or friend’s interests, with their decisions and actions.

All the parties use staffers to do their dirty work because there are no ethics or other accountability rules that apply to the staff of MPs, senators, or research and other party office staff (the Conflict of Interest Act only applies to the staff of Cabinet ministers).

As the parliamentary committee (Procedure and House Affairs) continues its review of the MP ethics code this fall, and as the Senate considers changes to its code, the committee must strongly recommend that this huge loophole be closed by extending the codes to cover the staff of MPs and senators.

Duff Conacher, Founding Director of Democracy Watch

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The robocall election fraud situation has revealed other weaknesses in fair election enforcement.

And these two situations are likely the tip of the iceberg, as there are more than 3,000 complaints that Elections Canada alone has received since 1997. Unfortunately, Elections Canada continues to refuse to disclose its rulings in those complaints, so the public has no idea whether enforcement of the rules has been proper and effective in the past six federal elections.

Rather than defending systems with loopholes, and hiding enforcement records, Elections Canada and the provincial agencies should be disclosing details to prove their enforcement is effective, and pushing for stronger laws and more resources and training to ensure our future elections are fraud-free.

Tyler Sommers is the coordinator of Democracy Watch

Helen Forsey is not a constitutional expert—she is the daughter of a constitutional expert (which is not at all the same thing).

Ms. Forsey ignores the fact that many constitutional experts believe the Governor General had the discretionary power to reject the December 2008 request by Prime Minister Harper to shut down Parliament, and had the discretionary power to hand power to the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition if they had voted against the Conservative government in December 2008, and had the discretionary power to reject the September 2008 snap election call request by Prime Minister Harper, and even had the discretionary power to hand power to the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition if they had formed right after the 2008 election and went to her with an agreed legislative plan showing that the Liberals had the confidence of a majority of MPs in the House.

Ms. Forsey also ignores the fact that many other constitutional experts believe the Governor General had no discretionary power to do any of these things.

Like experts on the two sides of this debate, Ms. Forsey believes that her father, Eugene Forsey, was 100 percent correct in his interpretation of the unwritten rules (known as “constitutional conventions”) that govern the decisions of the Governor General (and the provincial lieutenant governors).

Considering that actual experts disagree completely about whether or not the Governor General and provincial governors have these powers, it seems reasonable to clarify these powers, which is all the YCYC survey asked Canadians about: Do they want these powers clarified and made enforceable?

As is thankfully mentioned in your article, politicians from all political parties in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand have agreed to--and approved to varying degrees--clear, specific written rules on such key governing situations that involve the Governor General (along with the Prime Minister and Cabinet and parliamentarians).

These rules cover areas such as what constitutes a vote of confidence, when Parliament must be opened and can be shut down, when elections can be called, what a government can do just before and during an election (in terms of, for instance, Cabinet appointments), what happens after an election, etc.

They have done this to end the disputes between experts, and to clarify what powers the Governor General has and doesn’t have, and thereby to make their governments more transparent, democratic, and accountable.

According to the YCYC survey, two-thirds of Canadians want the same changes made here.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Parliament Hill (Simon Hayter/Getty Images).

The ongoing refusal by federal government institutions to provide the Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) with information he clearly has a legal right to examine, and needs to do his analysis of spending, makes it clear that the PBO must be given the power to penalize anyone who refuses his legal requests, and to subpoena information through a quick application in court.

As well, the PBO must be made independent of Cabinet (as the Conservatives promised in the 2006 election), with a fixed term of office and protection from being fired for arbitrary reasons.

Until these changes are made, the federal Conservatives will continue to produce dishonest spending and financial statements that hide what they are doing with the public’s money.

Tyler Sommers, Coordinator of Democracy Watch

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

A Chinese man at an Internet cafe in China. (AFP/Getty Images).

How much has been spent to maintain stability?
The cost even exceeds military spending!
Putting aside all the other issues for a moment, 
There is a horrendous dark secret behind the internet tax.
People say the internet speed in China is slow,
Contrary to common sense, behind the slowness is huge expense.
The evil Communist Party always advocates twisted ideologies,
Reverse your thinking first before trying to analyze its behavior.

Internet speed in mainland China, many times slower than other countries,
Internet fees in mainland China, many times higher than other countries,
Netizens supposedly pay for internet maintenance,
The cost of which is minimal,
The real expense comes from the internet blockade.

How very unlucky are the netizens in mainland China!
They pay to read lies, and they pay more than others to have themselves silenced
They pay to be hoodwinked, since all the money they pay goes to internet blockade.

The corrupted officials need to please their mistresses, thus they are hungry for money,
Bribing their bosses and taking control in a power struggle, many such necessities also require huge sums of money,
You, among countless netizens, empty your savings to pay for these costs, as well as the salaries of internet police.

If you ever ask why, be prepared to get blindfolded and slapped on the face,
If you ever demand an explanation, an accusation of subversion awaits,
If you ever try to analyze the situation, expect to be labeled a rumormonger.
Who pays for the blindfold over your eyes?
It is you, the taxpayer!

Your tax money at work for handcuffs and shackles,
The internet tax is also part of it,
Not only the internet tax, all other types of fees and taxes function just the same,
Internet police live on your internet tax,
Other tax collectors feed on other taxes.

The evil party officials, sneaky, overweight thieves.
Blind Chen Guangcheng, defending people’s rights without fear,
The evil party treats him like a big enemy,
His house besieged by an army of guards,
Who do you think pays the money to turn his home into a jail?

Tens of millions spent every year,
The party leaders still say it’s worthwhile,
Don’t you find the “world monopolized by the party” dark beyond description?
How can they maintain stability by committing these evil deeds?
The more they attempt to maintain stability, the less stable it becomes,
Everyone is on his guard, everyone feels insecure.

Checking the internet every now and then,
The more I use it, the more indignant I become,
I’ve paid so much to these monsters who are after people’s lives.
The Great Firewall, set up to deceive you,
Breaking it to seek the truth is considered a terrible crime.

Keeping the Communist Party for one more day, no more hope for anyone,
Now Heaven is destroying it,
Announce your withdrawal from the party if you want to survive,
Once the Communist Party is disintegrated, enjoy swift internet surfing every day,
Plenty of savings back in your pocket (with the drastically reduced internet cost),
Surfing the boundless world with great joy!

Zheng Chunqing (a nom de plume) is a reader of the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times who submitted the above poem, reflecting on the meaning of current political events in China.

Read the original Chinese article. 

chinareports@epochtimes.com

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Click www.ept.ms/ccp-crisis to read about the most recent developments in the ongoing power struggle within the Chinese communist regime. In this special topic, we provide readers with the necessary context to understand the situation. Get the RSS feed. Get the Timeline of Events. Who are the Major Players?

Blind activist-lawyer Chen Guangcheng. (Illustration by Vivan Song/Epoch Times)

Heaven’s Will struck unexpectedly, shocking all mankind.
A corrupted policeman fled to the consulate, a deadly blow to Bo Xilai.

Guangcheng entered the embassy, a dumbfounding incident.
The evil ones recoiled, while the kind-hearted ones rejoiced.

Heaven’s Will guides human’s will, one surprise follows another.
All eyes are watching Beijing to see how Hu and Wen play their cards.

Yongkang trembles with fear, high time to cast him out and gain control.

His ousting will bring a favorable outcome in the game.

Obey Heaven’s Will, good fortune will be certain; or else reap misfortune.
Don’t forget, the red gang has a debt of blood and is not afraid of spilling more.

You can’t blame others if you let them push you out.
The Communist Party is doomed, as Heaven deals new cards.

If the worst were to happen, Hu and Wen planted the seeds.

By all means don’t let it, because that will bring catastrophe.

Zheng Chunqing (a nom de plume) is a reader of the Chinese edition of The Epoch Times who submitted the above poem, reflecting on the meaning of current political events in China.

Read the original Chinese article.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Click www.ept.ms/ccp-crisis to read about the most recent developments in the ongoing power struggle within the Chinese communist regime. In this special topic, we provide readers with the necessary context to understand the situation. Get the RSS feed. Get the Timeline of Events. Who are the Major Players?

March 24, World TB Day, is a grim reminder that this ancient disease is still with us and is now taking on terrifying new drug-resistant forms.

Tuberculosis is little known in affluent parts of the world, and celebrities have not spoken out against this killer that takes the lives of more than a million human beings every year.

But Canada has been quietly working to reverse the neglect of TB, establishing programs for diagnosis and treatment, and providing major funding to the international organizations that are leading the fight against the disease.

The slow progress that has been made is now threatened by the global downturn, as governments turn their attention to controlling budget deficits. Donors have failed to deliver $2 billion in previously committed funding to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria—dollars that would have saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

The world cannot afford to lose momentum in the fight against TB. We cannot tell a million people that their lives are not worth saving. As a well-respected leader in the campaign against TB, Canada can call on other nations to follow through on their commitments and can itself accelerate its payments to address the funding crisis.

Chitra Ramaswami
Calgary, Alberta

Duff Conacher says the robocall scandal that has erupted could be only one among many undisclosed Elections Canada complaints. (File photo/Epoch Times)

While the robocalls situations in which voters were misled during the 2011 election are obviously very serious and must be fully investigated, it is equally serious that no one knows whether Elections Canada has been fairly and effectively enforcing the federal elections law in the past decade.

Democracy Watch analyzed Elections Canada’s reports after the 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2011 federal elections, and found that Elections Canada has not reported the results of investigations, or its rulings, on more than 2,280 complaints filed during those elections.

Also, since 2004 Elections Canada has not disclosed any information about the number of complaints received in between elections, or how and when they were investigated and ruled on.

So, very likely the robocall situation is the tip of the iceberg and there are many, many other situations that raise serious questions about whether federal elections in Canada have been conducted fairly since 2004.

Elections Canada must be required by Parliament to disclose details about how it has handled every single complaint it has received since 2004.

Duff Conacher
Board member
Democracy Watch

(Photos.com)

This was written in response to The Epoch Times’ series, Near-Death Experiences: 30 Years of Research.

I had a near-death experience (NDE) at the age of eight but I didn’t realize its significance until many years later. The NDE occurred while I was in a coma as a long-time sufferer of kidney disease, in the year 1984.

My physical and spiritual growth was slow until at age 29 I finally realized that what I had experienced as a young child so many years before was in fact an NDE. Since then, I have found myself on a quest for knowledge on both the physical and spiritual planes.

I have learned that human life is of immense value, in no way measurable by money. Material possessions don’t interest me. They’re fun to have, but after we die, the only things we can take with us are knowledge and memories.

Something in me has been evolving since I recognized my NDE, but I find few people willing to listen and able to understand. Some even say I’m crazy and stay away from me.

I have acquired gifts such as clairvoyance and high sensitivity. At times I can see auras. The physical body fades away, and the only thing that remains is the soul, which then reveals the traumas that people endure.

I have taken it upon myself to help others with the benefit of what I have seen, but many of them aren’t pleased when I tell them “You shouldn’t smoke, or drink, or work too hard.” Thus, even though I may see in advance what is going to happen to someone, I have to let it happen because that is what’s best for that person’s spiritual growth. We learn from our mistakes and become stronger. We encounter things on our way that we can handle and that belong to our spiritual growth.

I feel quite isolated because I get to see so much about others–things that others do not see. I tend to get carried away emotionally and end up hurting myself because I am attracted to the pain and suffering of others. My concern and worry then settles in my weak spot, the kidneys.

In my NDE, I literally went out of my body on a trip through time. I saw and encountered things from my past as well as the future. Some of the things that were in the future at the time of my NDE haven’t yet come to pass, while others happened years ago. The journey through time was so unreal that it was mind blowing. I was guided by my deceased grandfather, who told me everything about life now and what the future will bring.

I saw that society will experience an enormous downward spiral, and many will suffer. Those who don’t want to listen will be removed from the Earth. I sailed through time, saw the
Earth from above, and received knowledge that is still hard to understand.

I learned that life and death are one and the same. There is only life. People see death as something to avoid, but it’s a continuous process. When someone dies, somewhere else a baby is born and that same soul gains the opportunity to grow and become better.

Everything that happens in our bodies can be seen in nature as well. There’s a continuous supply and removal of food and waste products.

After sailing through time, the return to my diseased body and the Earth was quite painful. It left me angry, even wanting to die because the other side is so much more beautiful than here. It’s impossible to imagine if you haven’t witnessed it.

Milo Heerkens
The Netherlands

We are Chinese immigrants in Canada who left China in pursuit of freedom, democracy and a better life. We run a business selling groceries, fruit and vegetables, in Chinatown. Our family consists of parents-in-law, two children, my husband and me. It is a closely bonded family, working happily together. During our initial days in Canada we had to work very hard to establish our business.

After several years of hard work, our business flourished. We bought a supermarket to expand the business, and bought a house and cars. Our life style improved significantly.

Heavy work at our business and house chores took most of my time that I was unable to show much care and support to my husband. I also never paid attention to his emotional needs, without realizing that this neglect could lead him astray. My husband started to spend the nights out.

Sometimes he did not come home for several nights. He was constantly fretful at me and the children, and the household was no longer harmonious. Sometimes, money from our bank accounts would disappear.

One fine day six years back, my husband took most of our savings and left me for another woman.

This was a serious blow to me and I was deeply hurt. But I had to continue with my work to support the family. Fortunately my parents-in-law, my uncle and the employees supported me well and helped me to move on.

With so much internal pain, my health was affected. I suffered from all kinds of illnesses, insomnia, headache, stomach pain, weight loss, etc. My friends advised me to make a clean break with my husband, which I was not able to accept. Five painful years passed this way.

It was at this crucial period of my life that I started reading The Epoch Times, the Chinese newspaper which was distributed to my store regularly. In addition to varied news items of the world, the paper has a column on the Chinese culture of ancient wisdom and values. I started reading this column with great interest as it had a healing effect on my wounded heart.

One article was about a priest who expressed forgiveness to the murderer of his son, in public during the funeral, saying as long as he realized his guilt he can start a new life. I understood the message of this story. It speaks about the wisdom of tolerance. Without tolerance, there can be no forgiveness. Forgiveness saves one from bitter resentment.

I understand that tolerance is a traditional Chinese virtue. Tolerance is the ability to be kind to others, make allowance for the mistakes of others and guide them with virtue. As long as one has kindness, one will know how to forgive, even those who deeply hurt one. This column helped me to untie the knots in my heart.

Through reading these articles in The Epoch Times and reflecting, I understood that hatred is not the path for the future. One thought of tolerance can change everything.

I began to learn to let go of my hatred, and was willing to forgive my husband. Thinking of the pain and joy of the hard work we did together, my resentment reduced. I believed that he must still love our kids, his parents and the family. He was only distracted with some extra money and could not resist the temptation.

I also believed that a relationship built on money and lust will not last long. I believed that he will return home!

Sure enough, on a cold night last year, my husband came home accompanied by some friends. He had opened a small restaurant in another city and the business was not going well. He had been in a car accident which almost disabled him. The other woman took this opportunity to take the rest of the money and left my husband while he was in the hospital.

My husband was suddenly awakened to the truth and realized the loyalty of his wife who went through all the ups and downs with him. With the advice of his friends, he came back with apologies and regrets.

Thanks to The Epoch Times, which inspired me to have tolerance and forgiveness, I was ready to welcome and embrace my husband without resentment. Since then we work together to cherish our marriage and rebuilt our relationships to be better than ever.

I would like to thank The Epoch Times for helping us re-unite. Hereby I send my warmest congratulations to the tenth anniversary of the most widely distributed Chinese newspaper in Canada.

Read the original Chinese article.

Liberal MP Ralph Goodale speaks in support of the Canadian Wheat Board during a protest on Parliament Hill on Nov. 15, 2011. (Matthew Little/The Epoch Times)

Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz is quoted as telling farmers who want to retain the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) that “you as a supporter of THE board will still have A board to support.”

(Emphasis added. Read the minister’s words carefully.)

The important distinction is between “THE” existing CWB, and “A” board of some sort that may last for a little while after the Conservatives get done vandalizing what’s there now.

The most vital characteristic of the CWB since 1943 has been its “single-desk” marketing system. Once that system is demolished (and with no capital base and no access to grain handling facilities), the CWB is essentially dead.

The government is trying to ease producer concern by peddling the false hope that those who want THE CWB will still have it.

That notion is simply not true. It’s like saying you can survive with no brain, heart, or lungs!

Whatever (if anything) remains after the single desk is destroyed, it will not, in the slightest, resemble the CWB of today. So beware the huge difference between “the Board” and “a board.”

Sincerely,

Hon. Ralph Goodale, MP
Wascana

Many are aware of Canada’s reputation as a beacon of global peace, development, and stability. Indeed, Canada, under Prime Minister Lester Pearson, was one of the major forces behind the United Nations proposal in 1969 that urged developed countries to devote 0.7 percent of their gross national income (GNI) to official development assistance (ODA) spending. Since then, many developed countries have either achieved or exceeded this goal, and many more are clearly working towards achieving it in the near future. Meanwhile, Canada continues to lag behind the rest of the developed world, with approximately 0.3 percent of our GNI going towards development assistance. Should our aid budget be frozen again in 2012 as it was this year, this figure will continue to fall as our economy grows, further distancing ourselves from this goal. Given that countries such as the U.K., which is in far worse economic shape than we are, are demonstrating a more active effort to achieve this goal, we simply have no excuse to not devote more of our GNI to aid.

I also believe that what should be investigated is what are known as “hot flashes” as I tend to think that this is a lower temperature symptom of this.

Because of cancer I am receiving stomach injections and these cause periods of great heat build up during the day, to be followed by great cooling.

I think that this could possibly be the start of “human combustion” if it becomes uncontrolled and should be investigated. It’s an imbalance in body chemistry, pure and simple.

Doug. Wilchowy
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

In its story on the PROTECT IP Act (“Protect IP Could Have Far-reaching Impact on Digital Freedom,” August 10, 2011), regarding Senate legislation aimed at stopping foreign-based websites that traffic in stolen films and television, The Epoch Times not only got several important facts wrong but missed the point entirely. 

Contrary to the article’s suggestion, the PROTECT IP Act is very, very narrowly-focused to cover only websites whose sole purpose is to provide or point to stolen content. Indeed, the bill’s definition of a rogue site is one that: 

“has no significant use other than engaging in, enabling, or facilitating the reproduction, distribution, or public performance of copyrighted works, in complete or substantially complete form, in a manner that constitutes copyright infringement … or is designed, operated, or marketed by its operator or persons operating in concert with the operator, and facts or circumstances suggest is used, primarily as a means for engaging in, enabling, or facilitating” infringement (see Section 2(7), emphasis ours). 

It’s clear this bill is targeted at the Pirate Bays of the world, not the YouTubes.

The Times also erred in its characterization of the PROTECT IP Act’s (very strong) provisions for due process. The bill does not allow site blocking to be “enforced without notifying the infringing site”—it mandates that the federal prosecutor bringing an action against a rogue site: 

“shall send a notice of the alleged violation and intent to proceed under this Act to the registrant of the domain name of the Internet site—

(A) at the postal and e-mail address appearing in the applicable publicly accessible database of registrations, if any and to the extent such addresses are reasonably available; 

(B) via the postal and e-mail address of the registrar, registry, or other domain name registration authority that registered or assigned the domain name, to the extent such addresses are reasonably available; and 

(C) in any other such form as the court finds necessary, including as may be required by Rule 4(f) of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.” (Section 3(c)(1))

In other words, the government is required to notify the infringing site in virtually every way possible. As constitutional expert Floyd Abrams wrote ”[t]he procedural protections under the Protect IP Act are so strong, uniform and constitutionally rooted that it is no exaggeration to observe that any complaints in this area are not really with the bill, but with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Itself, which govern all litigants in U.S. federal courts.”

But there’s also a larger point here. Nobody—hopefully—would think it’s right to walk into a video store and walk out with a DVD without paying for it. Taking a handheld video recorder into a movie theatre, recording a film on the big screen, digitizing it, putting it online, and streaming it or downloading that unauthorized copy to Internet users—often at an enormous profit from online subscription or advertising fees—is no less wrong. Yet that’s what rogue sites do every minute of every day. 

A great movie takes time, money, and effort from a lot of people to make. In the U.S., more than two million people are employed in jobs supported by the film and television industry. Most of those people aren’t the names on the marquees -- they’re the camera operators, set builders, makeup artists, costume makers, studio publicists, and truck drivers who depend not just on the box office but on revenues from DVD sales, licensing, and other so-called “after markets” to earn their living and support their families. And millions more people work in the hotels, restaurants, drycleaners, and furniture stores all over the country who see a boost to their bottom lines when local productions come to town. 

In the end, the purpose of the PROTECT IP Act and other efforts around the world to fight film and TV theft is to preserve our ability to make those films and TV shows in the first place. Losing that is too high a price to pay.

Michael O’Leary

Executive Vice President, Government Affairs

The Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPPA)

This year is very special to all Chinese people, since we are celebrating our Chinese ancestors’ achievement in the 1911 Chinese Revolution (Xinhai Revolution). They successfully overthrew the Qing Dynasty and set up the first republic in Asia. Unfortunately, many Chinese people are forced to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) this year.

However, there is some good news for the democracy of China—the former President of the CCP, Jiang Zemin (1926 -- ?), may die or has died. You may already know that he is the biggest contributor to the massacre on June 4, 1989 of the pro-democracy movement. During his term, he kept refusing to make an apology to the parents of children killed by the People’s Liberation Army on June 4, 1989 and also suppressed the spiritual group Falun Gong and any pro-democracy protests.

Of course, the CCP will not allow political reform, so it will follow its schedule to appoint a new chairman, Xi Jinping, next year.

When we have essay contests and other activities to celebrate our 1911 Chinese Revolution that happened a century ago, many of us find out that modern China faces many problems similar to the China in 1911s, such as corruption, suppression of any pro-democracy protests, arrest and detention of any pro-democracy activists, authors, and lawyers, and suppression of any publication which asks to set up a true “republic” that allows all Chinese people in China to enjoy freedom of speech, press, and religion, etc.

The Qing dynasty collapsed because of the Qing government’s dictatorship, corruption, lack of freedom, lack of free speech and lack of a free press. Modern China, ruled by the CCP, also has these problems. 21st century China is still controlled by a small number of high ranking CCP dictators and all the government officials in China are CCP members.

The majority of Chinese are always afraid of the CCP, so they do not fight for their freedom and other constitutional rights. Our "Chinese Communist Party Dynasty" servants, loyalists, and slaves either send the pro-democracy activists, lawyers, and recent Chinese Jasmine Revolution activists to prison or make them “disappear” without a legitimate reason.

In the past, the Qing dynasty did not allow any people to say or write anything to criticize it. Unfortunately, we still have this problem in this 21st century.

Before the Chinese Revolution of 1911, China was influenced by the American and French Revolutions in positive ways, and in the late 1980s and early 1990s, China was influenced by the collapse of Russia and Eastern Europe.

If we are responsible Chinese citizens and descendents of our brave 1911 Chinese Revolution revolutionaries, we should not leave the CCP’s dictatorship government to our next generation. Our ancestors in 1911 who had the courage to fight for their freedom and rights gave us a good example, so we should not underestimate ourselves and think that we do not have the courage, ability, and wisdom to do the same thing as our ancestors did a century ago.

M.C. Kan
New York City

Chinareports@epochtimes.com

Follow The Epoch Times’ China feeds @EpochTimesChina

Before it is too late, let’s call a spade just that.

The EU, perhaps through no fault of its own, has failed to provide a stable pan-European economy. One by one, sovereign political and economic entities are intensifying a strain on the Union and present a threat to western and global economic systems.

Despite giant leaps toward a single market economy, that underlying problems in the continent’s traditionally poorer regions have not been remedied is becoming apparent.

In the latter half of the twentieth century, European leaders strode into the unknown, in the hopes of never encountering the nihilistic nature of the preceding era. The dreams and fears of some have led to governance seen by many as unrepresentative of their heritage, Greece being the most obvious
example.

Disastrous? Not necessarily. EU leaders are now admitting policies, such as that on fishing, have failed. Recognition is the first step to resolution, as they say.

With a subtle shift in ideology and strategic restructuring of administration, the Union can achieve a balance between continental unity and the challenge for individual member states to tackle their own domestic difficulties. The balance in governing power can be tipped back from Brussels to national parliaments of countries stretched by demands of local administration and EU membership.

Paul O’ Sullivan
Dublin, Ireland

Before it is too late, let's call a spade just that.

The EU, perhaps through no fault of its own, has failed to provide a stable pan-European economy. One by one, sovereign political and economic entities are intensifying a strain on the Union and present a threat to Western and global economic systems.

Despite giant leaps toward a single market economy, the fact that underlying problems in the continent's traditionally poorer regions have not been remedied is becoming apparent.

In the latter half of the 20th century, European leaders strode into the unknown, in the hopes of never encountering the nihilistic nature of the preceding era. The dreams and fears of some have led to governance that is seen by many as unrepresentative of their heritage, Greece being the most obvious example.

Disastrous? Not necessarily. EU leaders are now admitting policies, such as the one on fishing, have failed. Recognition is the first step to resolution, as they say.

With a subtle shift in ideology and strategic restructuring of administration, the Union can achieve a balance between continental unity and the challenge for individual member states to tackle their own domestic difficulties. The balance in governing power can be tipped back from Brussels to national parliaments of countries stretched by demands of local
administration and EU membership.

Such a long-term strategy may seem regressive to Europhiles, but at this time of gravity for EU citizens, people need certainty. Populations of nations with histories infinitely longer than a united Europe yearn to rediscover their individuality.

The EU can endeavour to promote conditions of a single economy, without corralling individual member states into full
compliance.

Three Strikes, War on Drugs, Determinate Sentencing, Corruption in the prison system -- these all contribute to the overcrowdedness mentioned in Robin Kemker’s article California Hits the Wall.

And with crime rates down, yet a 70% recidivism rate, what are parolees being re-arrested for if not crime?!

California has far too many laws -- many of which were brought about by pushing the public’s emotional buttons.

Throughout history, whenever prison systems reached critical mass, reform followed. Slowly, each prison reform brought with it new ideas for how to make the system a little more humane, which, in turn, brought about progressively more desirable results in parolee behavior than had previous systems.

The current American prison system is a strange mix of the first two historical systems, seeming to not want to let go completely of torture as punishment beyond the sentence, or the money-making potential underlying the system.

The 3rd system, and the one historically proven to get the best results, was the one which implemented indeterminate sentences and let the prisoners take responsibility for their actions inside. This means that all those who acted responsibly were released early (with supervision) based on a merit system, and those who didn’t act responsibly, did their entire allotted time -- no matter what the offense. But that’s not all.

The 3rd system enacted treatment of prisoners that showed respect for life, which included giving them the same opportunity to be educated as those on the outside. But corrupt prison administration sabotaged that system.

Education, Respect of human life, Responsibility for implementing the opportunity to change the quality of life…

This is something that is supposed to be happening inside prisons already, according to California penal code section 5054, but is not.

Why isn’t it being upheld? Prison is just a bad idea no matter how you look at it. The past 40 years in California’s prison system have taken us backward rather than forward in prison and criminal justice reformation. The Supreme Court Order is proof that critical mass has again been reached in prison history. It’s time for Reform. I hope the public truly realizes that this is what is best for everyone, not only for prisoners.

Now is the perfect time to introduce a Prison Reform basically new to America -- Restorative Justice. It works, and does so without any of the negative residuals our country has been plagued with since the idea of Prison infected this land at its ‘founding’.

Kookie Williams
Banning, CA

As Executive Director of the International Climate Science Coalition (ICSC), I would like to put a different perspective on David Suzuki’s article, We Shouldn’t Expect the Kids to Clean Up Our Mess.

He writes, "We owe it to our children and grandchildren to help clean up the messes we’ve made."

I couldn’t agree more. But we also owe it to our descendants to differentiate between what really are messes and what are politically-correct, but scientifically unsubstantiated crusades. If we don’t, then we waste vast resources chasing phantom scares at the expense of solving real problems.

The climate alarm that Suzuki references is a good example. Contrary to what he has been telling us for years, the possibility that humans can significantly affect climate by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions is highly unlikely. The future of our planet’s climate is simply unknown and our impact on this phenomenon is even less understood, although it appears to be very small. Natural factors such as changes in the brightness of the Sun are being shown to have far more climatic influence than anything humanity is doing. This is not a mere fringe view of outlier scientists, as Suzuki would have us believe. Many of the world’s leading experts do not support the hypothesis that we are causing, and so can stop, climate change.

So, what will our children and grandchildren think when they look back at this period? Meteorologist Richard Lindzen of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology predicts: "The fact that the developed world went into hysterics over changes in global mean temperature anomaly of a few tenths of a degree will astound future generations." This is especially true when they see what problems we are not handling properly, such things as cleaning up toxic waste dumps, securing vitally needed energy supplies and constructing wells for the roughly five million Africans (mostly children) who die each year due to contaminated drinking water.

Tom Harris
Executive Director, International Climate Science Coalition
Ottawa, Canada

Canadians recently voted for a Conservative Party (CPC) majority government. However, only 39.62 percent of Canadian voters, amidst a 61.4 percent voter turnout—so technically only 25 percent of the total electorate—sought this outcome.

This leaves 60 percent of the Canadians who did cast a vote against a Conservative government. Due to a first-past-the-post (FPTP) voting system which Canada has employed since its birth, the CPC now holds 54.22 percent of the seats in the House of Commons.

Vote splitting of the political “left” between the New Democratic Party (NDP) and the Liberal Party of Canada (LPC) brought in the Conservative majority in traditionally contested ridings. Many flaws exist within FPTP, which is why both British Columbia and Ontario have sought before to reform the system to a variation of proportional representation—one that properly addresses the voting desires of Canadians.

According to CBC News, CPC won 39.62 percent of the vote, NDP won 30.62 percent, LPC won 18.91 percent, the Bloc Quebecois (BQ) won 6.05 percent, and the Green Party won 3.91 percent. In FPTP this translates into CPC with 167 seats, NDP with 102 seats, LPC with 34 seats, BQ with four seats, and the Greens now have one seat (congratulations Elizabeth May).

Compare this with a hypothetical proportional representation outcome, which would have seen CPC with 122 seats, NDP with 95 seats, LPC with 59, BQ with 19 (indicating the sovereignty movement is far from dead) and Greens with 13 seats.

Eric Biber
Ottawa, Ontario

I agree completely with Michael Young in his article Shortsighted US-China Policy Betrays Americans and Chinese.

I lived long enough under soviet communism (that Mao was trying to emulate) and am old enough to remember "graphically" the various stages of the Chinese revolution, particularly "The Great leap forward" (a kind of equivalent of the bloody event that kept France way behind the Industrial Revolution because its brain power was decapitated by the Guillotine) — that produced dozens of millions of deaths by starvation and execution, humiliating and destroying the intellectuals, the mass hysteria of the crowds with the "Little Red Book" in hand, etc.

Unfortunately the same policy of appeasement was practiced by the West with the USSR and its bloc in the 70's and thousands of tonnes of excess European butter was given away to those countries to prevent revolution. Financial credits were extended too, but when an economic crisis hit Europe in the 80's the money stopped.

Then came Reagan and "strength" became the guiding light of the US foreign policy. We know the results.

Yes, China today is what it is because the US helped it all the way, while the US economy deindustrialized itself.

Lenin, 1919: "The Capitalists are so greedy they will sell us the rope with which we will hang them."

I personally believe China has already "got the rope"

That brings us back to the Lenin principle from 1919: "The Capitalists are so greedy they will sell us the rope with which we will hang them." I personally believe China has already "got the rope" from us and keeps "improving" it—on our expense of course.

But there is also another principle in motion (from the famous Chinese military mind Sun Tsu who once said): "If you want to prepare for war that you want to win, attack also your enemy's strategy."

The US strategy of course is—and has always been—free trade and free maritime roads. By exporting more we will keep this country prosperous and powerful.

Yet, if you remember, less than two weeks ago, I believe took place in Beijing the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) conference, where the US was not invited.

India just chose NOT to buy US airliners (BOEING of course) but rather the European AIRBUS. That means more jobs lost for the US but more bargaining power and international prestige for communist China.

Maybe there is a chance to reverse that policy. If I remember correctly, one single voice among real or potential contenders for the WH next year stated he can tackle successfully this problem.

That was Donald Trump.

Michael Gloukhov, PhD
Fairfax, Virginia

Thank you for your article Seroquel Marketing Undeterred by Deceptive-Marketing Settlement informing the public about AstraZenca.

The company loses many lawsuits yet continues to sell Seroquel. In my view it is poison. It certainly does not work.

I have added a link to your article on my website http://ThePsychReport.com because it is another example of the physical and financial destruction created by the psychiatric pharmaceutical industry.

James Pricer
Miami Beach, Florida

Thank you for raising awareness of Bear Bile Extraction in your article "Bear Bile Extraction Condemned in China."

I heard about bear bile farming in 2004 on CNN and immediately acquired some knowledge from AnimalsAsia Foundation.

Being so far away from the practice limits my involvement, but I work every day to help end this practice. These people seem inhuman to me for I have never in my 25 years of animal advocacy come across a business so horrific.

For 25 years I have been focusing on halting barbarous practices like factory farms, dogfighting, and scientific testing here in the United States.

My opinion is extreme. I would rather the Chinese people let this species, Asiatic Black Bear, go extinct in the wild, (which was their reason for the farms), than keep them confined in a cage not much larger than their bodies for up to 30 years.

I thought I knew the worst about animal cruelty. This is truly an example of treating an animal like a machine, and the only solution is for the consumers to stop purchasing bear bile.

Living in the United States, I know how hard it is for consumers to be ethically and morally conscious. So I sign petitions, send letters to ambassadors, governments, hold fund raisers, and particularly participate in social networking sites for Moon Bears.

My view is different from many animal activists because I accept animals being used for many things, euthanased, hunted for food, BUT long-term suffering of an animal like this is intolerable (and I mean that word literally) to me, AND I will fight it until I die!

Thank you again.

Susanne Coyle
Jacksonville, FL, USA

President's Day is a subject near and dear to my heart.  Unfortunately your article Presidents' Day: A Misnomer on the founding of President's Day is incorrect.  

Long before the establishing of President's Day, my father John A. Boland III, petitioned Congress to establish a President’s Day to honor all the Presidents instead of just a few. The third Monday of February was the date which he recommended to Congress as it fell mid-way between Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays.

He was a private person and the first I knew of this was when looking through his papers soon after he died in 2002.

I have a copy of the original letter that was sent to Congress, as well as all of the reply letters my father received.

He was told that if a President’s Day was established as a national holiday that he would receive credit, which unfortunately did not happen.

In 1974, long before it was a legal holiday, he began closing his office in observance of President’s Day on the third Monday of February in honor of all Presidents.

Nancie Boland
Edwards, MO.

Regarding “On Health Care Reform, It’s Time to Consider Going Dutch,” by Mark Rovere of the Fraser Institute published March 25:

When World War II was over, the countries involved were deep in debt. The corporations making war materials were flush with cost-plus profits. Northern Europe and the UK then taxed the wealthy, causing land to be sold to the 99 percent of people who had been tenants-only for centuries. They also taxed the corporations.

Thus funded, said countries gradually implemented many aids to their citizens, including old age pensions, family allowances, unemployment insurance, and unrestricted Medicare.

Having lived through these years once as a tourist in little New Zealand, I was given free medical attention. The same in the Crown colony of the Grand Cayman Islands where I practiced law for a year.

In the past, I had English friends who went back to England for operations before Canada installed Medicare.

I have a hard time believing that the Dutch have backslid on their Medicare, but if the Fraser Institute has found the system there comforting, it must be true. And if true, let us hope the Dutch repent.

Ron MacIsaac
Victoria, BC

Cleve Backster has been unfairly treated as the article “Primary Perception'—The Secret Life of Life (Part 2)” indicates.

His experiments highlighted the fact that plants recognise vibrational communication between living organisms, a fact that has been known for a very long time. How do they do this? Simply because of the properties of water.

Water is able to change its vibrational properties. It is this ability that allows plants to recognise the different vibrations that are given off by the dying shrimp or the intent of a person to harm it.

There is nothing alternative in Cleve Backster’s discovery. It is just a case of being able to understand new ideas in physics and biology.

Once you understand that everything vibrates and water is the conduit for these different vibrations, it all becomes obvious.

The most significant issue is the fact that biologically we are affected as much by a vibration as by a chemical as shown in one experiment in which one glass of natural spring water was treated with an electrical vibration and was given to a group of patients. Their blood was tested 15 minutes later and was found to have behaved differently to the patients who were given untreated natural spring water.

So the fact that plants recognise human emotions through vibrations pales into insignificance when we discover that our bio-chemical balance is being affected by all of the different man-made vibrations that are now everywhere around us, such as wi-fi and mobile phones.

I read all of this in a book called Blinded by Science that, for some reason, is completely free to download. You can find it at www.blindedbyscience.co.uk

I was recommended to the site by someone on Facebook and only came across it by chance. I was told that the book was an easy read, which I discovered to be true.

The information about Cleve Backster is to be found in chapter 8 and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Anyone who knows about Cleve Backster should rejoice in finally knowing that he has been proved right.

Jim Jones
London, U.K.

I do not agree with the opinion of this article by Quincy Yu on the website:  Aborted Chinese 'Jasmine Revolution' a Trap Say Analysts

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will not take a risk to post an article online to attract people to protest against itself, since any protests and demonstrations will make more Chinese people hate the CCP and give the rest of the world a bad impression.

In addition, any protests and demonstrations will easily get out of the CCP's control, because many people in China are unhappy with the CCP. Also, a fake protest may cause many real protests and demonstrations due to economical problems and corruption amongst the Beijing government and local governments.

Nevertheless, please support our current Chinese “Jasmine Revolution".

All Chinese need a democratic, honest and effective government that can give us freedom, justice, and prosperity. Unfortunately, the current Beijing government cannot do that. In the past several weeks, a lot of Chinese people have been inspired by the Egyptians, who fought for their freedom by forcing their corrupted former president to step down.

Like the Egyptians, we have a similar corrupted government that takes away our human rights, properties, and even our lives, such as the students in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 4, 1989, and forced abortion under the one-child policy since late 70s.

When some Chinese people tried to protest against the dictatorship and corruption on Sunday, Feb. 20, in mainland China, they were arrested for no legitimate reason. Obviously, the Chinese people's constitutional rights do not exist in the eyes of the CCP.

Of course, we will not give up or give in since we believe that nothing can replace our invaluable human rights, constitutional rights, and freedom. We hope more and more Chinese people will protest and demonstrate against the evil CCP.

We should understand that only one Sunday protest is not enough to force China Communist Party (CCP) to let Chinese citizens exercise their constitutional rights, such as freedom of speech, freedom of press, and freedom of religion, etc, so we need more protests and demonstration to get back our constitutional rights. Thus, many Chinese citizens and I suggest that we should have a protest every Sunday in all the major cities in China to fight for our rights. Furthermore, overseas Chinese should have protests in front of Chinese embassies and consulates. Please remember that "Freedom is not free". We cannot sit here and do nothing to wait for the CCP to give us freedom and constitutional rights.
 
Finally, I urge all our Chinese people to wake up to force the CCP to abandon its one-party dictatorship and let all Chinese people enjoy their constitutional rights. China is the first nation in Asia to become a republic, but the father of China, Dr. Sun-Yat Sen, criticized that China just has the name (republic) and it does not have the content of republic and we still have this problem today. We all Chinese people want a "real" republic now and we do not want a dictatorship government for our generation and our next generation. We lost the chance to have a democratic government in 1989 and we cannot afford to lose this chance again. No Chinese people want to leave our current corrupted government to our next generation. For you and your generation, please support the current Chinese Jasmine Revolution; otherwise, your children and grandchildren in China will face the same problems (corruption, dictatorship, toxic and fake food, expensive housing, pollution, no constitutional rights and human rights as well as freedom) as you face today.
 
In conclusion, the Egyptian lesson confirms that we have the right and power to choose our political leaders and government, and sooner or later the people will win. Please publish this letter so those who read it and have a good conscience will definitely help and support us.

Thanks,

M. C. Kan
New York, NY

I am writing from the United Kingdom to correct part of your otherwise excellent report about the proposed change to the U.K. system for electing Members of Parliament (MPs), Voting Reform Bill Clears Lords after Gruelling Battle.

Although your report about the House of Lords was essentially correct, it contained an erroneous explanation of the current first past the post (FPTP) system, and I suspect that some words may have been accidentally omitted. The system you described as the present FPTP was actually the proposed system. Alternative Vote (AV), which is known in the United States as "Instant Run-off" FPTP is the system used for most U.S. and U.K. elections, in which the candidate with the most votes is the winner, even if more people voted against that candidate.

For example, if there are four candidates, one of them can win with only just over a quarter of the votes. When there is a strong third candidate in US Presidential elections, one candidate can win with fewer than half the votes. AV or Instant Run-off would prevent that.

I am editor of www.stvAction.org.uk which supports AV in the United Kingdom.

Anthony Tuffin
Chichester, U.K.

Below is a reply to the reader from the author of the article:

I can see how someone would think we have misunderstood the working of the two systems.

I think it is the result of poor writing on my part, rather than a misunderstanding.

The paragraph in question is: "The AV system allows the electorate to rank candidates in order of preference. If there is a particular candidate who receives over 50 per cent of the votes, then they are elected, as in the first-past-the-post system."

The intended meaning was: If someone receives 50 per cent of the vote in the AV system then the election would be concluded in the first round process—just as with the first-past-the-post system. (In other words the two systems have the same result if a single candidate gets over half the votes.)

Looks like it went awry; the meaning in the original article wasn't clear. I can see how it would be misconstrued.

Peter Simmons
Epoch Times Staff

I would like to thank the Epoch Times for sharing information in Legal Fight Continues Over Lucy the Elephant about Lucy and the upcoming appeal on February 2. I think it is important to provide further detail on a couple of the statements.

1.Today, January 28, a Zoocheck press release stated that Zoocheck will pay for vet care for Lucy if the City is will to allow external experts in -- this offer comes on the heels of the Edmonton Humane Society order that indicated the Zoo must bring in vets to help diagnose and remedy Lucy's respiratory ailment.

2.A U.S. expert who examined Lucy in September warned that the stress involved in relocating her would be life threatening, and that moving the elephant would be unethical.

This "expert", Dr. Oosterhuis was the only vet of 11 that suggested that Maggie (Alaska Zoo elephant) should not be moved. On 10 vets advice she was moved to PAWS in California and is thriving. Further, Dr. Oosterhuis has condoned the beating of Dunda the elephant over a two day period (this is on record) and was the "expert vet" who suggested that Hawthorne Corporation should be allowed to keep their elephants. These elephants were removed by the USDA and sent to sanctuaries in the US as they were terribly abused! One would have to question why the Valley Zoo is adamant that only this vet be permitted to examine Lucy and allow no other vets in -- or is there any question at all why they chose Dr. Oosterhuis?

3. Besides Lucy's physical problems, animal rights groups also claim she is exhibiting psychological distress due to social isolation. However, the city says Lucy, who has been at the Valley Zoo for 33 of her 35 years, is "imprinted on people," meaning she gets her emotional support from people, not elephants.

In numerous studies and documents written by elephant experts worldwide, this cannot be substantiated. Again, there are other cases where elephants have been isolated for years and have gone on to live happy, "free" lives as elephants at sanctuaries with other elephants -- just look to the story of Shirley, now living at The Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee. If we found a human child living with wolves, would we leave them there because they were imprinted on the wolves? -- I think not!

I am not part of any organized group (i.e., PETA or Zoocheck) -- but rather an interested Canadian citizen that has taken the time to read the documents and try to understand the full story with respect to Lucy. I, and many others worldwide, do believe that Lucy should be moved to a sanctuary if her health permits -- and if not, let's all work to get her well enough to move.

I believe strongly that if the Valley Zoo and City of Edmonton had the courage to invite in 10 or 11 elephant experts to examine Lucy (just as the Alaska Zoo did) -- and allow full and open disclosure on everything -- then once and for all a compassionate decision could be made with respect to Lucy's future. The nagging question for me (and many others) remains … What is the City and Zoo trying to hide by not allowing other renowned experts examine Lucy (free of charge as costs would be covered by external interested parties) in order to determine her illness (if any exists) and her ability to be moved? What is at stake besides the potential better life of an animal in their care? … or is it that they may learn something they don't want to hear?

Gert Zagler
Stittsville, Ontario

PEN International very rightly is calling for cooler heads regarding the controversy of WikiLeaks, but, is it controversy, or partisanship, or political loyalties that are at stake?

Governments, banks, credit companies, and indeed the media, have expressed skewed views on WikiLeaks, dependent on their respective political ideologies. Yet, they all have given lip service to free speech. Even some individuals, in their blind folly and naivete, have been engrossed in character assassination of Julian Assange, the sort being promoted by the government officials that WikiLeaks exposed.

Governments have not yet realised that their desperate defence, their effort to cover up their exposed dirty linen, is not actually helping them, but instead turning Assange into a martyr, if not a hero. A better plan would be for them to take their lumps and change their inefficiencies and arrogant views, accept a diplomatic exit, and not attempt to charge Assange—the possibiity of getting anywhere with that is slim.

Any government or partisan media trying to obscure the facts or deny the right to free speech ultimately hurts its own cause.

Lela Gary
Toronto

As a recent reader of the Epoch Times, I appreciate the non ideological slant, the balanced reporting, and lack of shrillness, as you present the news and let me decipher the implications. I take both the Financial Times and Economist as an investor, but am too frequently dismayed at their ideological lack of balance in some of their editorials and staff writers. I find the Epoch Times allows me to make my own interpretation, without the bias.

Thank you for your publication.

James Doonan
San Francisco, California

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa goes through an Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) full-body scanner at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on November 22, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The mayor was demonstrating his support of the new scanners being installed in each terminal at LAX. (David McNew/Getty Images)

Now, wait a minute ! All of the disputes,humiliation and tears from all the people who have been truly violated in these searches in the past few months, and it takes someone with money and a name to throw up a lawsuit to show that his personal rights were violated?

Your article Jesse Ventura Files Suit Against TSA Over Body Scans points out that Govenor Ventura's lawyer states that Ventura's personal privacy and dignity have been intruded and he is concerned for his personal health and well-being.

What about the people who have been truly humiliated and violated and painfully hurt emotionally that apparently didn't have this option and still nothing has been done about it even after all of the complaints were nationally recognized?

This is not fair. I appreciate Mr. Ventura speaking up and open, however I don't feel it's right nor fair to the other people who have undergone worse circumstances with the TSA. I just want my opinion known.

Sincerely,
Melissa D. Opperman
Rockford, Illinois

egarding the article President of Humber College Says Shen Yun's Dancing 'Spectacular' ,  I wish to commend the Shen Yun Performing Arts group for it's spectacular performance Thursday, January 13.

The several vignettes combined outstanding physical technical with inner spirit to produce the great richness of ancient Chinese culture.

The music, costumes and color were breathtaking.

The big screen behind the stage enhanced this idea providing stunning visual effects of heavenly beings coming down to earth to save mankind from the anti-religious, thought-police.

Marxist communism, as many know, is characterized by the "class struggle" which implies that society is founded on violence. Within this perspective, any reference to ethical requirements calling for courageous and radical institutional and structural reforms makes no sense.

In this system, every affirmation of faith or of theology is subordinated to a political criterion, which in turn depends on the class struggle, the driving force of history.

Ultimately, atheism and the denial of the human person, his liberty and rights, are at the core of Marxist theory. Three cheers for Shen Yun for artistically bringing this to the attention of Canadians.

Paul Kokoski
Hamilton, Ontario.

just wanted to thank Stephanie Lam for the Falling Birds, Fish, and Other Enigmas  piece on the latest fish and bird incidents. Brilliant job!

200 cows were found dead in Wisconsin this week. I've been appalled at the explanations that have been given to the media. I'm not an expert at anything, but I have enough common sense to know what fits and what doesn't.

There was also a physicist who spoke on Fox News. I can't remember his name, but he is the same physicist that spoke on the news during the BP incident. He again said, there was nothing to be concerned about. (If I'm not mistaking, this physicist has also been involved in documentaries for The Discovery Channel)

Some have said that there were 163 incidents reported last year, but they were not in the media as these incidents were. So, again…this is "normal" but the media has given the incidents more coverage than usual.

When I heard the theory of the fish enduring trauma from the lower than normal water temperatures, I looked around the internet and then found that in August 2010, there were two large fish kills reported in New Jersey and Virginia. The "experts" said it was due to the "heat" which created warmer than normal water temperatures.

I'm concerned over how many people hear these opinions or theories…and then move on believing them. They don't fit. Thank you for being a voice for the many of us who can't settle with these theories.

Thanks again! Please don't let this go under the rug. I almost think that's what they want.

Sincerely,

Anita Davis
Hurt, Virginia

A photo released by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope on February 5, 2009 of an unusual spiral galaxy in the Coma Galaxy Cluster in the northern constellation of Coma Berenices, the hair of Queen Berenice. (AFP PHOTO/NASA/ESA Hubble /AFP/Getty Images )

From evidence in  New Zodiac? Don't Change Your Sign Just Yet, he should study Astrology before making judgement about it, otherwise, like in this article, he pretends to know it all but is making a real fool of himself prompted by bias and prejudice.

He obviously does not know what he is talking about. Just because he knows Astronomy does not give him any knowledge about Astrology. They are two separate specialties. Narrow minded Astronomers, like most material scientists, work with blinders on and refuse to look beyond the five senses.

Astrologers look beyond the five senses into the sixth and seven sense that transcend material boundaries.

Ophiucus has always been there. The Ancients saw many sacred constellations in the heavens associated with the zodiac. Ophiucus being one among 48 but definitely is not a 13th sign of the Zodiac, only part of an initiatory journey through the stars.

Mr. Kunkle is stirring the pot to tease everyone, but some of his statements are desingenuous. Mention of the 26,000 year cycle of the precession of the Equinox -- by which the vernal equinox point moves back-wards at the rate of 50 seconds every year or one signs every 2160 years -- determines 12 Ages like the Age of Aquarius of fame.

Since tropical astrology is based on the Vernal Equinox point, all the signs are calculated from that point and move backwards at that rate with it. So only once every 26.000 years does the Sidereal Zodiac match the Tropical Zodiac creating an evolutionary shift.

Mr. Kunkle points to the nutation of the Pole toward various stars following the before mentioned precession and insinuates that it renders our Tropical zodiac obsolete. Wrong! It does not affect it.

Planetary positions are not dependent on the sidereal constellations that are relatively fixed, but on the moving Tropical Zodiac using the fixed reference of the Vernal Point. The Tilt of the Earth's axis only affects the angle of the ecliptic or apparent path of the Sun involved in the establishment of the 12 earth houses, another earth-based subdivision of the heavens, and not the zodiac itself.

The oldest written reference we have of past history only goes back to Babylonia so all scientists used them as gospel truth but the Earth is billions of years old and surely many civilizations have passed while their records are lost.

Astrology was born when the solar system was born and man learned it for the very beginning of time from within the very fiber of their being, explaining why its so speaks to most of us atavistically.

Mr. Kunkle please do yourself a favor, learn Astrology then we will talk intelligently, not with prejudice based on ignorance.

Thank you.

Jean de Galzain

Oceanside, California

I find myself having a completely different take on Wikileaks, although I am certainly no expert on Wikileaks.

I agree with you, secrecy has a place. But after spending many years studying public policy and observing government, I find myself decidedly falling into the transparency camp. I am of the belief that very little of government operations really requires secrecy. If secrecy is used where it is not required, it can only bring forth all manner of corruption and malfeasance, not to mention just plain old downright incompetence.

In your article, you make the distinction between Wikileaks and the free press. You see that it is the role of the free press to hold the government accountable in a responsible manner. But from your perspective, Wikileaks does not conform to being part of the free press.

Many, many years ago, a professor of mine lamented the fact that every time he knew the backstory of a[n] article in the newspaper, the facts were either distorted or just plain wrong. And he wondered about all the other stories where he didn’t know the backstory. How could he trust them?

This had quite a profound affect on me and over the years, I would have a few of my own cases where I knew the backstory behind a story and which was in stark contrast with what was written. So, it has been many years since I really read the mainstream media. And when I do, I am very suspicious. But because I am a generalist, I typically have some knowledge other than the story at hand upon which to make an appraisal. And that is where the problem is, when you are knowledgeable you realize just what a poor job newspapers and other media do.

And of course, there is the recent Supreme Court decision (Citizen’s United) that said that it was Fox News’[s] first amendment right to essentially “make up the news.”

On top of that, over the years, I have come across case after case of information suppression or obfuscation in the newspapers and other media including the book publishing industry. Sometimes the suppression was of a monumental level being international in scope. This hardly fosters confidence that the mainstream free press can really do the job.

Whether or not Wikileaks fits some definition of what journalists and the free press are supposed to be is unimportant to me. I think that Wikileaks serves a vital purpose in fostering transparency and democracy. As such, I am in favour of it.

Peter Yachnin

was surprised to read that the writer of Amid Cyberattacks, Insider Threats Targeted as Information Wars Begin to Rage labled the organizers of Operation Payback "black hat hackers."

This perjorative term suggests that a newspaper founded to promote freedom of expression for dissidents in China does not support the same rights for Americans and their allies who are being targeted by their own government for revealing documents belonging to the American people.

These documents released by Wikileaks have been classified not in the interests of American people but in the interests of those in power.

The US government can dictate to private corporations that they must not assist the spread of documents that were vetted carefully before their release to prevent real harm. Is this a free country?

Though the US is ostensibly a democracy, it is difficult to organize resistance when the corporatists in industry and government have ready access to the corporate media. This is how they spread the lie that Wikileaks is dangerous to US security. To prevent future attempts to organize resistance, restrictions on the Internet are moving closer to being imposed.

Those outside the Great Firewall should understand this threat and stand with the American resistance to the corporate coup that has seized control of the American government.

As the CCP becomes cozier with the capitalists in China, that nation is converging to a similar state.

The threat of fascism is worldwide. We must fight it together.

Rick Staggenborg, MD
Candidate for US senate 2010
Founder, Soldiers For Peace International
Member, Alliance For Democracy National Council

read with interest your article Chemotherapy Hair Loss Invention From Sweden Might Help Patients Keep Hair but it really is old news !

Around thirty years ago, Dr. Bill Williams, of NASA, conducted research on thermo control of body temperature (very important to astronauts in space suits). He patented his invention of the "Cool Head and Cool Neck Band".

His invention was a big success and he even looked into working with MD's at the local VA hospital in an experiment to save the hair of chemotherapy patients and the experiment was a success.

He also persuaded NASCAR racing legend Richard Petty to use the cooling system. It gets very hot in the driver’s seat during a race as the engine heat transfers into the car interior. Even keeping the windows open while racing is of little help.

Dr Williams’ device was used during the eighties for all of Petty’s competition racing and it worked real well to the point where other drivers adopted the cooling system.

Dr. Williams, left NASA Ames Research Center, many years ago to teach at, I believe, the University of Oregon…. and he still might still be there.

NASA's researchers have invented many items in commercial use which people have benefited from and the "Cool head" helmet is one of them.

Others such as "Temper Foam” (which was developed into Tempur Pedic for mattresses), fire retardant paint, nomex, teflon, etc. , etc, are used daily by all of us as result of research done in the aerospace field.

Chuck Kubokawa
Retired NASA researcher
Palo Alto, CA

he following comments are directed most specifically toward the recent article Pressure for Political Reforms Builds in China. However, they also apply to the Nine Commentaries, and to the series on academic cheating,  and to many other articles as well.

These comments may be viewed as politically incorrect, and so it is not surprising if there is a tendency to suppress them. However the best chance for achieving something beneficial will come about when all of the cards are on the table.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is always discussed from the point of view of historical record, official policies, and actual policies. The cruel nature of the CCP has been well described in terms of historical record. However, there is something missing from every discussion. To see what is missing let's consider what it is that the CCP is failing to provide:

A list of virtuous behaviors that seem to be wanting might include protection of freedom of speech and of religion, respect for laws already on the books, respect for property rights, respect for minorities, care of environment, honest accounting, and compassionate governance in general.

But where does compassion come from? It is not theory. It is not information. It cannot be communicated by lecture. It is not verbal and cannot be obtained through our ears. It is not visual and cannot be obtained by reading or by observation of behavior. It is an emotional response.

It may or may not happen, depending on the situation and the personality of the individual. Generally, people are confused about such things and are made to think that you can teach emotions by providing environments and activities that encourage certain emotions. But the truth is that environments and activities can trigger emotions but cannot create emotions.

The distinction is very important.

Think of the following sequence: (1) A person experiences an environment or activity. (2) Depending on individual personality, an emotion is or is not created in the person's brain.
(3) The person, within the situation, acts in conformance to whichever emotion, if any, is created.

It is essential to understand that an emotion can be triggered only if the person has the physical capability of experiencing the emotion. This is a matter of personality.

One of the simple truths about us as humans is that we each have our own personality, and it remains the same day after day. Our personality is stored in our brain, and our adult brain has developed largely from our genetic makeup, with other influences added.

Continued on next page

wish to set the facts straight on certain issues James Burke raised in his article about the situation in Thailand ("Fear, Loathing and a Bit of Shopping in Bangkok," 21 November 2010).

First, to say that there is "widespread media and Internet censorship" in Thailand is sheer exaggeration. As in other democratic societies, Thais enjoy freedom of expression as guaranteed by the country's Constitution. That people could rally on 19 November 2010 and on other occasions prove that their right to express themselves through peaceful assembly is duly respected, and that space for expression of alternative viewpoints is open in accordance with the law. In fact, news reports critical of the Government can be seen everyday in newspapers and other media. Be that as it may, freedom of expression is not without its limits, particularly when it comes to respect of the rights or reputations of others, and protection of national security and public order. Abuse of the media to spread distorted information and hate messages to manipulate and incite violence and hatred among people is against Thai laws and has to be dealt with accordingly.

Finally, the Government's reconciliation plan is making steady progress. This includes addressing grievances related to economic disparities and social injustices, and that of establishing facts, providing remedies to those affected, and promoting reconciliation. Far from being "self-serving and biased," all sectors of society, including the red-shirts, have been engaged and encouraged to join.

I hope that this letter will help your readers better understand what is now happening in Thailand and therefore request that you publish this letter.
                        
Yours sincerely,

Thani Thongphakdi
Acting Director-General
Department of Information
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Kingdom of Thailand

Human Rights Watch, in a Nov. 24 release, says, “Thai authorities are using emergency powers to violate fundamental rights and obstruct efforts to bring abusers to justice six months after violent clashes between anti-government groups and government security forces.”

—The Editors

ou are right on target in your article "Attack on South Korea an Elaborate Ploy, Analysts Say -- Chinese and North Korean regimes seek to blackmail United States into concessions" .

The reaction from the Communist Party regime in China is exactly how they reacted when the World Trade Center was bombed. "Lets get further proof"; snide equivocation.

As J Edgar Hoover said, you can trust a communist… to be a communist. Keep shining the light on this dark regime's intentions, prod and push for change.

Joseph Quinn
New York, N.Y.

onan Milner has written an informative article about the pattern of environmental injustice around the country, "Economist Finds Environmental Injustice Across Country" .

However, when he refers to my new book, "Sacrifice Zones: The Front Lines of Toxic Chemical Exposure in the United States," he claims that I "found that while there are some activists working to challenge these polluters, many of these communities do not want the industries to leave."

That is not what I found. Overall, the polluting industries that move in next door to low-income residential areas provide very few jobs for the local residents.

Instead, higher-qualified workers are brought in from more distant suburbs and as a result local residents are left to suffer from the pollution coming from the neighboring facilities but none of the job benefits.

Perhaps the author was referring to a New Yorker article, which did feature a community that had suffered from radioactive pollution that wanted the facilities to reopen.

In my view the choice between economic deprivation or living in a heavily polluted community is not a choice we should wish on any of our fellow Americans. We need to protect all communities equally from environmental threats to their health, be they affluent or poor.

Currently, we are not living up to these ideals.

Please see my books: "Diamond: A Struggle for Environmental Justice in Louisiana's Chemical Corridor" (MIT Press: 2005) and "Sacrifice Zones: The Front Lines of Toxic Chemical Exposure in the United States." (MIT Press: 2010).

Steve Lerner
San Francisco, CA

want to commend this newspaper for publishing unpleasant news about China. It is one of the few sources that doesn't avoid printing the blunt facts about China today.

I am especially happy that you differentiate between the Communist government and the people.

When I was in China in 2005 to 2007, I was very aware of the different aspirations! The people know what their government is like and someday true justice will prevail. My heart goes out to a long-suffering people who can't express their true feelings in public.

When I brought back my Chinese step-daughter to America it really hit home when she commented that it was incredible that the public were allowed into the Seattle City public hearings to vent their feelings.

It is little things like that which make you realize the significant difference between
democracy and autocracy!

Thank you for the article In China, Public Shaming Rallies Recall Maoist-Era Tactics.

 
Jim Hammond
Seattle, Washington, USA

()

I am writing concerning your article “Alzheimer's Awareness: Three Myths Debunked” .

Recent studies (see, for instance, “Can Alzheimers be transmitted in humans through blood transfusion?” Medical Daily, Oct. 22, 2010) confirm what scientists have long suspected -- Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is an incurable prion disease, the same as Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD), also called Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) as well as mad cow disease.

There are many sources of prions in land-applied sewage, "biosolids," which can cause TSEs (transmissible spongiform encephalopathies) including BSE/mad cow disease; Scrapie in sheep and goats; Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) in deer, moose, and elk; and sporadic CJD in humans.   Dozens of animal species have been infected with TSEs, indicating there is no "species barrier".

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the waste industry are perpetrating a fraud on the American public by promoting infectious Class A sewage sludge "biosolids" (e.g. Milorganite) for use on public parks, ballfields, playgrounds, home lawns, and flower and vegetable gardens by claiming it is "sterile" and "pathogen free."

EPA funded research shows that both Class B AND Class A sludge "biosolids" may contain infectious human and animal prions  (Pedersen, Aiken, et. al., Univ. of Wisconsin).

The fact that AD is an incurable, fatal, infectious prion disease which is transmissible in blood, makes the issue all the more grave because of the risk of iatrogenic transmission in medical settings (dentistry, opthamology, surgery, endoscopy, transfusions, etc.).

Autoclaving does not totally inactivate prions on medical instruments. More drastic chemical and other attempts to sterilize can harm or destroy the instruments resulting in costly disposal (see “Prions: Transmissable Spongiform Encephelopathies and Dental Risk Assessment,” CDA Journal, January 2007). Human and animal prion diseases can be transmitted by blood, urine, feces, saliva, mucosa, eye fluids, etc. (see, for instance, "Prions in intestines and feces" and "UCSC researchers find key to prion diseases" .)

It is time for public agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and EPA to step up. They should acknowledge the prion disease epidemic, and take action to intercede to protect public health.

Immediate notice to the medical community by the CDC of the AD prion risks is essential.

An immediate halt should be instituted in the landspreading of prion infected sewage sludge  -- particularly Class A sludge "compost' which is advertised by the EPA and waste industry as "pathogen free" and promoted for use on home vegetable gardens.

Respectfully submitted,

Helane Shields
Alton, New Hamshire, USA