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LETTERS: A campaign offensive hits home

Letter writers suggest a message from former Surrey mayor Dianne Watts’ federal-election campaign is shameful.
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Letter writers suggest a message from former Surrey mayor Dianne Watts’ federal-election campaign is shameful.

Editor:

I received a flyer placed in my mailbox from Dianne Watts recently and found it very troubling. I quote: “We will fight jihadist terrorists at home and abroad.”

It is obvious this fear-mongering strategy has been adopted by the Conservative party – perhaps under the influence of the consulting Australian ‘dark arts master’ Lynton Crosby – and unsurprisingly accepted by Watts.

I suspect we will see/hear more fear-promoting activity in the future from the Conservative party.

Hopefully we will not accept the low road of political manipulation offered by the Conservative party.

Robert Winston, Surrey

• • •

Shame on you, Dianne Watts, for allowing your picture to adorn the flip side of the flyer that arrived in my mailbox yesterday.

Is this your platform, to convince me that I should not feel secure in my bedroom?

The tone of this flyer means I will definitely not vote Conservative on Oct. 19th.

Karen Peplow, White Rock

• • •

I sympathize with the plight of Syrian refugees, particularly the women and children. I also believe that there should be adequate screening.

The natural inclination of Canadians to help those in need, demonstrated many times in our history, surely demands that we significantly increase our efforts to screen and then accommodate them in our society.

What I cannot understand is how politicians can use this tragedy for the meanest political purpose.

Shame on you, Ms. Watts

Judith McLean, White Rock

• • •

The campaign leaflet I received this past week from Dianne Watts caused me to look under my bed for terrorists. All I found was dust, but I was unable to determine if the dust had been thoroughly screened and whether or not a terrorist mite still lingered there.

Honestly, this is the most absurd piece of political literature I’ve ever seen.

David Klassen, Surrey

• • •

Yesterday I received a shocking mailout from Dianne Watts. It was a classic example of “politics of fear,” a policy much favoured by Conservative Leader Stephen Harper, carried to extreme lengths.

On reading it, one could almost imagine smiling ISIS soldiers in their trucks, black flags waving, guns firing in the air, driving up King George Boulevard.

The message, of course, was that only Harper could protect us from these monsters.

Conservative flyer frontOn the other side was a lovely photo of Watts (at left).

I phoned her campaign office and told them I was deeply offended by this advertisement. The woman I spoke with graciously apologized for the offensive piece, saying it had come directly from Ottawa, without Dianne’s knowledge, adding that it was not her style.

If that is the case, what does this say for our “leader,” who sees fit to design such an outrageous advertisement, place the photograph of his candidate on the reverse side, without her knowledge and approval, and mail it out to the constituents?

It makes one wonder just how much say Watts will have should she win and become a part of his government.

Sybil Rowe, Surrey