Harold Albrecht's letter-to-the-editor

The Record (Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario)
May 13, 2002 Monday Final Edition
SECTION: OPINION; Pg. A10

LENGTH: 252 words

HEADLINE: I'm so embarrassed

BYLINE: Harold Albrecht

Where fans booed our Canadian national anthem at NBA and NHL playoff games in Detroit and New York, I am sure many American citizens are greatly embarrassed, or even ashamed of the behaviour of their fellow citizens.

The embarrassment caused by these immature sports fans cannot compare to the embarrassment I feel to be a citizen of a country whose moral behaviour has slid to an all-time low. Child pornography is considered to be an art form and now The Record uses half a page of its art section to publicize Puppetry of The Penis to be held at Centre in the Square on June 7.

Child pornography an art form? And now this? Where are the board members of the Centre in the Square? Where is our city council? Do they not see the mixed message this performance gives our citizens, especially young people?

A man exposing himself on the streets of Kitchener is rightly charged with indecent exposure, but two men from Australia are paid to use the Centre (facilities financed with my tax dollars) to bring a message that is diametrically opposite to the values of our community.

"We have no shame at all," says Jim McGregor. Exactly. So why do we allow these people to further destroy the conscience of our city? And why publicize it in our family newspaper?

Anyone has the right to swim in a septic tank if they choose, but please leave the lid on to spare the rest of us from the stench. I appeal to Kitchener council to "close the lid" and cancel this event.

Harold Albrecht

Petersburg