Last Updated:Friday - 09/24/2010

WCR Letters to the Editor

Coke sings its own story

Suzanne Elston's Sept. 29 article, "There's no nutritious, free gift," contained several inaccuracies about carbonated soft drinks in schools, Coca-Cola's relationship with Reading is Fundamental, and the root causes of childhood obesity.

First, allow me to clear up some misinformation about the availability of beverages in schools. Coca-Cola offers a wide range of products from juices and juice drinks to waters, iced tea, soft drinks and sports drinks.

The Coca-Cola Company and its bottlers respect the right of parents, teachers and educators to decide which products should be made available to students, where and when they can be offered.

School-business partnerships such as ours have been a reality for many years and this is not a new development spurred by school budget cuts, as Ms. Elston suggests. Also, it is the policy of The Coca-Cola Company not to market to children.

We're proud of our company's support for Reading is Fundamental (RIF) and that our $18-million donation is the largest grant RIF has received from a single company. Research indicates that 70 per cent of Grade 4 in the U.S.'s highest-need schools cannot read at basic grade level, and 32 per cent of students in the U.S. cannot read at grade level by the time they reach Grade 4.

The Coca-Cola Company has always believed that education is a powerful force in improving the quality of life and creating opportunity for people around the world. Ms. Elston is right: this investment is "paying off big time" - literacy rates are increasing.

Ms. Elston's suggestion that soft drinks are causing obesity among children is simply not supported by science.

Obesity is a complex problem, and blaming one type of food won't resolve this serious health issue. Indeed, scientific research indicates that all foods can fit in a healthy active lifestyle and that physical activity is a key ingredient to a healthy lifestyle.

Over the past two decades, obesity among children has increased 10 per cent. During that same time, the caloric intake of children has increased only one per cent, while physical activity among children has declined by 13 per cent.

The correlation between obesity and physical inactivity is clear.

To address positive youth development, the Coca-Cola Company promotes fun, active living through programs around the world.

In the U.S. more than 250,000 young people are challenged to take 10,000 steps a day through Coca-Cola's Step With It program; Copa Coca-Cola is a football program for more than 100,000 young athletes throughout the Americas: and Austria's Vienna City marathon, sponsored by Coca-Cola, draws more than 4,000 junior participants.

In Canada, Coca-Cola has been donating books and setting up reading circles in local libraries and schools through its Share the Stories program. Coca-Cola in Canada is proud to support a number of youth development and literacy organizations such as ABC Canada, kids.now, Kid's Help Phone, kidsport, and Variety Village among others.

We're also active in Concerned Children's Advertisers' Children's Healthy Active Living Program, a social marketing program building on the success of CCA's TV & Me media and life skills program.

Vincent Timpano
President and CEO
Coca-Cola Ltd.
Toronto

Rachel's Vineyard reaps rich harvest

I want to thank-you for the WCR's extensive coverage some weeks ago on the Rachel's vineyard retreat workshop with Theresa and Kevin Burke. Abortion has always been a taboo subject in most circles.

Unfortunately, it's the secrecy of it all that causes the most heartache and gives it the green light to continue.

I also want to thank the members of the Pro-Life groups, who attended the Canadian National Pro-Life Conference this past weekend, for softening their stance and adopting a more compassionate approach to the abortion issue.

Three years ago, I attended a Pro-Life conference, and was convinced that the majority of the people there would stop at nothing to win their case, even if it meant shaming others into their way of thinking. Unfortunately, bulldozers have the ability to crush, maim and even kill the spirit they perhaps intended to save.

I couldn't help but see a parallel in their actions to those of the woman choosing an abortion. Both had stopped focusing on hope and had given in to despair. Desperate people do desperate things.

The invitation for post-abortive women to share their stories at this year's conference was very moving and encouraging to those of us who have lived under the veil of secrecy.

I was deeply touched by the member's warm welcome, their sincerity of commitment, their willingness to understand the plight of a woman choosing an abortion, and their openness of heart.

It is through forgiveness that healing will come, and through healing that abortions will stop.

I truly believe that the post-abortive woman is the very heart of the Pro-Life movement, because she serves as a credible witness to the horrors of abortion. Thank-you for giving us a voice.

Our next Rachel's vineyard retreat will take place January 9-11,2004.

Lucie Tettamente
Derwent

Discrimination queried

Is the WCR advocating for discrimination against gays and lesbians?

WCR's Oct. 6 editorial entitled "Senate Can Stop Hateful Change" states, "Homosexuality is a quality that is objectively disordered and not a basis on which it should never be illegal to discriminate." Besides the fact that the English is terrible, the editorial is proclaiming that everyone should have the right to discriminate against gays and lesbians.

Does this mean that the WCR thinks it should be the right of an employer to fire an employee because he or she is gay? Should a landlord be allowed to evict a tenant because the tenant has a same-sex partner? Should gays and lesbians be forced to ride at the back of the bus?

Does the WCR believe that homosexuals have not been persecuted enough over the centuries?

What is a gay Catholic to do? His church is so caught up with sex, the act of homosexual sex, that it does not acknowledge that he is a human being, desiring of love and respect.

His Church judges him. Judges him to be "objectively disordered" and immoral. Judges his relationship to be harmful to the good of society. Judges him to be incapable of being a good and loving parent to his child.

His Church denies him. Denies him the right to make his own moral choices. Denies his love for another man. Denies him his right to be married. And now his Church denies him his basic human rights.

His Church condemns him, with complete and utter disdain. Condemns him for loving another person. It demands him to be celibate. To deny love. To deny meaning in his life.

His church will bless his house, bless his pets, but will not bless his union. His love.

Dr. Tim Heaman
Edmonton

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