To the editor:
Re: "Kitsilano 'coup' comment cuckoo," Letters, April 26.
Don Munton is right in his assertion that there are some odd and dangerous ideas about local democracy in that he and his cohorts are advocating that local groups just show up out of nowhere, at the entrance to an AGM to present their viewpoint, and then expect rational people to follow them like the Pied Piper. This invasion of heretofore unknowns, hijacks the purpose of the meeting and creates a controversial, adversarial environment, which is not the intent of an AGM meeting.
The democratic way to approach change would be to come out of the reeds a month or two before the AGM and present your case at a public meeting before the community, which would provide for both sides to have an opportunity to present their position. Then people at the meeting would be able to make an informed choice. In the case of Kitsilano, we had two public meetings in the month lead up to the AGM but there were no known, local people identified to present the alternate position, other than the diehards from other areas, such as Mr. Munton, on the outside looking in. Robert Haines, President, Kitsi-lano War Memorial Community Association
