| From the quality of writing Michael Szepvolgi demonstrates in his article ("A Rant on the Worst of Calgary," Aug. 2 issue) it's clear he has some form of post-secondary education. Hopefully, his parents are proud of him for going on to higher learning, but I'm sure they didn't pay his way through school to see him stretch the words "Calgary Sucks" into a 500 (or so) word essay.
First off, his generalized attack on the market economy and its prevalence here in Calgary. After the prerequisite attack on the shameless "raping of the planet," he goes on to connect every business in Calgary to this black maw of destruction. Somehow, I don't think 800,000 people are all part of a cabal involved in planet-pillaging. I'm pretty sure it doesn't say that on my resumé.
And then, to stretch his credibility further, he goes on to hold up Edmonton as a better city than Calgary. As someone who lived in Edmonton most of my life, I moved here because I wanted to live in a city where people try to challenge themselves. Here in Calgary, people encourage you to pursue a dream or idea. Sometimes, they will even work with you to accomplish your dream. Edmonton is a city where they are more likely to say, "you can't do that... you'll fail."
As for his attack on Calgarians, well, yes, there are elements of society who could be poster children for forced sterilization's return. But the time I've spent here in Calgary has shown me they are no worse than any other city. People here can be idiots and fools; conversely, they can be some of the most generous, thoughtful and caring individuals I've met. Unlike Mr. Szepvolgi, I've made an effort to get to know my fellow Calgarians instead of painting them with the same broad brushstroke.
I think the real question here for Mr. Szepvolgi is: Are you working to make yourself part of the best of Calgary, or are you content to be living a life of desperate mediocrity? The world is full of whiners and people who state the obvious. And yes, people will listen to you for a while. But they will only really hear your words of criticism if you provide a solution to a problem, or at least an offer of help. Unless you can do that, no city in the world will belong to your own "Best Of" list.
Michael Szepvolgyi and his little rant on Calgary, the people and the local bars along 17th Avenue seems a bit out of place beside the quarter page ad obviously paid for by the Ship & Anchor.
It also looked like a small rebuttal to The Best of Calgary poll results printed a few pages earlier.
I always sneer, myself, when I hear people rib Calgary in such a fashion. "After all," I say, "what is Calgary?"
I was born and grew up here, so was my dad, and my children are being raised here right now, yet outside of a very few remaining members of our family – and the friends and associates that I hang with – there only seems to be about three of us native Calgarians left. Oh, I’m sure there are more, but we are pretty rare.
What I’m saying is, the vast majority of Calgary is made up of people from somewhere else.
But maybe Michael is not wrong, maybe all the rational Calgarians have already left – I mean, even Fast Forward and the Calgary Straight are not local. Neither are the Calgary Herald or the Calgary Sun (they’re from Toronto, don’t ya know – the power and control and where the money goes – and the Straight is from Vancouver). Even our one, single, independent television station has gone Global.
It’s pretty hard to jibe the people, economics and culture when maybe Calgary is just a geographical location for a cross-section of others.
Nice to see the "best of" edition Aug 2. Calgarians – well, your readers anyway – are to be commended for managing to produce a list of winners that really does expose local talent, personalities and businesses (with a couple of exceptions, but Starbucks and Second Cup are both OK in my book, for espresso anyway).
I was, though, peeved that you were compelled to print that whole clichéd rant from some 21-year-old about how awful Calgary is and how Fast Forward could dare even attempt to represent its "best."
Michael the 21-year-old, this is tiresome. You don't like Melrose, you don't like the Stampede, you are appalled that an "artist" would vote Alliance. Why, we should all ask, do you hang out at Melrose, why do you attend Stampede, and why does it surprise you that there exists an artist who voted Alliance? If you do make it to Montreal – and with all your experience in "the blood-soaked trenches of the energy sector" (as what, at 21? Pumping gas? Buying smokes at Esso?) you might find work there. But if your experience in Calgary is any predictor, you'll be ignoring all the coolth that Montreal offers and instead will be scarfing poutine and Pepsi, and then you'll complain to some urban weekly about how déclassé Montrealers really are.
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