How seeds of violence are planted

 Re: Woman 'driven' to assault friend who went topless (June 26). Shame on Heather Genereaux who, in her own childish reactivity, not only failed to demonstrate to her son a positive image of the human body, but succeeded in teaching him that violence is an acceptable form of expression and protest.
 The new topless ruling in Ontario is a healthy step toward demythologizing the so-called vulgarity of the human anatomy, a belief that has negatively influenced everyone for ages and has especially hurt women.
 Isn't it time that we, as an evolving society, outgrow the adolescent taboos about the natural appearance of our own human bodies?
 Violently attacking her neighbour on the woman's own property, for "exposing" herself to Genereaux's 10-year-old son is not only criminal but twisted. Holy failure to be a role model, Batman!
 I just hope that some mature individual set the young man straight before he learns to associate violence with the female sex. Do you see how those seeds are planted?
DANIEL HEBERT
Toronto

Embarrassed to be female

 Re: Woman 'driven' to assault friend who went topless (June 26). Just try to tell me that men across the province aren't leaping for joy and basking in the fun of it all.
 The story covering the events of two women fighting in a backyard all butt (sic) buck naked is devastatingly disappointing. I am embarrassed to be female.
 In our attempt to be regarded as equal to men, somewhere along the line we lost it - we are now the cartoons some men always wanted us to be.
SUSAN POLSON
Collingwood

Bravo for giving woman a taste of the jungle law

 Re: Woman 'driven' to assault friend who went topless (June 26).
Heather Genereaux may not be able to change he legal law by her action, but she sure has my support for giving her neighbour Jennifer Fitzgibbon a taste of the jungle law.
 To say that Fitzgibbon was exercising her newfound sense liberty in her own backyard does not exonerate her from failure to observe and live by the fundamental neighbourhood code of family decency.
DINA AUSTIN
Bramalea

Let punishment fit the crime

 If I was Judge Stephan Hunter, I would have given Heather Genereaux a choice: either take the maximum punishment for assault or five days of community service as a topless squeegee person on a busy street.
 Collecting one dollar per windshield, the proceeds would go to the local abused women's shelter. Unusual punishment should be allowed to fit the crime.
NICHOLAS SIMEON
North York

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