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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2013-11-20, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, November 20, 2013 News Record VOL. 152 - ISSUE 46 PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 53 Albert St. P.O. Box 39 Clinton ON NOM 1 LO (519) 482-3443 www.clintonnewsrecord.com SUN M A Quebecor MediaEComDIApany ° NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher nei I.cl ifford@sunmedia.ca GERARD CRECES Editorial clinton. reporter@su nmedia.ca MAX BICKFORD Advertising Manager max.bickford@sunmedia.ca DAWN JOHNSTON Sales Representative clinton.ads@sunmedia.ca CHRISTY MAIR Front Office clinton.classifieds@sunmedia.ca Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged but that balance of advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographic error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at any time. The Clinton News -Record is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing purposes. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 53 Albert St., Clinton ON NOM 1L0 (519) 482-3443 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada 0Cna Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association and the Ontario Community Newspapers Association editorial Happiness is a reasonably warm gun sentence While the world is distracted by a crack smoking municipal politician, some rather unsettling things are happening at the federal level. Canadians are unfortunate enough to be served another massive omnibus `budget' bill this year, with the added bonus of having even less discussion than normal due to another prorogation. We've gotten used to this sort of abuse of privilege from our federal majority, though accountability still seems to be a con- cept better preached than practiced. However, some recent examples from the news are showing how poorly designed ideol- ogy is now being overturned in our province's highest courts. One -size fits all mandatory minimum sen- tencing sounded great for those who bought into the tough on crime agenda. However, in two recent cases - one in Ontario, another in Manitoba - the mandatory minimums for gun crime were overturned as being too harsh, even cruel, given the circumstances of the defend- ants - both of whom were first-time offenders. And if the provinces' highest court rules the laws unconstitutional, we have to wonder how they became laws in the first place. Part of it could be pressure to keep an unreal- istic promise to voters. Part of it could be that scrutiny by committee has fallen by the way- side, replaced by partisan obedience. Part of it could even be that someone, somewhere along the line actually believed this was a good idea and that all people in contravention of the law should be painted with the same brush. Gun crime - crime in general - needs to be addressed accordingly and punishments need to act as a deterrent to those considering break- ing the law and a lesson learned to those serv- ing time. However, the desire to punish should not replace careful consideration of all the facts. Otherwise, there would be no distinction between manslaughter, first-degree and sec- ond-degree murder, or killing in self-defense. The truly unsettling part of this all, however, is not that a few mandatory gun sentences are being ruled unconstitutional. The problem lies in thousands of pages of bills that have been crammed together and passed while Harper has the numbers to do so. Today it is gun crime, but how many other ghosts in the political machine will surface in the next few years as short-sighted, ideology - driven, unconstitutional pieces of legislation? -- Gerard Creces www.clintonnewsrecord.com Nobody's perfect, and that's the way we like it There are a couple reasons I never wanted to write about Rob Ford. Firstly - I dislike bandwagons and the jump- ing on thereof. Secondly, I really strug- gled with the separation of private and public life that has devolved since this drama began. Personally, I feel for the guy. I've seen a lot of train wrecks in my life, though never one so public and preventable. To put it in the words of Brewer and Shipley, this mess is just "one toke over the line." Had that crack tape never surfaced, there is a good chance Toronto would still be a functioning city with a func- tional government. Since it has sur- faced, Ford has been constantly in front of the cameras, sometimes apologetic, sometimes defiant and sometimes just gross. I am not sure I would fare better if I were under the same strain. Everyone loves the guy, everyone hates the guy, and everyone wonders just what crazy antics he'll get up to next. Because there is no tool to remove him from office (and because he refuses to leave office), the scrutiny becomes even more vicious; all of it building to the moment Ford finally cracks, dies, or quits on his own. Smoking crack is a personal choice. Abusing alcohol is a personal choice. Drinking and driving is a personal choice. They are all bad choices, true, but they belong to the individual. And depending on who the individ- ual is, many of us are willing to overlook the horrid in exchange for the horrible. Ford's personal blunders coupled with his political station have elevated him to celebrity status and we as a soci- ety are by and large very forgiving of celebrities. Think about it - if Rob Ford were a Hollywood actor or a rap star, we would just expect this type of behavior as nor- mal. Crack smoking, drinking and driv- ing, talking about cats they way he did on national news - these foibles are all part of what we love about celebrities. We feel better not being them, though we cer- tainly enjoy their work. The people of Toronto may not think so at the moment, but the rest of the world is mesmerized. Column Gerard C reces I realize Ford's case is a bit extreme, but does anyone out there actually believe there are any paragons to be found in poli- tics? People cuss, they drink, they smoke things they shouldn't, they have marital troubles. That we actually believe the veneer of the hard working family man or woman is more to our discredit than theirs. That we become enraged when reality surfaces shows how out of touch with that same reality we've become. So, what is the role of the politician in this day and age? Is it to be a competent manager of tax money? Is it to set fair and just policy that benefits all constit- uents regardless of who they voted for? That much, any of them can and should do. But what is the role of the politician's personal life in this day and age? Do we still believe them to be role models? Politics is a dirty game. We should not expect anything less from the players. Still, without his situation of privilege, Ford would be treated as any other criminal. Instead, his political power wanes as his status as a celebrity grows and it is the only the latter that could see him through when all else fails. It's mind boggling as a voter, but makes perfect sense in a made -for -TV way. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The News Record welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include a daytime phone number for verification purposes. Letters can be sent care of the Internet at clinton.news@sunmedia.ca, sent via fax at 519-482-7341 or through Canada Post care of The Editor, P.O. Box 39, Clinton, ON NOL ILO. CLINTON NEWS RECORD • HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-482-3443 • FAX: 519-482-7341 www.clintonnewsrecord.com