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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2008-06-05, Page 5THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 2008. PAGE 5. Bonnie Gropp TThhee sshhoorrtt ooff iitt Sing its praises As a compelling attention-getter, there’s nothing quite like a nose in the crotch. An uninvited nose, I hasten to add. This one was large, wet and attached to the snout of a German shepherd – which was in turn leashed to the brawny right arm of a brush-cut, flint-eyed, humourless-looking chap with a badge on his chest and a Glock- nine on his hip. Where was this happening – a DMZ border crossing between the Koreas? A lockdown weapons inspection site outside Baghdad’s Green Zone? Nope. This scene was playing out in the bucolic outskirts of Toronto – Pearson International Airport to be precise. I was standing in a lineup in Terminal Two, waiting to board a flight to Thunder Bay. The Mountie and his faithful furry companion were sauntering up and down the lines of passengers checking crotches, shoes, baby- strollers and carry-ons. “Just a random drug check,” Robocop muttered, by way of explanation. Like that made it okay. We are a placid, docile flock, we Canucks. I’m old enough to remember a time when I would have slugged any stranger waving a metal wand next to my nether regions, but nowadays I submit to the ‘pre-screen boarding’ grope with nary a bleat. I even undo my belt and hold out my arms on request. So it was with the ‘random drug check’ at Pearson. No one in the long, snaking lineup – including yours truly – complained about the gross and gratuitous invasion of privacy. This happened five years ago. It burned me then and it burns me still. How did it come to pass that we all came to behave like gonad- deprived sheep and to surrender our dignity so meekly? Well, some, but not all of us. Some brave soul at St. Patrick’s High School in Sarnia had the courage to blow the whistle on the whistle- blowers. Back in November 2002, students at St. Patrick’s looked up from their books to behold a squad of Ontario’s Finest, complete with sniffer dogs, descending upon their school. The students were confined to their classrooms for over two hours while the dogs and their handlers snuffled backpacks and nosed through lockers. Acting on a hot drug tip, right? No, there was no tip and there was no search warrant. In fact, the police were acting on a ‘standing invitation’ from officials of the St. Clair Catholic District School Board to drop by their schools whenever they felt like it and root through the students’ belongings at will. No doubt the school officials justified their ‘policy’ with that tired and shameful maxim always mouthed by the Babbits of this world to excuse yet another surrender of personal sovereignty: “If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to worry about.” It is a mantra that’s been parroted by Nazis, Stalinists, Trotskyites, Maoists and other assorted homicidal control freaks and their functionaries ad nauseam down through the ages. And it’s wrong. And some Sarnian, praise be, objected when the random sniffers invaded St. Patrick’s high school. And it wound up in court. The case has taken five and a half years to work its way through our judicial system, but finally the Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that, no, police and their dogs cannot harass ordinary citizens whenever the spirit moves them. Specifically, the court ruled "the dogsniff search (in Sarnia) was unreasonably undertaken because there was no proper justification… “No doubt ordinary businessmen and businesswomen riding along on public transit or going up and down on elevators in office towers would be outraged at any suggestion that the contents of their briefcases could randomly be inspected by the police without ‘reasonable suspicion’ of illegality.” Bang on. About a century ago, an American Supreme Court justice by the name of Louis Brandeis said “The right to be left alone is the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued in civilized man.” Greta Garbo weighed in on the subject, too. “I never said ‘I want to be alone,’” the famous actress said. “I only said ‘I want to be left alone.’ “There is all the difference.” Indeed there is. But try to explain that to a German shepherd. Arthur Black Other Views Down boy – or I’ll sue Residents of the solemn city of Toronto are being asked to do something completely unnatural to attract tourists – smile. This revolutionary idea has been suggested as Ontario gears toward what the province is dropping hints will be its biggest ever push to lure visitors. Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty has signified its importance by appointing his former longtime finance minister, Greg Sorbara, to devise it. Sorbara resigned his cabinet post a few months ago because, with the younger McGuinty still firmly in his job, he has nowhere higher to go, but he still has the premier’s trust and ear. A debate involving politicians and the city’s chauvinistic news media on what to do to lure tourists has been going on for weeks. But typically so far it’s focused almost entirely on how to improve and market Toronto, which they see as the centre of the universe. This is choosing the wrong destination, because tourists will not be drawn to Ontario primarily because of Toronto or any of its cities for that matter. In this age of easy travel they have many cities to choose from, including London, Paris and Rome, with their histories and old world charm. In the New World, there’s New York, Boston, San Francisco and others with more excitement and higher quality theatres, nightlife and restaurants. Tourists will be drawn to Ontario first by its natural blessings, its wide open spaces, forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, more plentiful and accessible than almost anywhere in the world. There is of course a role for Toronto as a place tourists can sample man-made attractions on their way to or from the beaches and forests – not the main course, but a tasty dessert. The province is concerned particularly by developments that are deterring tourism, the most recent being the record high cost of gasoline, a burden to drivers from the U.S. and starting to be reflected in airfares. Others include the stronger Canadian dollar that forces visitors to pay more in their own currencies, and tighter security that delays those crossing the U.S. border. Strengthening tourism and providing jobs has become more crucial additionally because of the loss of jobs in the province, particularly in manufacturing. Toronto, which often has boasted it is a world-class city, suddenly has discovered it has limitations. Studies have found many first-time visitors were disappointed by what they felt was a lack of attractions and repeat visitors felt there were not enough new ones. The city has lost some of the reputation it had for being clean. Margaret Thatcher, when British prime minister and an Iron Lady not noted for handing out compliments, called it the cleanest city she ever visited. U.K newspapers reported Torontonians carefully depositing every chewing gum wrapper in curbside bins and some downtown sidewalks being swept half-a-dozen times a day. Now litter is more prevalent – almost like London – and a Toronto newspaper publishes a daily column identifying dangerous cracks in sidewalks and bus shelters falling apart and has no trouble filling it. Toronto also has become widely known for shooting deaths. A year ago a newspaper in New York asked this writer to report on them, but insisted he should not visit the worst hit area, because this would be too dangerous. Toronto unlike some European cities provides few washrooms for the public and they are not well kept. Cities get known for their washrooms. Toronto officials suggesting residents should be more welcoming and friendly say as examples they should stop and offer help when they see someone fumbling with a map or go out of their way to explain how the subway system works. This would require a large change in attitude by many Torontonians, who are apt to look threatened and move on quickly when someone they don’t know asks them the way or time. Most people outside Toronto are friendlier and more helpful without being asked and this is another reason more attempts should be made to steer tourists to other places. Eric Dowd FFrroomm QQuueeeenn’’ss PPaarrkk One could think of it as a veritable smorgasbord of almost natural perfection. Sure, there may be the odd side dish that sours the palate, but they are insignificant when considering the overwhelming bounty. Currently, my son is touring out west. The wonder of the internet has allowed us to follow along his route pictorially as he has posted a number of the hundreds of pictures he has taken. The majesty of the Rockies, the pristine purity of cool, clear lakes, the woods and wildlife are, clichéd or not, nothing short of awe-inspiring. As one individual so eloquently states below a shot of a craggy mountain draped in snow, rising into the blue and white of a lightly clouded sky, “Holy crap, dude! I love our country!” Me too. Among my many blessings, I frequently thank the lucky stars above that I call this country home. From sea to sea, border to border, Canada, though certainly not without its issues, is still the best there is. Where it seems to fall short is in its people’s ability to stand tall and be proud of it. I recently attended a concert, and was a bit surprised when, at the end of the evening, the national anthem was played. It was not the ideal time, certainly. Quite frankly, it wasn’t the place for it at all. People were revved up or in cases such as ours thinking of a long drive ahead of them. But, as the powers that be decided it was the perfect time, then one would assume people would do what’s expected. Yet, I was ashamed to see the masses continue on their way, pushing up the stairs to the doors. Not only were they failing to give our anthem its proper due, they were ignoring it completely. Maybe I’m too sensitive, but seriously, can people not stand still for two minutes to publicly proclaim their pride in this country? If not, why? Even more maddening to me was seeing the American performer and his band come back out on stage to take another bow during the middle of it. Bet that wouldn’t have happened had it been the Star Spangled Banner coming over the sound system, I thought. And the next day decided to prove it. I took a few minutes to watch some videos of the American and Canadian national anthems being played at hockey games. It was the same in virtually every one. During O’ Canada, a substantial percentage of the fans cheer, wave, holler, whether on Canadian or American ice, while the players fidget, grin, look around. A rare person can be seen singing. During the Star Spangled Banner, however, there is a stillness as all stand at attention, eyes on the flag, so proudly hailing... what? That they live in a country where George Bush could get elected? Twice? Perhaps. But the Americans always have taken patriotism to the highest level. It would be sacrilege to treat their anthem, and therefore their country the way ours often is. Most Canadians would agree they live in a great place. They appreciate the country’s aesthetic and cultural diversity, that compared to people in other nations we are blessed with both natural and economic wealth. Yet, maybe it’s our humility, but we seem awkward or reluctant about proclaiming it. The abundant life Canada provides should never be taken for granted. It is indeed the true north strong and free and if that’s not something to shout to the world I don’t know what is. Be proud, stand tall and sing Canada’s praises. Spread tourists around the province Letters Policy The Citizen welcomes letters to the editor. Letters must be signed and should include a daytime telephone number for the purpose of verification only. Letters that are not signed will not be printed. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity and content, using fair comment as our guideline. The Citizen reserves the right to refuse any letter on the basis of unfair bias, prejudice or inaccurate information. As well, letters can only be printed as space allows. Please keep your letters brief and concise.