HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1979-10-17, Page 2SOME LS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1979
on TAR 10
Serving Brussels and the surrounding community.
Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
By McLean Bros. Publishers Limited
Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Pat La nglois - Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Aasociation
Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $10.00 a fear.
Others $20.00 a Year. Single Copies 25 cents each.
BLUE
RIBBON
AWARD
•
4v
What's the solution?
Every year, it seems as though an editorial is written on the topic of
vandalism—not that an editorial can do much good unless some action
is taken from the suggestions given. And judging from recent incidents
in Brussels and area, it's obvious that the perfect solution to problems
of vandalism in the community have not yet been found.
Last weekend's second attempt on tne Window of Malcolm Jacob'S'
Harness and Saddlery Shop seems almoit like a vendetta. Can hate run
so deep that one could get some sort of sadistic pleasure out of an act
such as this one or the destruction of any type of property? What form
of reasoning lies behind these acts? Is it problems at home, at school,
or what?
Solutions to the vandalism problem aren't exactly crawling out of the
woodwork. Suggestions to Attorney General Roy McMurtry that the
whole system of courts and fines should be checked have met with the
polite reply that the government is already looking into the matter.
Unfortunately, the wheels of government grind exceedingly slowly, so
maybe the matter could be taken in the hands of the people in some
way.
No doubt, technology has had a hand in the increase in vandalism
when we have television displaying comedic criminals for the sake of
entertainment, and easier access to motor vehicles offers a temptation
to try and outdo Starsky and Hutch and Evel Knievel. That's certainly
not to say that all technology is bad as it has brought us cures for
health problems and other benefits as well.
Trying to understand why a teenager, a young adult or anyone might
wish to perform acts of vandalism might be the first step in. better
community relations. Perhaps, consulting a psychologist or mental
health centre might be the answer.
Perhaps it would be possible to form some sort of crisis centre for the
Brussels community if people could get some background training and
would willingly volunteer their service to staff such a facility.
Another idea could be a drop-in centre where various activities could
be encouraged for the community on weekend evenings or shorter
programs for weeknights. If the activities went on late into the evening
on weekends they might be considered an option to a drinking binge.
Maybe it would be interesting to suggest some old-fashioned
entertainment weekends that the teenagers and young adults could
organize themselves such as hay rides and sleigh rides in the winter,
snowshoeing, or cross country skiing around the five mile block, or
even putting on plays and talent nights for the community.
Of course the young people could come up with their own
suggestions of what they would like to do. Maybe the young people
would consider these ideas old-fashioned but maybe, just mayberthey
might consider them as the alternative to having nothing to do.
Of course the arena serves as a place where local people can actively
become involved in the sport of their choice but for a lazy, relaxing
evening after the arena has closed down, there really isn't much to do
in Brussels. A combined crisis, drop-in centre just might be the
answer.
To keep such a centre operating would require funding, something
that the local service clubs might be able to help out with. Young
people could also help to raise money as the centre would belong to
them and be for their benefit.
At this moment, the only solution to the vandalism problem seems to
be to keep on looking for the solUtions. If Brussels can contribute even
in a small way to the easing of this problem,-then residents can feel
they've closed one more door on the generation gap.
4Brussels Post
It's the time of year most sports haters
cry the most. They look in vain through the
television listings trying to find their
regular programming. Instead they see
only baseball, football and hockey. And
they groan.
It is fashionable to dislike sports. To
dislike sports some people feel puts them
on a level above the common herd. They
can look down on the people who go out to
football or hockey games as beer guzzling,
boorish neandrathals who can hardly speak
three words in a row without tripping over
their tongues. Of course this kind of one
track mipd is prevalent on the opposite side
of the picture too as those who see sports
as symbolic of virility and manhood and
think those who enjoy art, music or theatre
as long haired hippie creeps with question-
able sexuality. El
One of the great sins of televized sports
for the "serious" people is when it
dislodges the national news for a few
minutes to show the end of a game. How
ridiculous. The television news boys
charge that something as important as the
news should be delayed for a football or
baseball or hockey game. Surely the world
will come to an end if we don't see
Knowlton Nash exactly on time.,
They're right of course about one thing.
Sport is meant for playing, not watching.
The "thinkers" in our society feel even
that is below them. I remember back to my
college days when in first year we were
supposed to have a compulsory physical
education period just once a week. It was
joke as three-quarters of the students
found some excuse not to go. For them the
idea of a good mind and a good body just
didn't go together.
I pity them. They really didn't know
what they were missing. Most of us, even
those who used to play sports but have
grown up and left it behind, don't know
what we're missing. It came back to me
with a flash of recognition the other day
when I was watching a baseball game on
television. The situation was tense. The
game could be on the line. A ball was hit. A
great play was made. The batter was out.
And across the field a player who wasn't
even involved in the play himself lept three
feet in the air in jubilation. For me the
instant connection was made. I remember
that feeling. A feeling unlike any other you
can name.
The 1970's have been a generation of
getting back to fitness of running, jogging
and playing games, but still a large
proportion of the population looks down on
anything physical. They're out for the
Some, people, Much too refined to
indulge in pornographic books or blue
movies, get their voyeuristic kicks from
reading the "Personal" columns of the
newspapers.
Not me. I ain't refined. By the time I've
skimmed the front page, been bored by the
pompous editorials, I'm through with the
paper. It is strictly for wrapping garbage
in.
Never do I read the classified ads, selling
everything from houses and cars to bodies.
I haven't time. And besides, they're all the
same. Whether it's a car, a house, or a
body, it's the greatest buy of the century.
Many of them carry the same message:
"Must be seen."
Well, I strayed. Yes, I wandered. The
onther day, looking through the ads for
teachers in the hope that I could find my
daughter's address in Moosonee (she
hasn't written Us in over three weeks and I
have a piercing picture of her and the
grandboys stumbling around the tundra
looking for the place), I staggered, by some
mischance, onto the "Personal" column.
No wonder those Warpies read it, the
ales
peo Who leave the room, nose in air,
h etrie)31ie mentions sex, or tells
funny, slightly offcolor joke. It's a kaleido.
pleasures in life. Pleasure seeking leads to
a new emphasis on good food, on alcohol,
on drugs and on all kinds of information on
how to get the most pleasure from sex. Yet
these people ignore sports which has
pleasures to equal any of the other thrill.
A team sport provides the opportunity
for both individual and community fulfill-
ment. The player who lept in the air at the
play of another member of his team
probably got more sheer joy out of
watching the play than he did in participat-
ing in one. Yet he also has the thrill of
doing well himself and knowing that hea
achieved not only for himself but for the
other members of his team. Those players
learn to work with each other to depend on
each other, even if they may not even like
each other away from the playing field.
Team sports provide a great lesson for
anyone. Making our world work depends
on working together towards a common
goal despite our personal differences. This
is most easily seen in sports where the goal
is so visible, so obvious. On a good team
players are brought more closely together
than in any situation outside the family
except perhaps when soliders are under
fire at war. In fact there's a great similarity
between sports and war. They both bring a
sense of dedication, of discipline. Sports,
of course bring happiness instead of death
and bloodshed. It has the benefits without
the hardships.
Something that is often derided in sports
is the competitiveness. Players compete
with themselves and with others. They
constantly drive themselves to do better so
they can reach the goal of winning the
game. Yet what's different from the
painter, the writer, the dancer? Don't they
drive themselves to fry to do better? Don't
they all dream of being "the greatest"?
Competition is what improves the world.
Misplaced competition causes problems to
be sure. The hockey coach who is so
competitive he drives his players to foul the
opposition is not different from the dancer
in a ballet company who plays politics to
get a good part. Competition is part of
human beings. Like most things about
humans it has its good points and its bad.
Sport is, in effect, a reflection of
humanity, its good points and its bad. It
can teach us a lot about ourselves and our
world if we'll only take time to play and the
watch.
Sport is, in effect, a reflection of
humanity, its good points and its bad. It
can teach us a lot about ourselves and our
world if we'll only take time to play and to
watch.
scope of sex, sin, silliness and sickness to
warm the heart of any peeker through
others' windows.
I read with -at ,first amusement, then
amazement, and then a bit of shock,
though I am fairly unshockable.
This appeared in "Canada's National
Newspaper", which maintains a lofty
moral tone on most of its other pages.
It was like looking under the rug in a
highly moral dowager's house, while she is
out getting tea, and finding a lot of dirt
under it.
First under suspicion are the items
under "Massage". Some of them are
innocuous enough, but what about this
one' "No appointment needed. 10 a.m. to
10 p.m. 7 days a week." With a woman's
name and phone number.
Maybe she's just a hard worker, who
doesn't get up too early, and doesn't like
days off, but I doubt it.
Then you come to the section headed:
"Readers, Palmistry, Horoscopes." Again
some of them are legit, as legit as a
fortune-teller can be. Btit there are some
intriguing ones "Mrs Selma will 'help you
in all problems of life. No problem so small'
that she cannot solve (14o* about big,
(Continued On Page 3)
Behind the scenes
by Keith Roulston.
Non sports fans are crying
Advertising is accepted on the Condition that in the wient Of A tyPogrephical error tht 'advertising speee
Oesiu0ed by the erroneotiii itirn, together With reatonable allOWirke for signature, will not be charged for but
the beta** of the AdyertiSernent wil be paid for at the applicable rate.
While awry effort will be made to insure they ere handfed With care, the publishers cannot be responsible toe the Ottani Of tinialieitect 'rnanueeriPti or photos.
Sugar and spice
By Bill Smiley
I ain't refined