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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1979-11-28, Page 2IMMOSIELS ONTARIO 'NESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1979 Serving Brussels and the surrounding community. Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, Ontario By McLean Bros. Publishers Limited. Evelyn Kennedy - Editor Pat Langlois - Advertising Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association Subscriptions (in advance) Canada $10.00 a Year, Others $20.00 a Year. Single Copies 25 cents each. BLUE RIBBON AWARD 1970 g-Brussels Post The Trudeau imprint Some politicians can pass through government without leaving so much as an imprint in the pages of history. Such was not the case with Pierre Elliott Trudeau. As Canada's Prime Minister he was a colorful figure, He became known not just in his own country but in others as well. He extracted possibly every human emotion from his countrymen, whether it was love, hate, admiration, envy or a mixture of emotions. Whatever you felt about him, he had a presence that could not be denied. Even his political opponents had a certain admiration for him as evidenced by comments made by Prime Minister Joe Clark and NDP leader Ed Broadbent. No matter what your feelings about Pierre Trudeau, you would probably have to admit that he probably made other countries more aware of Canada than they had ever been before. Now Pierre Trudeau has resigned as leader of the Opposition and whether he will remain as the member for Mount Royal is uncertain. If he resigns completely from politics, his absence will be greatly noticed, but his position as a leader of this country, will not go unnoticed in history. Behind the scenes by Keith Roulston "There is no justice!" "We want justice!" Next to food and a place to live, justice is probably the most sought after right in the world. The American Declaration of Indepen- dnece called for "liberty and justice for all" and ever since the American people . have been talking aobut the lack of justice in their society. Pierre Trudeau in his acceptance speech on becoming leader of the Liberal party and prime minister of Canada said we must build "a just society" and ever since. people have been pointing out how far short he fell from delivering the promise. For if justice is highly desired, it is also most difficult to obtain. We've always heard the complaint about something not being far and the retort that "Who said life was fair." Fairness and justice are indeed not guaranteed In our world. Absolute justice isn't a right under any form of government around the world. Even the church doesn't dole out complete justice. The problem is that justice, like right and wronglis supposed to be an absolute but like all things involved with human beings is subject to individual interpreta- tion. What is justice for the person on one side of a dispute may not be just for the other person. So long as humans deal with humans there will, always be a problem with justice. Faced with an accident involving two individuals with no' witnesses, for instance, how do the authorities charged with administering justice handle the situation? So often it comes down to the word of one person against the other. In such a situatiolithe decision often is not a just one. One person mayhave a superior social position making it more attractive to believe his part of the story. Perhaps one perk* is a consummate story teller being able to convincingly tell the story how they want it to sound. Even if the situation is eq is see ual " both individua the story slightly differently, each thinking they are lets to blame than the other. Whatever the final outcome one or the other or both is sire to think that justice hasn't been done. SometimeS even when justice has been done there is injustice. What about the man charged with a crime when he is innocent? In, our complicated judicial system a person has little chance if he chooses to #fend himself in court so he must hire a lawyer. The accused IS et onerated in the trial but he then must', face the prospect of working for several years to pay back the heavy debt he's accumulated in paying the lawyer to prove what he knew all the time. Some justice. We tend to blame our politicians for all that is wrong with the system of justice in our country. Every case of injustice brings cries for improvements in the system. Our system can of course be improved and should be but it isn't easy. In fact many of the injustices we now have are due to the fact of trying to prevent injustice. Our law has become so complicated only specialists can know all the ins and outs. People seeking justice are at the mercy of our lawyers who are the highest paid of the professions because of their position of monopoly. Over the years we've had to deal with the problem of the more powerful member of our society using that power to get an unfair advantage over less powerful members. We've tried to prevent this on the one hand by more lawS and on the other by increased government interference. So today we have the fact that a good portion of all the letters sent to those "Action Line" type columns in daily newspaper are complaining about injustice at the hands of government bureaucrats whose job it is to protect people from injustice. In fact one wonders if we can stand the injustice of any more justice. Our solution to all problems whether they be economic or judicial has always been collective action, in other words more government. That hasn't changed the problem though. We still have economic problems. We still have a lack of justice. The fact remains that all our problems go right back to the indiVidual,menibers of society. If we were all perfect we wouldn't need government action. If we were all at least willing to think about the other guy as much as ourselves then we'd have few Of these disputes. But not everybody is willing to play the game by the rules. In any group of people at least a few will be willing to ignore the rules when it suits them, A few more will get into disputes because they honestly see things different- ly than their opponent and refuse to back doWn because they're tired of being taken advantage of. So we expect government to give us justiCe. But governMents are run by imperfect People too. And So We don't 'have a just society. There has been a tremendous change in the manners and mores of Canada in the past three decades, This brilliant thought came to me as I drove home from work today and saw a sign in a typical Canadian small town: "Steakhouse and Tavern." Now ; didn't exactly knock me out, alarm me, or discombobulate me in any way. I am a part of all that is in this country, at 'this time. But it did give me a tiny twinge. Hence my opening remarks. I am, no Carrie Nation, who stormed into saloons with her lady friends, armed with hatchets, and smashed open (what a waste) the barrels of beer and kegs of whiskey. I am no Joan of Arc. I don't revile blasphemers or hear voices. I am no Pope John Paul II, who tells people what to do about their sex lives. I am not even a Joe Clark, who rushes up to a barricade prepared to jump for some votes, then decides to go back to the starting-line and send in a real athlete, Robert Stanfield, an older and wiser athlete, to attempt what he knew he couldn't do. And the "he" is Joe.. I am merely an observer of the human scene, in a country that used to be one thing, and has become another. But that doesn't mean I don't have opinions. I have nothing but scorn for the modern "objectivae" journalists who tell it as it is. They are hyenas and jackals, who fatten on the leavings of the "lions" of our society, for the most part. I admire a few columnists: Richard Needham of the Toronto Globe, Allan Fotheringham of Maclean's, not because they are great writers, but because they hew the wood for which this country is famous, and let the chips fall where they may. That's the way it should be. Let's get back on topic, as I tell my students. The Canadian society has rough- ened and coarsened to an astonishing degree in the last thirty years. First, the. Steakhouse and Tavern. As a kid working on the boats on the Upper Lakes, I was excited and little scared when I saw that sign in American ports: Duluth,, Detroit, Chicago. This letter is a copy of one sent to Grey Township Council. I would like it to be published so that the ratepayers' of Grey know the facts about what I consider to be an injustice. The letter reads: It is with regret I find it necessary to write, however a very disappointing and unjust situation has developed that several of you know about and those of you that don't should be enlightened. Apparently there are 2 applicants to choose frbm for the job of snowplowing for 1979-80. (grader) John Gillis and James Hart. Your road superintendent led Mr. Gillis to believe the job was his if he wanted it. Mr. Engel was asked in the summer by an employee of 19 yrs if he intended that John Gillis snow plow. His answer was in the affirmative. Again in the P.M. of October 18, 1979 on the 16th concession of Grey Twp. John Gillis- approached Mr. Engel with with the request that when his route was opened in the early a.m. he be allowed to do his chores and return to snowplowing thitieS. This request was approved. A man would hardly make such a request if he felt he was not hired. Why then, you tell me was John not informed then and there that Mr. Hart had also applied for the job. It is difficult for me to believe Mr. Egel would not know that iS and to lead Mr. Gillis &own the garden path is unforgivable. rn most other townships the Road Superintendent is responsible for hiring road maintenance personel. Is Grey Twp, different? John's work record is excellent and he was always available and willing to work when called Upon. A councillor for 2 yelts and an later exchanged for the eupheMism "be-• verage rooms." But that was all right. Only the .lower element went there, and Om closed from 6 p.m. to 7:30, or some such, so that a family man could get home to his dinner. Not a bad idea. In their homes, of course, the middle and upper class drank liqUor. Beer was the working-man's drink, and to be shunned. It was around then that some wit reversed the old saying, and came out with: "Work is the curse of the drinking class", a neat version of Marx's (?) "Drink is the curse of the working classes." If you called on someone in those misty days, you were offered a cuppa and something to eat. Today, the host would be humiliated if he didn't have something harder to offer you. Now, every hamlet seems to have its steakhouse, complete with tavern. It's rather ridiculous. Nobody today can afford a steak. But how in the living world can these same people afford drinks, at current prices? These steakhouses and taverns are usually pretty sleazy joints, on a par with the old beverage room, which was the opitome of sleaze. It's not all the fault of the owners, though they make nothing on the steak and 100 per cent on the drinks (minimum). It's just that Canadians tend to be noisy and crude and profane drinkers. It has crept into our educational system, where teachers drink and swear and tell dirty jokes and use language in front of women that I, a product of a more well-mannered, or inhibited, your choice, era; could not bring myself to use. And the language of today's students, from Grade one to Grade whatever, would curl the hair of a sailor, and make your maiden, aunt grab for the smelling salts. Words from the lowest slums' and ilummiest barnyards create rarely a blush on the cheek of your teenage daughter. A graduate of the depression, when people had some reason to use bad language, in sheer frustration and anger, and of a war in which the most common four-letter word was used as frequently, and absent-mindedly, as salt and pepper, have not inured me to what our kids today consider normal. Girls wear T-shirts that are not even funny, merely obscene. As do boys. Saw one the other day on an otherwise nice lad. Message: "Thanks all you virgins — for nothing." The Queen is a frump. God is a joke. The country's problems are somebody else's problem, as long as I get mine. I don't deplore, I don't abhor. I don't implore. I merely observe. Sadly. We are turning into a nation of slobs. experienced SnOw Plow Operator evidently means very little to you people. It is disgusting to think you would hire an inexperienced man behind the back of the person who was led to believe that he would be rehired. Mr. Roy Williamson for one was aware of John's desire to work for Grey Twp. It is unust and unfair the way this hiring was done and the ratepayers of Grey Twp. should know about it. (and shall) I once was proud to live in this twp. How Mr. Engel could be present at a council meeting and not say he as much as gave this position to another is really quite amazing. This unfortunate blunder on your part has developed into an atmosphere of bitterness and mistrust between your road superintendent and your long term grader operator. What happened to the Golden Rule "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you". I suggest a reconsideration of this matter is called for. John Gillis turned down alternate winter emlome n in the belief that he had employment as t a snow plow operator. Dealing with former employees in such a manner leads to mistrust and hostility which is hard to forget. The tension and explosive atmosphere this has Caused is most assuredly going to be detrimental to a smooth road maintenace operation.• A reconsideration at this time would be honourable and just and would also make it unncessary to obtain professional advice. A Not So Proud Resident Mildred Gillis RR2, Brussels Suglit and spice By Bill Smiley I tame from the genteel poverty of Ontario in the Thirties, and I was slightly appalled, and deeply attracted by these signs: the very though that drink could be publicly adver- tised. Like any normal, curious kid, I went into a couple, ordered a two-bit whiskey, and found nobody eating steaks, but a great many people getting sleazily drunk on the same. Not the steaks. In those days, in Canada, there was no such creature. The very use of the word "tavern" has indicated iniquity. IT was an evil place. We did have beer "parlours", To the editor: Resident critical