HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1981-07-15, Page 2Published at BRUSSELS, ONTARIO
every Wednesday morning
by McLean Bros. Publishers Limited
Andrew Y, McLean, Publisher
Evelyn Kennedy, Editor
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Ontario
Weekly Newspaper Association and The Audit . Bureau of
Circulation.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1981
Authorized as second class mail by Canada
Post Office. Registration Number 0562.
Box 50,
Brussels, Ontario
NOG 1H0 Serving Brussels and the surrounding community
Brussels 1872
4d in russels Post
BRUSSELS
ONT.
Established 1872 519-887-6641
gmixamilms•
CROSSWALKS — Brussels is getting some new additions to its streets at
all the main intersections--crosswalks. ! .v!, town employee Dave
Hastings works at painting the lines on. (Photo by Ranney)
Let's really say welcome
Two weeks to go and counting.. .get ready for the Morris. 125th
birthday celebrations.
If you haven't started to clean up your house or yard, think about it. All
those visitors will be here looking at our community and going back with
whatever good or bad impressions you care to leave with them. Most
events are being held right here in Brussels.
The Morris Centennial Committee is holding a contest on rural and
urban improvement, but even if you haven't entered it, why not look at
your house or your farm yard and see what can be painted or cleaned up.
Brussels has taken a giant step forward recently in some of its
downtown renovations and re-decoration and its a good thing since that's
where the celebrations are being held.
Gather some ideas from what has been done there, then go to it.
Short Shots
by Evelyn Kennedy
Continued from page 1
they have been offered, without any
penalties, the opportunity to do so, fire the
rest and hire -out of work people who are
capable of taking their place.
***0 00
Ontario_ Traffic Safety tells us_ that_ a
traffic accident study revealed an. increasing
number of young- people are involved in
motor vehicle_ accidents after drinking and
driving. 330 accidents were investigated
with a total of 890 persons involved. There
were 46 dead, 225 with major injuries and
194 with minor aches. The _study indicated
that 39.6 per cent of accidents examined
were alcohol-related. It specifically showed
underaged drinkers involved in one of every
six serious accidents where alcohol was a
criterion. Young_men- in 'the 16 to 19 age
group were involved in four out of seven
pedestrian accidents.
* * * *
The 12 of July celebrations of the Battle of
the Boyne passed here without even the
sound of -fife and drum. The hate and
bitterness created by that long ago battle are
best forgotten.
• • • • *
_ A lawyer in Salem, Virginia sat in his
office awaiting a- client. who had been
charged with impaired driving. There was a
sudden_ crash, the door caved in, and the
dient, in his automobile, came to a halt in
the lawyer's office. The reportdoes not state
whether the- driver was _again intoxicated,
but readers can draw their own conclusions.
******
The wedding of Prince Charles and
Lady Diana takes place on July 29. What _a
Royal Spectacle that will be. Thousands_will
line the streets of the route from Bucking-
ham. Palace to St. Paul's Cathedral, where
the ceremony will take place, to cheer this
popular couple and wish them well. Let us
pray- there will be no would-be assassin in
the crowds.
* * * *
When you, see the pictures of all the happy
newlyweds in the papers these days do you
ever wonder how all these marriages will
turn out? Do these young couples expect the
"happy-ever-after" fairy tale ending. It .can
be a successful marriage if both work to
make it so. Problems can be solved and
troubles weathered if you are adult enough
to deal with them wisely. It takes not only
love but consideration, unselfish give and
take,- communication And patience. Do not
nourish grudges; talk about them. There
will be scowling looks, _angry words and
tears when two - intelligent people - live
together but think of the fun there is on
making up when tempers have cooled.
* * * * * *
_ Nobody likes a show-off, there is some-
times a way for a show-off to be taken down
ar_peg- or two. It happened in Alberta,
according. to Transport _Canada. A profes-
sional—cowboy -was flying a small plane
practicing circuits and bumps on a 2,000 foot
farm airstrip. Cattle grazing nearby put up
with the noisy intrusion for nearly an hour.
But enough was enough. Suddenly, a young
steer harged the aircraft as it rolled past on
landing. The _steer _gored the tailplane,
swinging the aircraft into soft ground where
it_ ended up on its nose. - Unhurt, the
victorious steer resumed grazing, in peace.
* • • • * *
During the postal strike, people wishing to
complain to the Ontario Press Council about
the conduct of the press should:
1. Phone collect to the Council office, (613)
235-3847, between 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Monday-Friday; if the time is inconvenient,
phone collect to the executive secretary's
home (613) 733-7283, late afternoon or
evening any day of the week, or
2. Put the complaint in writing and send it
collect by one of the courier companies to the
Council Office, 151 Slater St., Suite 708.
Ottawa. Fraser MacDougall
Executive Secretary Ontario Press Council
Complaint? You can phone
To the editor:
Really, they were bad old days for most people
Behind the scenes
by Keith Roulston
Perhaps a few of us had thought that we
were seeing a new attitude in the U.S.
following its troubles in the last few years
but _it seems that under the Reagan
administratioris drive to return to the glory
of the old days, it also means the return of
the "Ugly American."
Americans, it seems, just don't want to
learn.anything from the troubles that began
in Vietnam and continued through many
other blows_ to their confidence, including
the Iranian crisis and the defeat of Jimmy
Carter-Americans would rather just forget
those little things happened, and return as
Ronald Reagan tells them they shall, to the
glory _days_ of the 1950's and before when
decisions in Washington could decide who
formed a government in a small country half
a world away.
- This attitude, that Americans have the
right to go-anywhere in the world and do
whatever is necessary , to spread their
business, goes _
back to the last century when the U.S. Fleet
Forced Japan to open its markets to U.S.
businessmen. It led to. the establishment of
"banana republics." in central and South
America which did little except set up
conditions favourable .to U.S. buSinesses.
Millions have lived in poverty and misery- in
the last half century because .of this policy,
an outgrowth of ,She "manifest destiny"
thought process in the States, a feeling that I
Americans were the new "chosen" people of
spread their way of life around the. world.
Canada had several scraps with- the
manifest destiny belief, from the attack of
the Americans before the revolution down
there through; the war of 1812 through the
"54.40 of Fight" dispute along the west
coast and numerous other border skirmish-
es. The Americans have been-turned back in
the only two military excursions they have
made against Canada but in otherways their
manifest destiny has been realized. They
didn't have to change governments in
Canada to have their- businesses welcomed
with open arms. -Since the- turn of- the
century, and particularly since the second
World War, Canadians have been deliriously
happy to invite Americans in, sometimes
almost twisting_ their arms, to develop our
resources, to buy up our companies, to help
us live a livestyle we feel we-can't afford.
In the last while things have changed. The
Canadian government is actually havingthe
nerve to say it feels Canadians should own
the companies ,that develop_ our oil and gas
resources.- At the same time some large
Canadian companies have tried to move in
and- take over some of the U.S. large
businesses.
•
Trudeau went to Washington, he and..,E=
aides were read a few -lectures • on what bad-i
children they were being. It wouldn't come
as a surprisqto them because the grumbling
has been strong coming from both business
and government-down in the U.S. for weeks
now. The Americans are getting angry that
Canada should really wish to change the
rules. Somehow our decid ing -that- we
should control-at least 50 per cent (imagine a
whole 50 per cent) of our oil companies has
become a serious threat to national security
of the United States. Threats of retail ation
are being shouted, threats which- are
instantly- supposed to make us go back to
being nice guys. _
Mr.- Trudeau,- of course, went down to
Washington because he wanted to get
started,on closing.the gap between the rich
and poor countries, and so-called North-
South Dialogue. Mr. Reagan apparently felt
little need of doing something-like that. He
was more worried about looking after the
interests of American and, of course,
American businessmen.
Americans, it seems, have not matured
after all.- What seemed like. a new
understanding and wisdom spoken by
the _ Carter administration sounded -as
weakness to- a nation used to- bullying
everyone until it got its way, feeling at the
same time that what was done was only just.
Reagan's stance against Canada's justifiable
concern over foreign - ownership (can you
imagine the U.S. reaction if more than 50 per
cent- of their oil industry was owned by
foreigners?). his disregard for righting the
very problems that bring about the
communist takeovers_ he_so expressly fears,
and his meddling in countries like - El
Salvador only seem to spell more heartache
and misery for people of smaller countries
and ultimately for Americans themselves
down the road. One wonders at home too,
after seeing what austerity. in social
programs has brought-in Britain, the last few
weeks if the. U.S. will have to relive .the
dreadful social „turmoil of the- gballo -Oft
again thanks to the Reagan belief that if you
give business a free hand by cuttingtaxes at
the expense of the poor you will make •
everything just great again.
Reagan's good old days were good for only
a minority 4in the world's moat .powerful
nation. Foe other nations,-and the poor of his
cam, Reagan's move backward is a step back
indeed.
God who had the So last Week When Prime Minister right, nay the duty, to ave YOUR say Write a letter to
the editor