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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1986-07-23, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986. Airplane a 'go broke quick' scheme from Mabel’s Grill It’s a tragic part of life today that plenty of people are gullible or greedy er ough to get caught up in scams like the “airplane” scheme in an effort to get rich quick. Perhaps the media should take part oftheblame for the situation with the rags to riches stories we’ve been feeding people for years, both in fiction and in stories of the few individuals who by luck or hard work (or most likely both) had jumped from the bottom to the top of the economic pile. Governments should also take some of the blame for promoting the idea of becoming instantly rich through the endless promotion of lottery schemes. Whatever the cause, at the same time as few people want to take the risk ofworkingfor themselves, of setting up a business that depends on their own brains, skills and muscles, we have people willing to risk $2,200 in search of a quick return of money even when they know the odds are against it ever coming true. Look at the sad facts. If 15 people needed for an airplane scheme got together and invested the resulting $33,000 in a legitimate business, they’d have the basis for something that might in the long run return a lot more than they’ll get from an airplane fraud. In addition, the business they created would add to their community, providing services needed by the community, creating jobs to make the community grow. But the problem with that kind of investment is that it requires long-term commitment. It requires something more than a dream of easy money. Those, tragically, are unfashionable traits in the 1980’s. Lessons from the sealers Seal hunting has about as much direct impact in Huron County as tiger safaris but there is food for thought for rural people in the whole country in the recent release of the report of the Royal Commission into the east coast seal hunt. The commissioners found that the use of clubs to kill baby seals isn’t cruel and that seals are not an endangered species. But against this rational fact came the undeniable public perception of the seal hunt, as a cruel practice and therefore people think it should be banned. The fact that the sealers were right in their factual claims doesn’t help them at all now that the seal hunt has died because ofadverse public reaction. It doesn’t help put food on the tables of the maritime families that depended on the extra income from the seal hunt. It won’t give some economic base to the Inuit communities of the north that have been left with no source of cash income. Despite the fact that they had logic on their side, the sealers were destroyed by a relatively small group of activists who used every trick in the modern media arsenal to put across the image of the seal hunters as barbarians. There were more seal hunters than there were organizers of the anti-seal hunt fight but the seal hunt opponents knew how to use the media to get sympathy on their side. There are two lessons to be learned for rural people across the country. The first is that right doesn’t mean might. Farmers, fishermen, hunters, all those who live close to the edge of nature, are a tiny minority these days. They can be logical and right in their arguments but to society in general they are so insignificant that they’re like ants who get crushed under the foot of a giant who never even knows what he’s done. The second lesson is that our “civililzed” society doesn’t want to see the grim, reality of life. They don’t want to see, or even know of, the blood that must be spilled to make that seal coat, that pair of leather shoes, that fast-food hamburger. All producers of food who depend on the captivity or slaughter of animals are susceptable to the same kind of media campaign as theseal hunters. Imaginewhatafilm camera inside a slaughter house could do to the market for beef or pork if an organization like Greenpeace mounted a campaign similar to the one directed against the seal hunt. If. or perhaps when, that type of campaign comes, farmers must be in a better position to counteract it, than the sealers were. The farmer as the hardy individualist would be easy pickings for a pressure group like the one that went to work on he sealers. If ever there was an opportunity for farmers to pull together, it’s now, while there’s still some time to prepare. MONDAY: Billie Bean, who is always trying to come up with some new promotion for the town, said he was planning to go down to the turtle races in Ailsa Craig this year. Seems the people of Ailsa Craig are thinking about quitting the turtle race business. There just isn’t any money in it now that the provincial government won’t allow them to have betting on the races. “But that’s discrimination”, Julia Flint said. “They let you bet on horses but not on turtles. There must be something in the Charter of Rights about that.” Tim O’Gra­ dy pointed out that the Charter only applies to people not turtles. “Yeh,” says Hank Stokes, “but look at it this way. Ailsa Craig might not be able to afford a race track for horses, butthey can easily afford a track for turtles. That’s discrimination on the part of the government in favour of the rich communities.” Billie was telling Councillor Ward Black that our town should be looking into turtle races if Ailsa Craig is getting out of the business. After all, turtle racing put Ailsa Craig on the map. But Ward remembered that it wasn’t so much the turtle racing that put the town on the map but the court case that ' saw the organizers nearly sent to jail for allowing illegal betting. “If you want to organize it you can Billie, but I’m staying out of it.” Tim said maybe we could organize a new pyramid scheme based on turtles instead of air­ planes. “You pile 15 people as passengers on a turtle’s back and when one falls off he gets $17,600,” Tim says. “It might not setyour imagination soaring but at least it would take you longer to lose your money.” he world view cLL .<• »< « i There are people who will tell you that the important decisions in town are made down at the town hall. People in the know, however know that the real debates, the real wisdom reside down at Mabel’s Grill where the greatest minds in the town (if not in the country) gather for morning coffee break, otherwise known as the Round Table Debating and Filibustering Society. Since notjusteveryone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time. TUESDAY: Billie was talking about the boycott of the Common­ wealth Games at this morning’s session. “The way things are going with these international games these days, they should invent a new event: for the politician fastest running away from an internation­ al sporting event. That way, at least, there would be some prizes to be won by some of these countries that never enter any other race.’’ WEDNESDAY: Julia was talking this morning about the squabble that’s supposed to be going on between Margaret Thatcher and the Queen over Mrs. Thatcher’s refusal to agree to sanctions against South Africa. “You’ve got to give the Queen credit for guts,” Julia says. “Can you imagine arguing with a lady who’s known for cutting govern­ ment expenses wherever she can Letter to the editor when she gives you a couple of million a year to run the household expenses?” “Oh, I don't know if she hasn't got a few weapons of her own, Hank Stokes says. “If Maggie got sticky, the Queen could have Prince Andrew call off the wedd­ ing. You think sanctions would hurt south Africa, think of what cancelling the Royal Wedding would do to the British economy. Maggie might have to go on the breadline herself.” FRIDAY: Tim was talking about the prank Princess Di and Fergie were supposed to have played the other night when they dressed up as police women and sneaked into a local night spot. It was supposed to be their version of the bachelor party that was taking place for Andrew at the same time. “Good grief,” Tim says, “If this is their idea of a wild time, they could give bachelor parties a good name.” Correcting impressions THE EDITOR, I would like to correct some impressions that may have been left with readers following your July 9 article “Emergency plann­ ing underway in Huron County”. First, I should make it clear that although my position as Emergen­ cy Planning Co-ordinator is par­ tially funded by the Federal government’s Joint Emergency Planning Program, 1 am an employee of the County of Huron. Under the 1983 Provincial Emer­ gency Planning Legislation, muni­ cipalities were given the responsi­ bility to develop contingency plans to respond to large scale natural and manmade emergencies: e.g., tornadoes, floods, chemical spills and nuclear accidents. Huron County, under this legislation, unlike a municipality, does not Continued on page 5 [640523Ontario Inc.] Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Published weekly in Brussels, Ontario P.O.Box152 P.O. Box429, Brussels, Ont. Blyth, Ont. N0G1H0 N0M1H0 887-9114 523-4792 Subscription price: $15.00; $35.00foreign. Advertising and news deadline: Monday 4p.m. Editor and Publisher: Keith Roulston Advertising Manager: Beverley A. Brown Production and Office Manager: Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968