The Brussels Post, 1978-03-29, Page 2Brussels Post
qui ltSiE LS,
OPITAR 10
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 197.8
Serving Brussels and the surrounding community.
Published each. Wednesday'afternoon at Brussels, Ontario
by McLean Bros.Publishers Limited.
Evelyn' Kennedy - Editor Dave Robb - Advertising
Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association and
Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association
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Behind the scenes
By Keith Roulston
Unemployment is agony
Racism
The light seems to be slowly daw ping that
racism, long thought to be a problem of the United
States, Southern Africa and a few other
unenlightened areas of the world, has raised its
vicious and evil head in Canada. We suspect that it'
has always existed here if the treatment of Canadian
Indians and. Inuit is any example', but the fact that
our immigration policies and the treatment of non
whites in our big cities is becoming cause for concern
has brought it out in the open.
Racism is indefensibile yet almost universal. It is
based simply on the belief that one race, color or
creed is superior to any other. It is bigotry, plain and
simple. It is also illegal, although the law in this
country is too often not enforced.
There is a theory being expressed with frightening-
frequency that the victims of racism deserve it. After
all, this antiquated mode of thinking says, these
people came here from another country because they
thought Canada was a better place than the one
which they were leaving. Therefore, these bigots
assert, they must be prepared to accept with grace
all the insults, abuse and downright discrimination
that is tossed at them because that is the way others
"had to make it" in Canada.
The non-white, the immigrant, the minority should
be humble and preferably stupid and should show
their gratitude for being allowed into this nation of
freedom and equality by accepting racism.
There is a cure for racism but it requires stern
measures on the part of our politicians, police,
churches, schools and all other institutions of society
who must declaire uncompromisingly that racism is
unacceptable, illegal and will be dealt with severely.
Politicians and pojice must enact. and enforce
rigidly the strongest laws possible in a democratic
society against these such disgusting practices.
They must begin by rooting it out in their own
arenas.
But the molders of opinion, the consciences of
society have an even deeper responsibility because
racism is not something people are born with. One
rarely sees it among children. Racism is an acquired
attitude, acquired from parents, teachers and
acquaintances.
The churches and schools must make quite clear
that in the eyes of God and of society, all men and .
women are created of equal worAh and have the
right to equal treatment. Anything less is an attitude
of mind and emotion that is totally wrong.
(Unchurched editorials)
To the editor:
The tragedy of unemployment is an
oft-talked about topic these days but few of us
can really understand the agony that those
who are unemployed are going through.
It is easy to say, as this writer often has,
that we as a nation deserve the problems we
now are suffering because of our greed and
irresponsibility. It's probably true that we
must periodically go through hard times like
this to straighten our priorities. That doesn't
however, change the ,fact that for the
individuals who are the actual unemployed,
it's a cruel situation.
The unemployed are less visible in the
1970's than they were say in the depression
years of the 30's. We have unemployment
insurance and other benefits today which
mean we don't have to worry about bread
lines on the streets. Taking away the threat of
hunger, however, doesn't mean that being
unemployed is all that much better than in
times past. I had a short taste of unemploy-
ment one summer when I was still in school
and can say from experience that it is not an
enjoyable state. It means going to job
interview after job interview, at first with
hope, later with the hopeless feeling that you
know before you go you're wasting your time.
It means feeling-guilty when you take time to
relax that you're not spending that time to
find a job. It means sooner or later that you
begin to wonder what's wrong with you that
nobody wants you. Luckily for me I only
suffered for a short while and I knew all the
time that just a few weeks ahead I'd be back in
the comfortable' world of college. The situation
for someone who had been without a job for
months with no end in sight would be
infinitely worse.
I came to think bout these things lately
because I've had several opportunities to see
things from the other end of the dilemma. On
three separate occasions I've been in the
position of interviewing people applying for
jobs and it can be a heartbreaking experience.
The people applying for these jobs were all
well educated, some with several degrees to
their credit, yet they were applying for jobs
that many labourers would claim were too low
in pay.
Perhaps the worst situation arose recently
when I sat in on auditions for the Blyth
Summer Festival acting company. There are a
total of 11 positions open though many will be
filled by members of the company returning
from last year. Still the auditions went on for
seven days at a yate of one person every 20
minutes. Other actors sat around all day
hoping that someone might not show up for
his audition and they'd have a chance to step
in. Others left letters and resumes because
they hadn't been able to get in for an audition.
The artistic director in charge of the hiring
said he could have auditioned for a month
because of all the people looking for jobs. The
majority of these people were tremendously
talented. The job would last only 10 weeks
before they'd be looking for work again.
Unlike other unemployed people, however,
they didn't have any government assistance at
all because actors can not draw unemploy-
ment insurance.
The situation wasn't quite so bad later when
I was part of a team interviewing applicants
for an administrative' position for the
organization but it was,, still sad. About a
dozen applications were received for one
position, a position that wasn't that well-paid
in 'any event and was only full-time for part of
the year.
With their background experience and
education these persons could have expected,
only a few years ago, to have had the world at
their feet. They had been brainwashed by
parents and the educationists into thinking
that they had guaranteed riches for life if they
completed their education, yet here they were
without jobs.
The situation can be almost as hard on the
person hiring as on the applicant. It becomes
very depressing to know that you are going to
disappoint so many people. It becomes hard to
choose who will really be best for the job
because you can start feeling sorry for
everybody and wishing you could hire them
all.
It's a sad situation for which there doesn't
seem to be an easy solution. Those who want
to see massive stimulation for the economy to
produce more jobs may be trying to save the
unemployed of today hardship only to cause
greater troubles for the unemployed of
tomorrow. We're in a mess and I don't think
anyone, government or opposition politicians,
economists, newspaper columnists or even the
unemployed themselves know just what we
should be doing to get out of the mess.
The one thing we can ail do, however, is tq
realize that it is a tragedy; that all the people
who are unemployed are not gold-brickers
seeking a paid holiday on unemployment
benefits; that many people really want to work
even if there isn't much money involved and
that these people deserve our understanding,
compassion and our help.
Thanks Optimists
On behalf of the players, parents and coach of the
Orangeville Kinsmen Atom ho\ckey team. I would
like to congratulate you and all concerned with the
organizIng and running of the Atom Tournament in
which we competed March 18th and 19th.
We have attended several tournaments this
season, and Brussels is in a class by itself.
The courtesy of the office staff, the cleanliness of
the dressing rooms, the geniune concern of all the
officials. The medal and most valuable players
presentations and the smooth flow .from game to
game all contributed to a first class operation.
Our hats are off to all those who gave their time
and talent to produce a top calibre event which We
look forward to attending again neXt year.
Thank you,
H.W. Cavey, Manager
Orangeville Kinsmen
Atom Hockey Team