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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-12-21, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1988. Opinion Peace on earth There will always be more than enough war to go around but for those celebrating Christmas this year the words “peace on earth” have new meaning. Two moves in the last two weeks have brought peace closer. First there was the promise by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbechev to cut his country’s troup strength in Europe. Then there was the move last week when the United States decided moves by the Palestinian Liberation Organization to seek peace with Israel were genuine and decided to open talks with the Palestinians. Israel was shocked by the move and spoke defiantly but, with the U.S. showing willingness to negotiate, Israel will be hard pressed not to co-operate if the U. S. gets too unhappy and threatens to cut the financial aid Israel depends on. Those moves together with the cease-fire between Iran and Iraq in the past year, make this one of the most war-free Christmases we have been able to celebrate. Would that the spirit of sharing, loving and understanding of the Christmas period could be taught to all leaders to make sure future Christmases would be even more peaceful. Goodwill to men? The decision of Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa to use special “override” provisions of the constitution to bar bilingual signs of Quebec breaks the faith with all those who have been trying to build understanding between French and English Canadians and points again to the error the Meech Lake agreement would be if it goes into effect. The Supreme Court last week ruled that while Quebec had the right todeclare French mustbe used on all signs, it didn’t have the right to deny the basic rights of Quebecers of other languages to put their language, whether it be English, Italian or Greek, on the signs as well. Sunday Premier Bourassa used special regulations in the constitution (designed to protect provincial rights) to override the constitutional guarantees for the minority language in the province. Those provisions were put there to protect Quebec from major threats to its language and culture but this issue is so petty that to use this extraordinary measure is a slap in the face to all those who have tried to promote understanding and harmony. If the high court had said that English-only signs were allowed Mr. Bourassa might have been justified in his actions. If the court decision had endangered the part of the Quebec legislation that says the language of business in Quebec mustbe French, one could see the threat to the French language. The entire Bill 101 goes against the civil rights of non-French Quebecers but Canadians of understanding have been willing to accept that because they agree the French culture was worth protecting. But the law banning anything but French on signs has always been the most offensive parts of the law. For the government to put such stock in such a silly law makes it hard to any clear-thinking person to support the Quebec government. The political reality of the situation can’t be ignored however. When Premier Bourassa announced his “compromise” banning bi-lingual signs outside stores but allowing them inside, $10,000 outraged nationalists screamed he was selling out to the English. A crisis may be caused in the Quebec government and there are worries that the Parti Quebecois, now unashamedly saying it will negotiate independence if elected, a new life. But perhaps instead of watering down principals of democracy to try to solve the outrage of the nationalists, it is time to stand up for what is right. Let’s face it, if this kind of legislation was proposed anywhere else in the country, we would call it what it is: racist. If 10,000 people demonstrated against French-language rights in Ontario, we’d call them bigots. In Quebec, many of the same people who demonstrate against the civil rights of English-speaking Quebecers would be out demonstrating for the rights of blacks in South Africa or Palestinians in the West Bank but they are so concerned about protecting their language, so bent on revenge of an English minority that dominated the province for so long, that they can’t see the injustice they want to perpetrate. Thirty years of goodwill on the part of moderates on both sides of the language division are threatened by this petty act. The action only shows that the Meech Lake agreement, giving even more provincial rights to Quebec (and other provinces as well) to be used in good faith for extreme needs, would be creating a separate country within a country. Meech Lake is even more dangerous than ever. From the Minister's Study The real meaning of Christmas BY DOUGLAS ZEHR, CO-PASTOR BRUSSELS MENNONTTE FELLOWSHIP As the days of 1988 draw to a close, we are reminded by the devastating earthquake in Armenia that there is much pain in this world. Reflections on the year that was 1988 will be overly seasoned with human tragedy and pain. Even our own community this past year has had its share of pain and anguish caused by natural forces like fires and snow storms. As one prophet of old put it, “In this world you will have trouble”. Yes, there is much trouble in this old world. And you and I both know that a lot of the suffering is caused not by natural disasters, but by the insensi­ tivity of one human being to another on this planet. Consider the fraud and dishonesty in business deals and the wilfully malicious damage that is caused by vandals. It is usually carefully planned. Consider the rampant child and spouse abuse in our society. The statistics would indicate that very few of our family networks are free of this pain. Consider the pain and anguish of personal slander, gossip and charac­ ter assassination. Can anyone of us escape this peril? Consider the materialistic and egocentric spirit of our times, which causes many to horde their posses­ sions, and causes others to assault, some to rape, and many to destroy. It may seem that we are a long way from the peace that is proclaimed in the good news about the child who came to Bethlehem at Christmas time. That is the reality in this world. Perhaps it is because we have not taken this whole event seriously enough. We put a lot of our energies into Christmas celebrations because it is a family event, we say. Or because it is for children, or it is one more excuse for a wild bash. There is a sense in which we miss the whole meaning in the event. We miss the fact that the Babe in the manger was really only a symbol of the message. Jesus did not remain in the manger. He grew to be an adult. He became God in flesh. He was the complete, the full expression of God. He proclaimed the way to God. But it is easier to deal with Christmas if we keep the Babe in the manger. How quaint. We wonder how a political leader like Herod could be threatened by such a miserable birth. And that is where we miss the point. King Herod perhaps understood only too well. Jesus, the babe in the manger, is a threat to the selfish, self-centered personal ambitions of our own. Our ambitions and selfish desires are threatened by the call of the gospel, to deny self, to take up the cross and to follow. In that sense the very people who call themselves Christian are their very own worst Continued on Page 5 The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario, by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $17Q0/yr. 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