HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Lucknow Sentinel, 1986-04-02, Page 6•
Page 6—Lucknow Sentinel, Wednesday, April 2, 1986
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"The Sepoy"rown"
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Freedoms must endure
The government of Ontario is moving at, an alarming
pace to impose a socialist ideology upon the face of this
province. Is that what we really wanted when we voted for
change at the •last election?
•The fiasco between government and the medical profes-
sion is an issue which is cause for concern. Actually, two
basic issues emerge after all the smog of rhetoric has
cleared. tone is the issue of freedom of the individual and
the degree to which We will permit the government to en-
croach upon it; the second is the quality of health care we
• can look forward to as citizens of Ontario.
The extra billing aspect of the issue is nothing more
than a smoke screen. Politicians realize that appeal to
voters is best achieved by stroking their pocketbooks. And
so, while the extra billing .issue grabs the attention of the
publiC, the government can move in on the medical pro-
fession under the guise of better medical care for all at no
extra cost. We've heard those kinds of promises before.
What is astonishing is that so many people believe this
Will happen. Consider -the record of government ad-
ministrative ability. Consider the baSic. ,principles .of
human nature. Surely these would indicate that theiieople
of Ontario will be the losers.
Doctors, while they may appear god -like when one's life
is at stake, are after all human beings with the same
desires, sensitivities and needs as the rest of the human
race. What is going to happen to the morale of these pro-
fessional people if they are all reduced to the lowest corn;
'non denominator by bAnithrbidderiptgbarge according
to theiF4vOrt*Z!4'4
.‘W1146.01.1 happent to theiftKest Toffextellence, if there
• are no tangible rewards for achieving it? Where else in
our society -* that achleVementdented?
And what Is most disturbing, what profession or seg-
ment of , our society will be next on the govertunent'sbit
' • - ,
.Basic hurnan rights' are being interfered with in this
issue. IS:that what we really Want?
What is at stake here , is not the option to overbill, or
,• • equal access. to medical', care. It is the overall level of
Medical care we can expect -by a group of once dedicated
• professional people who have beeni squelched by an
overbearing bureaucracy. -Andlt is the tenuous status of.
• some very basic freedoms we have all came to expect.
We; in Ontario; enjoy an extreraelyligh level medical
care' When world-renowned experts are necessary, we.
need•go,nolurther.than our own mediCal, centres. Do we*,..
' really want, to interfere with the level of excellence we ":
. 4
•
hava4chigyed Ontario? One thing is sure: it will not be
here for us under ,a -sYste111, where - professionals are•.'•
‘. •
- - government -Controlled. ,
It is disheartening to seethe spiritof freedom of choice
'principles
,ilePitrg)eodwriliehatlf10te province
graduallygrewand flourished, On-
tario
,
, , ' ' ' ''' , ,-, .; ',,),;'1,•1;,,,,,, ,,,
,
' ,.. '„ ...' . ..‘ •. .4 , ,....
i,.. I ' . •
• "Absence makes the heart grow fond.
, er". This old adage seems tdapply particu-
larly to those who emigrate from!! their
i• 4• native land. The feeling persists until the
absentees return, and only then do roust
them realize why they emigrated in the
first place. Nothing remains the same
except in memory. When Kathleen
Jamie-
son set foot once again in Belfast, Northern
Ireland, it was as though she was seeing it
for. the first time..After such a long•journey
and inconvenience, however, she did not
reveal her disappginttnent to her. husband.
• Ian Jamiegon or* intendedfo stav a few
days in Belfast ge too vvis bitten bY the,
bug of the "auld hanie"s''As soon as be
could, he. intended to take and! et short..
sea voyage to Glasgow and from theft
into the ,Highlands -of Scotland. For the
• time he 'stayed. with his wife and
small son at the expensive Royal'Ulster
Hotel,
. Katfileen had been an 'orphan child and -
had no relatives '•that she knew " of in
Belfast. Years ago she had a friend by the
name of Fanny Conners, and though she
wetild dearly .have liked to see her again,
Ole had no idea how to locate her
• probably she had inarriec.1 long ago, and,had
chatigecl,her name. Perhaps,'„ (and it was a
very remote possibility), -Some Member of
the congregation Of the church they- used to
• 'attend might be able to give some newsof
her. • • 4,
On Sunday inorriing Kathleen dressedin
herVery best - a 'Costume of greeir velvet
trimrned with lace and dainty shoes of calf
skin. When she negotiated the streets and
sidewalks however, she wished -she was not
so expensively attired. She had to lifther
skirts to avoid the horse Manure when she
•,crossed the streets, and walk,as far as pos-
sible away from the road to prevent being
splashed , by carriage wheels vvhen the
paased t rough stagnant. puddles. , Next
• tittle, Kathleen told lierself,'She would hire
handsome cab,. even if she was only going
a few hundred yards.
At Saint Peter's Anglican Church she
arrived a full fifteen Minutes before the
eleven' o'clock serviceand went to the
vestry to find the vicar, ,
I ani quite sure there is 110 lady by the
• name of Fanny Conners in my parish,'the
,portly bald.headed minister informed
• Izay01?••=,
•
• :•,.:Kattileen.'"iltit I Sitaillr'Y to find Out if,anY
of my 'congregation knew of such a
( person.
. , True to his „Word, when the parson read
the' notices for that week, he, tagged an
impromptu nicssage on the end: •
us... this week is a. lady 'from
• Canada, Who used to be a member. ot this
church min)? years ago - she is the iadY. iri
- the green ..Costurne'on the back pew; She is
anxious to find the whereabouts of -an old
friend whose maiden narne; is Fanny,
Conners. Would anyone who Can assist,
'kindly speak to our colonial friend after, the
• service?' • • •
,•
During the entire letigto ottiVery unin-
J
toostiag sermon and the singhigtift e iast
hymn, Kathleen Wondered if she would be
lacik.enough.to Meet somebody whO'inew
•'Fanny' As the congregation Passed,' each
With:, a Smile or a polite nod for, the
• `Colonial lady'', she began to despair until
' she noticed a poorly dressed little Meuse of
• a *Oman afthe,baek of ,the crowd who was
'IoOking intently at her. When she. reached
Kathleen's side, she slipped, 11140 -the pew
•beside her and spoke- with lur hand.
covering tierlips, as if what she wassaying
, • ,
was a national secret.
•
-"I know a Fanny. Conners - so 1 do
ma'am," she whispered. "But judging by.
the
the likes of you - you being a lady anall - it
doesn't seem proper that she could be a
friend o'yorn so it don't."
"Could you please give • /lie • Fanny's
• address?" Itathlten isked, delighted With
her contact.v' , • k ,
'Twould brhard.to find, ma'am =, 'tis •
not a nice part of the city - 1 wouldn't want •A
a Christian lady to be toaniin arhund the*,
•
' •,` •.;
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"Then perhaps you can take me there
yourself" Kathleen said.
The woman recoiled as if horrified at the
very thought
"Id be afeared O' what ye might think
when ye,.see the hovel Panty livesKathleen reached into her costume
pocket and produced a golden sovereign. -
"Perhaps this will help you to overcome
your fear," she said sweetly.
likes o'" the place,"