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The Citizen, 1991-02-27, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1991. Letter to the editor Violence goes deeper than easy solutions THE EDITOR, I found Bonnie Gropp’s article of Feb. 6/91, “Women Get Street Smart”, to be bias and another endeavor at male bashing. The statistics she quotes from the Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women and the comments by Julie Lee are pro­ bably accurate but they are based solely on information from women’s crisis centres which only take into account the violence and abuse directed at women, not the overall incidence of violence in society. Women do commit abuses and violence against men at the same rate on par with men’s violence and abuse against women. In the last 10 years violence committed by women has risen over 100 per cent. Violence and abuse are only a symptom of a far greater problem that has been created by society over centuries with its Christian ideology on morals, values, and roles created for men and women. It has only escalated over time as a direct result of British Colonization around the world. The seeds of this problem are sewn before an indivi­ dual (male or female) reaches the age of five years. Men are not the cause of the problem as Dr. Gail Hutchinson insinuates. They are half of the problem while women are the other half. This problem has to be solved jointly without the use of laws or courts. Failure to do so will only add to the stress and frustration resulting in a dramatic increase in intolerance, racism, abuse and violence. Behaviour will only be changed when both sexes get back in touch with their basic instincts, roots, and sexuality where there is a spirit of co-operation, trust, sharing and respect both mutual and individual. Erotic pictures and literature (pornography) has absolutely noth­ ing to do with this situation. There is no study, scientific or otherwise, that shows any link between erotica and violence or social decay. The abuses done by priests and nuns to natives and others in seminary schools are basically identical to social violence yet pornography isn’t involved. It may be true that a portion of the people committing these abuses have had exposure to erotica but not all have been. You could also say that violence is caused by unemployment or pover­ ty, but this violent phenomenon is occurring at all levels of society. The rationality used here can clearly be seen in an example given by Desmond Morris in “The Hu­ man Zoo”... 1) Look at the green-haired man hitting the child. 2) That green-haired man is vicious. 3) All green-haired men are vicious. 4) Green-haired men will attack you. 5) There is another green-haired man. Hit him before he hits you. (the green-haired man who has done nothing to provoke aggres­ sion, hits back to defend himself.) Letters must be signed We have received two letters to the editor in the last two weeks that have been unsigned. We cannot print letters that do not carry a signature and the address and phone number of the writer. On request we can publish the letter with a pseudonym but we must have the name of the letter writer. 6) There you are, that proves it: green-haired men are vicious. 7) Hit all green-haired men. Society creates a problem with pornography because there is an immature, quritanical, anti-sexual, anti-pleasure attitude when it comes to morals and values. People are uhable to handle sexuality. They are programmed into what they are without being allowed to develop into their own person. One step to end sexism could be started in advertising. Half the beer commercials should be chang­ ed to show La Babe going into LaBar and picking up LaHunk with the insinuation that LaBabe takes LaHunk home after. This is reality. Above all, the human species is a sexual animal. No amount of talk or training will ever alter this fact. The only way this will possibly be changed would be by evolution and even then nature would have to take its own course. The only way to solve the abuse and violence in society is to look at the overall picture, not just point fingers at individual segments. You cannot solve symptoms as they will just keep reoccuring. Our prisons are already full of symptoms. The problem has to be solved at the root. Only then will there ever be peace. DOUG TROLLOPE BRUSSELS. ENCORE ENCORE ENCORE Helping out Dave Stephenson of the Brussels Optimist Club, presents the podium to Blyth Optimist Club president Don Carter at the charter night of the new Blyth club. Brussels was the sponsoring club for the new Blyth club. Grey council set sets 1991 road budget Grey Township Council held its regular meeting on February 18 and set its 1991 road budget for the purposes of the Ministry of Trans­ portation. Council approved a budget of $640,000 for general operations which inlcudes $140,000 for road reconstruction of concession road 5-6, lots 6-15. Council also approv­ ed a supplementary grant applica­ Lottery profits help hospitals. On the night of the car accident, Bruce was not expected to live. For­ tunately, a specially equipped and staffed trauma unit was ready and standing by at a nearby hospital. This special facility helped Bruce beat the odds and he has returned to work. Helping hospitals is just one way lottery profits are used. Lottery profits are also used to provide grants in other areas such as helping people with disabilities. They also help fund sports and recreation, arts and culture, and province-wide charities. This is how Lottery funds are working for you in your area. Paris Lawn Bowling Club, Paris Oakville Arena, Oakville Bay Shore Community Centre, Stoney Creek Ontario Lottery Corporation Together we’re making good things happen. tion for repairs to the Cranbrook bridge (new curb and railings, reconstructed nose pipe), estimat­ ed at $73,300 and an anti-recession grant application for minor repairs to several culverts at an estimated cost of $30,000. Council authorized 1991 grants of $50 to the Huron County Historical Society and $125 to the Blyth Festival. Council also approved the 1991 budgets for the three community centres with grants of $500 each being made to the Cranbrook Community Centre and Moncrieff Community Hall and $1,000 to the Ethel Community Centre. The next regular meeting of Council is scheduled for Monday, March 4, at 9:30 a.m.