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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-09-15, Page 4Nature's craftwork Photo by Janice Becker Letters THE EDITOR, On Aug. 13, Mr. Donald Wright of Clinton pleaded guilty to three counts of sexually assaulting children while volunteering as a cub scout leader. This reprehensi- ble crime by a youth worker in our community heightens awareness of the need for child abuse prevention action. The Huron County Community Child-Abuse Co-ordinating Com- mittee (CCACC) works in our community to increase awareness of the issue of child abuse and to provide programs to prevent child abuse. The Committee has discussed and analyzed the Wright case in depth and decided that a multi-pronged approach is necessary. A letter has been sent to Mr. Justice Chester Misener expressing community outrage related to the sentence which Mr. Wright received. Perhaps, more importantly, the awareness of the issue in the community needs to be increased in order to prevent abuse and also to recognize and report abuse when it occurs. Over the past few years the CCACC has provided educational evenings for adults who volunteer as youth group leaders. The goal of these meetings is to increase awareness of child abuse in order to prevent it from occurring or to recognize and report it to the Children's Aid Society when it unfortunately occurs. The Committee will hold such an educational evening for leaders of youth groups on Oct. 19 in Clinton. We would invite and encourage all adults who volunteer their time to work with children and youth to attend this event. For more details or to regiser please contact the Through the Years From the fl llm of the Brussels Yost, the Blyth Standard and The Citizen 44 YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER 14,1949 The most modern furniture store in Western Ontario opened this week in Seaforth. The store will offer a complete line of home fur- nishings. CCACC at 524-5461. The Huron County Community Child Abuse Co-ordinating Committee also provides programs to children so they will not become victims of abuse. These include the Kids on the Block program which is provided in the schools, the Safe Child program for preschool age children and the Can You Baby Sit Tonight? program. Child Abuse is a crime and to prevent it requires a concerted effort by all of us in the community. Diane Petrie, President. The following is a list of teachers in Morris Twp schools: No. 1- Shirley Adams No. 3- Wilfred Spivey No. 4- Jessie Little No. 5- Isobel McDonald No. 6- Donald McKai No. 7- June Work No. 8- John Spivey No. 9- Mrs. T. Dundas No. 10- Jean Dennison No. 11- Donald Yungblut No. 12- Mrs. Myrtle Yungblut A tax collector was hired by Morris Council for the salary of $200. A colour movie is playing at the Capitol Theatre in Listowel. Roy Rogers and Trigger star in ''Under Continued on page 22 CCACC plans abuse workshop PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1993. C The North Huron le itizen eNA P.O. Box 429, P.O. Box 152, Publisher, Keith Roulston BLYTH, OnL BRUSSELS, Ont. Editor, Bonnie Gropp NOM 1H0 NOG 1140 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 Sales Representatives, FAX 523-9140 FAX 887-9021 Jeannette McNeil and Julie Mitchell VWRIMIO CIACLILATIFIN P4I0 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable In advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.) for local; $31.03/year ($29.00 plus $2.03 G.S.T.) for local letter carrier In Goderich, Hanover, Listowel, etc. and out-of-area (40 miles from Brussels); $60.00/year for U.S.A. and Foreign. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - Blyth. We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs. Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright. Publications Mail Registration No. 6968 The lesson: Never give up The signing of the peace agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization on Monday, was an event that most people probably felt they would never see in their lifetime between these former mortal enemies. The lesson to be learned, for the rest of us, is to never give up: never give up hope, and never give up trying, despite the seemingly impossible odds. Canadians can take heart at what they see in the Middle East. We have, through years of endless bickering, come to think that perhaps the dream of one nation from sea to sea is an impossible one. With the continuing popularity of the Parti Quebecois and the political muscle of the separatist Bloc Quebecois in the current federal election, it sometimes seems that Canada is beyond saving. Many inside Quebec see Canada as irrelevant. Many outside Quebec see the situation as something they are helpless to change. Yet our situation seems so miniscule and petty compared to the huge problems of Israel and the Palestinians. On top of centuries of distrust, they have lived through more than half a century of terrorism and murder. Each has, for political reasons, refused to admit the other existed because for Israel to admit the Palestinians existed meant to admit they had taken their homeland from another people and for the Palestinians to admit Israel existed, meant there could be no homeland to go home to. The Zionist movement in the days before the founding of the official state of Israel, terrorized the population of what was then Palestine. Since then, the Palestine Liberation Organization and other extreme Palestinian groups, have killed thousands of Israelis in random, often senseless, attacks. With so much blood spilled it was hard for the two sides to even shake hands once the agreement was signed. The blood spilled in Canada, by comparison, is only rhetorical. The hardships that Quebecois have felt can hardly be compared to what Palestinians have felt, exiled from their homeland. Ontario and New Brunswick's complaints about discriminatory Quebec labour legislation, can hardly compare with the reality of Israelis having to carry guns when they worked on kibbutz farms for fear of surprise terrorist attacks. If such mortal enemies as Israel and the PLO can make peace, it behooves all of us to try to heal the wounds in our own country and make it work. — KR Spoken like a true giant In covering the death of Raymond Burr, one radio station played a quote from the Canadian-born actor on the popularity of the characters he played (lawyer Perry Mason and policeman Robert Ironside). People around the world, Mr. Burr said, were attracted to his character because they liked to see, needed to see, that the system worked and justice was done. How right he was. In fact, it could be argued that much of the cynicism in the western world today is because people have lost their faith that the system works, that justice does prevail. People today instead feel that the cheaters prosper and that the criminals are, if not rewarded, at least dealt with lightly. From the pardon of Richard Nixon after Watergate and, under George Bush, the conspirators in the Irangate scandal, to the teenagers who use the Young Offenders Act to protect themselves against stiffer punishment, people just don't have confidence in the system. The more Cynical people become, the more the system fails. In the U.S., there is a virtual civil war on in many large urban centres. The killing of a German tourist in Miami Beach last week, minutes after he and his wife got off an airplane from Germany, brought to the world's attention just how serious the situation is in many American cities. Although Canadian cities aren't nearly as bad yet, there are signs in Toronto that things are getting worse. On the opening day of school last week, two gangfights took place. To be honest, many of us seek simple answers to complex problems. People demand that criminals be stuck in prison to rot there, rather than try to rehabilitate them and ease them back into society through parole and other programs that shorten prison sentences. People demand the return of the death penalty because they think it will work as a deterrent, despite evidence that points to the opposite. Simple answers may not be forthcoming but it is urgent that our leaders find something to reassure people that the system works. Otherwise we will lose confidence necessary for civilized life. — KR E ditorial