HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1995-07-12, Page 44 -THE HURON IXPO$ITOR, July 12, 1155
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- Reporter
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Wednesday, July 12, 1995
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Pitiful taste for tragedy
A recent poll in the United States shows Ameri-
cans are mesmerized by the O.J. Simpson trial. One
statistic indicated that 40 million people one out of
four adults - admit to watching all or most of the
live trial coverage on television. A full 63 per cent of
those are women.
Millions more follow the trail on a daily basis via
their television, radios, magazines and newspapers.
Some Canadians say they are astounded by this
intense interest in such a blood -thirsty mess. They
argue that here in Canada, people are more genteel
and less likely to get caught up in such sensational-
ism as surrounds one American football hero and his
huge contingent of expensive lawyers.
Yet here in Ontario, people are lining up to get
into the Toronto court room where Paul Bernardo
stands accused of three gruesome crimes. For those
spectators who can't be there, the various media
representatives are on hand to collect all the explicit
particulars which they pass along in vivid detail to
their panting audiences.
Ask anyone about the Bernardo case, and most can
relate much of the evidence already presented and
give a decent account of the reactions and emotions
of Bernardo and the families of the victims while in
court.
It must be that the majority of people are fasci-
nated by violence - the more brutal the better.
It must be that people are demanding to know
every minuscule element, every grisly fact.
It must be that violence is a saleable commodity.
Why else would our newsstands and .air waves be
filled with savagery every day of the year?
And if that is so, what does it say about us as
human beings? If society's appetite for violence is so
great we will py any price to read it and watch it,
are we so far above dumb animals who only kill
when they are hungary or feel threatened?
If we feel cheated when we aren't privy to each
horrible part of sensational trials like Simpson's and
Bernardo's, could someone make a case that man-
kind is more depraved and dangerous than the
wildest animals in the deepest jungles anywhere on
earth? - (SJK)
Deliver us from self-righteous laws
BY GREGOR CAMPBELL
Life can be colourful in the
Dominican Republic.
The highways are a real zoo
most times, particularly if you
ride them at Easter - six lanes
of traffic going every which
way on roads designed for two
at most. Nobody signals. Many
ride bicycles, most dangerously -
overloaded to the extreme.
Nobody would every think of
wearing a helmet. It is a true
nuthouse. These roads are
dangerous. But the riders seem
to be enjoying life, all having a
good time. -
Canadians must often seem a
strange over -protected and
pampered lot to such peoples.
In Ontario we now have a
law that says we must soon
wear helmets if we venture out
on our bikes.
The law is an ass.
According to Police Chief
Hal Claus, in the 14 years he
has been in Seaforth no one
has been killed or sustained
head injuries that required
hospitalization resulting from
riding a bicycle that he can
remember.
But now our government says
everybody has to fork out even
more of our hard-earned money
to pay for something that
makes us look like idiots, to
protect us from risks that are
obviously minimal here in
Huron County. It is just
another form of taxation.
Deliver me from those who
would protect me from myself.
Likewise deliver me from such
governments, this politically -
correct notion of democracy,
and such inefficient and mis-
guided social engineering.
Such absurdities have led to
a disrespect for law and
disenchantment by many with
governments and our political
system, that does not represent
or speak for them.
Our socialist system is an
inefficient octopus of absur-
dities straight out of George
Orwell's nightmarish vision of
1984.
Those who support bicycle
helmet laws say such forms of
preventative medicine will help
control exorbitant health costs
we all end up paying for. They
have all manner of facts and
figures to back up their ar-
guments. guments.
On the other hand, it is easy
to find experts of equal stature
who take another tack. For.
instance, in a recent letter to
The Globe and Mail the
president of the Ontario
Coalition for Better Cycling
pointed out the discriminatory
nature of bicycle -helmet legis-
lation:
"There are absolutely no
supporting data to justify legis-
lation," he said.
"All the data out of Australia
after four years of its legis-
lation support not legislating.
The British Medical As-
sociation funded a study and
arrived at the same conclusion,
saying the life years gained
through improved health from
cycling exceed the life years
lost through death and injury
by a factor of 20 to one.
"This means that the
government health care system.
and taxpayers benefit _ enor-
mously from a high rate of
cycling among Ontario's
population.
"The facts show that if there
is a case for legislation, then
there is a stronger one for
legislated helmet use for car
users and pedestrians.
"And yet, with hardly a blink
of an eye, the rights of millions
of responsible Ontarians are
dumped all over."
By all means, wear a helmet
if you so choose. But keep it
an individual decision. Deliver
me from the self-righteous who
would force us all to do so.
It seems to me the argument
that as a society we should
apply cost -benefit analysis to
such legislation is a particularly
treacherous thing, straight out
of Orwell's 1984.
It is a small step to similar
reasoning, to say .for instance,
that since the children of single
,parents are obviously a drain
on society's resources we
should outlaw divorce, or per-
haps license single parents.
Where does one draw the
line?
The truth of the matter is
bicycle riders were an easy
target for the "Dudley
borights" who would rule us.
The bikers had no organized
political clout to muster at the
spur of the moment and fight,
back, and the legislation passed
with nary a whimper, supported
by all parties at Queen's Park.
But the gun owners in this
province were another matter.
They are fighting back. And it
seems to me guns are far more
dangerous than bicycles ever
thought of being to public
safety, and always will be.
I also take exception to the •
helmet legislation in that it will
overburden our police with
added ethical dilemmas and
paperwork. There are far more
important things they could be
doing. There are far more
important things we all should
be doing.
As a sidebar, I note Police
Chief Claus confirms that in
his 14 years in Seaforth not
one cyclist has ever been
charged with not having a light
or bell on his or her bicycle,
despite straightforward existing
laws that require them and
provide for a fine.
I1 is called "discretionary
policing" and it is only com-
mon sense. Thank the Lord for
such small mercies.
It is all a matter of priorities.
Government should get out of
the social -engineering game.
Let the chips fall where they
may. I am not my brother's
keeper. My vote goes for in-
dividual freedom against the
tyranny of our modern socialist
state.
If I fall off my bicycle and
kill myself it will be my own
fault. Such is life. I will not
blame my fellows, our laws or
those who made the bicycle.
In Canada we are still living
way beyond our means. We
want our cake and we -want to
eat it too - but the simple truth
is we -cannot afford it. There
are things which government
should not attempt and cannot
do. _
Everybody in this - country
was working for all our various
levels of government this year
until a couple of weeks ago,
June 18-, "Tax Freedom Day".
I and many of my ilk would
prefer a "Tax Freedom Day"
closer td the end of March.
And yes, we are aware of the
implications.
Significant political change
starts withethc'word "No!" If
misguided bicycle -helmet laws
arc enforced I will simply sell
the old crate. Another thing our
politicians obviously haven't
learned is - you can lead a
horse to water- but you . can't
snake him drink.
"We have become a land full
of whiners and raging ninnies,"
notes assistant editorial page-
editor
ageeditor Dave -Shiflett at the
Rocky Mountain News in Den-
ver, Colorado. The observation
is equally apt here north of the
border.
"They demand that we ,see.
the danger in everything: but-
ter, electric blankets; movie
popcorn, ale, meat, . T -ball,
horseshoes, swingscstts, steplad-
ders, sunbathing, kissing, soy
sauce, hairdryers, marbles,
musty humidifiers, cheese.
There is no building that is
without a full supply of
timebombs waiting to maim or
kill the unwary: -
"How tiring it all gets...it
seems the objective is to make
the entire nation much like that
inside a nursery, overseen by a
staff that believes that if we
cling to life furiously enough,-.
death will disappear.
"The result, of course, is a
population that is increasingly
fearful and dull.
"This is all undertaken to
ensure that we . live long
enough to die alone and broken
in some nursing home.
"There may be some pleasure
in being a paranoid, especially
in a society rich enough to
pander to such maladies. But
the end result is a lift lival
small."
I say `Amen" to that. Want a
cigar?
Government must set moral direction
BY TIM CUMMING
Can government protect us
from ourselves? Should gov-
ernment protect us from our-
selves?
The conservative philosophy
which is taking hold. in
Canada and the United States
believes that government
can't (and shouldn't) try to
make decisions for us. The
individual -rights zealots for-
get that individuals make
some very poor and selfish
choices.
flashback
This photo shows S.S. No. 2 McKillop school pupils around 1935 or 1936. The students are
(front row, left to right) Leroy Keller, Bill Storey, Lloyd Storey, Ronald Carter, Walter
fulcClure, Waite?* Hogg, Bruce Walters, Carmen Hogg, (second row) Joyce Hugill, Blanche
Norris, Marion Coutts, Irene Keller, Mavis McClure, Orme Keller, Gladys Forbes' Eleanor
Storey, Hazel Anderson, (back row) Harold Storey, Elwood Storey, Audrey Walters, Dorothy
McClure, John Anderson, Ken Forbes, Ross Coutts and Joe Anderson. The teacher was
Archie Hoggarth. The photo was graciously lent to The Huron Expositor by Joyce Miller.
I believe government has a
very important role to play in
creating a moral foundation
for a country.
The proposed bicycle hel-
met law is a case in point. If
left up to individual choice, I
believe most people would
choose not to wear a bicycle
helmet. Helmets are a nui-
sance, they mess up your hair
and they're hot on a hot day.
Sure, they may save our lives
but as individuals we will
usually choose the most reck-
less option. People will
choose nice hair over per-
sonal safety every time.
A society has to set limits.
The doctrine of individual
rights in the United States has
been adopted to such a dog-
matic atremc that our south-
ern neighbour, has lost its
sense of community. An
individual's right to bear arms
becomes more important than
the community's right to live
in safety.
If goernmcnt did not dic-
tate certain things I know, as
an individual, I would make.
the wrong decision.
I know I would drive a car
which was unsafe if there
were no laws ensuring cars
are safetied. If we left the
speed of our cars to individ-
ual choice 'everyone on the
401 would be driving at 160
km an hour. All the powerful
moral arguments and persua-
sion against drunk driving
have not done as much as
vigorous law enforcement.
Society was greatly hurt
when Prohibition ended and
the 'right' to be an alcoholic
was restored. Society allows
drugs, alcohol and prostitution
and some people make the
'misguided `choice' to give in
to these powerful forces.
The old CCF was founded
as much in religious prin-
ciples as socialist theory.
Woodsworth and his fellow
party supporters believed that
government could shape
people's lives for the better.
The predecessor of the NDP
would never have allowed
Sunday shopping'or legalized
gambling. In our modern
society, however, society has
lost the will to prevent addic-
tions of many sorts.
Locally, we have had some
debate about strip bars. On
the radio, a London porn
video store wraps itself up in
the words of Voltaire as
defence of its propagation of
perversion.
Persons of the libertarian
perspective would argue we
don't have to enter strip bars
if we don't like them. I argue
that society knows there is no
worthwhile benefit from strip
clubs and should have the
will to outlaw them. Personal
choice? Leave it up to most
men and we will make the
wrong decision and enter
those doors.
Take awa a wrong
choice and th we don't
have to make the choice at
all.
Some will argue that I am
embratifg Big Brother.
For the record, I distrust
bureaucracy. i equally distrust
the bureacracies of Big Gov-
ernment, Big Business and
Big Labour.
•
There are dangers to letting
government intrude in our
lives too much. There are
greater dangers, however, in
letting individual rights erode
community standards. Take a
look at the United States.
Should government tell us
what to read? As a journalist
I would be the first to resist
government attempts to limit
freedom of expression and
freedom of thought.
But let's look at the child
pornography law. There's an
example of government limit-
ing freedom of expression.
Yet government's intrusion is
justified because the law
enforces a community stan-
dard.
Some would argue that
when government limits per-
sonal choice it is on the slip-
pery slope towards totalitar-
ianism. Register guns? Well,
.°,Hitler did that. Limit freedom
of speech? Stalin did that.
That argument pretends we
live in a society without
government limit on free-
doms. Rights come into con-
flict all the time. No right is
absolute.
There are dangers to too
much government and there
arc dangers to too little goy-,
ernment. Look at Somalia.
Hell, look at the remains of
Yugoslavia. It almost makes
someone long for the days of
Tito and his communists.
Ontario's new government
has scrapped photo radar
without any data, for or
against, its effectiveness. The
right to drive fast becomes
more important than the
public's right to safety on the
roads.
Government should not live
our lives, or make our deci-
sions, for us. But we must
demand that government set
see Rightists, page eight