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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2006-01-18, Page 4Pops 4 January 18, 2006 • The Huron Expositor Opinion Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK IWO pure you vote! As frenzied. pollsters make their predictions of the. demise of the Liberal government and the election of a Conservative majority as Election Day nears next Monday, one wonders if we only go to the polls to find out if the predictions are right. Such close monitoring of the ups and downs of public opinion, of course, not only predicts but often seems to create the future, as the undecided either follow the crowd or vote "strategically" instead of for the party or person that truly represents their hopes and wishes for the country. And, we're left voting for the party or person we dislike least instead of truly asking for what we want. Then, we join the cynics like WC. Fields, who's quoted as saying, "Hell, I never vote for any- body. I always vote against:' It's no wonder there's movement afoot for propor- tional representation, which would create a voting system where all voters end up with some .represen- tation in government. Fair Vote Canada is calling on the next federal government to initiate a public consultation on instituting a more proportional voting system and holding a referendum to choose the best system. Wayne Smith, president of Fair Vote Canada, pre- dicts. a record low turnout for the Jana 23 vote, breaking the record lows set in the last two elec- tions. "Oyer 70 per cent of the citizens of Iraq just liter- ally risked their lives to vote in their election," says Smith on the Fair Vote Canada webpage. "Wil Canadians, faced only with the hazards of an icy driveway, do as well? Not likely. In the 1990s, Canada ranked .109th on turnout' among democra- cies." That's a disturbing statistic and one we should- take to heart as our opportunity to exercise ou democratic right to vote approaches. In this week's Huron Expositor, profiles of all s candidates running in the Huron -Bruce riding ar published to help you make your choice. While it's arguable that our voting system coul be improved to better represent all Canadians, it's still important that we remain involved, informed and engaged. If you haven't done so already, on Monday make time to head to your polling station and vote. Susan Hundertmark Before Xbox, drop an Despite years of my resistance and the repeti- tion of the phrase, "Never in my house, not now, not ever," Santa slipped an Xbox under the Christmas tree for my kids. As if it wasn't bad enough that television, computer games and the internet take up far too much of our time on an average week, it's car races, magical quests and amazing stunts by skateboarding kamikazes that now consume as much spare time as my kids can negotiate. And, I'm sheepish to admit, I have begun developing the characteristic sore thumbs suf- fered by those who play video games, as . I attempt - much to the hilarity of the rest of my family - to remain on the road during rac- ing games. Just as my resolve against the evils of too much screen time has reached an all-time low, I received a press release from the Canada Safety Council warning .of the physical injuries children are now suffering from too much time at the keyboard or video controller. Repetitive strain injuries to tendons, mus- cles, nerves and joints in the neck, upper and lower back, chest, shoulders, arms and hands - long the scourge of office drones (like me) who sit for eight hours a day or more in front of a computer - are now being found in school- age children. Pointing out that repetitive injuries cause a high proportion of Workers' Compensation claims, the Canada Safety Council worries that for kids, the ergonomic standards at workplaces, are not taken into account at home and children could be evenmore at risk By Susan Hundertmark ive me 20 than adults. Kids who keep playing their video games for hours without a break could be setting them- selves up for a lifetime of pain from repetitive strain injuries, from which recov- ery is difficult. And, the Canada Council is recommending frequent changes in position and breaks every half hour, preferably with physical exercise to counter all of the sitting. With that information in mind and inspira- tion from a friend with similar concerns about her kids, my husband and I have instituted a new rule in our house. Before a half-hour of play on any screen in the house, the player must do 20 sit-ups and 20 push-ups. The rule metwith considerable resistence at first. But, it's amazing what the lure of those incredible computer graphics and some boredom will make a kid stoop to. And, not just a kid. Once my kids were on the floor doing calisthetics, both parents were held to the same rule if they dared express an interest in joining the game. As my daughter sat on my feet and cheered me on as I struggled through my sit-ups, I imagined this rule could go one .of two ways. It could either dissuade us all from playing video . games ever again (which is more likely in my case) or it could actually help build a little more physical fitness in our house. I'm hoping for the latter. Hey Ron. I'm scared. - 1 think I heard something. Your Community Newspaper Since 1860 E-mail us at seaforth@bowesnet.com Visit our home page at www.seaforthhuronexpositor.com OUEBECOR MEDIA CanadaSUN MEDIA "We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, throigh the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs." He comes in the middle of the night and eats kids while they sleep! HE'S REALLY' SCARYI SUBSCRIPTION RATES: LOCAL - 35.85 a year, in'advance, plus G.S.T. SENIORS: - 33.85 a year, in advance, plus G.S.T. 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Box 69, Seaforth, ON., NOK 1 WO Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association & the Ontario Community Newspapers Association Tom Williscraft Susan Hundertmark Publisher Editor Bernie Pugh Advertising / Office Dianne McGrath Front office Jeff Heuchert Reporter Adrienne Peckitt Composing Editorial and Business Offices - 11 Main Street.,Seaforth Telephone (519) 527-0240 Fax (519) 527-2858 Mailing Address - P.O. Box 69, Seaforth, Ontario, NOK 1 WO