Huron Expositor, 2006-09-27, Page 4r
Page 4 September 27, 2006 • The Huron Expositor
Opinion
Proprietor and Publisher, Bowes Publishers Limited, 11 Main St., Seaforth, ON, NOK 1WO
Editorial
Iocal
It's never easy being the little guy trying to break
into the big time.
But, organizers of the proposed Brussels beef
plant are not giving up, despite the federal govern-
ment's short memory about closed U.S. borders and
seeming preference for the large, established pack-
ing plants.
The smallproposed beef plant was turned down
recently for $50,000 in CanAdvance funding that
would help it continue research into markets in
Mexico and the Far East.
Ironically, the Brussels beef plant does not quali-
fy for another newly -announced federal plan that
gives large, established processing plants $50 mil-
lion to expand their focus past the U.S. and diversi-
fy into the global market.
"The federal government is going to spend $50
million to research markets we've already
researched," Huron East Mayor Joe Seili told coun-
cil last week.
The Brussels plant was begun as a scheme to
help local farmers avoid another billion. -dollar dis-
aster like the border closures to the U.S. created.. by
one . cow sick with BSE (bovine spongiform
encephalopathy).
And, its organizers are still proposing to build a
$35 million plant that will process less than one
per cent a week of the slaughtering capacity in
Canada, mostly by drawing on cattle in the imme-
diate eight counties closest to Brussels.
It's ridiculous that a small plant with a big vision
is not being given a hand by the government to
complete a second stage of research into foreign
markets - especially when beef producers were cry-
ing for more domestic processing plants when the
border closure dragged on for more than two years.
Because of the devastating punch the BSE crisis
landed on local producers, organizers can't depend
on farmers to fund the initiative.
And, so far, this is one more potential local bene-
fit for farmers that won't be getting government
assistance either.
Susan Hundertmark
Your Community Newspaper Since 1860
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Symbols and images of war
everywhere in today's culture
As four more fallen sol-
diers were flown home
from Afghanistan over the
weekend and politicians
continue .to call for a "real
debate" about Canada's
role in a conflict begun by
the U.S., I've been con-
templating the ways that
war is made palatable to
the general public.
There are the obvious political arguments
the discussions about human rights abuses,
the arguments about- supporting economic
partners and neighbours and the urge to
somehow create peace by going to war.
And, then there's the attempt to keep war
out of the public eye which really isn't so sub-
tle - banning the media at events that honour
the recently -returned war dead, for instance,
so . that the human costs of war are not quite
so obvious.
But, lately I'm seeing the symbols and
images of war everywhere as I look around at
the general culture and wondering - cynic
that I am - if somehow fashions in clothing
and even vehicles make us all more comfort-
able
with our increasing participation in war.
During the past few years, the Hummer -
which began life as a military vehicle - has
become the status vehicle for movie stars,
rappers and anyone :else with lots of money.
While Hummers no longer sport weapons
and armour, the- military look remains and
whenever one drives by, I can't help but won-
der whether one of the municipalities of
Huron County is being' taken over in some
sort of military coup and a
petty dictator has declared
himself ruler of the sur-
rounding countryside.
And, then there's the
camouflauge look that's
been gaining in popularity,
particularly in children's
clothing.
Shopping for back -to -
school clothing for my kids,
I couldn't get over the number of available
outfits decorated in various tones of camou-
flage.
There's the traditional green and khaki, I'm
guessing for dodging enemy fire in the grassy
fields of the playground and the beige and
brown for avoiding snipers among the track
and field sandpits and stones beneath the
school climbers. -
Also available are the blues and white I'm
assuming to keep our kids safe from becoming
targets of bombs as they play in the snow dur-
ing our Canadian winters.
Most puzzling is the pink and purple cam-
ouflage, I'm presuming for little girls intent
on fighting in Barbie's Dream War with its
pink and purple . backgrounds.
For decades now, we have been desensitized
to violence on TV and now it's more fashion-
able thanever to wear and drive what used to
be confined to military personnel.
While I'm not suggesting any of us would
support war because it's fashionable, I wonder
if being surrounded by the images and sym-
bols of war constantly doesn't make us just a
little more docile and accepting. _
Ron & bave
Aren't you going
to finish mowing
the lawn?
Naw..III
get to
it later.
Aren't you going to
finish cleaning your
room?
Naw..I' II
get to
it later.
by bavid Lacey
Aren't you going to
finite s cartoon?
Naw..I' II
get to
it later.
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