Loading...
Times-Advocate, 1983-02-02, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, February 2, 1983 umigairillinalisponams1101ffltiositkffiiiihMitt imes -/`''advocate cn • Times Established 1873 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 Serving North LHambton Sine 873North �ux Published by J.W. Eedy Publications United LORNE EEDY Publisher JIM BECKETT Advertising Manager BILL BATTEN Editor HARRY DEVRIES Composition Manager ROSS HAUGH Assistant Editor DICK 'JONGKIND Business Manager Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario Second Class Mali Registration Number 0386. Phone 235-1331 SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Canada $21.00 Per year; U.S.A. $56.00 .C.W.N.A., O.C.N.A. CLASS 'A' and 'ABC' *CNA The only way After several months of• debate, the Huron -Perth egg. Despite the general consensusthatwage restraint SS board trustees have voted to scale down the increase is the most important factor in curbing inflation o le in their own stipends. The decision to reduce the �on to are not prepared to the voluntarily fall track,back on the lnt linewitht the to five percent should be commended in the thecriticism of the original decision to make the in- proposal. hep but want to having thetsame edictfor crease 11 percent. guidelines, One of the major points presented by those pushing themselves. for the decrease, Was the fact the board could hardly the originalutsti were red clearly ia r y in an untenable thio move n with expect employees to take less than the 11 percentpe members weren't prepared to do likewise. to fall in line will be one which others will see as a The entire debate over wage restraints is similar necessity to follow in an effort to straighten out the to the age old question regarding the chicken and the . . economic problems. Can't stand prosperity As Chretien noted, Clark was running against nobody. The ideal leader that nobody knows remains a figment in the imagination of Clark's detractors. More importantly, the PCs are apparently now heading into a battle that could open even deeper par- 4 ty wounds (if that's possible for the Tories) and ex- haust the energies they should have been putting into ousting the Liberals. Ironically, Clark received some 67 percent en- dorsement in his leadership from the party faithfulat Winnipeg, a figure that probably won't be matched by any contenders in an initial leadership ballot. • Clark considered his position untenable. Canadian. voters may well consider the party's inner -turmoil untenable unless that mystical ideal leader emerges from the ruins of what was a most advaintus pre- election position. Chretien may have been premature in his assess- ment of the Liberals' current state. The Tories certain- ly appear to get down to their level. Some people just can't stand prosperity ! , A couple of weeks ago, some reporters overheard Energy Minister Jean Chretien (and he thought privately) telling some. American visitors what terri- ble shape the Liberal. party was in. He frankly admitted that unhappiness with the Liberals rather than support for Joe Clark's Conser- vatives would bring the government down in an election. • Commenting on Clark, he noted the PC leader was handicapped in his upcoming national convention because he had no official opponent . "Joe is (runn- ing) against nobody, so he is against an ideal leader that nobody knows". Chretien comments should have prompted some real celebration at last weekend's PC convention in Winnipeg, but rather than gearing up for the an- ticipated win in ale next federal battle, the Conser- vatives proved once again that theg much prefer to bat- tle among themselves and forced Clark into a position where he deemed it necessary to call a leadership convention. And justice for all It seems that some of Ontario's lawyers are upset about the number of young people graduating from law schools and entering the profession. The practising lawyers have set up a study aimed at determining whether or not limitations should be set on the number of law students which can be accepted for training. In other words, too much competition for business might do some nasty things to the existing structures. It's an "You pay your money and take your choice" appears to be the policy that is be- ing followed in the matter of pay-TV, and the choice for which many are paying is not sitting very well with a number of people. Women's groups in particular have been staging some vociferous protests over the fact the pornography associated with the well-known Playboy magazine could soon be available on TV screens. Ironically, the furor has probably been a blessing in disguise for First Choice pay- TV. Indications are that an overwhelm- ing majority of peoplewheareapplying for the service are pickiag that form over its competitors, Much of the protest has been a matter of conjecture since no one has yet had the opportunity of screening films to be shown on the controversial channel. A group of 20 MPs last week viewed two Playboy movies that depicted graphic scenes of gang rape, oral sex, lesbian sex, masochism and masturbation and were appalled at the subject matter, but First Choice officials quickly noted that such movies were not even available to them and certainly wouldn't be shown even if they were. The MPs, it is assumed, got hold of some stag movies and there's little doubt that most of those would virtually curl your hair. At any rate, Canadians are again fac- ing the perennial question associated with freedom of choice and expression, and on the other hand, censorship. it has been suggested that the matter will probably have t0 be settled in the courts. Judges, it seertls, are among the few who can define such .terms as obscenity. Meanwhile, the number of subscribers for First Choice continues to grow, aided and abetted by theprotestors, who have apparently failed to realize that they have We doubt that many lawyers are in favor of this totally undemocratic approach to an economic pro- blem. Those who do see a need for limitations on com- petition are scarcely in line with the concepts of free enterprise and justice for all, which should be the wat- chword of their profession. The Wingham Advance Times apple few w►11 avoid • • • established the skin flicks as a big juicy .apple that few can avoid the temptation of biting. • Censorship versus the freedom of choice and expression is an issue that will the consequences can be almost assured. • Through all the discussion and protests, --efrcourse, there is the repeated reference to the individual's rights. Judging from some of the bizarre situations that have arisen to date, no doubt someone will soon find that the new charter of rights gives people the right to broadcast or print what they want, and others will have the right to watch, listen or read what they want. Nowhere does there appear to be any charter of responsibilities to go along with all these new rightspeopleareso anxious to safeguard. It is rather ludicrous that one group in society is fighting sex stereotyping in TV commercials that depict "dumb housewives" using the latest detergent while elsewhere on the TV there are shows that depict women in more de- meaning and submissive acts. It's about as futile as fighting a forest fire in ahurricane.You may win one small battle, but you end up losing the real war as it is fanned out of control while you restrict your fight to one small pocket. The CRTC apparently won't take a stand on the issue, noting that it can only judge the content after it is shown and not before. That may be realistic to a point, but surely they have the power to set.the guidelines that have to be followed by pay-TV. That lack of courage makes about as much sense as a policeman saying he can only take action after a murder, and not in preventing it. , Contrast that wishy-washy stance to the municipal and federal government fight which quickly routed The Way out of;l°- don recently, and the provincial govern- ment's moves to assume control of three trust companies, and it does give rise to conjecture that politicians pick their spots rather carefully and avoid those which may not prove too popular. BATT'N AROUND with the editor probably never be settled, joining many other moral issues in that regard. The Ontario government has already advised people through extensive adver- tising campaigns that„ you re your own liquor control board” and probably they'll decide that people will have to act as their own media censorship board as well. That's the easy way out, and govern- ments, when it obviously suits their pur- poses, always take the easy way out. They can appease those who want freedom of choice and expression by keeping their hands off, while telling those who oppose the results of that freedom of choice and expression that they don't have to watch it. The problem, of course, is that dispari- ty between what one person considers ac- ceptable and what another decides is not acceptable. Getting a nation of people to decide is impossible, although it does teem that through the years the moral standards have eroded in favor of the freedom of choice and expression proponents. History has shown that moral decline can be asdisastrous for a society as economic decline. Put them togetherand "We no longer have to worry about living within our means — I no longer HAVE a' means!" Cheering to think of dead Cheer up! You're alive, lose a loved one, and think aren dauntlessly (or creep ocean, but then catch carefully) into 1983, being yourself picking your nose alive is the name of the or whetting ypur armpits. game. Millions and Whatever the new year millions aren't you know. brings, we can be certain Think of your dead about a few things: more friends, d even more taxes; parents/kids who 't you As we sail your grief is as deep as the an deeply, of your dead s M enemies. This should cheer you up. Your dead friends, relatives, former mistresses, bosom compa- nions who are planted are flitting about in Elysium, pinching the bottoms of succuli and incubi, and slugging down the ambrosia. Your enemies, rot them, are shovelling coal as fast as they can. And serves them right. Imagine the chagrin of a wife -beater when his assistant, a mere embezzler, doesn't get up there with his wheel- barrow of coal, and Old Nick nods, and Beelzebub gives the wife -beater six licks on his burning bum. So that's all settled. Here you are, alive and well except for your ar- thritis, acne, heart mur- murs and knotted bowels, and you'reafraid to face another year. Best way to face another year is calmly, secure in the knowledge that it won't be good, but couldn't be worse than last year. Maybe a nuclear war will start, but you still have to put out the gar- bage. Maybe you've lost your job, and there is no garbage, because you've eaten every can, bottle and carton. Maybe you'll Er tremble when you cash yourold-age pension. Sign your cheque with a flourish. If you're a student, don't feel guilty if you got straight "F's" on • your Chrismas report. It's pro- bably because you come Sugar and Spice Dispensed By Smiley don't understand you; an increase in the cost of liv- ing; emanations of hot air and no light from Ottawa; teeth growing browner; hair growing scantier; and, as always, constipa- tion, whether physical or mental or emotional. But that's just living. It happened to the Greeks, the Romans, and the British. The only ones left who are constipated in all three areas are the Brits, but that isn't their fault. They're just ' more modern. Despite your problems, you are a survivor. If you aren't you shouldn't be reading this. As a sur- vivor, you still have flesh and spirit togettfer in the one vessel. And that's the name of the game, when you are tackling 'a new year. Don't be fearful. Be cheerful. Above all, don't feel guilty. If you're an old -age pensioner, with a private income of eighty thousand a year, don't let your hand from a broken. home, or because your teachers have a built-in antipathy toward free spirits. Just think positively. "F" stands for fantastic: If you're a wife, don't feel depressed because your husband prefers to spend all his evenings, alone, at the Legion Hall. Think positively. He's pro- bably destroying his liver, and you'll soon be on your own, to look for a mah with a little fire and less smoke. If you're an aged, don't be down because nobody comes to visit you. Call in your lawyer, make a new will, and cut every one of them out, downto the last third -cousin. Leave it all to Billy Grabbem or Rex Humbug. Either will waft you up there on wings ,of pure plastic.. If you're too fat, don't your grave a happy glutton. If life presents you with a serious problem, which you can't possibly face, don't fact it. Run away. Take a trip. It'll be all. blown over when you get back. If you find yourself so upset about the world, the state of the country, or the latest idiocy of the town council, and you start biting your nails, no sweat. Start biting your toe -nails, instead. This will take your mind off your troubles, increase your agility, and give you another taste in your mouth, aside from the bit- ter one. If you are so depressed that there seems only one way out - suicide - do it properly. Don't throw yourself under the wheels of a train, or off a bridge, or cut your wrist, or shoot a hole in your head. Throw yourself under alive body, orump off a two -foot bridge, or just nick your wrists, or pi't a hole in your big toe. You'll get far more attention than if you did it neatly. People like botched jobs. That's .why they hire plumbers and painters. • There. Feeling better? This little treatise is not the only way to get through '83, - you could win a lottery - but it should help. Just remember, a human being is neither sweat. Or if you sweat, flesh nor spirit. It is both. don't fast. Just sail in the Just keep body and soul chocolate cake and ice- together for another year, cream, flip a buttock in and you can laugh at life. the devil's face and go to And death. Handing out bouquets Last week I spent my time throwing rocks at a few people who were less than terrific in 1982. Now I'd like to give out a few big rose bouquets. First of all, to Theodore Arcand. You May not remember this name, but he's the Canadian envoy in West Beirut who remain- ed on the iob during the seige of Lebanon.Bravery is a rare commodity. He deserves a medal for stay- ing in the thick of a very dangerous situation trying to help the survivors of that nasty war. A big bouquet to the farmer 'survival' associa- tions; people out there who are trying to help others big outfits like Chrysler to work and just cannot out when they are down to and Dome Petroleum, find a job 'of any sort. their last alternatives. I they sure should be look- To the Canadians who conquered Mount Everest despite the loss of four of their team members. To Wayne Gretsky who proved that hockey can be a scientific game and that gentlenien still are alive in that sport. Perspectives By Syd Fletcher have little sympathy for the banks who go out to a farm and try to foreclose on people who have tried to play the game honestly yet are caught by the manipulations of big business. If theovern- ment can step in to help ing at the little businesses who are really the backbone of the country. To the unemployed workers who are 'toughing it out' out there through the worst times they pro- bably have ever known. To all those who world like To all those people in volunteer organizations such as the Red Cross, the United Way, the Cancer Society, and soon, who try through their efforts to make this a better world in which to live. May this year be one in which the roses far exceed the rocks.