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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-01-22, Page 4Page a 44, Times -Advocate, January 22, 199:• Publisher: Jtrn Beckett NOM Is Editor: Adnan Harte 11361010606 Manager: Don Smith Composition Manalger: Deb Lord Publications Man Registration Number 0381: cu`ram;;_ gaNSDA Vntato► 1(ss km.) mkkottu.d to won loiter ontyk60111161100041.01604Meo 12.10 0.6.1. f "Men are never -so likely to -Settle a question rightly as when they discuss it freely . " ... Thomas Macauley A .false economy '"iand-Bend councils new plan to charge people who attend council, meetings three dollars tor a copy of the.agenda is almost -be- yond belief. Other municipalities in the area have taken- steps to reduce the amount of paper that goes into meeting packages. Exeter, for example, now copies .docu- ments on both sides of the page, and no longer :reproduces the minutes of 'till boards and agencies .which . report to council (full minutes of all council committces_are still provided). Agen- das are usually only provided to the councillors, staff, and press because they are the only people in attendance anyway. . But no local council has had the au- dacity to actually charge ratepayers for information about their own public meetings; and no council should. • To hear Cam Ivey talk about it, ane would almost get the impression that Grand Bend council agendas were found strewn across the beach on Tues- day mornings. . The "they'll appreciate it more if they heave• -to pay fbr it" attitude is what is usually used with high school students. -Does. council really -think ratepayers =mho come to council should _be mated irethi5.manner? One would like to :see ten people show up at a village council meeting, : each slap down three dollars and de- i mand an agenda. The clerk would then spend the next half hour upstairs at the photocopier. And to expect three or more members of the press to share_one.agenda is 'a ter- ribly misinformed decision. Without ac- cess to copies of important council doc- uments, the media could quickly make .the lives of village staff a Hiving hell. Fortunately, mayor Tom LaW,son recog-- nixed ibis enough to say he would rather pay for media agendas himself -than to restrict access of the media to public .in formation. Whether or not the idea to cut back on copies of villas dacuments- is an honest effort 12 )nservation is debatable. Law- son nas said time and again that his council is not trying to hide behind doors and will remain open and account- able to the public, yet this plan to make the public pay for agendas is not a posi- tive step in this direction. Obviously there is .no need to place a 20 -page agenda package on each and - every -seat in the council chambers. Most municipalities simply print what they know is needed and keep a couple of extras for visitors. No hard -line poli- cy is needed. The three -dollar agenda should be swept under the rug without further ado. It reflects poorly on council, implies that .taxpayers-shefi Z pay for information on how ,their tax dollars are being spent, and is making council meetings more complicated than they need to be. Councillor Cam Ivey surely can find more positive ways to conserve tax dol- lars in Grand Bend. A.D.H. Beady eyes of Saffron 1 must apologize for not keep- ing you up to date on the stns puppy 1 found. Judging by the number of tunes 1 have been stopped on the street and asked about it, and the number of com- ments during telephone calls, 1 -I can see this bas become a -den- - - nue concern to the entire world. However, the puppy (which I found wanddting the town two weeks ago) was never claimed from the dog catcher. She would have been due to be put down later that week, so 1 claimed die.waif myself. 'Yes, I now have a puppy. I figured 1, had not ' rescued her from the streets just to sec he! destroyed. Whatever life i could offer her would be better than mute at.all. I lath found out, uthwugh the grapavuhe, that .she had indeed been abandoned by a family who could not cope with the de- mands of puppy tore. Naturally, 1 h*d'to give her a name Ste spent a couple of days as "the pup", .but I evcAtu- al l y decided on "Saffron": a ye low-otange spice, .which by weight is more expensive' than gold. I'm sure you get my point. Bringing a dog into any home s always something of a disrup- tive event, but bridging one into Hold that thought... Adrian Harm a bachelor s- apanwient is down- right chaotic. Funmisbings have all had to be rt -evaluated as to which ones are _puppy -proof and .whjch are not. About the only thing I gave so lar considered truly. safe are the g vote b4olte ids. The vaGwun cleaner .now .cones out of the closet inprc Ulan ever before, -and I'm re- discovtering tie joys afalie Dust buster and Spilibuster. Even my lifestyle is radically .altered. .Sleeping in on Saturday morning is no longer a realistic Purtstmd VIorMig et 424 fltaln !lister. Onterro, vow 266 by /M. !tidy Publications Ltd Terepbone 1-519.2361331 O.S.T IR10S1,1083S itz Women and men 'those who follow my column+ 1 regularly know that I'm not ex • acts y an attthonty on so-called women s issues. 1 write fie • - euently about my family, _wild. happens to include one womar and one girl. But 1 can't helm' wnttng like a man And in points of view may often reflect my male attitude. option. At 7:30. a.m. the puppy, has w.ghout "NOW"; weekends are irrelevant • But otherwise, 1 .can't com- plain. • She has- cottoned on to thc routine of toilet training quicgicr _Man x1 .,would -#have thought possible. and seems quite content to sleep under the coffee table when I'm not around. - • She's a -very pretty dog, well mannered. and .gets along well with older people and.my piar- aits' spaniel. How could 1 ask for more' Actually, I guess I will get more as slhe grows iwto the large dog she is destined, to be. Nevertheless, I mustadmit:this might not be a good time to bring a puppy into my howe.' Strange things have suddenly started happening. I will some- times find a running shoe in the middle of the living room floor with no explanation. Leaves from my plants .will be found far from the pot, -shredded. i sus- pect a poltergeist. •i'll let you ilnow. 1 don t feel like apologizing for the coincidence of nature that has made me a man rather than a woman. However, 1 want to explain something that 1 -tee) veva strongly about. list much nieh-bashing ,l thunk that over Me past few years, men have been h ma- ligned. Not only by women„ u . by the media and ohfr society in general. In fact, we have devel- oped a bat of an anu-male bias. Men -bashing has become politi sally correct I -on touch too long, uur.tuucs tors and we older folks have lived in a world dummied by omen. It was only 13 years before 1 was bum that all women over 21 were allowed to vote ,in Ca- thadian federal elections. But the almost complete - authority of men over women was tnn- changed until a very short time lige, 1 am not going to examine -- in this short column -- .the rea- sons [or the old system or -Uhc to -of events that bas led to c.Aut I want.td;point out:. eep an drastic, changes biwc,taken place not only wilt in my hfc-time,/hut especially within Lite last few years. Wedd,to know our 9106e„ Vv lien I was a young man, we ,generally considered women at- tractive and --eharmiug--atkini-- phents of our lives. That's ,how we were brought f ip• We ad mimed them, ibctn,. loved thein, d for theme, pro- • s tectc,.1 hie1u, opened door, tor ther,r, held chairs for Wen+; stood up fur them on busses and street cars, paid all their bilis, and 0th- erwtse did as we pleases: Women nn tum bore our -chi l - Peter's Point against in Uic workplace and it society in general. W e cannot ds enough quickly enough to right these wrongs Let's respect each other But let's 1101 liberate. equalize and protec; women at Ui. ex pens: of mien' We are ali pan of the smile homily: men. women and cluldren. Let's respect. not ridicule each other. We all have 4/11 some good and some bad traits Yes. there are brutal. callous stupid and unfeeling men. By al: means; iet's educate thein. but 1 gra Wet. 01 i3clilg ny ed 111 diel►, pampered them and us and Movies, on 't'`. and in die press cooked for them and us '10 What is Uk re to gain b?,gild many women, having a husband_What propaganda'' was hke having just one more 1 believe that in our scx;tely to day less acts arc committed b� men against women that ever be lore And yet ,we e;aruot open .+ paper or listen to a newscast wit huut'.leamiiig disgosUng do sails about 'Hurtle r,• rape.• incest. sexual abuse or -harassment We men are uot behaving worse Uwe+ beton.. Un the contrary. 1 tirrnly believe: that we are behaving far better -than ever But cases of male misbehaviour arc reported in greate r number. and the press is eager to let everyone know Wc'Pe an a transitional -stage. Not much a bail butch 1 think 1 speak for the majority of men,when 1 summarize in) feelings as follows. I love woni- en,„.and 1 am very comfortable in their presence Taney are wane and wonderful f admire their Peter Hesse! child -- only biggc r and more u oubk• We mien knee exactly when - Mood. .what our duty Was, and wluit ,our privileges were women .also.-kgew their place kihcicr, kuche, kirchc ('hie coil dren. the kitchen. and tie church). It had- been 60 Since' time immemorial, and there was no , reason _10 .believe Mat 11 .would.ever,cUangc Now -- a very short time later - - most men gladly /accept that fact that women hove becumc equal powers with etival rights. The fact .that diem are.sti11 unfor- tunate exceptions only proves the rule that things have funda- mentally changed. -.%Wlbat.bothers we is a_.aewAnd disturbing attitude ;ovii,a ds men. For the lack of, a -better .temp, I call it tcmalc.cbauvinism. I think. cmoUogai • grist irttellctUMal that this attitude is creeping into sur,,1Agtlt. The word wpiuld be..8 our lives. fostered by some dismal plate without women, but more pro;tioularly deeply regret air sins . pt' our promoted by the mass media, furefjrtthu s .and Hulse -W 0-lhave who fund tic trend.aritusirhg.athcl pot yet :accepted the nest rciali- ncCws-wwttthy. - • alt's. Uut lets net become hyster- ---i r- -yilbt,tpe. ei-,t-. W1 & 1? t L -awb ale. reefed toward atilt jn, • i ,,tie ,gyp- were not i ucli a bald bunch. NE palled by the figut�stjwt revilai don't seek po.wer .over you. .We how much, woluet,gre;giill sesu-.,hrtrgtht l0 1 Ye .WIY .ice ally harassed and iscrimiiyatud fncndsthip,wlith y,pu. 4 . V , liON-? The Times Advocate welcomes tetters to the editor. They ri be signed and should be accompanied' by a telephone number and address should a need to clarify any information. The newspaper also reserves the right to edit let ers. . Letters can be dropped off et the Times Advocate Office mailed ti) -**Meter Times di • .Iiox fib0, Exeter, Ontario i1S 1 don t feel like apologizing for the coincidence of nature that has made me a man rather than a woman. However, 1 want to explain something that 1 -tee) veva strongly about. list much nieh-bashing ,l thunk that over Me past few years, men have been h ma- ligned. Not only by women„ u . by the media and ohfr society in general. In fact, we have devel- oped a bat of an anu-male bias. Men -bashing has become politi sally correct I -on touch too long, uur.tuucs tors and we older folks have lived in a world dummied by omen. It was only 13 years before 1 was bum that all women over 21 were allowed to vote ,in Ca- thadian federal elections. But the almost complete - authority of men over women was tnn- changed until a very short time lige, 1 am not going to examine -- in this short column -- .the rea- sons [or the old system or -Uhc to -of events that bas led to c.Aut I want.td;point out:. eep an drastic, changes biwc,taken place not only wilt in my hfc-time,/hut especially within Lite last few years. Wedd,to know our 9106e„ Vv lien I was a young man, we ,generally considered women at- tractive and --eharmiug--atkini-- phents of our lives. That's ,how we were brought f ip• We ad mimed them, ibctn,. loved thein, d for theme, pro- • s tectc,.1 hie1u, opened door, tor ther,r, held chairs for Wen+; stood up fur them on busses and street cars, paid all their bilis, and 0th- erwtse did as we pleases: Women nn tum bore our -chi l - Peter's Point against in Uic workplace and it society in general. W e cannot ds enough quickly enough to right these wrongs Let's respect each other But let's 1101 liberate. equalize and protec; women at Ui. ex pens: of mien' We are ali pan of the smile homily: men. women and cluldren. Let's respect. not ridicule each other. We all have 4/11 some good and some bad traits Yes. there are brutal. callous stupid and unfeeling men. By al: means; iet's educate thein. but 1 gra Wet. 01 i3clilg ny ed 111 diel►, pampered them and us and Movies, on 't'`. and in die press cooked for them and us '10 What is Uk re to gain b?,gild many women, having a husband_What propaganda'' was hke having just one more 1 believe that in our scx;tely to day less acts arc committed b� men against women that ever be lore And yet ,we e;aruot open .+ paper or listen to a newscast wit huut'.leamiiig disgosUng do sails about 'Hurtle r,• rape.• incest. sexual abuse or -harassment We men are uot behaving worse Uwe+ beton.. Un the contrary. 1 tirrnly believe: that we are behaving far better -than ever But cases of male misbehaviour arc reported in greate r number. and the press is eager to let everyone know Wc'Pe an a transitional -stage. Not much a bail butch 1 think 1 speak for the majority of men,when 1 summarize in) feelings as follows. I love woni- en,„.and 1 am very comfortable in their presence Taney are wane and wonderful f admire their Peter Hesse! child -- only biggc r and more u oubk• We mien knee exactly when - Mood. .what our duty Was, and wluit ,our privileges were women .also.-kgew their place kihcicr, kuche, kirchc ('hie coil dren. the kitchen. and tie church). It had- been 60 Since' time immemorial, and there was no , reason _10 .believe Mat 11 .would.ever,cUangc Now -- a very short time later - - most men gladly /accept that fact that women hove becumc equal powers with etival rights. The fact .that diem are.sti11 unfor- tunate exceptions only proves the rule that things have funda- mentally changed. -.%Wlbat.bothers we is a_.aewAnd disturbing attitude ;ovii,a ds men. For the lack of, a -better .temp, I call it tcmalc.cbauvinism. I think. cmoUogai • grist irttellctUMal that this attitude is creeping into sur,,1Agtlt. The word wpiuld be..8 our lives. fostered by some dismal plate without women, but more pro;tioularly deeply regret air sins . pt' our promoted by the mass media, furefjrtthu s .and Hulse -W 0-lhave who fund tic trend.aritusirhg.athcl pot yet :accepted the nest rciali- ncCws-wwttthy. - • alt's. Uut lets net become hyster- ---i r- -yilbt,tpe. ei-,t-. W1 & 1? t L -awb ale. reefed toward atilt jn, • i ,,tie ,gyp- were not i ucli a bald bunch. NE palled by the figut�stjwt revilai don't seek po.wer .over you. .We how much, woluet,gre;giill sesu-.,hrtrgtht l0 1 Ye .WIY .ice ally harassed and iscrimiiyatud fncndsthip,wlith y,pu.