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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-10-21, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, October 21, 1992 Publisher: !Om Beckett News 6d1tor: Adrian Harte Uus1111iKs Manager: Don Smith Composition Manager: Deb Lord cc». Publications Mall Reg:stretbo Number 0386 Sl1R-Sr:RIPTlt]N RATES: CANADA Villain 40 miles (85 Ian.) addressed to e.n latter oardor addresses 530.00 plus 12.10 Q.S.T. Outside 40 nil.. (16 isle.) or any latter canter address 530.00 plus 123.76 (total 53.76) + 3.78 Q.B.T. Outside Canada 188.00 tot t z "Men are never so likely to settle a question righty as when they discuss it freely." ... Thomas MacAulay Exeter, ow<nto, NOM ssa J.W. E r.teNeatleite codePsIoNsasd Ease Visilasaise et 414 OWN ' TeMphsa: 2 .s.T. wneaasetlss i':I)IT )R1 Al Yes - a positive step for Canada he most important decision Canadians have been asked to make by their government is only a few days away. We will not be deciding this time whether Canada will survive as we know it or whether the map of Canada will have to be redrawn showing a mas- sive gap where the province of Quebec used to be. However, a no vote on Monday will give a huge boost to the forces in Que- bec who are committed to leaving Can- ada and forming their own separate country. Persuasive arguments have been of- fered by Canadians on both sides. Of course, not every no vote is a vote to divide Canada. Many believe the archi- tects of the Charlottetown Accord could have authored a better docu- ment... one that we could all jump on the bandwagon and totally support. Unfortunately, after years of negotia- tion, the agreement we are asked to pass judgement on Monday was the best those we have chosen to° represent us could come up with. Somehow, it isn't surprising when you consider the diversity of Canada and the wide rang- ing opinions that had to be accommodat- ed. The agreement we have is almost a miracle in itself. The Canadian Parlia- ment endorsed it with a huge majority, all ten premiers have said it is the best they could do and dozens of leading Ca- nadians have spoken for the yes side. The no forces have picked holes in the agreement from everything from wom- en's rights to the fact that sometime in the distant future the people of Quebec might have a few more representatives than the population of the province enti- tles them to. If all those who have decided to vote no were asked to come up with an agree- ment they could sell to the rest of the Country, we doubt any of them would live long enough to complete their nego- tiations. That's why we're asking Cana- dians to get involved, get out and vote and become part of the building process for a new Canada. We see a yes vote as a positive step for Canada. Jim Beckett NO! I owe it to my children If I didn't have children. and if I weren't concerned with their future and the future of your children - and their children - I wouldn't vote at all in the Refe- rendum. I could be cynical and say to myself: why bother? Many of the changes proposed by the Charolottetown Charade won't affect me. I'm too old. Let the people have the country they deserve. But I'm deeply concerned about my children and yours. About future generations of Ca- nadians who cannot vote in this Referendum. They deserve the best. not the worst. No matter what the outcome of the Referendum, I will be able to live with myself after I cast my NO ballot. If the YES side wins. I can tell my children: I'm sorry for you, but I did all 1 could. If the NO side wins, I can tell them: 1 helped to preserve Canada for you. The Canada I love. No matter how the Referen- dum turns out. Canada will not vanish and go away. The earth will not shake and swallow up the Canadian Shield. and the Prairies won't evaporate. Niaga- ra Falls will not dry up. The beaver will continue to build their dams in our creeks, the geese will fly south in the fall, and thc mosquitos will bite as before. What kind of society? What will be affected by your vote and mine is the kind of so- ciety our descendants will live in. They could enjoy the bene- fits of being Canadians -- a priv- ileged, blessed, envied nation. Or they could suffer the conse- quences of living in a watered- down, diluted. severely dam- aged Canada. They could be enjoying a Peter's Point • Peter Hessel smooth ride in a fine coach guided by a strong, dctemtined team or huddle in a nckety wag- on with twelve drivers and twelve nervous horses all pull- ing in different directions. "Thc Accord is not perfect," the politicians arc telling us apologetically, "but it's the best we could do under the circum- stances". And they' arc asking us to hold our noses. I won't hold my nose Well, I refuse to hold my nose and swallow something that stinks. I'd rather take my chanc- es with another dish. Maybe down the road, a new set of ne- gotiators will be more compe- tent and able to cook up a better deal. Rome wasn't built in a day. and Canada's constitution will not fade away if it isn't amended right now. Tired of political deadlines In fact, I'm getting increasing- ly tired of being confronted with deadlines by politicians. I would prefer to confront them "right Letter to Editor now" with our deadlines: use your energies and resources to get Canadians back to work, pro- vide our children and youths with relevant and meaningful training programs, make peace with the labour unions, settle na- tive claims, establish a national daycare program, carefully re- examine our commitment to Free Trade and NAFTA, pro- mote Canadian farming, small busines's, and exports, protect the environment, and then - only then - loot: at the constitution again. Our NO vote will send a message. Here is our opportunity to tell the politicians - the people who arc supposed to represent us - what•our priorities are. A NO to the Referendum questions will signal our dissatisfaction with the political service we have been receiving. A NO vote will send their message to the politi- cians m Ottawa and at provincial level: we demand government by the people for the people, and not by constitutional lawyers, b� policy advisers and by politi- cians for their own political ex- pediency. Hopefully, our NO vote will have the same effect as the out- cry of the little boy when thc Emperor was marched through the streets of his city: "But • tic isn't wearing any clothes!" The politicians have tried to make us believe that Canada is in a constitutional crisis, when it is really in a leadership crisis. Next week: back to my regular humour column, I hope. Should be proud of local hospital Dear Editor "Re article by Fred Groves Exet- er South Huron Hospital" I am very disappointed and yet at the atone time wonder if Mr. Groves was talking about the same hospital, in which I have received from the nurses and staff their friendly, warm, care giving people at South Huron Hospital. I also wonder where he received his in- formation about intern doctors that are sent out to hospitals to work the weekends. All doctors sent out to hospitals are very highly quali- fied, and studying to become spe- cialist in many dif- ferent Gelds of medicine (which is a bonus). These doctors are committed people who have dedicat- ed their lives to search for ways to help peep c ex- perience a better quality of life. In the future it might be better for Mr. Groves to do more research be- fore writing such a negative article as this. It might tempt the Ontario Government to close hospitals which are not performing well like you stated. That would be a terrible blow to the community, not to speak of the over 4 million dollars it generates into the community. The people of Exeter, yes includ- ing the Exeter TA can be very proud of their local hospital for the great service it does for the area. Jim Roberston Box 533, Lucan Ont. NOM 2J0 Letter to Editor Compassion lacking in Exeter Dear Sir and Exeter citizens: If this letter tugs at your heart please keep in mind that this letter could be about your grandmother, mother or even you. Last night 1 was driving to the stone when 1 witnessed a "little old lady" fall while trying to step up onto a curb, I immediately stopped to see if I could help, well when I got close 1 saw that she was bleeding profusely from her head, I spoke but she did not respond so I checked for a pulse. Now I am not a medical technician just a concerned citizen. I was panic stricken and didn't know what to do, other than not to move her. Then I saw headlights so I was a little re- - lieved. I waved my ll arms frantically and screamed "Please stop, somebody please help me", but that car just kept on driv- ing then another and another. I could not believe none would stop. This is a small town and I always thought no matter who you were you could always get help in such a Letter to Editor situation. "NOT". I then had no other choice but to leave her lie there while l ran to the closest home for help. Well I did get help and thank God there are still peo- ple with compassion for another human being. This letter is really to point out that I hope those who drove on by me never find them- selves in this kind of predicament "alone and scared". I would also like to thank very much the two women who assisted me. Oh by the way, the woman who fell is fine. Thanks for listening. Ms. Melanie MacDonald Cast an "informed" ballot To the editor: As our Constitutional Referen- dum date is now at hand, please consider the following: 1. Take a personal stock of Can- ada as it exists today. Consider its assets and liabilities, and the quali- ty of our present Constitution - the document that has bound our na- tion together for the past 125 years. 2. Create your own scoreboard on national unity. List the various pieces of legislation that have been instituted in the past for the purpose of unifying and strength- ening our country. Score them as successful or divisive. Evaluate the Charlottetown agreement. Will the proposed amendments result in a constitution that supports the unity of all Canadians or one that discriminates and divides? Are our leaders able to make the same endors- ing speech in all 10 provinces �y 1 without alienating any region or ethnic group? Will any unity - building er- rors be as repairable in the future as in the past? 3. This is your opportunity as an individual to scrutinize, apply com- mon sense and then speak by bal- lot. Youra will reflect what you consider to be a sound, binding foundation for the Canada of today, and for the Canada that we will leave to future generations. 4. Vote with pride and with confi- Letter to Editor dence. The purpose of the referen- dum mechanism (a tool of democ- racy) is to allow the Government of the day to solicit and respect your informed decision. A decision based on data and principle, not emotion. All Canadians both present and future, will respect your decision, be it no or yes! Again, in conclusion, remember that it is an iron law of politics' that those who choose not to -in- volve themselves in the politics of their country are destined to be governed by those who do. Please cast an "informed bails." Respectfully, Len Lobb Huron -Bruce Riding Association Reform Party of Canada It's time to vote yes Dear Sir, Mr. Parizeau, P.Q. leader, re- portedly says a yes vote would set back the separatist cause for a long time. This alone should produce a yes majority. Unfortunately. Brian Mulroney who brought us Free Trade, the G.S.T. and other equally unpopu- lar disasters heads the govern- ment- If he announced that Ilse sun would rise in the east some Cana- dians would doubt it without two independent witnesses and a cash deposit. His unwise comments re- cently drove the Canadian dollar down one cent in one day signal- ling the damage a no vote could do. Blind desire to defeat Mulron- ey should not cause a no vote. The time to deal with Mulroney is 1993. The time to say "YES" to Canada is October 26. Some English Canadians say the Charlottetown accord "JJ 'yea too much to Quebec". Sopjtpratists claim "it does not give enough to Quebec. Canada is not a natural country; unlike France, Germany Of 41P110, it never had a common race, lett gg e or culture; it comprises five d sutct regions geographically more like their US counterparts than each other. Canada exists only because two northern Brit- ish colonies did not jointhe 111 American Revo- lution. Quebec I did not join Canada I voluntarily. There was no vote. The British army invaded France aban- doned .her colony. Since 1867 each geut=lion of young Quebecois has had to choose between confedera- tion and independence while each glish generation chose between on, and joining the USA. The current round began when 9uebec voted 60.40 for confedera- tion in 1980 on assWpnces that French rights would be prwrctedin 1992 coisti�tr became a Canadian nota law. Latter Ottawa and ail ibe pr'oviaces M h 911 a new the M menlaalP±eatnpnt. pow go New Brunswick and govern- ments N� e sidled and back -tracked for so long that the time limits expired. English Canada made a deal and then welshed. A no vote may be seen in Quebec as welshing a sec- ond time. If this continues sooner or later the separatists will win a vote and Canada as we know it will end. Nitpickers quibble that a full text of the new constitution is required but surely a yes vote to agreement in principle is enough for our poli- ticians. Naysayers argue that the new Senate does not provide a quota for every conoeivabk minority. The new Senate should give the regions a more effective voice in Ottawa and it is certainly an improvemeat over the present retirement home. October 26 gives a chance to say yes to English Cana- da and English Canada a chance to saY yes .cif Quebec. I believe those who want to keep Canada will vote "YES". (� ��Q�t John �•� $5 Mount Albert, Ond.