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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1996-10-16, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, October 16,1996 Publisher 8 Editor: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Dan Smith Production Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt, Chad Eedy News; Heather Mir, Chris Skalkos, Ross Haugh, Brenda Burke Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Brenda Hem, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert Front Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Rollings, Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Exeter Times -Advocate Is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership I.O1 1 (WI \l. • • pinion Know any good kids? he Bluewater Youth facility has once again erupted in violence. And once again the controversial Young Offender's Act hits the news. Many people say the legislation which applies to young people has no teeth; youngsters know the law is un- able to touch them, so they commit more crimes, and more serious crimes. People on the street shake their heads and wonder why so many young people are getting into so much trouble and committing such horrible acts of de- struction and violence. Some will say it must be blamed on the disintegration of the family, point- ing out that young male gorillas raised without a proper role model - an older adult male gorilla - become violent and aggressive. The problem, they say, is we have too many single mothers raising children on their own. Or looked at from a femi- nist angle, we have too many men fa- thering children and refusing to help raise them. It amounts to the same thing. And no, it doesn't mean we need more adult male gorillas running this country. Some will blame youth violence on people moving around too much and never allowing the young people to set down desperately needed roots in churches, scholis and noighbor, oods: There are th who blame lem on our young people having too much money and too little responsibili- ty. Back on the farm, youngsters had no time to get into trouble, these people say, as they speak fondly of having al- ready worked three hours by the time the sun rose - and then walking bare- foot 12 miles in raging snowstorms to get to school, where the teacher drummed learning into them with yard- sticks, hickory sticks, Latin books and other instruments of torture. Still others will claim today's young people have so much pressure on them to achieve high marks, be great at sports and have many friends that they just give up trying to be decent. And there are assorted lunatic fringe theories - young people are more vio- lent because of hormones in all the meat they eat; they are more violent be- cause of industrial chemicals in air pol- lution; they are more violent because they hear and see so much violence on television (brain pollution?). Each theory has an element of truth. The fact is, society is changing at a dra- matic rate of speed, and some individu- als and families are unable to cope with those changes. But there is another angle to the situa- tion. Instead of looking at the young people who are committing acts of vio- lence, look at the ones - and do not doubt for a moment they make up the vast majority - who are ambitious, crea- tive and generous, who make unbelieva- ble contributions to their community, and who will never see the inside of a facility such as Bluewater. You read about the actions of a few young people in the police section, but how much more exciting are the actions of the youngsters you read about in the rest of the newspaper, those who are deeply involved in church groups, envi- ronmental programs, 4-H, Scouts, Guides, cadets and other programs. It must be remembered that throughout history, there have been many young criminals who committed murder and mayhem. We have Bonnie and Clyde, for example. But we must never forget that most of those who died for their country in two world wars and Korea were little More an,,enagers. Theirecour- attlipeall,', ui rlessrn against e abuse of children around the world. They spearhead environmental pati- grams. They participate in student ex- changes which take them far from'home, all in the name of greater world under- standing. No one is more aware than members of the media of the tremendous challenges faced and overcome by young people to- day. And the media tries to keep you in- formed about the wonderful things they accomplish. This newspaper, along with fellow members of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association and Bell Cana- da, is offering you the chance to nomi- nate one of these "good kids" for the On- tario Junior Citizen of the Year awards. Forms are available at your local com- munity newspaper office; deadline for nominations is Oct. 31. Sauleen City News vow fit A View From Queen s Park TORONTO -- Since Premier Mike Harris keeps finding new ways to freeze his back- benchers out of having a say in policy, it is no wonder they grabbed their first chance to rebel. The Progressive Conservative MPPs showed their resentment when they were offered the unusual opportunity to vote as they pleased in a secret ballot for Speaker and installed one of their own, Chris Stockwell, who has been no- ticeably out of step with their party's establish- ment. This was a landmark because even such mi- nor revolts are rare in the Ontario Tory party. There have been only a couple in more than 30 years. In the late 1960s Alan Eagleson of later hock- ey fame, who had frittered away his seat as an MPP, and some of his friends decided Premier John Roberts was spending too much time na- tion -building and not enough organizing to fight elections. They staged a revolt that got Eagleson elected party president and cronies in party jobs and tried to run almost a parallel party with Ro- barts, who did not care enough to kick up a fuss. William Davis tossed out Eagleson and By Eric Dowd company promptly after he become premier in 1971. In 1973, a Davis treasurer, John White, im- posed a tax on home heating fuels and urged people to wear sweaters indoors to keep warm and Tory backbenchers led the revolt that saw the tax quickly extinguished. There have been occasional individual pro- tests shat* by Tory backbenchers, such as Bob Runciman's when Davis bought part of an oil company (Harris was an MPP, but oddly neer let out a bleep at this intervention by govern- ment.) But normally the Tories have stuck together like Krazy Glue and kept their differences pri- vate and their united appearance is a reason they have been in power for 43 of the past 53 years. The Tories have come unglued first because Harris sometimes has not given backbenchers a reasonable chance to influence policy before it was announced. ti When he introduced his omnibus bill which proposed to change the province more than any in history, his backbench MPPs had to admit they did not know what was in it and could not eras Publkatlons Mall Roglatration Number 0388 5UBSGRIPTION RATESI One year rate for Ontario subscribers • $36.00 + OST + Two year rate for Ontario subtrcriban • 569.00 + OST CArugu e4 ADDRE3$U OUTSIDE ONTARIQ One year subscription • 569.00 + OST Two year subscription • $119.00 + OST OTI4ER RAMI Outside Canada • 588,00 + GST Published tach Wednesday Morning et 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontado, NOM 166 by J.W. Eedy Publication* Ltd. Telephone 1.515 2311 1331 • Fax: 5111•2360766 *urea eines .Deas a.$.T. 21t10e210a26 AWARDED A SPECIAL PRIZE FOR DARING, AUDACITY AND DESPERATION BUZZ HARGROVE JACK SMITH CRASH 2 5. 0 0 0 CANADIAN GM EMPLOYEES NOW PLAYING! OSHAWA • WINDSOR ST. CATHARINES • STE-THERESE • WOODSTOCK • LONDON our Views Letters to the e upreme Court discriminatingi School boards now have the legal right to deny access to children with disabilities.... Dear Editdr I was shocked and dismayed when I learned of the October 9th Supreme Court decision in the Emily Eaton case: that school boards now have the legal right to deny access to community schools to chil- dren with disabilities. From now on any school board can send a child to segregated facilities, against the wishes of the parents, because that child has•mental or physical disabilities. After 50 years of unflagging efforts by parents, educators, and people with disabilities to build bridges into communities by including ALL children, the Supreme Court of Canada has just set fire to the bridges. Inclusive schools are the foundation of an inclusive society. Forcible segregation of children with disabilities is cruel, isolating them from their siblings, friends, and community, and decreasing the possibility that they will ever be able to belong and to contribute to society. This is a gigantic step backward for the civ- il rights of people with disabilities. In deference to the god of the almighty dollar, fis- cal arguments are,not convincing, because it is usu- ally cheaper to hire teaching assistants within a community school than it is to build and operate segregated schools. This doesn't include the extra transportation costs. Or would they expect parents to foot the bill for extra costs to send their child to a school they don't want to attend in the first place? Emily Eaton's needs are already being met through the separate school system. with the aid of a teach- ing assistant. Accommodations can be made. Cana- da is closing institutions that house adults with de- velopmental handicaps. Why are we opening more segregated schools? It seems to be another example of the loss of our social conscience as the rights of the poor, jobless, sick and disabled are steadily being eroded in favor of the wealthy, able-bodied and powerful. The gap between rich and poor has just widened, at the ex- pense of some of the most vulnerable children in our community. Sociologists say that a society is judged by their treatment of the most vulnerable within it. Canada's grade is lipping down steadily, from A to around a C- now. Soon it may fail entirely. October 9, 1996 will be known as a day of Infamy. The Su- preme Court of Canada should be ashamed. Roberta Walker Grand Bend, Ontario Backbenchers have chance to vote explain it. Tory MPPs felt they did not get enough chance to argue against Harris's plan to allow thousands of video lottery terminals in bars to raise revenue. Some find Harris's spending cuts coming close to home and complain they never got the opportunity to discuss hospitals and jails in their ridings being closed and school and agri- culture funds cut. ,Harris's government is merely one of a long list which often failed to ask its backbenchers' opinliMs, but he has gone further is freezing out MPPs. Harris has appointed David Crombie, a for - trier mayor of Toronto and federal minister, to tell him how to re -shape almost the whole field of municipal and even some provincial opera- tions, although many Tory MPPs came up through municipal politics and could contribute useful ideas. , Hams has introduced legislation providing for referenda to settle many issues. Allowing the public to decide may seem the height of de- mocracy, but Tory MPPs must wonder why they bothered to run for election when their government will ask the man -in -the -street to make the key judgments. Harris went to the recent premiers' conference and pulled out 45 pages of thoughts he commis- sioned from a university professor and offered them as Ontario's proposals for re -shaping Con- federation without giving backbenchers a chance to provide input on the most vital issue of all. When one Tory MPP complained that his government is closing the hospital that saved his life, Harris's health minister explained that he cannot do anything about it, beequse these decisions are made by a health servfces restruc- turing commission (which is unelected and which he had appointed.) Harris also has introduced legislation to re- duce the number of MPP' from 130 to 103, which he calls The Fewer Politicians Act, im- plying the number of politicians has become a nuisance and it's time to call in pest control. Politicians in all parties wiil not fail to recog- nize the sneer.