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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1998-12-30, Page 6411> • Seer Exeter Times—Advocate Editorial& Opinion '1,•I1 S -J‘ I )('/V1' 1 r'uBt Kc1notis MAIL. REGISTRATION NUMBEIH 07511 herd Editor Don Smith (;eneeral Manager Dob Lord Production Manager Published by J.W. Eedy Publications limited . 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850 Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • (519) 235-1331 EDITORIAL Put an end tochi' ldove � rty fforts are being made toE way for Ottawa to achieve its • change the definition of promise to wipe out child poverty poverty, to meet Canada's by the year 2000. . international obligation to eliminate Sadly, it does nothing for those child poverty within its own borders . who would still fall within the defin- by the year 2000. - ition of poverty. Every winter brings .1f one cannot win a game by reports of homeless people found existing rules; changing the rules to frozen to death. Every school has • make the game easier is one way to come out on top. In this case, there is a valid reason for changing the rules. Calculating the number of poor people according to a formula based on average income ignores •certain realities - many of Canada's poorare very well off by world standards. Poverty in most third world coun- is most often that of a confus tries means trying to survive with- elderly woman in rags, carrying out access to decent medical care, few worldly education, adequate housing or cery hag. Thereareltoo smany in a li enough food. It means babies with her, and even more who would t bellies distended from malnutrition. and will be, unless they get a hel It means small children forced •to ing hand. - perform long hours of hack -break- Some would prefer to defir ing work to bring in the few extra poverty to include anyone unable doliars the family needs to. live. It ►nuintain a standard of living with means people .dyitrg from easily allows hint or her to -he a participa • prevented diseases. inf.; member of the cottuntinity. Th Poverty in. Canada. means some- takes into. account the realities c thing quite different. A family can the rural faurily that has an incom be considered poor,. ,(,cording to well below the poverty level, bu the numbers, and sfijl have a fairly whose members five quite wet comfortable and we heated home, thanks to careful management o adequate and nutritious; food, and . -their few resources, and the pr•ux an education that is- not only ac;ces- lenity of flintily and friends who 'gen sible'but mandatory. Only rarely erously "help out". It takes •late dues poverty mean inadequate feud account th(� family with a -higher and shelter. iuconre, but fewer esyebologicit (:anada has been subjected to rind social resourcer~, that lives on . criticism in recent years for its poor the edge of &Simi -win. • ,record in dealing with poverty. As the. 2Uth century draws to tt Although by most standards . close,. let us pray that Canada's - Canada is considered one. of the pledge to end child- poverty is a real best countries in which to live, .our one, • loverC rate not a numbe)rt; game. Surely ! y, is too high - a niftily (his cuuutry has enough wealth to black mark on an otherwise excel- iillow each of'itn cltize)ny it. fair .lent report. • share. Reducing the definition of.pover- May 199) be prosperous And ty to the lowest.common denomina- rewarding for us all.. tor provides a bargaid=basemeni carrying' children who arrive at school hun- gry those few days before the wel- fare cheque arrives. Every commu- nity's food bank has people who would not have anything to eat if it were to shut its doors. The face of poverty in most third world countries is a crying, hun child. In Canada, the lace of pove gry Wednesday. December all. 1'N)* SNOW.. Building with snow's fun. I make snowforts and snowmen Snow's cool to play with. by Josh Ryan - Grade 5 - Stephen Central School rty 0 - Another Christmas has come and Kate '.s 12 favourite sounds ke gone. Working at ii newspaper. )e, I've received a high=octane dose of p- concerts. Christmas feature stories and special entertainment al nurs- e ing homes. to At the sante tints. I delved into :h my personal preparations t- for Christmas and then Our - is ()uglily enjoyed the family Christmas gatherings. Still to come are visits with 0 friends you never have time I'or when life Is whirling f I've enjoyed it all. People - aro lit stick good humour - over the Christmas season. 1 like to think it's more than • the fear Santee won't bring 1 their presents. II!. any case, it's a nice reprieve from the days when people aro so serious about life. Yet I can understand why people hibernates in •lanuary. I had a brief taste of complete rest on Sunday rued had time to ponder life in gen- eral and this coluntti in particular. Should 1 share my Now Year's resolutions with you? Too scary. Should I go on a rant about all the thing. that bugged me in I9')ti such as the sound system in the lixotor council chambers or.1tte l• art and at its normal pace council -PUC haggling or why I end up in the slowest ling in stores, movie theatres and gas stations? Too negative for Sunday afternoon thoughts. Instead my thoughts turned pro- found and 1 came up with a list of the best sounds in the world. 'These tire in no particular order tot- that would take too much thought for this time or year: KATE MONK KATE'S TAKES About the advocate Address & Office Hours Tunes -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850, • Exeter, Ontario NOM 1Sb. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pal. 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Deadline: Friday 4 p.m. • E-mail U$ • TA e-mail addresses consist.of the person's first initial and last name followed by livta.00dy.cont. For example, Jim Beckett's e-mail address is <jberkett(e>ta.eedy.cont> Our generale-mail address is editor4:Southl1ttron_coni. l.atrgtiter• • A baby giggling A rat purring" %'ares..lapping on beach - tattle in fresh straw Mustang airplane engine Coffee percolator` Birds singing after 8 a.m. Bells The Messiah concert Iriclos on a spruce tree A winter storm when you're curle(1 up beside the fireplace: (lope you enjoyed the list. At the. very least, you can use 11 as a con- versation starter when things get slow at your New Years Eve party. See you in the New Year. -...._ . .........1106.0401•111010111.........••••••••••••••• ......1106,,..,, w..,......,_., The Times -Advocate Team Publisher & Editor Jim Beckett General Manager Production Manger Advertising Reporters Customer Service 'Production Staff Accounting Staff I)on Smith . Deb Lord . Barb Cousin Craig Bradterd Kato Munk . . Scott Nixon . . Sue Hollings Carol Windsor ext ext ext. ext. . ext. ext. . ext. ext. ext. Alma Ballantyne, Brenda Ilern, i.aiirel Miner, Mary McMurray, Barb Itubertson 11)+1 112 114 110 113 107 105 101 102 Cassie Dalrymple. Anita McDonald. Ituthanne► Negrtjn, Butte Slaght