Times-Advocate, 1999-01-27, Page 6rip
AVE °a%
T1MEsA1JVQATii
PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511
jim Beckett
Publisher and Editor
Don Smith
General Manager
Deb 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
Exeter Timew-Advocate
• J•
Editorial&Opinion
Wednesday, January 27, 1999
NEWS S 1 TEM: Pill turns 65,.. goes snowboarding!
Whose rights should
take precedence?
Apman in British Columbia argued - suc-
cessfully - that he has the legal right to
osess child pornography including pho-
tos and written material.
A British Columbia judge has session of child the Criminal code making pos
pornog-
raphy a crime violates the man's charter right to priva-
cy.
Apparently the judge feels there is no proof children
are at increased risk because of pornography.
The issue here is not validity
molestersstatistical
gossess
evi-
dence on the number of child
child pornography, °rwhether
is triggered ormolester's
made
compulsion to attack children
worse by pornography. The issue here is not even
about censorship. The issue is rights.
There are numerous instances in law•where one per-
son's rights take precedence over the rights of another.
Ann Landers summed up the whole thing in the often
quoted, "Your freedom to swing your arms ends where
the other guy's nose begins."
In essence, that judge has decided the man's right to
own pornographic photos of children takes precedence
over sections of the law designed to prevent the sexual
exploitation of children. It simply does not make sense.
A person would have to do some pretty complicated
mental gymnastics to state child pornography is not
harmful to children. Perhaps the individual charged
with possession of child pornography in British
Columbia had no intention of going to the nearest park
in search of a little_kid to molest. What about the chil-
dren in the photographs?
To say the man has the right to possess such material
goes beyond the level of credibility. Even to someone
who is no expert in constitutional law, this sounds like
saying possession of stolen property should be legal.
The person who has a stolen television set is not harm-
ing anyone, after all, and has no intention of going out
and stealing another one..If the police come and take
away the television, it is infringement
actively his on encourage
Ah, but if this were
thieves to steal television sets. It would
ttelevisionv ry
one's right to purchase, own and enjoy
et
with ariy sense of securityrson foe r�whom heef is to tes seats the unished
say►
for his act, surely the pe
comm
ew
television should also be held responsible. But, aslast
week's ed a i morbid. detailsg his werpaper, from what we see so similar violent acts wont be
We are not discussing television sets, we are dis- exposed in small town repeated ever again.
cussing children. murder can and does happen
They must have the right to grow up in an environ- Ontario. Including Lucan.
a-
b sexual preda-
tors. where theyare not endangeredY
merit
':-}fir•:}:';'r'is};:....
t0
tJ.
F
Legalizing gli
in
g PO
S
e
ssloe
of
childpornography m
may
be
but it is at the �.•FA'r; v
protecting a man's right toprivacy, ; ,.
P right togrow up safe. Which r
expense of children's g j. .. .. >
right should take precedence? -:
To anyresponsible parent, the answer is obvious, x., �, 4 f. f r.•,. ,y :� 4 f
and the judge was wrong. We must hope this matter : t�
before the Supreme Court of Canada, and the BC . .
goes P
decision is overturned.
reprinted from Saugeen City News
Community rallying after^ Lucan
_ .«e«e tragedyin
those affected
The news that two people were shotdeadin deeply by the' murder -suicide of Brenda and Joel
theirnsleepy. community literally had jawsdrop-Chillingworth, the violence last Wednesday morn -
ping in should.n.
There's no complacency when it ing was the first and
hopefully
o f eLilc an�and t of its
the�new
d in
As it the former Village comes to murder in Lucan. It just doesn't happenTownship of Lucan Biddulph. It has never- hap -
here. Not in Lucan. pened before, and if the kind, friendly people of
It happens in places like Toronto the not -so- happenagain.
ood. Or London, a biker haven. Or Windsor Lucan havTohthe Chir illingwo thnever
and Lily families
g - I send out
where bodies from Detroit get dumped: But
not in small town Ontario. Not in our Lucan.l and their multitude .of friends,
< mymost heartfelt sympathy. it is with
Despite its raucous heritage including the << •:
x£ h � great regret we are forced to report such
infamous watering holes the Shillelagh and �z< stories, to be there on the scene with
the Grand Central, Lucan. has never wit-
murder within village limits. Not f camera and notebooks in hand. The' job
nessed- a 'dastardly
vigi- is distasteful and repugnant and many
even the dastardly Donnellthes and m rat- - reporters are later traumatized by what
lance lynch mob that massacredprac- ' they.must report.
ticed their worst within the village, saving CRAIG� But it is our job to be the, eyes and ears
their blood letting for the countryside.for the community when many of us
That's why murder in Lucan is so shock- gRq('FQRp can't be there to witness the events that
ing, so alien. The village folk were right to saw affect us all. Our job is to mirror the
`But not in Lucan'. s hopefully we can learn
unit and hop Y
About the Times -Advocate
Address & Office Hours
EOntarioe, 424 Main Street NOM 1S6.Our office tis openth, O. Box Mondayto
Exeter,
Friday. 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
Contact Us By Phone or Fax
Classified ad & subscription sates
24-hour automated attendant
Fax number for all departments
Subscription Rates
One year rate for addresses in Canada:
Two year rate for addresses in Canada
One year rate for addresses outside Canada:
Call (519) 235-1331 to order a subscription.
.... (519) 235-1331
(519) 2354336
(519) 235-0766
$35+GST
$63+GST
..$102
> • y
y fax,.
i4
3 4., y.;` �7
r3 ; :e< 3 z r,s f. 't 3
•r
•
rL
t
•
0000 NOM
Il
•
Classified Rates
Word ads: $9.00 for 20 words, 15t for each additional
word+ GST. Notices (births, deaths, announcements,
coming events, memoriamg, cards of thanks): $11.00 +
GST7 for up to 30 words, 15t for each additional word.
All ads must be pre -paid. The classified ad deadline is
Monday at 10 a.m.
Display Advertising
To place a display ad. (519) 235-1331 weekdays 8:30
to 5 p.m. or evenings (519) 235-1336 (leave message)
or toll-free at 1-888-270-1602. Deadline: Friday 4 ?•m
E-mail Us
TA e-mail addresses consist of the person's first initial
and last name followed by @ta.eedy.com. For example.
Jim Beckett's e-mail address is ci�jbeckett@ta.eedy.com>
Our general e-mail address is editor@South
Huron.com.
The gimes-Advo B b Gte orsitt
ge
Advertising
Reporters
Customer Service
Production Staff
Accounting Staff
Craig Bradford
Kate Monk
Scott Nixon
to edit
ext. 110
ext. 113
ext. 107
ext. 105
Sue Rollings ext.
Carol Windsor ext.
Deb Lord ext.
Alma Ballantyne, Brenda Hern,
Laurel Miner, Mary McMurray,
Barb Robertson
Cassie Dalrymple ' ext. 206
Anita McDonald ext. 111
• Ruthanne Negrijn .. •... ,ext. 104
Ruth Slaght ext. 106
101
102
114