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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1995-01-18, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, January 18, 1995 Publisher: Jim Beckett Business Manager: Don Smith Composition Manager: Deb Lord Advertising; Barb Consitt News; Adrian Harte, Fred Groves, Heather Vincent, Ross Haugh Production; Alma Ballantyne, Mary McMurray, Barb Robertson Robert Nicol, Brenda Hern, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner, Marg Flynn Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert Front Office & Account Norma Jones, Elaine Pinder, Ruthanne Negrijn, Units McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple The Ev-i-er Fiches -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers providing news, advertising and information leadership • • pinion • A dollar's worth of shame The irony in the government's release of a new dollar coin as a tribute to Canada's peacekeeping troops - only a day after damning home videos sur- face of our troops in Somalia blurting racial slurs - cannot be underestimated. Once again we are confronted with the incongruity of our efforts to mod- ernize our terminology. The "War Of- fice" was long ago replaced by the "De- partment of National Defence". And our government almost never speaks of soldiers anymore, but peacekeepers. But troops with rifles and machine guns have the same duties they always did. They are required, and expected to risk their lives while being asked to kill for their country. We can call it "service" we can call it "duty", but how do you train young men to attack and kill a threatening force on demand, no questions asked? You have to nurture and boost feelings of national pride, moral superiority, even cultural superiority. The enemy must die, and deserves to die. Those feelings die hard, and are still evident in the fierce pride of veterans who were asked to do the unthinkable those decades ago. The Somalis were not the enemy, but that point was lost on those seen in the video, and on those involved in the beat- ing death of the Somali youth. For those trained to kill or exploit signs of weakness, compassion for the resi- dents of a besieged country is a long stretch. One regiment - we hope only one - has put dark stains on the reputation of our nation's "peacekeepers" for some time to come. Monday's release of the new dol- lar coin was in poor taste, and should certainly have been delayed given the weekend's events. The question is, how long can Canada's military be allowed to sweep its prob- lems under its own rugs? How long can we all take pride in what may be only an illusion? Y�ur Views Letters to the editor Ethanol a new corn market Support from Mr. Steckle was vi- tal to this achievement. We ex- press our appreciation. Dear Editor: On behalf of the corn farmers of Huron County, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Paul Steckle, MP for Huron, for the major effort on his part which resulted in the major federal an- nouncement of December 21 concerning fuel etha- nol. The announcement was of a contingency loan guarantee program which will come into effect only if an excise tax is imposed on fuel ethanol made from corn and other biological materials by a future government prior to the year 2005. This guarantee is expected to result in the construction of new, world -scale ethanol plants at Chatham and Cornwall in the near future. These plants will mean a new market for an esti- mated 20 million bushels of Ontario corn. This is about 10 percent of total provincial production. Construction of these plants will also enable sales of ethanol -blended gasoline to continue to grow, us- ing Ontario -produced ethanol, instead of imported product, as the blending ingredient. Expanded sales of ethanol -blended gasoline will mean major benefits for environmental quality, in- cluding reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced imports of off -shore crude oil, and the opportunity to eliminate the use of toxic gasoline additives such as MMT and benzene. Support from Mr. Steckle was vital to this achievement. We express our appreciation. Sincerely, Bob Hallam, President Huron County Corn Pro- ducers' Association A View From Queen's Park New Democratic Premier Bob Rae is sudden- ly being predicted as the winner in an election this year because he is more intellectual than his opponents, but the race is not always to the brainy. Rae has been at an unpromising 15 percent in polls for two years, but Toronto Star senior po- litical columnist Richard Gwyn predicted that 'Rae is going to win' because he 'possesses one priceless asset. His IQ is probably larger than that of his two opponents -- the Progressive Conservatives' Mike Harris and Liberals' Lyn McLeod -- combined' and voters will recognize this. The Globe and Mail described Rae as 'possi- bly Canada's most intellectual politician'. Col- umnist Allan Fotheringham, who often has praised Rae for his intellect, advised in the Fi- nancial Post that Rae is so sure a winner that he is worth betting on and New Democrats have taken a lot to bragging they have the most cere- bral leader. Rae, the former Rhodes Scholar, clearly ranks By Eric Dowd Publications Mail Registration Number 0386 5UBSCRIPTIQN RATES: CANADA Within 40 miles (65 km.) addressed to non letter carrier addresses $33.00 plus $2.31 0.5.T. Outside 40 riles (65 km.) or any letter caroler address $33.00 plus $30.00 (total 63.00) + 4.31.0.3.T. Outside Canada $99.00 plus $6.93 GST (Includes $88.40 postage) Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Mein St, Exeter, Ontario, NOM 156 by J.W. Eedy Publications Ltd. Telephone 1-519-235-1331 • Fax: 519-2350766 G.S.T. •ene11210S35 Your Views Letters to the editor No happy ending in car theft "The fact is that the car was re- covered practically destroyed." Dear Editor: Your issue of last Wednesday, January 4, contains the usual OPP report which, among other incidents, lists the theft of a blue Dodge Omni from a Marlbo- rough Street residence in Exeter. And, as usual, at the conclusion of the report the OPP appeals to peo- ple with information about these incidents to call them or contact Crime Stoppers. Not intending to criticize the OPP handling of this matter, I nevertheless question the reason why the report simply stated that "the car was later recov- ered." The implication is that there was a "happy" ending to this story. Consequently, the reading pub- lic would put this story out of their minds. The fact is that the car was recovered practically destroyed. Had this been reported, the greater im- pact might just possibly have triggered some rele- vant information. Sincerely, L.C. de Haan Exeter Editor's note: We agree with the writer that the report suggested a happier ending than was the case. Had the condition of the car been made public, we would certainly have included it in our news item. as the intellectual among the Ontario leaders. He is the most articulate and best informed on events and produces the swiftest flow of ideas and his thoughts often dig beneath the surface of issues. • Harris seems more to skim the top searching for political points and McLeod often flies well above so she can avoid making mistakes. Commentators who yearn for the occasional flash of brilliance among politicians naturally admire Rae, usually declaring him the star of intergovernmental gatherings, and some voters also are tickled by having an articulate politi- cian represent them. But voters in choosing a politician to lead day by day normally have been influenced more by policies, which in the NDP's case will include its spending habits, job creation and promotion of gambling, and how comfortable they feel with the politician. The two most noted intellectuals in Ontario politicians in recent decades were Stephen Lewis, NDP leader through most of the 1970s, Is Intellect the answer? and Stuart Smith, Liberal leader from 1976-82. Lewis's perfectly -formed oratory came out as in a grammar textbook and he was at ease with just about every subject under the sun. He could discuss genocide in Africa as readily as lack of housing at home, but was so all- knowing he sometimes was called 'too clever by three-quarters'. Lewis led in three elections against the Con- servative premier William Davis, who was not much of a speaker and whose sentences were said to be as circumlocutious as the Newfound- land railway in wandering all over the map. Davis had no pretensions to be an intellectual, preferred to talk about football and play up his image as just a small-town lawyer doing his best for people and was quite content to be known as 'bland Billy'. But voters preferred Davis's red -Tory pro- grams and felt at home with his folksy, easygo- ing style and Lewis never could push him out. Smith was a psychiatrist and university pro- fessor with a brilliant academic record, touted at first as another Pierre Trudeau since both were deep thinkers from Montreal (can intellect be everything when Trudeau also lost to Joe Clark?) Smith oozed intellect and employed all the latest social jargon and felt so above crass po- litical brawling that he let his press officer go sailing the day an election was called, so re- porters could not reach him. Smith also could not compete with the homespun Davis in two elections and went on to more esoteric duties chairing the Science Council of Candaa. Rae also is proof that intellect does not al- ways win, because he was nosed out in two elections by Liberal David Peterson, who made, no pretence of being an intellectual, but was modern and presentable and happened to be in the right place when the Tories were falling. Rae could be left with lots of time after the election to read his Proust and do whatever in- tellectuals do. do t 4 A