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Times Advocate, 1995-12-20, Page 4Page 4 Times -Advocate, December 20, 1995 Publisher & Editor: Jim Beckett The Exeter Times -Advocate is a member of a family of community newspapers Business Manager: Don Smith ►"sO� comm w, , providing news, advertising acrd information leadership 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 Hern, Joyce Weber, Laurel Miner Transportation: Al Flynn, Al Hodgert Front Office & Accounting; Elaine Pinder, Sue Rollings, Ruthanne Negrijn, Anita McDonald, Cassie Dalrymple 1 • inion Publications Mall Registration Number 0386 BUBSCR1PTION RATES. CANADA Within 40 miles (65 km.) addressed to non letter carrier addresses 933.00 plus $2.310.S.T. Outside 40 miles (65 km.) or any letter carder address 933.00 plus 530.00 (total 63.00) + 4.31 0.S.T. Outside Canada 599.00 plus 98.93 GST (Includes $88.40 postage) Published Each Wednesday Morning at 424 Main St., Exeter, Ontario, NOM lid by J.W. body Pubyoatkae Ltd. Telephone 1.519-2351331 • Fax: 519.2350758 a.s.T. 18105210635 Candice leromkin Grade 5 Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel School The Danger of Christmas Christmas, as we celebrate it, seems far too safe. I don't 4 think that Christmas was ever intended to be as safe and as comfortable as we have allowed it to become. We enjoy a wonderful tradition of gift -giving, parties, family turkey dinners, carol singing and a spirit of generosity and concern for those who may be less fortunate than we. These delightful and worthy activities seem to disappear with the disposal of the festive garbage and removal of the decorations. It's all so innocuous, so harmless. But was Christmas ever intended to be so safe and comfortable or does it demand that we push through the barrier of our comfort zone? Certainly for the players in the Christmas drama 2000 years ago it was anything but safe. Christmas cost one young • H. Kevin Rutledge - Emmanuel Baptist Church couple their life-long dream of a traditional church wedding complete with flowers, attendants, white dress and all. Instead Mary and Joseph's willingness to participate in that first Christmas meant their morals were questioned, their families faced lot of embarrassment and the community gossips wagged their tongues incessantly. Angels and miraculous conceptions? We all know where babies come from -- or do we? Comfort is not how an expectant mother close to her due date would describe a seventy five mile donkey ride to a little town where there were no available accommodations. And delivering a child in a cold stable without attendants and family seems rather risky. It was doubly risky when a delegation of visiting dignitaries came to pay homage to the new little king. The existing king was so paranoid that he had murdered one wife and three sons on the basis of suspicion alone. It was risky for everyone. All of Jerusalem convulsed in fear when jealous King Herod was upset. The wise men got out of the country alive, but the baby boys of Bethlehem were not so fortunate. If it were not for the nighttime angelic warning and quick escape to Egypt, Jesus would have suffered the same end. If Christmas were neither safe nor comfortable for the first participants, then how has it become so safe for us? I think it is because we have made Jesus safe. As long as Jesus is a A View from Queen's Park By Eric Dowd TORONTO -- Premier Mike Harris has faced the two most significant anti-government dem- onstrations in many years and the score is op- ponents one, Harris one. The Liberals and New Democrats clearly won the first round by sitting in the legislature and forcing Harris's Progressive Conservatives to allow an extra month of hearings on their so-called omnibus bill and events since have shown that it is a good job they did. The bill has emerged as having more im- pact than any in memory. As examples, it will give the province power to close a hospital or say what services it should provide, tell doctors if and where they can practise and impose new user -fees in medicare. The province will be able to put liens on cars which electronic detectors claim failed to pay new highway tolls (oddly, because the To- ries killed NDP photo radar which snapped speeders on the ground it was intrusive), force municipalities to merge without debate and al- low them to demand all sorts of new taxes and fees. The opposition parties have not been given enough credit for obtaining more debate for the bill. The Tories claimed omnib'ls bills which combine disparate legislation so they can be pushed through and voted on in a hurry are rou- tine, but no previous government had one as sweeping as the Tories'. This was like a government wrapping its legislation for an entire session into one bill, except that some measures in Harris's have more impact than many governments' had in a whole session. Harris also wanted it debated and approved in only two weeks and the oppo- sition took risks to convince him to agree to longer hearings. To focus attention both Lib- eral leader Lyn McLeod and NDP leader Bob Rae got themselves ejected from the legisla- sweet baby Iying helplessly in a manger he poses no threat to us; he makes no demands on our lives. But Christ's birth cannot be isolated from his life, his mission, his death, his identity. He came to save us from our sins by dying on a cross and to bring us back to God, changing our lives to conform to God's standards. He is the Son of God, the Creator, the King of kings and Lord of lords and that is more dangerous to our status quo than the baby in the manger. Perhaps King Herod's fear was legitimate. There can't be two kings, and Jesus was not about to stay in the manger. It is much easier for us, however; we can just keep Jesus in our nativity set and haul him out once a year for the celebration. That Jesus we can control and it's much safer than allowing him to be who he desires to be for us -- our Savior and King. But for all the risk involved in letting Jesus the king back into Christmas the rewards are worth it. He moves us away from selfishness and transforms our lives to reflect his values. We can experience the blessing of Christmas all year round and love, joy, peace, contentment and right all can become a part of life. I wonder what would happen if Christmas became just a little more dangerous for us, if we risked letting Jesus out of the manger and into our lives as our King. I think Christmas would become a whole lot more authentic and the effects would be felt all year round. Has to stick to cutting costs ture, the first time two party leaders have been kicked out on the same day. Leaders usually leave the dirtier work to hatchetmen. Five op- position MPPs in all got ejected in one day, an- other first, and for a time it looked as if none might be Left to ask questions. When the opposition parties tied up the legis- lature by refusing to vote or leave, the first use of this tactic, they expected to be and were quickly accused of game -playing and hijacking the legislature. The public is only too ready to believe politicians obstruct and waste time. But the need for delay and more thorough screening has been quickly proved. Three ministers so far have shown they are uncertain what it means. Municipal Affairs Minister Al Leach had difficulty explaining what new powers it will give municipalities to tax and asked for more time to study the bill. Harris and Health Minister Jim Wilson both conceded that the pri- vacy commissioner may have a point in com- plaining the bill violates privacy by giving the minister power to collect, use and disclose per- sonal information from medical records and of- fered to change it if examination warrants -- yet this is the bill the Tories wanted almost rubber- stamped. In the second demo unionists who stopped work for a day in London to protest Harris's budget cuts and restrictions on labor should have earned some respect by showing they could use moderate language and avoid vio- lence. This was no easy feat when 10,000 demonstrators were gathered. Police who pa- raded against the former NDP government were more unruly.: But the demonstrators may be remembered more for causing incon- venience and lost production and in any case Harris will not listen to them. Hams has to stick to cutting costs if he is to keep his promis- es to balance the budget and cut taxes -- he could not back down, even if he wanted.