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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-06-12, Page 4M ► E4--GODEi iCHSIGNAI,!STAR, WEDNESDAY, JUNE12,1985 I feelcomfortable. Ever since this paltry piece appeared on one page or another in the Signal,Star (and 'they have unobtrusively tried to bury these bon mots) I have been depicted as a laid back type of photographer with a seagull precariously perched on one shoulder. The caricature was a trademark and at the least the line drawing gave me a measure of protection from persons who took exception to the grey bits contained within this space. People would be hard pressed to recognize me from a line drawing, I reasoned and felt reasonably secure in mingling with the general public. But all that's chanted now. The seagull is gone. Forever. The last vestiges of a relatively obscure and uneventful reporting career eradicated. And now I am left here to face the public alone. The seagull, at least, was a good Isimmani DAVE SYKES source of conversation. People were sure to offer an uncomplimentary remark or two about the bird. I realize it was nothing personal, but after nine years we developed a relationship. Was there a reason for the bird? Well, in my early days with the paper, I was rather taken with the scenery of the Goderich area and the resulting photo opportunities. Invariably, several rolls of film were spent capturing golden sunsets, sun -splashed waters and, of course, seagulls in flight. The bird, in flight, epitomized grace and elegance and many frames were exposed in attempts to capture thaa*�beauty on filen. Thus, I was unduly ridictded for chasing the birds about the countryside. Being an inherent and identifiable element of the Goderich landscape; and having been the source of derisive comments from colleagues, I thought I'd kill two birds with one seagull and include it in the caricature. It worked well. One evening in a store, I noticed a lady sizing me up and without hesitation she approached and flatly asked, "Are you the seagull man?" Taken aback by thir ,ii 'den and fleeting brush with notoriet\ l V%;w only able to respond in the affirm l 'vt'. Yes, ma'am, 1 am the seagull man." It only occured to me later the sinister and evil connotations associated with the label, The Seagull 'Man. It provokes visions of townspeople hiding the children and womenfolk lest they fall prey to the letcherous and destructive advances of the THE SEAGULL MAN. But, the Seagull Man 'Nies no longer, giving way to the more responsible approach to journalism. My theory is that management of your favorite weekly wants to give the public graphic evidence of the person repsonbible for this banal tripe. Thus, the columnists now appear with photographs. It's all part of the ma limn process, I suspect as the seagull an amara. have been replaced by a shut an& q tie. flow terribly Yuppyish. Now readers can look forward to a weekly dose of my pleasing visage, conrigi'lte with hint of that winsome smile. l tend to get carried away at times. But while we effected some pleasing changes to the,ppaapper last week, it was most disconcerting+l.discover that my" winsome. smile was barely recognizable. Th fact, it was totally obliterated. Gone. Filled in with printer's ink. The evidence would suggest it was an ominous sign. Many readers have courteously suggested the unidentifiable photo of this correspondent was much more pleasing than the real thing. Where's the. seagull! Opinion THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE1848 the Gderic SIGNAL -STAR EST ALL POUND COMMUNITV'NRWBPAPER IN CANADA ICMwnua/‘ Class :3500 45UOIC C q A Better Newspaper Cumpapupn, 994 tl11,1, Illill 4f ll,P.`, n�t•d. P.O. BOX 220 HUCKINS ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK GOOERICH, ONT. N7A 4B6 PUBLISHED BY: SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED Founded in 1848 and published every Wednesday at Goderich, Ontario. Member of the CCNA and OCNA. Subscriptions payable in advance '20.95, [Senior Citizens '17.95 privilege card number required) in Canada, '55. to U.S.A., '55. to all other countries, Single copies 506. Display, National and Classified advertising rates available on request. Please ask for Rate Card No. 15 effective October 1, 1984. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, the advertising apace occupied by the erroneous item, together with'reasonelle allowance for signature, will not be charged for but that balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographical error advertising goods or services et a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at env time. The Signal -Star is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materiels used for reproducing purposes. President and Publisher ROBERT G. SHRIER Editor Advertising. Manager DAVE SYKES DON HUBICK FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...please phdr,e [619)624-2614 . Second class mail registration Member: number 0716 eNA an Support is evident CCNA One of the many things that is evident from the recent tornado disaster in Ontario is that people still care for one another. ' Sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring us to our senses or make us aware of the quality of lifestyle we enjoy. It also makes us painfully aware of the fragility of life. It is difficult for us comprehend how a life's work and ambition could be destroyed in the 30 -second passing of a storm, but thousands of people in central Ontario faced the total destruction of their homes and belongings. Some lost loved ones as the tornado claimed 12 lives. But what is reassuring from all that destruction is that people are willing to lend a hand. to help total strangers rebuild a life that was lost in the horror of a brief storm. That Ontarians have responded in kind to the plight of their fellow man indicates they can empathize with the people. • Just this week a Toronto radio station sponsored a 10 -hour call-in show that with the help of 30 other stations across the country, helped raise over half a million dollars for the vic- tims. In theJKNX coverage area, over $80,000 was raised for the relief fund. People across the province are responding to the needs and a group of Mennonites from the Kitchener -Waterloo area have sent a cleanup crew to the areas to assist in the operation. The Mennonites effectively organized the cleanup operation and assumed a leadership role. While the efforts have not been of the same magnitude, people from across the province are helping in some small way. Locally, the women of Knox Presbyterian had scheduled a barbecue for Wednesday, June 12. with proceeds being donated to the relief fund. Anyone wishing to make a donation can drop by the church after 4.30 p.m. Also, the Employment Centre for Students is, sponsoring a car wash at Suncoast Mall this Saturday with proceeds going to the same fund. Give your car a deserved sudsing while helping people at the same time. Most chartered banks have established accounts to accept donations. Another chance Sometinlesyou can't win for losing. Last wk we proudly unveiled a new format for the Signal -Star, a three -section newspaper with a new community section. It took swrc doing but we weraproudofthe final product and are pleased to offer a section of feature stories and community -related news items. But in our haste and exuberance a few minor details fell by the wayside. The date on the front page of the Signal was not changed ( and many people noticed) and the main headline on the front page contained a mistake as two letters in the word lengthy were transposed. Fortunately, we get another chance this week. In the course of life's joys, sorrows, responsibilities and relationships, are members of churches showing better qualities and superior responses than in- dividuals who do not subscribe to definite religious doctrines?. Are religious beliefs private, intimate and voluntary affairs of spiritual significance or should sermons, services and prayers be financed out of public monies like road repairs? "A strong Catholic education will create the type of caring and generous human be- ings who will strengthen the fabric of Cana- dian society." So said Bishop Sherlock of the Roman Catholic diocese of London when he defended the proposed extension of public funding to Catholic schools. The quotation is from the front page of the London Free Press, dated May 28 this year. Bishop Sherlock rejected concerns that full financing of Catholic schools will divide our society and "insisted the survival of Canada's culture may well depend on how well Catholic schools do their job". Versions of such expressions have appeared on other occasions when the separate schools' public financing has been mentioned. The arguments are not tied to a particular loca- tion. Products of separate schools are no more and no less "caring and generous human be- ings" than those corning out of public schools, as we see every day. There are many religious beliefs, with different rites, none having a monopoly on goodness, vir- tue, grace and other blessings. All churches have an equal right to exist in our country; each individual has a right to belong or not to belong. I would always defend these rights without hesitation. The point in the sch000l debate lies elsewhere - in the separation of church and state. There is quite legitimate concern that Ontario is about to establish a "state chur- ch" - interestingly enough at a time when the Supreme- Court has struck down the Lord's Day Act as being unconstitutional, in view of the religious equality spelled out in the new Charter of Rights. These concerns would be valid, what -ever the religion in question. The wording of the British North America Act of 1867 was to protect the Protestants in Quebec and the Catholics in Ontario against Beach explorers• By Pat Raftis Sugarand Spice... HUMANS, though not as tenacious and purposeful as the ant, nor as busy as the bee, have much in common with them. Ants, of course, can't swim. Or they can, but they can't hold their noses when they go under, so they drown. Who'd want to be an ant? Bees, on the other hand, can fly, and we can't. But they are unable to jump, even to a conclusion, and we can, so that evens out. We don't have the singlermjndedness of ants. They know where they are going, or what they are doing. We don't. We go wandering about and get squashed. They do too, of course, but at least they were headed somewhere. Bees bumble, but never on the scale that we do. They zero in on a flower. We stagger into a cactus. They go, "Vr000m, vr000m!" We flood our motors and go, "Ka-whtick, ka- whunck, ka-a-a-glunk!" There are other similarities and dif- ferences, none of which prove that humans are superior. Ants_ don't have sexual hang- ups. They know that they are workers, or soldiers or whatever. Humans don't, half the time, know whether they are punched, bored, or kicked in with a frozen boot. Bees also know who and where they are. bike us, they have a Queen, but theirs cots . have to. e nsult-tthe,Labour ['arty before deciding what to do abiiut unemploy- ment. She wipes out the workers. That automatically creates new jobs. Imagine a worn, i' which bees had unemployment insurance. You'd not only have a bee in your bonnet, but a bee in your hum, your brain and your bra. Unlike u ants tionit wcirray about their. ants. We have poor aunts who must be kept under cover, rich aunts who must be toadied to, and crazy aunts who threaten to come and stay with us. Bees don't bother much about other bees. indoctrination by the other group. It did not visualize a religiously neutral public system for everybody else and a fully state - supported separate system for Rornan Catholics in Ontario. It is unthinkable that only one denomina- tion could operate private religious schools with full state support. In the interest of fair play and equality, all private schools of other faiths and interests must be given the same type of public funding, a stand the Catholic Bishops of Ontario also support. And such splitting is not divisive? of Ontario also support. And such sptitting is not divisive? One objects to this kind of increased educational segregation not because one is opposed to specific religion or other special interest group, hut because one is in favor of a strong, non -denominational school system in which, to quote from a Globe and Mail editorial, "all children learn and grow in an environment which treats them as equals, and teaches them to see other children, from different backgrounds, as equals. That, rather than schools which segregate They just buzz about, sucking honey. What a life. They have no rotten kids, frigid wives, drunken husbands, goofy grandchildren, ag- ed parents. So far, it looks as though we've got the short end of the stick, and the ants and the bees are in clover. But there's one thing that drags thein down to our level. We all live in cells. You didn't know this'? You say humans have free will?? You think we can call the shots, be masters of our own destiny, choose between good and evil, live as long as we like, go to heaven or hell, decide what to have for dinner? Nonsense. You are sitting in a cell as you read this. i am sitting in a cell as I write it. Maybe your cell has a refrigerator and an electric stove, and mine has an ashtray and a filing cabinet. But they are cells. At night, we move from the TV cell to the cell with the platform where we, for no reason, expect to go to sleep. We wake up in the same cell, after nightmares about being in a cell, and pro- ceed to a smaller cell where we peer at ourselves, shake our heads gloomily and remove various normal blessings. Can you imagine a bee shaving his God-given whiskers? Then we romp down through a vertical cell with no windows to another self i7h orange juice and coffee. Ants and bees get spilled sugar and honey. No coffee, no tea, no caffeine problems. Next, we leave this cell for a mobile one-,- with ne,with 1"M radio, window wipers, and automatic• knees. legs, windows. Mean- while, the ants and the bees go about their business, getting exercise, fresh air and a keen curiosity about what's going to happen today. We know nothing new is going to happen today. We go to a big cell, where ladies type 'ELBA HAYDON students along lines of religion and ethnic community, is where Ontario should direct its public funds". Many people also believe that such a realistically evolving and steadily improv- ing public education system of tolerance and equality would do quite will for the sur- vival of Canada's culture and would not at all hinder caring and generous disposition. At one time all schools (and hospitals, workhouses and other institutions) were runt in a little cell within a bigger cell. We pick up our little cellular pieces from the ladies and go off to our individual cells, where we spend the entire day convincing other peo- ple that they should be happy to even have a cell. Sometimes we are happy. We go to a big cell and browse around, humming and snuf- fling things and touching the untouchables. But it ends all too soon. We are brought to a tiny cell, where a young woman punches out some tentacles that drag us back to the big cell, where the Queen Bee informs us that we have no taste, no commonsense, and less intelligence than a bee or an ant. While this tirade is taking place, what are the ant and the bee doing? Biting, stinging? No, they are anting around and beeing around, with no sense whatever that they are the lowest of the low, dumb slobs, cretins. The words don't mean anything to them. . Some day, humans will rise to the level of the ant and the bee. They will accept their cells, instead of trying to kick the sides out of them. They will do what they are suppos- ed to do, without a lot of ifs, ants and bees. Someday, humans will stop gossiping about each other. Ants don't. Someday humans will stop stinging each other. Bees don't, except when you bug them. Someday humans will stop asking, "Why?" - he word- is riot in the vocebulary- of ants and bees. But humans must have a care. If they don't, the theme song of the Twenty-first Century might welt be, "My ceii is your cell. Your cell is my cell. And our cell is our cell On the other hand, perhaps s e are not lost in the cells. Ants c`an multiply, but they can't divide. Bees can buzz, but they can't beam. Maybe there's a future for us, if we can just get out of those cells. by churches. Cain we reasonably take public money and go back in time in one area while advancing in progressive development in others? Churches, temples, synagogues, mosques and other places of worship are there to teach spiritual indoctrination; they should not replace general education, but add to it. Homes and families are the environments for nurturing special values and rites; they should not eliminate knowledge, but enrich It. Would not algebra, geography and gram- mar, to mention a few general subjects, of- fer suitably harmless occasions to tolerate learning in the same room with fellow students of different religious beliefs, if the tuition is paid out of public funds? When the United States supreme court reaffirmed last week its 1962 ban on prayers in American public schools, the judgment said that "the government must pumila a course of complete neutrality toward religion". The philosophy applies here. It is the only acceptable conclusion in a pluralistic society where all religions are cherished equally and therefore none can expect special favors in public affairs. 4