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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-08-20, Page 4PAGE 4 —GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 20, 1986 Parenting is a risky proposition at best. After a substantial investment of time, monetary and intellectual resources by parents, children tend to disregard the volumes of sound advice and head out on their own adventurous, albeit, crooked paths. But then, it is a well documented fact that offspring, by the age of six, or eight, tops, are far superior to their parents intellectual- ly. Scientific research also supports the theory that parents, despite photographic evidence contained in the family album, never were children at all. They were born, or spawned by some similar process, as parents. Studies conducted by independent laboratories boldly purport that if parents adjudged eregress through the infant, child and adolescent phases, parental tendencies and inconsistencies were congenital. Parents make fairly basic but substantial DAVE SYKES mistakes by prefacing admonitions with er- roneous claims like, "When I was your age," or "When I was young." Children know theirparents were never -young. It just isn't a compatible mix. It's like children. presuming that sex was something that childless couples and other people's parents engaged in. But a new trend, relative to straightening out bent parents, has emerged in the state of California and has caught the imagination of Hollywood. Last week a California teenager was heralded for her actions after turning w her parents to police for alleged drug abuse. A week ago, the 13 year-old went to police with a garbage bag containing pills, marijuana and about $2,800 worth of cocaine she claim- ed belonged to her parents Bobby Young, 49, and Judith Ann Young, 37. The pair, who were charged with possess- ing cocaine and subsequently released on their own recognizance, will face arraign- �ment.Sept. 23. The teenager is to remain in a juvenile home until the hearing is over. The action by Deanna Young is being Opinion THE NEWS PORT FOR GODERICH & DISTRICT SINCE 1848 the Goderiche SIGNAL -STAR P.O. BOX BED HUCKINB ST. INDUSTRIAL PARK OODERkCH, ONT. N7A 486 4 EST ALL POUND COMMUNITY NSW IN CANADA rcwaum Genn 3500 45001C C n, A Bear Newepeper Compewon 1984 PUBLISHED BY SIGNAL -STAR PUBLISHING LIMITED Fdbnded in'1 D48 end published every Wadneedey'at Ooderlch, Ontario. Member of the CCNA end OCNA. Bubacrlptlons peyabls In advance 8212.00, (Senior Citlaene 01B.00 privilege cord number requir ld) Inn Cenade, 880.00 to U.B.A., 880.00 to all other countries, Bingle copies BOC. Dlepley, NstionCleeelfied edvertleing rater available on request. Planes ask for Pete Card No. 18 effective October 1, 1985. Advertiaing is accepted on the oonditidn that In the avant of a typographical error, the advertising epece occupied by the erroneous Item, together with the reasonable allowance foo ra en tn the evenn of •s be charged for but that belence of the advertisement will a be paid for at the pp typographical error edvertleing goods or asrvloes at o wrong price, goode or services may not be sold. itheasen at ny me. The Signel-Eiter le not reieponeable fAartieingodry the Mosel or damage damage of NnsolllCitad menuecerely an offer to en, end rney rlpt d,rphotos afor other materiels Wood for reproducing carpaeoe. General Manager SHIRLEY J. Editor Advertising Manager KELLER DAVE SYKES DON HUBICK Publisher: Jocelyn A. Shrier FOR BUSINESS OR EDITORIAL OFFICES...please phone [619)524-2014 Second class mail registration number 0716 Member: PCNA PAID Society is to blame for Alison's death lauded as revolutionary, and visionary by people around the world. And come to think of it, turning one's parents into the law, is a rather novel concept. But it has intriguing possibilities. Why the youngster's intrepid action has opened the door for children all over North America to have their parents "booked" without the.ag- gravation of leaving home. The concept, I would submit, could easily develop into a trend. I mean whoever thought of booking parents on misde- meanors of aggravation or narrow- mindedness. Children today are so inventive and bold. Or perhaps we could hay ,.the cuffs slap- ped on parents for the imposition of str- ingent curfews; failure to relinquish the family vehicle for weekend dates; non- compliance during a temporary cash flow shortage or for failure to be tuned In to the drug -sex and rock and roll mentality. I could have turned my parents in for a multitude of misde ors, the most serious being an insuffint supply of Oreo cookies which, I believe, severely hampered my cerebral and social development. Ali the other kids had Oreo cookies. I felt so deprived. Having the option of turning parents in to the law would resolve a great deal of un- necessary conflict and appears to be a rather attractive alternative -to putting up with parents who simply don't know the score. Hollywood movie companies are after the young lady to purchase the rights to the story. Personally, I think Hollywood, in its inimitable style, will produce a story with redeeming social value. Society is to blame for Alison Parrott's murder. Alison was lured from her Toronto home last month by a man who phoned to say he was a photographer from a local newspaper. He said the newspaper would be publishing pictures of Alison and her teammates on a track and field team to promote their attendance at an upcoming meet in the United States. Alison went to meet the man at Varsity Stadium. She was sexually assaulted and strangl- ed and her body was found in a park near her home two days later. Society must change its attitude to women and children and the way they are portrayed to the advertising media and our culture generally. Our society portrays women and young girls as sexual objects available for the sexual gratification of any man who wants them. Society promotes violence against women as an act of passion. Girlie magazines show women being ground up in meat grinders. Store win- dow displays show women hanging from ropes. Magazine advertisements and billboards show young girls as sex kittens slithered into tight, fitting jeans: . Our society puts a higher priority on the animals in its zoos than the children in its day care centres. Zoo keepers are paid more than the people who provide child care to our. preschoolers. Society places, a low priority on .children's needs. It is considered the mother's respon-.. sibility to care for the child regardless of her situation. Society does not consider it has a responsibility to become involvedby providing adequate, nurturing care and a stimulating environment until the child reaches the age of five and begins formal education. Suddenly when the child turns five, society sees its responsibility to educate the future generation. Unfortunately by then much of the damage can be done and society will spend thousands through health care, correctional services and counselling services to modify behaviour and solv oblems which could have been prevented by early childhood education and ade- uate pport for the mother.. Society 'must change its priorities. We must place a high priority on the needs of women and children in our society. Most of the poor in Canada are elderly women and single parent families with mothers as head of the household. Society must start to portray women and girls with sensitivity in the advertising media and throughout our culture. Universally accessible day care should be as high a priority as free trade. We must educate the police officers and the public in general that rape is' a crime of violence not a crime of passion, of pleasure or opportunity. The man who sexually assaulted and murdered Alison Parrott was not seeking sexual gratification. He was heaping violence k defenceless and available. upon a person he considered vulnerable, wen , € We need to place women and children first in our society to overcome the injustice that TaAvsea rn, aretopic tjustere has ht bezio shortage of makes society responsible for Alison's murder. tricky tidbits and shocking gossip, but too At Ease photo by Mike Ferguson Finding a topic can be difficult As the dog -days of summer continue to roam along like a hungry, carnivorous beast, devouring leisure time in its path, a humble columnist ponders the big events of the week to arrive at a TOPIC. What burning issues can be discussed and then placed into a word processor that will be simultaneously cteative, thought- provoking, and free from grammatical errors? 1 certainly envy, appreciate and hold in high esteem other columnists whose writing is constantly stimulating and a joy to. read. People like Del Bell,'Richard Gwyn; Geof- frey Simpson, and Susan Hundertmark quickly come to mind. Finding a topic 'to discuss\ in a weekly paper certainly requires an attempt to localize a national issue, for example. But even Minister Brian Mulroney has misse last two cabinet' meetings, and interru r, ' 's vacation only long enough to comment on the recent refugee landing. Surely he too must be suffering from those summertime blues. One of the things a cub reporter learns at the outset of his training is the fact that—and there are statistics to prove it—relatively lit- tle news happens just outside the office win- dow. So while taking part in very useful discussion over prime parogy at Ernie's A friend in need; indeed by Mike Ferguson flimsy and libellous to . print on paper. Another relevation for people is their realization that the world doesn't beat a path to a newspaper's door. One is expected to be knowledgeable about what the Mayor said yesterday, the accident down the street, why little Johnny's picture wasn't in last week's edition, and how much a classified ad costs. On top of that, a colum- nist has to find a topic. Some local citizens have made it clear to me a sure-fire subject to inform the readers about is the general lack of air hoses in town. The device with which you fill your car and bike tires seems to be lacking in this progressive town of ours, they say. But this news isn't really earth- shaking. For, the older columnists, their verbiage contains personal anecdotes about their in- teresting and eventful past. A young person has a problem here in that you're not old and mature enough to have wise opinions on the state of the world. But experiencing life's ups and downs before reaching middle age at 35 or so must have some merit. Trying to write about something different, or what's "going on" at the 'present mo- ment, is also difficult. Raising the drinking age, banning beer commercials, living under apartheid, or finding out what hap- pened to the famine in Ethiopia are all general topics, but putting your ideas down on a video screen in a clear and concise way is challenging. Perhaps the brand spanking new Signal - Star Advisory Board will offer titillating snippets to reporters here. The great idea of an advisory board comprises citizens .in- volved in the community giving their view- points on what the local newspaper means to them. Writing a. column is a somewhat crafty constriction of words and ideas.. As this represents the second last "Word of 'Mouth," and as the slimmer draws to a close with a return to school in the offing, my topic supply is being rapidly depleted. I must readily admit it has, been ex- hilarating to go through the Tuesday typing contortions to meet the final deadline. As the mind's impulses generate movement to your fingers over the keyboard, a kind of digital acrobatics occurs. A topic has been found. supporters -thanked softball sup� Min�r This was a busy summer for minor soft- ball. We hosted our second annual Squirt and Peewee Tournament. Our own Squirt Boys team were runners up to the cham- pions at this tourney and this weekend they will be participating in the O.A.S.A. Squirt Boys Provincial Championship being hosted by Goderich. If you enjoy watching ball, I encourage you to attend this tournament. I'm -sure you will enjoy watching these young boys play. Again a whole -hearted thank you for all those who volunteered their time in support of minor softball and I hope that if you have ever pondered the notion of coaching or assisting with a team you will do so. , These children are worthy of our time and I am sure you will find your involvement very rewarding. While making a conscious effort to be fair and consistent, Ontario Agriculture Minister Jack Riddell has been, perhaps unconsciously, unfair and inconsistent in his decision not to give disaster aid to Niagara region farmers, whose crops were destroyed by a ferocious hailstorm recently. The minister has declared that to help the storm -stricken fruit growers, over 80 per cent of whom were not covered by crop insurance, would be to "undermine" the crop insurance program. He has stated it would be unfair to help these farmers because they had not in- sured themselves against this unforeseen loss, while farmers who have lost crops or had reduced yields for other reasons go uncompensated from the government. One must wonder if the minister has asked himself what is the difference between helping the Niagara fruit growers and providing aid to those whose homes and properties were damaged during the tornado that ripped through the GrandValley area last year? The only noticeable difference, is that decimated homes and injured people make for a much more pathetic scenario on which the media can focus, attention, than does the prospect of a partial crdp loss during a bumper year. While it is easy for the government to proclaim the overall crop loss to be only about 10 per cent, it is not so easy to use that figure to console the various individuals who may have lost nearly all of their own crops. In addition, the crop insurance program has a mandatory 25 percent deductible clause, which would render it useless to any farmers whose losses did fall within the ministry'd s projected sec edrrange. m all parties Coping successfully with disaster, requires cooperation in a position to help. It requires logical, common sense Methods, not strict adherence to regulations. •. friend in need is a friend indeed," then the provin4ial government is being neither, nt. —HURON EXPOSI'T'OR • at the moms Dear editor, With the summer almost over and minor softball winding up, I would like to take this time to thank all those who gave of their time and energy to support minor ball in Goderich. and To all the coaches, managers, parents sponsors, your support was greatly ap- preciated. Without you, minor softball would not have had such a successful summer. At the beginning of the season it appeared that two children's teams would have to be cancelled because we could not find coaches for these children. This was for various valid reasons. One factor was the number of parents who work shift work and felt they could not work around this. Another factor was a shuom�tagge of time to help especially time. I can appreciate these factors but the one I had the hardest time accepting was the fact that they did not have the time because the parents themselves still play ball. Being a ball player myself who enjoys playing this sport I can understand but eel t why these parents are still playing LETTERS children are being placed last which is hard for me to understand. I thought for sure that once these parents understood that these thorns would have to be folded that one would collie forward to ensure their child's participation first, but this was not, o. Luckily for these young ballplayers two coaches came forward rather than see these teams fold. One was not a parent of any of the children involved and one was a parent who had over the years given his fair share of time and energy to minor sports. Few people are busier than these coaches who came forward. One works full-time 'shiftwork, farms, is a volunteer firefighter and a father of three who's wife also works shiftwork. This coach still plays ball as does his daughters. As busy as this man is he still was there when we needed him most as were the other coachesaind volunteers. Sincerely, Diane Melick Secretary for the Goderich Minor Softball Association.