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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Citizens News, 1968-10-10, Page 2PAGE TWO ZURICH CITIZONS NEWS THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1968 editodual The Enigma of Our Modern Youth Some very fundamental facts are contained in the observations of a Wingliam Advance editorial on "the enigma of the modern youth". If they are mixed up and frustrated, so are their adults. This is cogently pointed out in the following by the Wingham editor, and fervently seconded by his Delhi counterpart. The enigma of the modern youth on his shiny motorcycle riding around with his gang and looking for trouble —the peaceful but ludicrous hippies —in fact, the whole picture of a muI- titude of young people seeking their varied outlets for rebellion against all that they face, is difficult to un- derstand. Some of today's writers, who claim an unusual understanding of the hip generation, have tried to explain that the kids are seeking honesty and truth or something like that. We don't really believe the writers know any more of the answers than do the kids themselves. One explanation is that they rebel against the materialism of the age in which we live. Yet most of them are quite addicted to the material things of their own choice, like new motor bikes or sport cars. Others claim that the horror of uncontrolled nuclear threats leads the young peo- ple to scream out their rebellion at the older generation's carelessness of human suffering. Why, then, turn to long hair and wild clothes? Are they likely to be very effective against atomic radiation? Again it is said that it's all a re- bellion against war. But this form of rebellion only adds to the social upheaval from which many wars have sprung. We firmly believe that this genera- tion of youngsters is just as sound and reliable as any other the world has seen. The big disturbance prob- ably comes from unprecedented eco- nomic power. Seldom have young people had so much money to spend; so much independence from the hard authority of working six long days in every week. What happens, we wonder, 20 years hence, when these rebellious ones are trying to be parents to a new gener- ation of rebels? Will their guide- lines be so much better than ours or will their contempt for authority have produced a new generation of unhappy and undisciplined kids? (Delhi (Ont,) News Record) Rights of Majorities Nowadays we hear a great deal about the rights of minorities. These get major publicity in all news media —and consequently a degree of at- tention which is often wholly out of proportion to the importance of most of the issues involved, and also out of proportion to the number of per- sons such minorities represent. No one who believes in democracy would deny such minority groups the right to hearing, or would wish to countenance any injustice they might possibly be subjected to. But the very word minority implies an in- equality in numbers as compared to the great mass of citizens who rep- resent majority opinion. And in any democracy, majority rule is the basic principle. Today, however, when issues are raised, minority opinion frequently fails to express itself. Not because of indifference but because of a bland confidencce in its ultimate power of decision. And the result: minority . ,., 7"‘1,1 groups, which are generally well -or- ganized and very vocal (often delib- erately so) give the impression that they speak for a great many more people than they actually represent. Most such minority groups stage demostrations, "sit-downs" or "sit- ins"; they exhort all their members to write letters to the editors; they welcome interviews by the press; they find outstanding spokesmen, who are well-known to the public. The general public, which repre- sents the majority, cannot afford to let itself be stampeded by vociferous minority opinion. Majority opinion needs to express itself more often and to flex its muscles—not just for ex- ercise, but to show its true strength. This it can do by finding courageous, clear -thinking, hard-headed spokes- men, by standing on principles and by not taking too much for granted that it can always protect its rights and its freedom when the chips are down.—(Leamington (Ont.) Post) Editor's Prayer Dear Lord: Help me to appreciate the malcon- tent, without whose discontent pro- gress would never come. Help me to be dissatisfied with my own efforts so that I, too, may im- prove. Help me to be a public watchdog on town and township affairs, and keep me aware of my own responsi- bilities as a private citizen. Above all, Lord, give all my sub- scribers the tolerance not to cancel the paper even though they violently disagree with my opinions. And help me help those who can't help themselves. Help me in my own shop to cope with pre -deadline problems and in- animate machinery. May the ma- trices fall fast and true into their proper channels in response to the type -setting keys. Let the type lie upside down so it will be printed right side up. Then, Lord, when the proofs are made, keep the Printer's • Devil away from the proof-reader so that the errors may be minimal. See that I get challenging letters - to -the -editor to keep me from becom- ing stale; instil in my correspondents and my reporters the salient desire to search out the truth so they may present the facts. Help me to keep out of jail and free of court, Lord; but if I am charged with an offense against the law, don't ask me to keep my own name out of the paper. Dear Lord, in that eleventh hour of trial before each weekly deadline, give me the strength, the courage and the wisdom to endure.—(The Co- bourg Sentinel -Star) The Auditor General If one man attempted to short- change the Receiver General of Can- ada by $500 in income tax payments, the full force of law and order would be marshalled against him. It's pos- sible that by the time his ordeal was over, he would have been confronted by the RCMP and officials of the income tax department. He just might be threatened with court ac- tion to make sure he paid his arrears plus tax penalty. There is ( in our society, a form of personal accountability, but by con- trast, there seems to be no form of government accountability. This last point is driven home year after year by the Auditor General of Canada. His findings have consistently shown that the federal government annually misspends millions of dollars, and no one seems to care. Not only that, but there is apparently no drive by members of parliament' to do any- thing about a situation which creates disrespect for government. To some extent, every taxpayer is being swindled by the government. The influence of that swindle is to stifle personal initiative and to create a mood where the government isn't for the people, but against them. The Auditor General's report should cease to be a little joke and become a matter of concern. — (Tilbury (Ont.) Times. Zu rioh" Nswa PRINTED BY SOUTH HURON PUBLISHERS LIMITED, ZURICH HERB TURICHEIM, Publisher J E. HUNT, Plant Superintendent Authorized as Second Class Mail, Post Office Department, Ottawa and for payment of postage in cash. Member: Canadian Weekly Newspapers Association Member: Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association Member: Canadian Community Newspapers Representatives Subscription Rates; $3.511 per year in advance, in Canada; 450 in United States and Foreign; single Copies 10 cents From My Window People are funny and I have to be the funniest. Following the new sales tax proposals which are specifically designed to assist the lower and middle income brackets in On- tario, I'm scared silly. afraid of government "gifts". It usually turns •out that when government supplies something for nothing, I get it in the neck another way. I know this rebate tax struc- ture is just at the discussion level, but let's suppose it is ac- cepted by the Ontario legisla- ture as a good idea. What will it mean to me—really? My husband and I would qual- ify ,for rebates for a family of five. I worked it out on paper one morning taking into con- sideration the amount of food, clothing, drugs and essential services we purchase annually at the present time. I must ad- mit that on paper, the set-up looks ?nighty good. But I wasn't very old when I learned that things which work out well on paper are often those very things which in real- ity are more expensive than I can easily afford. When we were married way back when music was sweet and melodic, my handsome husband - to -be and I were trying to con- vince my father that we could actually finance the marriage By Shirley Keller union. With pen and paper, we esti- mated our expenses in relation to our income. The way we had it figured, it 'wquld be much cheaper for us to be married than single. In fact, according to our calculations our savings would grow by leaps and bounds for we could have an excess of funds at the end of each week. I don't have to tell you what really happened. After one month of holy matrimony, we were so far behind the eco- nomic eight ball it took .us years to pull ourselves up to the point we've attained now—where ends just about meet. What's worse, we're rapidly reaching a time in life when we might actually have enough dollars to go round each week. As the children grow up and move away from home, surely we're going to get some relief from this money -making mad- ness that has grabbed hold of our age group. I guess that's really why I'm frightened. I've adjusted my thinking and my spending to fit the present times and all of a sudden, government comes forth with this startling offer for my financial good -- on paper, that is. Experts tell nie to be grate- ful. Experience tells me to be- ware. Until I know for sure, I'm petrified with fear. The hiternational Scene (By Raymond R. Canon) Teenagers The World Over In my first year of writing this column I had to think up almost all the topics I wrote about. Not so this year. I get asked all sorts of questions with the result that I now have at least ten subjects on hand to write about. It certainly makes it a great deal easier, for as any journalist can tell you, there are days when all • you . can do is sit and look at the typewriter. Nothing comes, no matter how hard you try. Anyway, I'm often asked what teenagers are like in other coun- tries, and although I can't speak for the entire world, still here are a few differences between Canadians of this age and their counterparts in other countries. First of all, in very few coun- tries do teenagers get as much freedom as they do in Canada. It really shakes the kids in other countries when I tell them what Canadian in general are allowed to do during their teens. The ,average teenager abroad is still leading a pretty sheltered life at •a time when many a Canadian boy or girl thinks the world is his or her oyster. Going steady is something that is practiced far less in the other countries than here. Most European kids, for example, think that it is crazy to go steady so young, since they like to meet as many as possible of the opposite sex. It gives them, they say, a much better idea of what girls or boys are really like than if you are forced to stick with one person. The time to go steady is when you are thinking of getting married and have already met a great many of the opposite sex. In many countries the family is much more closely knit than here in Canada and teenagers would never, and I repeat never, say and do some of the things they say and do to parents in Canada. Father's word is much more law than it is here. It is for this reason that many teen- agers have a hard time when they immigrate to Canada with their families. They see the freedoms that Canadian teen- agers enjoy, and yet in their family there is still much more parental control to contend with. It is admittedly rather difficult, as any teenager will tell you, not to be able to share in as many freedoms as the other kids. Since my older boy is now 13, I am finding out for Myself what "everybody else is doing but me", Doesn't it sound familiar. .Education is a far more seri- ous matter in other countries, so kids generally work harder. than they do here, although I must admit that when a Cana- dian teenager works hard, there Cana- d. none better. The course load abroad .is heavier, and since there aren't as many job oppor- tunities after school, high marks are extremely important. No summer schools to bring marks up, no facilities for sports as there are in most Canadian high schools, and no parking lot for students. Why? They can't af- ford a car. Few jobs after school, and they are just too busy with homework. Don't expect to see any cheer- leaders at football games in other countries. In fact, don't expect to see any football games. Football or rugby, as we know it, is not played out- side North America, and school spirit in the form of cheerlead- ers, banners, etc., plays little if any role in the life of a high school student. Soccer is the the most popular of sports, with basketball a distant second, but physical education is not em- phasized nearly as much as here. It always makes me laugh to see students in Canada drive (Continued on Page 6) Announcement MISS ANN RYAN will join our staff at Hi -Fashion Beauty Salon. A former operator in Stratford for the past year, she is well qualified in all types of Hair Styling. With the additional staff we hope to be able to provide better service to our clientile, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. HI - FASHION BEAUTY SALON DIAL 236-4982 — ZURICH Business and Professional Directory OPTOMETRISTS J. E. 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