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Zurich Citizens News, 1975-06-05, Page 4PAGE 4 ZURICH CITIZENS NEWS Racism: a growing evil ! A black youth is shot to death for no reason on a supermarket parking lot; a thousand students march on city hall to protest racism in the school system; a politician given an important appointment by his government is fired from that same position for racial comments made about native Indians... Many Canadians would like to think all of these happenings which have taken place within the past month had nothing to do with this country; but it's time we took the blinkers off our eyes. These events happened in the City of Toronto, not more than a two hour drive from downtown Listowel. And it doesn't stop there. From the Maritimes to the West Coast to the far North, this country is experiencing outbreaks of blatant racism that can no longer be ignored. The burning question is what are we going to do about it? Maybe the whole problem is that for too many years we Canadians have tended to ignore the problems, hoping against hope that they would somehow disappear. Our ignorance was bliss; we even managed to persuade ourselves that we didn't have a racial problem. Of course our native Indian and Eskimo people have always known different, but what did that matter? Who listened to them anyway? Now the entire world is listening and watching and we're finding the attention uncomfortable. Maybe that's why we're starting to make noises. Maybe, but we don't think so. We believe the overwhelming majority of Canadians truly abhor anything that smacks of racism. And we have some reason to be encouraged. The killer of Michael Habbib in Toronto was apprehended; the march by high school students was a positive movement initiated by genuine concern; and the Davis government did fire Ed Havrot (PC - Timiskaming) as chairman of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission and lost little time doing it. Yet the premier's decisive action is tempered by the fact that Mr. Havrot was again named the PC candidate for Timiskaming by a large majority over the weekend. When it comes to racism, or prejudice of any kind, the watchword is vigilance. If we are to check the spread of this evil we cannot afford to turn our head and hold our peace when confronted with examples of it. Nor can we expect it to be eradicated by some government legislation. Prejudice is an individual fault --at least it is in those countries which do not encourage it at an official level --and must be fought and conquered on an individual level. (The Listowel Banner) Not an easy choice! No sensible person could envy the predicament of members of the Canadian cabinet who are faced with a decision on the question of capital punishment. Seldom have cabinet ministers confronted the settlement of a dilemma which carries with it such far-reaching social and spiritual implications. Obviously several members of the cabinet are loathe to continue the present system, under which the decision to permit a convicted man to hang or to commute the sentence is present- ed on an individual basis each time the death sentence is pro- nounced. They would prefer to come to a permanent decision which would cover all such cases. It is not difficult to understand the attitude of many police officers who are strongly in favor of carrying out the death sentence under present laws, which demand hanging for the convicted killers of policemen and prison guards while on duty. After all, their own lives may be at stake. Opponents of capital punishment repeatedly content that hanging is no real deterrent for hardened criminals and that society only brutalizes itself when the sentence is carried out. Policemen truthfully avow that hanging may not be any great deterrent for thos who have not yet killed, but that it is a very effective deterrent for the criminal who has already taken a life and may do so again after he has been released from prison. One of the compelling arguments proposed by the opponents of capital punishment is that in a few instances an innocent person might die on the gallows and evidence unearthed later would be of no avail. Innocent persons have died in the course of misplaced justice, but not many. Despite the very high cost of retaining prisoners in custody, it would seem that the obvious solution to this life -or -death problem would be life sentences for convicted killers --- not those token sentences which are imposed at present, with parole possible in a few year's time. A life sentence, without any chance of freedom at a later date, short of the disclosure of new evidence, would be a pretty strong deterrent, and would effectively remove a dangerous criminal from any further opp- ortunity of taking a human life. (Wingham Advance Times) ZURICH Citizens NEWS PRINTED BY SOUTH HURON PUBLISHERS LIMITED, ZURICH HERB ZURKHRIM, Publisher Second Class Mail Registration Number 1385 to e, Member: e�1�►fff. . CNA Canadian Weekly Newspapers, Association '' Ontario Weekly Newspapers Association ',„ess4 es Subscription Rates: $6.00 per year in advance in Canada; $8.00 in. United States and Foreign; single copies 20¢ International Scene BERLIN - THE DIVIDED CITY I frequently get asked which city I like the most or the least. I must admit that some cities appeal to me less with, time, while others are growing on me. Paris would fall into the first category while London, England is one that becomes more appealing every time I visit it. However, there are cities that do something to me just because they are different and I would like to tell you about some of them during the next sev. eral weeks. If you want to go to a city where you can see history in action, the first place to head for is Berlin. This is an artificial city or half -city, if you prefer, which is a showcase of capitalism in a drab Comm- unist world. Situated about 110 miles inside the borders of the German Democratic Republic, the wall that cuts the city in half and separates over two million people from' another million friends and relatives in East Berlin is a real sign of the cold war, the iron curtain that separates the democratic and free West from the Communist East. The Wall has been there so long that most people have for- gotten exactly when or why it was erected. Actually it was in 1961 and it was hastily put up by the East Getman authorities because so many East Germans were escaping to the West. This flow was so bad that the birth rate could not keep up with it and the population of Eastern Germany was actually declining - had declined by over a million. The wall was something of a bluff in that, had the Allies moved quickly to knock it down as it was built, we would have had a confrontation, to be sure, but the Communists would prob- ably have backed down as they ,eventually did in 1948 when the city was blockaded by land and all supplies had to be flown in by air --the great Berlin Airlift. The Allies did not move and so the Wall remains, as dramat- ic a sign if there ever was of the Communist hold over the people of Eastern Europe. There is nothing that will prevent you from crossing over into East Berl- in, through famous Checkpoint Charlie, if your papers are in order. As a matter of fact, East Germany is one of the most prosperous of Communist states -- Germans wherever they are, seem to have a knack for hard work and craftsmanship to go with it--but,a lot of East Berlin is still facade and most of the time since World War II, the government there has been the most Stalinist of regimes. If heard many stories while I was there --you have to have some sense of humour to stand the tension there --and one of the Independent Shipper to United Co-operative of Ontario Livestock Dept Toronto Ship Your Livestock with Roy Scotc'hmer Monday is Shipping Day From Varna Stockyard CALL BAYPIELD 56$2$6 By 7:30 a.m. Monday Por Prompt $orvloe Ns Charges on Plok.up most revealing concerns a West Berlin dog .which was out for a walk. He met a dog from East Berlin and the two dogs got to talking. The West one asked how the food was across the Wall and the answer was excellent. He then asked if he had a nice dog -house and again the reply was that it couldn't be better. "Then" asked the West German dog, "Why are you•over here in West Berlin. " "Oh, " replied his Eastern friend, "I just want to bark." If you can forget the Wall, and it isn't easy, there is plenty to do and see in West Berlin. I found many interesting stores and restaurants along the Kurf- uerstendamm, better known as the Ku-damm since that is quite a mouthful, even for Berliners. The people have by now learned to live with the Wall and rel- THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1975 ations between the West and East have mellowed a bit. How- ever, while I was there, the sound of machine gun fire was a grim reminder that people are still trying to escape to the West. Strangely enough, at the time of the building of the Wall, the East Germans were told that it was being built to keep the und- ersirable elements from the West out of the workers' parad- ise. I feel that I have just got warmed up about Berlin and yet. it is about time to call a halt. If you are ever in Europe and have time to take the train or even drive along the modern Autoban, go and see it for your- self. You will not only see contemporary history, you will see remains of World War II and even evidence to reveal that Berlin has been for over five centuries one of the most import- ant cities in Europe. Next week we are going to (continued on page 5) Banghart, 'Kelly, 'Doig aid Go. Chartered Accountants 268 Main St., Exeter ARTHUR W. READ Resident Partner Bus. 235-0120, Res. 238-8075 Business and Professional Directory OPTOMETRISTS J. E. Langstaff OPTOMETRIST SEAFORTH MEDICAL CENTRE* 527-1240 Tuesday, Taursday, Friday, Sat- urday a.m., Thursday evening CLINTON OFFICE 10 Isaac Street 482.7010 Monday and Wednesday Call either office for appointment. Norman Martin OPTOMETRIST Office Hours: .. 9.12 A,M. -- 1:30.0 P.M. Closed all day Saturday Phone 235.2433 Exeter INSURANCES Robert F. 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