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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-05-14, Page 44 Times—Advocate Wednesday, May 14, 2008 OC Editorial Opinion TIMES ADVOCATE PUBLICATIONS MAIL REGISTRATION NUMBER 07511 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada, through the Publications Assistance Program (PAP), toward our mailing costs. Canada Deb Lord — Manager 0 Scott Nixon — Editor t The Times -Advocate is owned by Metroland Media Group Ltd. Metroland 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850 Media Group Ltd. Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6 • 519-235-1331 Doug Rowe -General Manager, Southwestern Ontario Division EDITORIAL The grass isn't always greener Maybe it's time we counted our bless- ings in this country. You need only take a look at the major interna- tional headlines this week to reach the inar- guable conclusion that we're lucky to be in Canada instead of, well, most of the rest of the world. What are the major headlines from around the globe lately? "Quake kills 10,000.11 "Fear grows for Burma children." "Kabul's big, bad warlord." "War takes time out for opium windfall." Those are but a few examples. Without question, we have problems in this country — unacceptable numbers of children living in poverty; a health care sys- tem that seems always in the need for more dollars while waiting times are much longer than they should be; an economy that seems more fragile each day as plants con- tinue to close or lay off workers; and a con- troversial war in Afghanistan. But these problems seem to pale in the face of what's happening in places like China and Myanmar right now. An earth- quake Monday in southwest China has the death toll estimated at 12,000 as of Tuesday morning and it's sure to rise as workers were still struggling to get to the areas worst hit by China's most devastating quake in three decades. We don't have problems like this. In Myanmar, 1.5 million people are living in hunger and disease after a cyclone ripped through the area. To make matters worse, the military junta in Myanmar has made getting aid to those who need it very difficult. Again, this is a problem Canadians are unfamiliar with. We have our problems here. But they seem manageable when we compare them with those faced by many other people around the globe. Distributed by Canadian Artists Syndicate Who are the real criminals? I broke the law last week. It's nothing new. I do it everyday and usually several times a day because I'm one of those people, who, to quote a phrase, "just don't get it," because I don't wear my seatbelt. And I was breaking the law driving north on Highway 4 one day last week coming out of Lucan following another car. Like a good conscientious driver he had turned on the left signal indicator sometime during the day, possibly when they had made a left turn out of their driveway, but like an even more conscientious driver would have, he had neglected to turn it off. How far had he driven, oblivious to the flashing light and/or clicking sound on the dashboard? No one will ever know. On he drove, past McGillivray Drive, Mooresville Drive, Adare Drive, Mount Carmel Road and Whalen Line and as each road loomed, so did the hope that this might be the one. But as fast as hope loomed it faded again as he continued on, blissfully unaware of the confusion he was creating on his pleasant afternoon drive. When I finally turned, the last I saw was the vehicle disappearing over the horizon with the left signal still blinking and the driver still unaware. While an ignored signal light isn't likely to cause a multi -vehicle accident there is also an old avia- tion expression that says "good flying never killed anybody." An ignored signal light is an indication that a driver isn't as aware of their surroundings as they should be. And it's a problem that is both bigger than whether I'm wearing a seatbelt and harder for the police to deal with. Drifting lane changes, following too close, stopping abruptly, cellphone chat- ting/BlackBerry tapping/cereal eating and makeup applying drivers are what we all deal with on the road everyday and are symptoms of the problem that there are too many drivers on the road who shouldn't be (some of them my fami- ly members). And amid the lecturing on the evils of not wear- ing a seatbelt, (and by the way, could we skip the lectures? I have a mother) remains the fact that two thirds of accident fatalities are wearing their seatbelts. Seatbelts or a lack of them are a symptom, not the problem on the roads and are needed for and against people who shouldn't be behind the wheel anyway. The real solution to preventing motor vehicle deaths is both fewer and better drivers. So yes, I was a criminal last week on Highway 4. But I wasn't the one on the road you should be worried about. PAT B BACK 4 VIEW OLEN 0 About the Times -Advocate Address & Office Hours Times -Advocate, 424 Main Street South, P.O. Box 850, Exeter, Ontario NOM 1S6. Our office is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. CLOSED ON HOLIDAYS. Contact Us By Phone or Fax Classified ad & subscription sales 519-235-1331 24-hour automated attendant 519-235-1336 Fax number 519-235-0766 Fax number for accounting dept. 519-235-2449 Subscription Rates One year rate for addresses in Canada: $42+GST Two year rate for addresses in Canada: $75+GST One year rate for addresses outside Canada:$160+GST Call 519-235-1331 to order a subscription. 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The Times -Advocate Team Manager Deb Lord ext. 103 COMPOSITION Nikki Cyr ext. 101 Kelly Gackstetter ext. 101 ADVERTISING Deborah Schillemore ext. 112 EDITOR Scott Nixon ext. 105 REPORTERS Pat Bolen ext. 113 Nina Van Lieshout ext. 107 CUSTOMER SERVICE Sue Rollings ext. 101 Jennifer Skonieczny ext. 102 ACCOUNTING STAFF Anita McDonald ext. 104 Ruth Slaght ext. 106 Marg Pertschy ext. 108 Heather Clarke ext. 111