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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1984-08-22, Page 2OPINION Huron X oSitor._ .� SINCE 1860, SERVING THE COMidIUNITY FIRST Incorporating Brussels post ac la rcrus: 10 Maln Street 527-0240 R18110 Avow) Published in 1983 SEAFORTH, ONTARIO Every Wednesday morning JOCELYN A. SHRIER, Publisher RON WASSINK, Editor JANET MACDONALD, Advertising Manager ' Member Canadian Community Newspaper Assoc Ontario Community Newspaper Association Ontario Press Council Commonwealth Press Union International Press Institute Subscription rates: Canada $18.75 a year (in advance) Outside Canada $55.00 a year (in advance) Single Copies - 50 cents each SEAFORTH, NTAIIO, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22, 1984 Second class mall registration Number 0696 Annihilation fears Public attitudes concerning war waxes and wanes with media influences and political demands. One of the latest Hollywood endeavors, 'Red Dawn,' directed by John Mllius depicts a conventional invasion of America by Soviet air forces and hoot the residents combat this major communist invasion. To any educated person the plot is a bit on the ludicrous side. In reality the NORAD early warning defense system would alert Caned* and American defense bases of an Intruder Into North American air space when the intruder is 200 miles from the continent. Films like Red Dawn may be put aside as an entertaining bit of nonsense when you listen to'what some of our world leaders are saying. Ronald Reagan made an attempt at humor recently when he remarked Jokingly during a microphone test "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes". The whole episode could be glossed over If It were to come from a less powerful and much less educated source. Soviet journalists have responded by calling the idea maniacal and calling for concern over this "base level of thinking". Americans and Canadians alike would do well to listen to their leaders and think carefully over just how they want their children to face the future. Threat of annihilation has become a very prevalent fear among our youth and with Jokes like President Reagan's, faith in the future takes another dive. While realistically we cannot alter the way politiclans conduct their remarks or their thinking, we can change our politicians and elect concerned people who believe in the future and believe that nuclear armament is the way to end the world not Improve it. - R.H. Parents need a say Parerlta of hearing -Impaired children who attend the Roberts School In London should have a say in the future location of secondary school classes when a committee Is formed to deal with the problem of dwindling enrolment at the school. The Ministry of Education has announced the classes may be moved to either Milton or Belleville. Both parents and their children who attend Robarts are justified in their concern about the possible move. Students from Huron County now spend two to three hours on a bus to and from London while the bus stops to pick up each student and battles the elements in the winter.,Unlike their hearing siblings who attend school locally, the students are unable to share stories and information about school every day with their parents. Telephone contact with 'their parents is next to impossible. Parents now try to make up for the lack of daily contact by making the hour drive to London regularly for swim meets, drama nights, family picnics and meetings with teachers. if classes are moved to Milton, parents will have even more difficulty participating In school events and the live9 of their children. One parent, Marlene Taylor, of Hensall says high school students still need the support at their families. "I think it is so important that relatives and friends can remain part of our children's growing up. Our children woad simply become strangers In their own homes and communities. Weekend visits are simply not enough." Although cost must be considered while determining whether high school classes In Roberts are moved elsewhere, parents should be given an opportunity to study the situation and make their argument with the Ministry of Education. Economic savings made by a move may result In human costs. - S.H. RESIDENTS OF Brussels were out In full force to see the ribbon -cutting ceremony on their main street and listen to dignitaries Including Reeve Cal Kreuter, Huron County Warden Tom Cunning- ham, Huron -Bruce MP, Murray Cardiff, and Huron -Bruce MPP, Murray Elston. (Hundertmark photo) Brussels banishes bumps Election campaign more fun when it's not your. own (Editor's note: Susan White writes from New Zealand where her husband Andy is on a work exchange in the third of a series of occasional columns) Well, probably you're all bored to death with the long Canadian election campaign, the weighty matter of' choosing between those three -piece -suite clones, John Turner and Brian Mulroney. Thought so. Here in New Zealand we've just gone through a national election and let me tell you, it's a lot more fun when it's not your own. First the campaign was short. A niers month elapsed from Sir Robert Muldoon call Mg the sharpeletttott (only the second one t this century • NZ elections are usually held in November, every three years) to the July 14 voting day. The visitor isn't bored. The players appear fresh and new, or appaiingly awful. You'rc neither as emotionally or traditionally in- volved as at home where you've got a stake in the results. For you. unlike those who voted. will be long gone by the time the wisdom or otherwise of their choice is exposed. Watching an election campaign in your home for a year is a bit like being in the audience for an original. straight from the grassroots New Zealand play. (What Ted Johns and the Blyth Festival could do with this scenario would be interesting.) First the players: nine year National party prime minister Sir Robert Muldoon (the Sir was just awarded at New Year's). confident, SOMETHING TO ' SAY by Susan White bright, quick on s feet. also finance minister who fine tune economy in regulations proclaimed weekly, roud of his touch with the ordinary bloke. says "Rob's mob': is happy with his decis ons and style. and calls snap election on flimsy excuse before rfticeeiag 1984 kudget (National , had a 'nosily of just one seat.) JOLLY FAT MAN? David Lange. Labour party head. a large. smiling.. jolly man (he was gigantic before a stomach stapling operation a couple of years ago), wants an end to Muldoon's confronta- tional style. talks about bringing New Zealanders together again. knocks Mul- doon's economic mismanagement but is vague on details, bright. compassionate and takes the wind out of Sir Rob's sails by repeatedly refusing to be baited. (Will Labour snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory again, the media asked when the campaign started.) Bob Jones. self-made millionaire jogger. founder of the less -than -a -year-old New Zealand party. m e up mostly of former Nationals, dissatisfi with Muldctan's eco• nomic tinkering. Mul cgs them the Greedies--some of their more interesting policies include an almost total end to defence spending (who's going to attack NZ?. Jones asks at the election's best attended ratlys) and putting the money on education instead. Elitist, popular with young, upwardly mobile professionals, the party won no seats but eipif1edi216,009votes (12'per cent of the total)i 'Fidom and Prosperity" its bumillf;~r stickers say' ' Bruce Beetham. an ex -school master from a rural electorate heads Social Credit (its funny money policy is played down here as at home) also talks reconciliation and an end to rough play, seems a decent. principled and hard-working man. He loses his seat and the party's share of the popular vote drops but Social Credit stili has two members of parliament. THE PLOT The twists and turns of the plot are many and varied --unemployment (much lower than Canada's but still a shock. here). huge national debt. nukes and the South Pacific. increasing violence (police don't carry weapons. but when an armed man robs an Auckland petrol station, it's front page news across the country). education, industrial ingenuity (or the lack of it)—but the style of the performance stands out. First mud slinging seems more inventive than at home. Muldoon says Lange is a good speaker. so long as you don't listen m what he says. Imitating a "warbling pop -singer" the PM says Lange is one. Tries to put Labour in bed with "the corns" and calls Lange a front man for the radicals who really run the party. Lange comes back with the assertion that Sir Robert is losing his marbles, or words to that effect. Constant TV and radio advertising ("oh yuck," says our six-year-old night after night as. the announce intones "A PaPolitical BroadPao)/ast")'lefts you identify Party theme songs (forget policies) from the first two bars. Labour has bought the rights to use the Up Where We Belong theme from An Officer and a Gentleman. Perhaps significantly before the campaign ends, National is suod by Warner Brothers for SI 0.000 for what it calls unauthorized use of the theme from Chariots of Fire. Footage of beautiful New Zealand countryside and sloganeering (Let's Bring NZ Together Again from Labour and NZ. You're Winning from the Nets) go with the theme songs. TEA BREAK TALK Opinion surveys. crowds at meetings and tea break talk had pretty well nailed down the result before the election. To widespread hilarity. the prime minister's nen parte ran a SEE ELECTIONS/ PAGE 3 Another term with Reagan is scary While Canadians are yawning their way through an election campaign up here. there s another election campaign on south of the border that appears to be just as boring, and since the fate of the entire world could depend on its outcome. that's a little frightening. Most people have already conceded thc November presidential election in the United States to Ronald Reagan. There was a flurry of excitement after the nomination of Geraldine Ferraro as the vice-presidential ng mate to Walter Mondale for the runt Democrats but recent polls show that the effect of that dynamic move was temporary. Ronald Reagan is right on schedule for Learn about computers before you buy one anothite House her therefouryears in the is something alittle frightening about the prospect because of the way the presidency is set up in the U.S. nowadays. When Franklin D. Roosevelt served into his fourth term, Americans became frightened that they might have one president forever so COUNTRY CORNER by Larry Dillon The micro computer revolution has hit. Everywhere we go we hear about these amazing machines and the magic that they can perform for us. Community colleges are swamped with people running to them (with money in hand) demanding an opportunity to learn the new electronic magic. Newspapers and magazines are running articles about how micro computers have saved countless hours of people's time, rescued businesses from the brink of bankruptcy, and even how they salvaged lost political campaigns. Farmers are being encouraged by various advisors to rush out and purchase theit own farm system. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of computer programs on the market which are supposed to assist farm operators in the management of their business. But waitt All this sounds too good to be true. And, it is too good to be true. Yes, there are many different types of computers available for the farmer and there are all types of programs for these machines on the market. As a matter of fact there are too many types of machines out there and too piany poorly written programs available for them. Salesmen for the various machines will be only too glad to demonstrate why their own particular model is the only one for you. Unfortunately some of these "weeder easeb_ nes" are poorly Ira—rambled game - playing toys. Others; are modern marvels capable of wonderful achievements "when the necessary programming becomes avail- able". The decision to purchase a farm computer is a commitment of thousands of dollars. A good machine is a sophisticated piece of equipment which needs to be complimented with various accessories and programs before it will be of any use. t To determine exactly what you need it is a good idea to find some other farmers who have already made the plunge. Talk to them and encourage there to demonstrate their equipment and their programs. Try to learn from their experiences. Yon will be advised to first purchase the programs that you want, then select a machine that they will run on. This semhtgly good advice falls fiat when you learn that an unacceptably high percentage of computer programs on the market wf11 not do what they have been advertised to do. You can not learn whether or not a pp�itgrwill do the job for you until you have p d for it and ed it extensively. If you purchased tip computer to run a specific program --which proves to be inadequate you had better pray that there are alternate programs available. There are computer courses taught (Plei turn to page A19) Since 1 have been slightly under the weather, we have a guest columnist this week, my daughter Kim. So the Bill Smiley column this week is written by Kim Smiley, who writes better than i do anyway. BY KM SMILEY Some people actually pay money to have their brains teased. Compilations of quizzes and mental challenges can be found in any large book store; usually under the Games section, nel,to Humor. In smaller establish- ments, brainteaser books, which always assure buyers that correct solutions signify genius. are lumped together with Humor. a connection that escapes the MENSA hope- fuls who buy them. "But why pay money for what you can Pet free?" horse sense inquires. The following brainteaser, free of charge, was recently seen in the window of a Variety store in a small Canadian town: "Please do not wear hetutets inside store." We've heard of having to wear certain items of apparel in stores, like shoes, but not being allowed to wear something? This is new: and almost as inventive as a sign currently adorning a gas station in that same small town: "Free hat with exhaust system inspection." In my day, not so long ago, it would have been a simple "Free glass with fail -up." BEHIND THE SCENES by Keith Roulston they put in a "safe guard" by saying that one president could only serve Iwo terms. The problem is that once a president is in his second term. he no Longer has to worry about being re-elected which leaves him free to do what he wants with onlxthe spectre of impeachment to stop him, Americans have just celebrated the lOth anniversary of the Watergate mess caused by a second -term president who didn't give a damn about public opinion anymore, The prospect of a second -term presidency is most frightening when the president has strong ideological beliefs he wants to push into law before his term ends. Ronald Reagan 4s the most ideological man to come to power in the U.S. in decades. While his number one goal is to beat hack the communist hordes and "make America great again". he also wants to reverse the inroads of creeping socialism over the last 40 years. So far he's gone easy. knowing he had to get reelected this year. but many experts say watch what he tries to do if he's got a strong mandate this fall with four years ahead of 'him. If Americans knew what Ronald Reagan really had in mind for the next four nearshe might not get elected. but Americans don't seem to want to question even. They like the picture of America standing tall and proud aeain that Reagan keeps callino No helmets,please SUGAR AND SPICE by Bill Smiley f3hat rich opportunities for the flexing of t imagination this gas station afford lucky passers-by. What kind of hat, one wonders. One size and color only or a smorgasborg of hat choice? A hat you wouldn't be seen dead in, cynics will conclude, reasoning that the use of the term "hat" rather than "cap" means the bonus offer couldn't be some variation on the timelessly fashionable baseball cap. The speculative sit-ups on even this modest, but free, brainteaser could keep one mentally Fonda -fit for a week. Ho* much more so the intriguing "Please do not wear helmets in store.' i put my brain on the wrack. Here are the only reasons 1 could come up with for the no -helmet rule in the Variety store. They range from dumb to really dumb. 1. Hardness of helmet causing potential damage to perishable 'goods and persons. 2. Potential theft, therebeingo to tuck head stolen roods in space betweentop and helmet. 3. Managerial prejudice against motor- cycle drivers, as opposed to. say, construc- tion workers. Notice, the sign specifies "helmetsRel"ate, not "hard hats 4. d to above. simple helmet phobia of the part of the store manager. isn't there something frightening about the partially disguised face and overly -protected head of the helmet wearer? 5. Storemanager's plan in event of holdups is to use club he keens behind counter on thief s head. Manager lacks imagination to devise alternate plan and therefore forbids helmets in store. 6. Potential use of helmet as weapon - helmeted customer, enraged at rising costs, charges bull -like at storekeeper. 7. Store manager is in league with gas station owner offering free hat with exhaust system inspection. Hats offered are, in fact cheap Taiwan -made helmets. While motor- cyclist leaves his helmet draped on handlebars to dash into store for a Coke, gas Ironically, the anniversary of thc resigna• tion Qf Richard Nixon after two years of the Watergate humilation came white Americans were on the greatest binge of self•adulation in years. the Olympic Games. Americans felt the accomplishments of their athletes showed the greatness of their counts yet they seemed like a teenage girl, desperately telling herself she's pretty hoping to make herself believe it While Canadians, notorious for our nay tional inferiority complex. stood prned)y but quietly while our flag eas raised and anthem played. American athletes wrapped therh• selves in the flag and did victory laps after nearly every race and cm the podium, sept and sang their anthem like nee converts to religion Americans don't want reality, they want the dream of greatness. To hell with what the rest of the world thinks. Many of us worry that another four years of Ronald Reagan might just put us there station owner s thug steals helmet and fouls np exhaust system. My own mental system exhausted, 1 offered the list to my family for inspection. Discussion settled chiefly around possibility Number Two • potential theft. They decided that the purpose of the sign in the window must be to prevent someone from entering the store with a helmet tucked nonchalantly under his arm, then furtively placing a can of beans or a pound of bacon on his head, quickly donning the helmet and walking through the cash. coolly buying a pack of gum, just to cover up. you underStand. Against my protests that allowable purses. bags or large pockets would serve just as well and be less painful, they stood fast. Well. 1 finally just asked. 1 went down to the store, and, under the pretext of coolly buying a pack of gum. asked the burning question: "How come you -can't wear helmets in the store?" She laughed a little, "Well, they garble, you know." It took me several moments to even begin to see. "Brit they just have those mouth guard things, don't they?" f made mouth guard gestures. thinking of kids' hockey helmets of 1 years ago. "No." she explained. "they have face visors. A lot of people keep their visors down and we can't make out what they're saving.' v