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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2015-03-11, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, March 11, 2015 iT1TfiJfJ 1 www.clintonnewsrecord.com NowsCl Record PUBLISHED WEEKLY — EST. 1860 53 Albert St. P.O. Box 39 Clinton ON NOM 1 LO (519) 482-3443 www.clintonnewsrecord.com SUN MEDIA A Quebecor Media Company MARIE DAVID Sun Media Group Publisher - Grey Bruce Huron Division 519-364-2001 or 519-372-4301 NEIL CLIFFORD Publisher neil.clifford@sunmedia.ca MAX BICKFORD Advertising Manager max. bickford@sunmedia.ca TARA OSTNER Reporter clinton.reporter@sunmedia.ca DAWN JOHNSTON Sales Representative clinton.ads@sunmedia.ca TERESA SMITH Front Office clinton.class'tfieds@sunmedia.ca SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 YEAR $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 2YEAR $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) SENIORS 60 WEEKS $50.00 (47.62+2.38 GST) 120 WEEKS $95.00 (90.48+4.52 GST) Advertising is accepted an the condition that in The event of a typographical error, the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged but that balance of advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. In the event of a typographic error advertising goods or services at a wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Ad- vertising is merely an offer to sell, and may be withdrawn at anytime. The Clinton News -Record is not responsible for the loss or damage of unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials used for reproducing purposes. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064683 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 53 Albert St., Clinton ON NOM 1L0 (519) 482-3443 We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities. Canada Ona Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association and the Ontario Community Newspapers Association editorial Carbon pricing is no free lunch new Nanos poll has confirmed what anyone who has been paying attention could have told our politicians years ago. That is, Canadians support reducing greenhouse gas emissions linked to climate change up until the moment we have to spend our own money to do it. When asked whether they'd be willing to pay higher gasoline taxes to fight climate change, 57% of Canadians surveyed disagreed, compared to only 41% in favour. (The poll surveyed 1,000 Canadians from Feb. 22 to 27, with a 3.1% margin of error, 19 times out of 20). On paying more for home heating fuels like oil, Canadians were opposed 61% to 37%. The survey didn't ask how we'd feel about having both gasoline and home heating fuel taxes raised, since that is what will happen in any carbon pricing scheme, along with increased costs for many other goods and services. However, when the Strategic Counsel asked that question seven years ago for the Globe and Mail, which also sponsored the Nanos poll, 64% were opposed, only 34% in favour In the latest poll, Canadians favoured taxing busi- nesses that emit greenhouse gases by a margin of 71% to 27%. But that number would have been lower had the question explained that when you increase taxes on businesses that emit greenhouse gases - like the gas- oline and home heating fuel industries - those costs are simply passed along to us. Considering that Nanos also found Canadians think Canada is doing a poor or very poor job of reducing emissions compared to a good or very good one by a margin of 57% to 14%, with 26% calling it "average," the takeaway is we want our government to reduce carbon dioxide emissions without it cost- ing us. This confusion is the result of politicians not being honest with the public about reducing carbon diox- ide emissions. All political parties are guilty - the opposition more so than the government -- of implying we can reduce emissions simply by making polluters pay. The reality is we're the polluters and all carbon pricing schemes end up making us pay. If politicians would admit that, we could begin to have an adult debate about what we really want to do going forward. Proving that Islam is peaceful Tara Ostner The Clinton News Record Making the claim that vio- lence is synonymous with Islam is not something that ISIS and other likeminded groups are afraid to make. Indeed, com- mitting terrorist acts in the name of Allah is what usually provides the very motivation behind these terrorist groups' actions. However, during the past month or so President Obama has made the argument and urged the pub- lic to consider that violence is not synonymous with Islam. Therefore, on one hand, you have a group of people, i.e., ISIS, who are continuing to explicitly prove through their actions that violence is synonymous with Islam and, on the other hand, you have a group of people, i.e., those who share Obama's positive and yet, as some would argue, naive outlook, who maintain that the terms violence and Islam ought not to be considered synonymous. It is commendable that Obama and other world leaders have tried to point to examples (i.e., by point- ing to parts of the Quran that preach peace) to illustrate that Islam does not promote religious extremism. After all, it is unfair, simplistic and unrealistic to think that every Muslim in the world has extremist beliefs. Having said that, putting forth the argument that Islam should not, theoretically speaking, be viewed as a violent religion is, in my view, not sufficient. Using nor- mative and prescriptive language is not good enough when, in the real world, acts that clearly dem- onstrate the opposite are occur- ring every day. What is required more than any- thing at this point in time is a third group of people, namely, individu- als who can prove through their actions that peace - not violence - is synonymous with Islam. There are certainly people like this in the world. However, in my opinion, they are neither numer- ous enough nor loud enough and if they are ever going to success- fully accomplish their mission they must deliver their message of peace more convincingly. Islam is the second largest reli- gion in the world. Therefore, it is hard to believe that Muslims can- not more effectively prove to the world the various ways in which they are a peaceful religion and that they in fact reject religious extremism. I fully understand and appreciate that, in its purest and most authen- tic form, religion is ultimately a pri- vate matter and, under normal cir- cumstances, this really ought to be respected. However, when Mus- lims' safety is at stake and the very foundations of Islam are being questioned you would think that the need to protect one's security and rectify the religion's reputation would at least temporarily trump the desire for private reflection. Until large numbers of commit- ted Muslims around the globe can more effectively prove to the world that Islam is not at some point reducible to extremism President Obama's argument that attempts to state otherwise will likely, unfortunately, remain a controver- sial and dubious one. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The News Record welcomes letters to the editor. All letters must be signed and include a daytime phone number for verification purposes. Letters can be sent care of the Internet at clinton.news@sunmedia.ca, sent via fax at 519-482-7341 or through Canada Post care of The Editor, P.O. Box 39, Clinton, ON NOL 1LO. CLINTON NEWS RECORD — HOURS OF OPERATION MONDAY: 9:00 - 5:00 • TUESDAY: - CLOSED • WEDNESDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • THURSDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • FRIDAY: - 9:00 - 5:00 • SATURDAY & SUNDAY: - CLOSED ADVERTISING DEADLINE: FRIDAY AT 2:00 • PHONE 519-482-3443 • FAX: 519-482-7341 www.clintonnewsrecord.com