Clinton News Record, 2014-10-29, Page 44 News Record • Wednesday, October 29, 2014
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editorial
Reality check is in
the mail
()MI Agency
Onlyinthe public sec-
tor could something like
this happen!
The Canadian Union
of Postal Workers, along
with other groups, is tak-
ing Canada Post to
akingCanadaPostto
court. They're angry that
home delivery is being
downgraded to com-
munity mailboxes. They
say the move violates
their Charter rights!
Butwhyis this change
happening? Because
between 2006 and 2013
the volume of mail Can-
ada Post delivered went
down by 1.2 billion
pieces.
The world is chang-
ing. We're moving to an
increasingly digital
world. That's just a fact.
But don't tell CUPW
that. They don't like that
8,000 jobs will be lost
from this.
"In Canada, people
should count, not just
the bottom line;" CUPW
president Denis Leme-
lin said in a statement.
We couldn't agree
more. Which is why
we're going to stand up
for the average taxpayer
who is continually get-
ting nickel-and-dimed
by special interests and
say "enough is enough:'
Right now Canada
Post as a Crown corpo-
ration does not actually
receive an annual bail-
out from the taxpayer.
That could, of course,
change at any time.
But eliminating these
jobs is one way to avoid
that. Besides, Lemelin
isn't telling you the
whole story.
Canada Post has
made it clear these posi-
tions will be eliminated
via attrition. Fifteen
thousand workers are
ready to retire over the
next five years. There
you go. No need for any
layoffs.
Now CUPW is joined
in this lawsuit with
groups representing
seniors and the
disabled.
Whilewe don't doubt
that these groups are
serious about promot-
ing accessibility for
romotingaccessibilityfor
those they advocate for,
we do doubt CUPW's
sincerity in teaming up
with them.
We know they're just
protecting their own
fiefdom. Quite frankly
it's offensive they're
using the elderly and
disabled as props for
what is actually their
own entitlement
argument.
They think that unlike
private sector workers,
they should be insulated
from economic realities.
They shouldn't - plain
and simple.
Can someone file a
counter -suit on behalf of
our children? After all,
they're the ones who
will be living in a Can-
adathathas been finan-
cially ruined by such
out -of -touch demands.
The mail system
needs to change. That's
thewayitis. The quicker
CUPW gets with the
program, the quicker
the short-term pain is
over.
column
The potential greatness of Pope Francis
Tara Ostner
The Clinton News Record
Afewweeks ago a documentwas
drafted by the Vatican declaring that
homosexuals had gifts to offer the church
and that their partnerships, while morally
problematic, provided gay couples with
precious support.
These words provided relief for many
people around the world. However, the
document also made others very angry.
Within the Vatican itself, opinions
regarding the draft document were also
mixed; while there were some bishops
who supported the message, other, con-
servative bishops outright rejected it.
As a result of the controversy, shortly
after the draft documentwas releasedvari-
ous changes were made to it in an attempt
to soften and move awayfromthe original
message.
As Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier of South
Africa stated, the draft documentwas a
concem because it presented "homosex-
ual
homosexual unions as if they were a very positive
thing:'
In my view, there are various problems
with this statement, and with the overall
motivation behind makingthe revisions.
First of all, a homosexual union is not a
"thing" itis a relationship, and failing to
see this distinction is perhaps the Vatican's
first mistake.
The second fundamental problem is the
Catholic Church's understanding of what it
means to be respectful. According to Cath-
olic Church doctrine, gay people them-
selves should be respected but, at the same
time, the doctrine states that gay sex is con-
sidered "intrinsically disordered:'
Characterizing gay sex as a disorder,
however, isn't exactly what I would call
respectful and the fact that the Vatican
thinks that this is a sign of respect makes
me seriously question their understanding
of the notion.
The Vatican's third problem is their views
on progression. The conservative bishops,
for instance, said that the original draft only
reflected a minority and thatitwas an
'overly progressive' view.
Being progressive is defined as favor-
ing or advocating progress. Progress is
defined as growth, development,
advancement or continual improve-
ment. Therefore, the phrase "overly pro-
gressive" is nonsensical. It is like saying
that something is "overly improved"
which, of course, doesn't make sense
and what people have against the con-
cept of progression in general is some-
thing that I will never be able to
understand.
So, needless to say, gay people around
the world are disappointed that the Vati-
can stepped back from their original
position.
Having said that, however, there are
groups of gay people, such as the New
Ways Ministry, a Catholic gay rights
group, who, while disappointed, say that
the recent "openness to discussion pro-
vides hope for further development
down the road:'
This sense of patience and relentless
optimism inspires me and that this
hopefulness emits from such a histori-
cally discriminated group is, to me, par-
ticularly remarkable.
I am also comforted by the fact that it is
ultimately Pope Francis who is in charge,
a man who, despite the conservatives
who he is inevitably surrounded by,
remains, I think, committed to the inter-
ests of gay people and building an inclu-
sive society.
For example, it is noteworthy that
Francis insisted that the original docu-
ment be published along with the final-
ized one. This was a telling move as the
final document will provide the basis for
future discussion of the issue that is set to
take place next Fall.
After the finalized document was
released, Francis also approached a
group of joumalists outside the Vatican
to thank them for their coverage regard-
ing the issue, a sign, I think, of where the
Pope's heart truly lies.
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