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The Brussels Post, 1981-09-16, Page 2,872 4Brussels Post BRUSSELS EST,"N CONGRATULATIONS — Bill Smith, second vice-president of the Provincial Command and Brussels Legion president Don Blenkhorn stand beside the Legion's 50th anniversary cake. Mr. Smith was presenting a congratulatory plaque on behalf of the provincial Command. (Photo by Ranney) A PRESENT FROM THE AMERICAN LEGION Brussels Legion received the gift of an American flag at a banquet on Saturday night. Brussels Legion president Don Blenkhorn accepted the gift from the American Legion president Paul Dake. (Photo by Ranney) Short Shots by Evelyn Kennedy Established 1872 519-887-6641 Serving Brussels and the surrounding community Published at BRUSSELS, ONTARIO every. Wednesday morning by McLean Bros. Publishers Limited Andrew V. McLean, Publisher Evelyn Kennedy, Editor Member Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Ontario Weekly Newspaper Association and The Audit Bureau of Circulation. Authorized as second class mail by Canada Post Office. Registration Number 0562. Behind the scenes by Keith Roulston Box 50, Brussels, Ontario NOG 1H0 0.A Read the daily newspaper any morning and you'll get the impression that we are a nation of individuals walking around with a pile of chips on each shoulder impatiently waiting for somebody to knock one off. A generation grew up fighting injustice in the sixties, became preoccupied with it's own problems in the seventies and in the eighties seems to spend most of its time feeling sorry for itself. The problem is if you look for injustice, no matter how fortunate you are, you're likely to find it. Once when I was going through a particularly difficult time as a child I was given a piece of advice: "If you look around you can always find someone who's got it worse than you and you can count your blessings." Unfortunately the opposite is also true: no matter how fortunate you are you can always look around and see somebody you think is doing better than you and beweil the injustice of it all. NOT FAIR? Take the air traffic controllers for instance. The Canadian controllers are already making an average of about $40,000 a year. They're unhappy though because they feel they have every bit as much tension and stress in their job as airline pilots and the pilots make up to $80,000 a year. It's just not fair. The oil companies, already making record profits, complain and threaten and demand that government stop interfering in their business because they are not getting the world price for oil, even though the world price is artificially high because of govern- ment action in other oil producing countries not through real costs of production. Poor little billionaires. All provinces in Canada have managed to latch • onto some injustice in the federal system which they wave like a flag and demand action on. The maritimes are forgotten. The west is being raped by the east. The east is being killed by western oil greed. Quebec has been treated like a colony. Such suffering. The new constitution with its civil rights package is discussed. Civil rights activists say it doesn't go nearly far enough in protecting our rights and leaves us open to being harrassed and controlled by police. The police say it goes too far and leaves us open to having criminals walk the streets because the laws are so flimsy the police can't do their job properly. In the event this letter reaches you or a possible successor to the Post, I would appreciate your possible assistance in my, and others, in tracing members of the Laing family. There is a family record (brief) of Jane Laing marrying a Robert Shiel, who may have - been the son of John W. Shiel (a well-to-do farmer) who died December 22, 1878 in Wawanosh township. A map of the period for Bruce shows his farm to have been close to BrustelS. There also was a reference to a Si ster. Is there any chance that there may be a descendant of Robert Shiel living in the general area? If, by chance, you might know of another Source of information, I certainly IT'S ALL AROUND Yes, injustice is all around us if we're going to go out and look for it. There is even injustice in people trying to be just. I recall back in my college days when there was talk about some business owners who gave all the salaries and benefits to their employees that unions had won in other plants but did so because they didn't want to see this workers unionized. Somehow this was bad, though because these weren't rights grabbed by the workers through struggle but were readily given willingly by the owner and thus were paternalism: the employer acting like a good, loving father. There are two ways of looking at any given situation, like the half-full or half-empty glass of water, depending on your viewpoint. You can count the negative or the positive. Yes you can find the negative, the injustice in almost any situation. You get a raise, and instead of thinking how much better off you are you look at somebody else you feel doesn't do his job as well, who hasn't got your education, who isn't as dedicated yet earns more than you. You go around making life miserable for yourself when you could be celebrating. The problem with feeling sorry for yourself, in seeking out injustice, is that it's so self-destructive. There is no perfect justice. What you think is just someone else will think unjust. People therefore who go around looking for unfairness will always find it. They won't be any happier for it though. EXCITEMENT On the other hand there's a real joy and excitement when people are able to put aside their worries about whether they're getting their due or not. If you've ever been involved in a work situation or a volunteer group where people are dedicated to something other than themselves you've had a rare chance to experience that joy. Take for instance the shared joy that hundreds of thousands of people felt last weekend when they ran a few miles in memory of Terry Fox and raised a few million for cancer research at the same time. They had nothing to gain personally. They could have looked at the injustice for the fact that a young man had died before his time. They could have stayed home and watched a football game, instead but they gave without regard to themselves. They were amply rewarded. would appreciate hearing from you. Yours sincerely Robert M. Laing 700 Avondale Ave., Kitchener, Ontario N2M 2yvs (Editor's Note: If any one has any information on the above you could write to the address below.) Howick parade winners Brussels Optimist Club was a first prize winner in the parade at Howick Township's 125th celebrations last weekend for its float. It won first prize in the category for club or organization. Continued from page 1 may be reluctant to admit they are sometimes lonely or worry about what would happen if they were ill, or suffered an accident in their home. It is an excellent program. Do not hesitate to participate. Just to know that someone would call at a certain time each day with a cheery "hello" and "How are you" would surely make them feel more secure and a little less lonely. If you would like to be a caller do so. For more information about the Telephone Reassurance Service call Karen " Cardiff, 887-6164. *a*** Watch for more information on that ever popular event the Morning Star Rebekah Lodge Variety Fair to be held this year on October 24th., s•a** A 23 year old woman in Mansfield, England, had suffered from sneezing and sinus trouble since she was a baby During an operation, a yellow tiddiywink was found and removed from her nose. so otos There will be a Story Hour for three and four year-old children at the Brussels Library on Tuesdays, September 22nd to October 29th from 1c30 to 100 p.m. Mothers can safe' ly" leave their youngsters to enjoy themselves while they do their shopping. S. This month's issue of The Reader's Digest contains a report on Scientology under the heading "The Sickness Spreads?" It con- tains a shocking account of the indications that Scientology's international operations are as chilling internationally as in North America and continues to grow at an alarming pace. It states that one former member of the church of Scientology, who had worked to build Scientology in Alberta, one day told her board of directors "I believe we are involved in an international criminal conspiracy." She, and 43 other Scientoli- gists, quit. The article tells of the treatment that is meted out to opponents or critics of Scientology. They sue such people for the vast amounts, knowing they will not win the case but for the sole purpose of bankrupting its critics and to create an atmosphere of fear. Scientology's founder, Ron Hubbard's standing order is "Find or manuflactilre enough threat against them to cause them to sue for peace," if you have not read the article you should do to. You will then have no doubt left about what kind of a menace it is. **so • To the editor: