The Brussels Post, 1975-03-05, Page 2WEDNESDAY, MARCH. 5, 1975
Serving Brussels and the surrounding community.
Published each Wednesday afternoon at Brussels, ()Marie
by MeLean Bros.Publishers, Limited.
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Why not a woman ?
The emergence of Margaret Thatcher as the leader
of the British Conservative party is a turn of events
that few Britons or Canadians would have dreamed
of a year ago. Now that a woman leads the chief
British opposition party, there has been increasing
credibility given in Canada to the possibility of
another woman, MP Flora MacDonald, capturing the
leadership of the Canadian Progressive Conservative
party.
And to that possibility we say, with apologies to
the Canadian International' Womens' Year Secret
ariat, why not?
Miss MacDonald, who has not declared herself a
candidate for the leadership vacancy that will occur
sometime within a year when present Tory leader
Robert Standfield resigns, has an excellent record as
an MP. She also has a very good record at
winning elections, both in her own Kingston
constituency and as a Tory party organizer earlier in
her career.
As Conservative Indian Affairs critic she
established a reputation for knowledgeability,
compassion and effectiveness. In recent articles' in
.the national press, she comes across as honest,
likeable, intelligent and definitely leadership
material.
Tory organizer Eddy Goodman has been quoted as
saying "She has a first class mind, a great sense of
history, and a knowledge of the country, all the
requirements of a leader. I think she has a good
chance of winning."
MacLean's Magazine editor Peter Newman says
Miss MacDonald is "ideologically in une with the
times, she's bright and energetic, she knows every
party organizer in the country by his or her first
name and above all, she's honest."
Miss MacDonald started in politics as a secretary
herself, not as a hand picked political fat cat. She has
apparently retained an unsnobbish, unaffected
manner which should go a long way in endearing her
to voters who are tired of remote, "above it all",
leaders.
But Miss MacDonald's self-made-woman
background means that she does not command the
money that is necessary to run a serious campaign
for the leadership. Estimates are that a leadership
campaign this year might cost in the range of
$350,000. A high figure, but as someone was
reported saying at a recent women's conference
"That's only $1 from 350,000 of us."
The MP from Kingston certainly stacks up well
against all the males who have been mentioned as
possible undeclared candidates' for the leadership,
most of whom are ex-politicians like John Roberts or , present Premiers like Peter Lougheed who are
unlikely to leave a sure thing for the role of
!! opposition leader.
II
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I Suppose say Miss MacDonald makes a try for the
PC leadership and she is rejected by a majority of.
delegates because they do not like her thinking on .
il
1;
l?* national issues. That's fine, but rejecting a person's
candidacy in 1974 because she is female is neither
good politics nor good common sense.
The victory of Margaret Thatcher proved that.
Amen
(By Karl Schuessler)
Hey, look, Ma , I'm playing the piano.
I know it's hard to believe, Ma. Your middle
aged, son. Sitting one hour a day in front of
those black and whites.Coaxing out all those
tunes that eluded me when I was a boy.
I tried then, didn't I, Ma? Was it two years?
Or three? Then I became a piano drop-out.
I knew you were real disappointed. But then
you. started to feel better when I took up the
violin.
You wanted to make sure all of us kids had
some music. You being a piano teacher and
all. You didn't want to raise a family of music
illiterates.
You never seemed to regret the money. On
lessons. On books. And on that used violin of
mine.Why, that one Christmas I got that prize
gift of them all. My $80.00 used violin. It was
the most expensive gift under the tree. And
$80.00 was lots of money in those days. And in
a parsonage besides.
My brothers and sisters didn't mind. They
knew that you and Dad always gave one
splurge gift each year to one of the kids.That
year it was my turn. Their turn would come.
But my violin playing never did go that
well--or that long--did it, Ma?
When I entered a violin competition for'
young people a few years later, I didn't even
make a showing. No honorable mention at all.
The examiner wrote down some nasty remark
about my doubtful future with the violin. He
let you know in no uncertain terms that you
didn't have a Paginini on your hands.
But that didn't seem to bother you. You
never rubbed it in. That the competition
was .n't all that stiff. Just all the kids from
the churches in the district.
You stayed patient. Encouraging me to go
on. So what if I didn't make the stage? Or an
orchestra hall? At least I'd know something
about music. Id'd have it for my own
enjoyment.
You kept geading me on. Prodding. I
figure di you carried around inside yott a
alarm systeni. No matter where you
Were in the hOuse. No matter wht you were
doing, you'd stop everything and yell out to
Me, 'WS four-thirty. Time to practice,"
I could talk you out of some things. I could
sneak out of sonie jobs around the house: But I
knew enough never to try to get but of
practicing. There was no way.
You complained I spent too much time
tuning up my violin. Why did I waste all that
precious time tightening up and loosening
those strings? Did I have to be that exact?Did I
have to take fifteen minutes to get the right
pitch?
But.hey, M a, look at me now! I wish you
could hear me. On the piano.
I've only been at it for a month now. And in
one month I zipped right through John
Thompson's Book Number One.
I'm into Book. Number Two. Last night I
hummed along while I played Bach's Minuet.
Pretty good, eh, Ma?
I've had a few problems of course. My
teacher says I play everything forte. Loud. She
told me not to attack the piano so. I need a
little modulation--moderation?--in my
playing.
And then she laughed when I said I didn't
like the arrangement of "0 God Our Help in
Ages Past". She told me to look at the cover of
the book. It said Child's Book of Hymns. She
said I can't have everything in a beginner's
book.
Then she told me that my Spanish Fiesta
piece needed a little more work. She said it
sounded as if the dancers wore wooden shoes,
But I'm not discouraged, Ma. And
neither's my teacher: She sighs and says she
wishes all of her students worked as hard as I
did. And were so eager. Full of enthusiasm.
And now when I go into the city on business
for a few days and check into a hotel, I don't
ask anyMore if they have coloured T.V. Or if
they have a wake-up service. Or a, restaurant
nearby.
I ask if they have a piano. I need one to
practice. Every clay. At home or away.
Of this I'm convinced. Why waste piano
lessons on the y oung, when there's all of us
eager Middle agers around?
The opposition to Miss MacDonald, should she
decide to become a leadership candidate, can hardly
be based on her competence. Most national
observers say she can handle the job. The
opposition, although it will perhaps not be so openly
phrased, will probably be on the grounds that she is
a woman.
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