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The Citizen, 1987-01-07, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7, 1987 Opinion Free trade illustrated The settlement over Canadian softwood exports to the United States has provided an illustration for both sides of the free trade debate to use in their arguments. The American action against Canadian lumber imports has shown, as free trade advocates point out, the need for a way to stop the Americans from tampering with the market for Canadian goods. Every time a producing group is unable to compete with international competition, it runs to American politicians and demands action. Congressmen, worried about getting re-elected, support protectionist legislation. But the settlement of the issue last week provides even more arguments to the people who feel Canada will lose more than it will gain in free trade negotiations with the U.S. For one thing, most agree that the U.S. won’t surrender the legislation that allows this kind of unilateral action against what Americans consider unfair imports. Thus even if we negotiate a free trade pact, this kind of protectionist action can continue to plague Canadian business. Free trade opponents have also worried that getting an agreement will mean that Canadians must play the trade game by American rules; that Canada will lose its ability to do things a way that makes sense in Canada and hence its sovereignty over its own country. That is exactly what has happened in this settlement. The Canadian government was worried most about losing the 1.5 per cent tax to the American treasury instead of Canadian government treasuries, and was willing to give in to the American negotiators on many points to get an agreement. There has also been the worry that some parts of the Canadian economy would be sold off in order to make an overall deal. The Canadian lumber industry feels it is the first victim of the attempt to placate the U.S. Canadian lumberman wanted no part of this settlement. They had already fought one battle against U.S. import taxes and had won a few years back, and they thought they could do it again. The government undercut them in making the deal. And there has always been the suspicion that the people who would really benefit from any deal would be the big companies while the little guys were forgotten. It was proved in this agreement. Several large companies in the Maritimes, where- there are higherfeesfor lumber cutting than in Ontario or B.C., were exempted from the tax under the agreement. But the little mill owners in the Maritimes were forgotten by our negotiators. All in all, this agreement did little to encourage people in Canada to take that “leap of faith” free trade proponents have said we must take in order to embrace free trade. Seeing the worst Many people in Canada have been worried for years that the overwhelming influence of American television could mean that Canadians lose a sense of who they are. Others have been worried about the effect of people seeing hours of violent television drama. It seems both fears may now be coming true. If there has been one thing Canadians have prided themselves on as having an advantage over the Americans, it has been in law and order. But after years of watching vigilante justice meted out by the police officers and self-righteous civilians, Canadians seem to have been infected with the American disease. Surveys has shown that there is a perception in Canada that violence is on the upswing. This despite the fact that in our largest city, Toronto, there are about as many murders in a year as there are in Detroit in a couple of weeks. This perception of lawlessness encourages incidents like the rash shootings of robbers. It makes the ownership of guns more understandable, even desirable. It helps build overwhelming support for shop-owners or employees who shoot intruders, even if they shoot them in the back while they are fleeing, normally described in the macho world of TV and movies as a cowardly act. While it is easy to sympathize with people confronted by robbers or burglars, to understand how they can turn to violence themselves, it is dangerous when a society condones that violence. The people in Calgary and closer to home in the Tillsonburg area who have demanded charges against people who shot intruders be dropped are showing great humanity towards friends and neighbours but not much concern with the health of our society. They are showing what opponents of violent television have said for years, that we have been so hardened by watching dozens of people get gunned down each night on television that we accept it as a part of everyday life. Canada is still different from the U.S. While handguns are plentiful in the U.S., they are hard to get in Canada. While those samegunskillthousandsofpeopleinthe U.S. yearly, the majority of murders in Toronto last year were not by guns but by stabbings, the result often of domestic disputes where someone in a fury picks up the closest weapon in the kitchen and does someone in. Canada is still far from being the violent society the United States is, but the signs that we are slipping in that direction are ominous. The increasing proliferation of violent American TV shows in our livingrooms, the absence of real alternatives that show the Canadian lifestyle, may continue the dangerous brainwashing of Canadians to become more like Americans. If it happens, we will all lose. There are people who will tell you that the important decisions in town are made down at the town hall. People in the know, however know that the real debates, the real wisdom reside down at Mabel's Grill where the greatest minds in the town [if not in the country] gather for morning coffee break, otherwise known as the Round Table Debating and Fili­ bustering Society. Since not just everyone can partake of these deliberations we will report the activities from time to time. MONDAY: Billie Bean was in to Mabel’s for the first time since Christmas so naturally somebody asked him what he got for Christmas. He showed off anew sweater his wife had given him. At first, he said, he thought his wife had got him too big a sweater because the shoulders went about half-way down to the elbows and thecuffscoveredhishands. But when he complained it was ex­ plained to him that this was the style. Hank Stokes said he can remem­ ber when you had a sweater that was too big for you it was sure proof you were wearing a hand-me-down from somebody else. Only people who could afford new sweaters had ones that fit. Billie said he figured it must be a sign that there is a real boom around when they can afford to make sweaters that have 20 per cent more wool in them than they needto. But JuliaFlintsaidthat wasn’t necessarily so. Take hem­ lines on skirts, for instance. Back in the 60’ s when everybody had lots of money, women werewearing so little cloth in their dresses you’d thinkthey weretoobroke tobuy material. Then along came the tougher times of the early 80’s and people were wearing skirts half­ way to their ankles. The same thing happened in the 1920’s when they wore short skirts and then in the Depression the skirts got long. In fact, she says, you might be able to formulate some economic theory of inverse skirt-length: the less material needed for a dress, the more people can afford to spehd. “Well by golly,” Hank says, “I wouldn’t mind if my wife got arrested for indecent exposure.” TUESDAY: Tim O’Grady was talking this morning about the flock of people who have been coming to Canada ip the last few / NftTTWuy you /tfe/WT" 76 BLOW SA/Old 10/7#" Mabel’s Grill weeks and claiming they were refugees. Somehow you’ve got to believe them, Tim said. Why else but if they were in physical danger back home would they come to Canada in the middle of winter. “If I was a refugee I’d at least wait until June to get desperate.” WEDNESDAY: Ward Black says his kids may have been off school for Christmas but they’ve still been learning biology lessons. “Every time they turn on the television news somebody shows them what the interior of the posterior of Ronald Reagan looks like.” Tim said those newscasts might give the kids a lesson in civics and biology at the same time what with ail the talk about all the people who would be in the operating room with code books and so on. Juliathoughtit was very com­ forting to know that all the time Reagan was in surgery, the buttons to start a nuclear war would be right beside him. “Let’s hope he doesn’t have an adverse reaction to the anesthetic” she said. Tim wondered about all the news that Ronald Reagan would be awake during the entire operation. “And this from a guy they claimed sometimes dozed off in the middle Continued on page 20 Letter to the editor Junior Farmers seek century farms THE EDITOR: It has been brought to our attention that information must be acquired from all families who have a * ‘ Century Farm ”. A century farm, first of all is a farm which has been in the family for 1 century (100 years.) The name may have changed ie. if the daughter took over the farm but it has not been sold to anyone outside the family. We, the Huron County Junior Farmers need to know who has a “Century Farm” on behalf of the Provincial Junior Farmer Associa­ tion. If you do have a * ‘Century Farm” or would like more information please contact one of the following people. (All we need is your name and address including lot and concession.) THANK YOU, HURON COUNTY JUNIOR FARMERS Linda Cunningham Sharon Nivins RR1, Auburn RR 4, Wingham N0M1E0 NOG 2W0 526-7557 357-3557 Dave Vanneste RR2, Kippen N0M2E0 262-6448 [Published by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. ] Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Published weekly in Brussels, Ontario P.O. Box 152 P.O. Box429, Brussels, Ont. Blyth, Ont. NOG 1 HO ' N0M1H0 887-9114 523-4792 Subscription price: $15.00; $35.00 foreign. Advertising and news deadline: Monday 2p.m. in Brussels; 4p.m. in Blyth Editor and Publisher: Keith Roulston Advertising Manager: Beverley A. Brown Production and Office Manager: Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968