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The Citizen, 1989-09-13, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1989. Salute younger generation What is the younger generation coming to? Well, despite the tendency of adults to dwell on the few young people who cause trouble, it seems our younger generation is really coming to something pretty good. There may be the odd thief and vandal among the younger generation but there are also the young people who will one day be reeves and ministers and the volunteers who keep our communities going. The problem is, we seldom notice as we concentrate on the more visible destructiveness of the isolated few. There is a glorious opportunity right now to recognize the young people in our community who are setting an example for their peers and for us all. The annual Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards Program organized by the Ontario Community Newspaper Association (OCNA)iscallingfor nominations to honour outstanding young people between the ages of six and 18 years of age. One of the most moving portions of the OCNA’s annual meeting in Toronto each March is the presentation of the Junior Citizen of the Year Awards by the Lt. Governor of Ontario. About a dozen young people from across the province are honoured for their work. Some have made a mark in their community through initiative and volunteer activities. Some have overcome pain and suffering to show a courage few of us could match. Some have shown outstanding bravery in saving others. These are just the cream of the crop of deserving young people honoured by this program. Many others have been honoured at the community level. Over the years many young people from Huron County have been honoured at the provincial level for their generosity, courage and thoughtfulness but none have come from our immediate area. We’ve seldom had even a nomination for a local young person. We know there are wonderful young people out there who can show an example for us all but it takes you, their friends and neighbours to point them out. Nomination forms for this awards program are available at The Citizen for you to honour a local young person. Take the time and do it. More cause for cynicism Cynicism is the illness of our times, causing people to sit back and watch, feeling they can do nothing to change things. Yet every time people begin to reject cynicism, they’re shown another good reason to think they were right when they figured there is no real justice in the world. Last week the cynics got another cause for their disbelief with the decision of the International Amateur Athletic Federation to strip Ben Johnson of his 100 metre world record set at the 1987 world track championship in Rome. The IAAF decided that any athlete that confessed to using steroids (not was caught, just confessed) would forfeit his records and medals and the ruling could go back six years. Canadians have come, reluctantly, over the past year after the first shocks of the finding that Johnson had used steroids to help win the Olympic gold medal in Seoul, to accept that he cheated and to feel he should be punished. They have lived through the soul-searching of the Dubin inquiry into the use of illegal drugs in sports and come to the feeling ihat if we couldn’t be proud of our athletes for cheating to win, at least we could have pride in our country to have the courage to lift the rock of our world-class sports programs and see what ugly things crawl out. Now, however, Canadians instead of being proud of their honesty, wonder if they ’ v e shown themselves to be chumps. If our athletes had been allowed to go along without being put on the witness stand, under oath, they would have been allowed to keep their medals and records. Because Johnson admitted using steroids as far back as 1981 when he spoke to the inquiry, the IAAF has gone back in time to take away his records. And because other Canadian athletes admitted steroid use at the inquiry they may alsobe in trouble. An IAAF official said that the Federation couldn’t act retroactively, since the athletes had already testified, but when the Dubin Inquiry’s report contains the confessions of Canadian athletes like Angella Issajenko and Mark McKoy, they’ll be seen to have confessed after the IAAF rule came into effect and thus will be punished. What about the Americans who cheated? The Brits? The Italians? The Soviets and all the other athletes who everyone knows use the steroids to get an advantage in competition but have never confessed to their use? They will goon with their medals and their records. Their countries, unlike Canada haven’t been as honest, or maybe as foolish, as to put athletes on the witness stand under oath and ask for the truth. Cheaters like Ben Johnson and Angella Issajenko shouldn’t prosper but if they finally confess they shouldn’t be punished more than the cheaters who can hide and never be put on the spot and asked for the truth. If justice is to be seen to be done, if track is to be cleaned up, all the cheaters must be found and punished, not some rewarded for staying in hiding. Field and stream Mabel’s Grill 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 Filibustering So­ ciety. MONDAY: Hank Stokes said he found it hard to believe that 65,000 people paid to see the Rolling Stones on the weekend in Toronto. “I mean who would pay to listen to guys who sould like someone tried unsuccessfully to yank out their vocal cords?” “I don’t know,” said Julia Flint, “I always thought Mick Jagger was kind of sexy.” ‘‘Good grief,” said Billie Bean, ‘‘maybe there’s hope for me yet. I mean how can a skinny middle- aged guy who looks like his lips got stuck to a metal gate some cold winter morning be regarded as sexy?” ‘‘You know”, said Tim O’Grady, ‘‘I always liked the idea of all the attention those rock stars got, particularly from the girls but I made one mistake. I always thought you had to be able to sing to be a singer. These guys have been proving me wrong for 20 years.” TUESDAY: It’s going to be hard to find a hotel room in Toronto for the next while with all the international press in town, Julia was saying. Yes, Tim said, with all the movie stars in town for the big film festival there’d be plenty of press there to record their every move. No, Julia said, it wasn’t that she was thinking about. It was all the British press here to try to catch a peak at the girl Captain Mark Phillips is supposed to be romanti­ cally involved with now that he and Princess Anne split up. Seems the press had her country place all staked out trying to get a picture of her and she walked right past them and nobody recognized her. “Well,” said Hank, “give it a few months and Cpt. Phillips, now that he’s not married to royalty anymore will be able to walk right Continued on page 7 P.O Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 Phone 523-4792 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 Phone 887-9114 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels. Ontario, by North Huron Publishing Company tnc Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $17 OO/yr ($38 00 Foreign) Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion ot the advertisement will be credited Advertising Deadlines Monday, 2pm - Brussels, Monday, 4pm - Blyth We are not responsible for unsolicited newscripts or photographs Contents of The Citizen are © Copyright Serving Brussels, Blyth, Auburn, Belgrave, Ethel, Londesborough, Walton and surrounding townships. Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Production Manager, Jill Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968