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The Citizen, 1991-01-23, Page 4PAGE 4. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1991. Opinion Pacifism a healthy sign Whether you support Canada’s presence in the Middle East or not, the peace rallies that continue across the country are a sign of a healthy soul of the country. Despite the outbreak of war last week, Canadians still seem to be very much against the war. Despite the speeches of political leaders that we must all pull together and support our troops Canadians, not just the peace marchers but the majority of people you meet every day, still don’t seem to think we should be there and want Canadians pulled out of the area. Supporters of the 28-country coalition opposing Iraq may worry that these people are encouraging Saddam Hussein to think that if he holds on long enough public opinion will force allied governments to withdraw, but it seems much healthier for a country to be too pacifist than to be too hungry for military action. More worrisome would be having a population that seemed too ready to go to war at the least provocation, or a country that fell in line behind its leaders whenever they declared the “national interest” required them to get involved in some foreign adventure. The problem is that this pacificism is totally one-sided. There would be more hope for true peace if there were peace marches and rallies in Iraq, if the people there showed their leaders they would not follow blindly. Unlike Canada, however, Iraq isn’t a democracy and people don’t have the freedom to go against their government. The reluctance of Canadians to get “on side” must be a puzzle and a disappointment to Prime Minister Mulroney who must wonder what he has to do to get support from his people. While Americans, for instance, were divided before war broke out, polls since show President George Bush with a phenominal support rate among Americans. Patriotism once saved the career of Britain’s Margaret Thatcher who was low in the polls before Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands but got new life by Britain’s success in the war. But Canadians, instead of rallying behind the flag, seem to be taking this war as one more indication that the Prime Minister will follow the U.S. anywhere its president says. Perhaps Canadian reaction will prt>ve an education for the Prime Minister. Steeped as he is in a career as manager of a Canadian plant for American owners, he often seems to think that Canadians are just Americans who live north of a disappearing border. Perhaps he will learn from the reluctance of Canadians to support the war that we are not like Americans at all, that we have our own sense of right and wrong and that calls to arms just don’t work here like they do to the south. It’s ironic that in the past battles like Vimy Ridge in World War I and Dieppe and D-Day in World War II have been credited with helping forge Canadian self-confidence but in this case anti-war sentiments may prove that Canadians’ different personality may be more than just talk and wishful thinking. Tough at the bottom For years now the federal and provincial governments have squabbled and divided up powers as if the municipal governments don’t exist and the new GST proves once again the guy at the bottom gets dumped on. Local municipalities, county governments and school boards are all having to deal with the headaches the GST will bring to their operations. The tax will bring them both higher costs (the Huron Board of Education estimates about $1 million) and extra bookwork. Meanwhile, the provincial government, exercising its constitu­ tional perogative, has exempted itself from the tax. The Federal government hasn’t exempted itself but since it is the recipient of all the tax funds, the taxes one department pays will only be going to another anyway. All that will matter is we pay more for bureaucrats to straighten out the mess. But the municipalities are without power. They are the forgotten ones when the senior governments decide to carve up power. While the provinces demand more control over their own affairs from the federal government, they keep edging into the municipalities fields of power, nibbling away a little more each year. Because municipalities are so diverse and so many, there is nobody to stand up for their rights. Freeze-up Looking backward ONE YEAR AGO JANUARY 24, 1990 The first family skating night of the year was enjoyed by several families at the Belgrave Commun­ ity Centre sponsored by the Recre­ ation Board. Fred and Linda Meier and family won the prize for the largest family on skates. THREE YEARS AGO JANUARY 20, 1988 The Blyth firemen battled three fires within 36 hours. At about 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, firemen confronted a stubborn chimney fire at theTiome of David Webster just north of Blyth on Highway 4. Later that evening, firemen an­ swered a call two miles west of Blyth on County Rd. 25 at the home of Don Hill. On Monday night, firemen were called in by the Wingham Fire Department to battle a blaze at Garniss Farms, northeast of Bel­ grave. The machinery workshop on the farm of Bill Garniss was ablaze, fuelled by oils, greases, paint and oxy-acetylene. Firemen were able to protect nearby buildings, but the Garniss brothers, Bill and Doug, suffered a heavy loss of welding equipment. Alarmed at the sudden warm weather, the first vice-president of the Brussels Lions Club and Polar Daize chairman, Greg Ducharme said the decision to cancel or proceed with the winter festival would be made the following week. For the first time in five or six years the popular Polar Dip had been planned, as well as the log-sawing, tug-o-war contests, skate races, hockey puck-shooting contest and a novelty relay race. The Brussels council moved to set up a capital reserve fund with the money received for the sale of a building lot in the heart of Brus­ sels’ business section. The lots is the site of a restaurant that burned down some years ago. “Donald”, a 17-hand royal- blooded Clydesdale gelding that was in training"at Wayne and Marg The Citizen P.O. Box 429, BLYTH, Ont. NOM 1H0 P.O. Box 152, BRUSSELS, Ont. NOG 1H0 The Citizen is published weekly in Brussels, Ontario by North Huron Publishing Company Inc. Subscriptions are payable in advance at a rate of $20.50/year ($19.16 plus $1.34 G.S.T.] ($40.00 Foreign]. Advertising is accepted on the condition that in the event of a typographical error, only that portion of the advertisement will be credited. ' Advertising Deadlines: Monday, 2 p.m. - Brussels; Monday, 4 p.m. - 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. Continued on page 6 Phone 523-4792 Phone 887-9114 Editor & Publisher, Keith Roulston Advertising Manager, Dave Williams Production Manager, Jill Roulston Second Class Mail Registration No. 6968