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Times Advocate, 1989-11-08, Page 4Pace Times -Advocate, November 8, 1989 Times Established 1871 Advocate Established 1881 Amalgamated 1924 Published Each Wednesday Morning at Exeter, Ontario, NOM 1S0 Second Class Mail Registration Number 0386. Phone 519-235-1331 cn P ROSS HAUGH Editor HARRY DEVRIES Curnposition Manager PCNA JIM BECKETT Publisher 8 Advertising Manager DON SMITH t 'Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Canada: $27.00 Per year; U.S.A. $68.00 Pleasing no one rime Minister Brian Mulron- ey's, natural tendency for compromise, honed during his time as a lawyer mediating labour disputes, has obviously influenced the way he now acts as head of the govern- ment of Canada. However, his govern- ment's proposed legislation on abortion has angered those on both sides ° of the abortion debate. Pro -choice advocates are upset because abortion remains in the criminal code and does not ensure equal access to the procedure across the country. One spokesperson said leaving the final au- thority up to a doctor removes the wom- an from the decision-making process. The anti -abortionists are equally out- raged. They say the legislation sanc- tions abortion on demand, and gives the fetus no protection. The Law Society of Canada would like to include a cut-off time after which abortions could not be performed. • Even some federal Conservatives have indicated that in a free vote they will re- ject their government's legislation. Abortion has been a controversial sub- ject for quite some time. Until 1969, all abortions were illegal unless a commit- tee of three doctors decided a woman's life was in danger. An amendment al- lowed abortions if a woman's health would be seriously affected by continu- ing with a pregnancy. In 1988, the Supreme Court of Canada, in a 5 to 2 decision, found that the abor- tion law was in violation of the section of the Charter of Rights guaranteeing se- curity of person. Since then, the legality or illegality of abortion has been in lim- bo. This proposed amendment does noth- ing to -settle the issue. In trying to please everybody, Mulroney has ended up pleasing nobody. Playing it tough ' speaker at the Huron County Pork Producers s special meet- ing in Londesboro on October 26 pointed out a problem for Canadians trying 'to go head to head with Ameri- cans in the search for markets. Hog producers were discussing a new $2 a hog levy to offset a possible new U.S. duty which the Canadian producers think will be disallowed but they don't know for sure. But if the Americans lose this case, the man said, they'll just dream up another one to keep harassing Cana- dian packers and producers until they Yvonne Reynolds decide it's too expensive to try to enter the U.S. market. With the various trade actions by the Americans, Canadian producers have al- ready spent huge amounts in recent years to try to keep the market open. This despite the fact American farmers have just as many subsidies as Canadian farmers. What Canadians are finding out is that when dealing with aggressive American businessmen, you can lose even when you win. The Citizen, Blyth Hunters yes - "hunters" no I'm not dead -set against hunt- ing. If we go back far enough, most of us arc descended from hunting tribes. And many native groups in Canada today certain- ly need hunting -and trapping to survive. Hunting with dignity There is something very digni- fied about hunters who kill game because they need the meat for food, the hide for cloth- ing, the bones for tools. Hunting societies are one with nature. They prey on other species to survive, as wolves or hawks do. There is also room far modem hunters with modem weapons. I think that properly regulated and policed hunting does not harm the environment or contribute to the extinction of species. But do we insist that our hunters re- ceive adequat: c-' and training? Ar ti, req. reu ' hours enough'! Arc -Ila tiers sufficiently cnfo.c� i ice' ti .it we need some addition- al legislation. I am not a hunter myself. The idea of killing beautiful animals is abhorrent to me. Yet I do not favour the abolition of hunting. I know that scientifically super-, vised "culling" could have a beneficial effect on wildlife pop- ; ulations. I do, however, question the motives of many hunters. They may sc some of their game for su,c non-native hunters take to the bush not for meat, but for the ad- venture. For the thrill of staking out, tracking down and killing game. For the "sport" of it. Roadside "hunters" Among the worst are the peo- ple I see near our house. They don't even bother going into the bush. They sit in the cab of their pickup trucks, parked on the side of the road, a loaded fore- arm on the left, a canon of beer on the right, waiting for a poor, unsuspecting deer to cross their path. Then ,they put stmt their With: of beer, grab their rifle, and fire away out of the win- dow. This is hunting? Shouldn't we have a law that prohibits hunting from a public roadway and hunting while un- der the influence of alcohol? Isn't it high time for our legisla- tors to make a move? Trophy "hunters" I resent these "sportsmen" as much as 1 resent the macho char- acters who pay.$200 (for a non- resident licence to eta hot at a moose, o y to cut is eao`° tie it as a trophy on the roof of their car, and leave the carcass to the wolves. I see too many of these trophies strapped to the top of cars and pickups, parked in front of the local tavems. There is no dignity in that kind of hunting. These animal killers demonstrate that they have no respect for their prey and no re- spect far the feelings of others who find their behaviour sicken- ing. We teach our children to love nature. How do you explain se- vered, bloody moose heads to an 8 -year old who is taught to re- spect all life? These trophy hunt- ers are violating my sense of propriety. Time for legislation I question the wisdom of al- lowing such exhibitionism. The Serving South Huron, North Middlesex Si North Lambton Since 1873 Published by I.W. Eedy Publications limited Lest we forget Each November over 14 mil- lion poppies bloom in Canada. Dotting the lapels of half of Can- ada's population, this symbol of remembrance makes its annual appearance as it has done every year since 1926. The Legion Poppy Campaign raises money which is kept in trust and used to assist needy Canadian ex -service members and their families. Veterans of Commonwealth and allied coun- tries may also qualify for assis- tance through the poppy funds. The poppy is a visible reminder of the sacrifice made by some 114,000 men and women who died while serving in Canada's armed forces during the two World Wars and the Korean con- flict. For each donation given during the campaign, a visible symbol of remembrance is provided, ei- ther in the form of a single pop- py, a wreath or a spray, or, in the case of group donations, a certificate. During 1988 some $5 million were distributed in accordance with the general bylaws of the Royal Canadian Legion. Although everybody knows what the poppy means, no one is certain of how it all began; how the poppy became so closely as- sociated with remembrance of the war dead. The association was certainly not new when the poppy was adopted in Canada in 1921. At least 110 years before that time, a correspondent wrote of how thickly poppies grew over the graves of the dead. He was speaking of the Napoleonic War and its campaigns in Flanders. A Canadian medical officer was chiefly responsible for the From the editor's disk by oss Haugh association of the poppy with war dead during the First World War. He was John McCrae, a na- tive of Guelph who was an artil- lery veteran of the Boer War and had the eye of a gunner, the hand of a surgeon and the soul, of a poet when he went into the line at Ypres in 1915. We are fortunate in this. area to have very active and successful branches of the Royal Canadian Legion in Exeter, Lucan, Hen- sall and Grand Bend. The Royal Canadian Legion maintains professional service officers who are trained to in- vestigate claims as well as to prepare and present submis- sions to the appropriate pension board or commission. The Le- gion also deals directly with the federal government to ensure that the •pensioners are fairly treated, particularly in this time of inflation. . The Legion with}soome 1,800 branches across Canada and in West Gennany and the United States, is involved in each com- munity in which it is located. The Legionnaires support over 400 cadet corps in Canada and a similar number of scout groups. In amateur sports 8-17 hockey, 870 baseball and 713 softball teams, as well as 500 track and field clubs receive Legion assis- tance. Almost 1,000 bursaries are provided to further education of those who need financial help. The elderly are provided for in more than 100 communities through senior citizens' housing programs, meals on wheels, rec- reational programs and help for the sick and handicapped. The Legion is a non-profit, dues supported organization. It receives no financial support from outside agencies. Getting back to the poppy fund, when Legion members like Murray Greene make their rounds of Exeter streets this week, be generous. Lest we for- get. Thought" of the Week: Closed minds are curious things. While nothing gets into them, the strangest things come out. Are you the photographer? Reporters are nocturnal crea- tures. While we might venture out in daylight hours to gather information, our best writing is done in the dead of night. In our office, we even have a sign that reads "Sleep is for sis- sies". After late-night council meetings, we sit before our glowing computer screens, curs- ing our drooping eyelids - but one glance at that sign brings us back to reality and makes sure those stories still make sense in the morning before they go into the paper. The management of weekly newspapers have long been. aware of the habits of their re - provincial authorities, who regu- " porters and thus, in the late late hunting and who licence ,,9 `-IumttiV,'Mated -w iii P c- fill those otherwise idle daytime hours: photography. tice. It gives responsible bunters a bad name. These Rambos should be discouraged from driving around trying to prove their masculinity. How much strength or skill does it take. to flatten a moose with a powerful, long-range firearm? The only thing these people prove is that they like killing, that they don't give a hoot about the environ= ment, and that they have no con- cern for the feelings of others. It is ti e e to this re- vo ting • anc custom. a sto I'm sure they mean well, but unless they have actually tried to furiously gather all pertinent in- formation at an event while si- multaneously snapping a few stunning photographs, few can appreciate how difficult it really is. Newspaper photographers look enviously at those all -in - one snapshot cameras people use to rhotograph their children, ags stuffed with equipment. Alas, those little cameras don't have lenses wide enough, or long enough, for every photo. Their built-in flashes won't light up an entire hall, and they certainly Hold that thought... By Adrian Harte can't capture a speeding hockey player halfway across a dimly-lit arena. Of course, we don't need all leave just one thing behind and Murphy's law prevails - you need it in the worst kind of way. Weekly newspaper reporters are fearless animals. We take photographs no one else dares. A grim example is getting a group photo of a bunch of nur- sery school children who are up way past their bedtime. One colleague described such situations as "horror shows". Out of 10 such toddlers, two will wander away before the pic- have a glazed, maniacal look in- stead of a smile. Two will start singing. To parents, of course, this is all very cute. To the photogra- pher who goes through this sev- eral times a week, it's a night- mare come true. I also love it when people ask me "Are you the photographer?" as I stand there juggling came- ras, lens caps, flash cords and rolls of film. The trouble is, I really enjoy photography. I've been serious about it .for a decade now, but after shooting five or -six rolls a week at work, I don't want to look at a camera in my spare time. That's why, last summer. I went on vacation without my 35 -millimetre equipment. In- stead, I brought the bigger stuff to bring back some "real" imag- es of England. What I forgot was that "real" cameras weigh more than others - a lot more. By the time I had walked across half of London, both my shoulders were numb from the weight of the bag. I began to hate photography. The saddest part is that while I did get some good pictures, 1 didn't ture is taken. Three will neveLt gsllag„ltntP-.. :x-, a 1 camera terve ill - Please turn to page 5