Times Advocate, 1995-06-07, Page 4Page d
Times -Advocate, June 7, 1995
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•
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pinion
fJ
No compromise with evil
The picture of a Canadian sol-
dier handcuffed to a post near a Bosni-
an Serb ammunition dump brought two
responses from Canadians: anger, and a
feeling we should get out of Bosnia and
stop risking the lives of Canadians -
even if it means abandoning innocent
people to meet their fate at the hands of
barbarians.
And the temptation on the part of
western governments that have peace-
keepers on the ground in Bosnia is to
do just that: get out. How can their un-
armed peacekeepers do their job if they
are constantly in danger of being
grabbed and held hostage? If they can't
do their job, should they not just with-
draw?
Factored into the equation for demo-
cratic governments will be the political
implications of seeing their citizen -
peacekeepers abused or killed in a
country most of their citizens don't care
about. Is it in their "national interest"
for countries to be involved in peace-
keeping" Will it matter to Canada one
way or another, what happens in the
Balkans?
Western countries have just celebrat-
ed the 50th anniversary of the defeat of
an evil regine in Europe but we often
forget the beginning of that conflict. The
Nazis early on displayed their ruthless-
ness but no government was willing to
pay the cost of opposing them. With
memories of the terrible losses of World
War I only 20 years old, people in Brit-
ain, France and other countries, didn't
want to go to war again. They would
rather sacrifice Czechoslovakia or the
Rhineland than to fight. They rewarded
the veil of Hitler by backing down. They
passed up a chance to stop Hitler before
he was really powerful and they paid a
huge cost.
The Bosnian Serbs are not Hitler. It's
unlikely that the conflict there will
spread further than the boundaries of
what was once Yugoslavia. But evil,
ruthless things are happening in Bosnia.
The taking of peacekeeper hostages goes
beyond even Hitler's bound of decency.
The slaughter of innocent civilians goes
on. We cannot reward evil by giving in
to the Serbs. We must find ways to
make them pay a price, and send a sig-
nal to others that the world will not
stand by and allow barbarism because it
is afraid to pay the price to prevent it. .
Norah Huron Citizen
Results are worth the cost
The Perth County Board of Ed-
ucation plans on spending about $5
million over the next five years to up-
grade computers in its schools.
The money will come from a provin-
cial fund setup for the purpose. Some
of it will also be raised through local
taxes.
The issue of increasing taxes while
the recession drags on is one that re-
ceives considerable debate in board
rooms and council chambers across the
province. The financial situation of tax-
payers has not improved. So, the board
is asking for a raise from a group of
people who didn't get a raise them-
selves.
In the face of this fact lies the need of
schools to continue providing adequate
education for students. That education
is intended to prepare them for the
workplace.
With computers moving into more
and more workplaces, computer litera-
cy becomes a basic job skill. If schools
can't prepare students for the workplace,
they are not meeting the expectations of
its community. As technology and the
way of doing business changes, so do
employers' expectations of graduates
from the school system.
The cyclical plan to replace computers
every seven years, or five years, if fund-
ing permits, is a reasonable one. Stu-
dents will always work on a machine
similar to those used in business and in-
dustry. The time frame also helps the
board keep students up to date without
annually spending money on the last
computer advancement.
This plan will cost money. However, it
represents a small part of the budget in-
crease. Preparing students for the future
is worth the small increase. Avoiding
the increase and sticking with the old
machines will only hold students back.
That will carry a higher price to all of
society when they can't get progressive
jobs that serve the community.
Mitchell Advocate
TORONTO - Can anyone stop Mike Harris?
Few dreamed the question would be asked in
the last stages of the Ontario election.
For three years the Liberals led by Lyn
McLeod strolled comfortably ahead in polls,
but Progressive Conservative Harris suddenly
has leaped in front as if on steroids.
It is not hard to see why the Liberals have fal-
len. Having a huge lead and seeming almost a
government in waiting meant they have been
more scrutinized and they have not stood up
well.
McLeod started less known than opponents
and has failed to build a personal stature that
helps her party.
She looked insecure because she dodged re-
porters and was so late to question federal Lib-
eral cuts in transfers for health and social pro-
grams that doubt was created whether she is
tough enough to stand up to Ottawa.
McLeod has failed to grab any of the handful
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With warmer weather here
and the school year wrapping
up, more and more bicycles will
have to compete for space on
the road with other vehicles.
Safety for children is of partic-
ular concern to parents because
a bicycle provides children with
a means to expand their territo-
ry. The Huron County Health
Unit reports that a child is four
times more likely to be seriously
injured in a bicycle crash than
kidnapped by a stranger.
More than 80 per cent of bicy-
cle mishaps occur within five
miles of home. Bicycle injuries,
the vast majority involving head
injuries, make up 15 per cent of
Ontario's accidental deaths in
children.
Helen Eccles, of the Health
Unit outlined the damaged
cause in a trauma to the head in
a recent newsletter.
"Striking one's head on pave-
ment or other solid objects has
the potential for serious injury.
The human skull is tough but it
can be fractured at speeds of
seven to 10 kilometres per hour.
Bicycle safety
When the head strikes some-
thing, the brain bounces within
the skull with the potential for
irreparable damage to the tis-
sue".
Helmets that meet the Canadi-
an Standards Association re-
quirements can reduce the risk
of injury 85 per cent, according
to a cycling pamphlet distribut-
ed by the County of Huron.
Bicycles are classified as vehi-
cles under the Ontario Highway
Traffic Act and as such, have
the same responsibilities and
privileges as other road users.
Bike safety is important for
adults as well as children and
both young and old need to fol-
low the bicycle laws.
Cyclists must obey all traffic
signs and signals. Only one rid-
er per bike is permitted unless a
helmeted child is carried in an
approved carrier or the bicycle
is a tandem.
When traffic is light, cyclist
may ride two abroad as long as
they are not impeding traffic.
On roads with heavy traffic, rid-
ers must stay single file.
Riding on sidewalks is illegal
and can be a danger to pedestri-
ans.
Besides wearing a helmet and
knowing the rules of the road, it
is important that a bicycle prop-
erly fits the rider. A bike frame
which is too large is difficult to
control especially on off-road
trails.
Equipping a bicycle with a
light for night riding, regular
maintainance and keeping a tool
kit, patch kit, spare inner tube
and pump are recommended. A
bell or horn is a must to alert pe-
destrians or other riders you are
approaching.
Huron County is an excellent
area to explore on a bicycle.
Both racing and all -terrain cy-
clists will find there are a varie-
ty of paved and gravel roads as
well as more remote trails.
Among some of the best areas
for trail riding include Hullett
Wildlife Area, Benmiller and
the Bayfield Area. Morrison
Dam is an excellent spot to stop
for a picnic, to go fishing or to
cool off with a swim.
of issues preoccupying voters and make them
her own and instead chased after so many she
has watered further her party's already fuzzy
image.
McLeod is for cutting spending and balancing
the budget, but Harris promised these first, and
she is such a mix of Liberal and right-wing rad-
ical that voters are not sure what she stands for.
The federal Liberals, have hurt their provin-
cial party again by the timing of gun controls
and harsh punishment of dissenters and helped
breathe new life into an Ontario tradition of not
voting for the same party federally and provin-
cially. Even the ghost of Brian Mulroney seems
fainter.
Harris also deserves credit, first because he
stuck to a few issues - reducing spending and
taxes, forcing people to work for welfare bene-
fits and getting tougher with criminals, with
which many agree.
Harris also conveys more a sense of change
Harris leaps ahead in polls
many want and sounds stronger and more deci-
sive and some may like him for these character-
istics without being enthralled by his policies.
Harris's momentum came so late that oppo-
nents have little time to turn it around. If the
Liberals warn that electing Harris would cause
Ontario to fall apart, they may appear strident
and desperate and it could backfire, as their for-
mer premier, David Peterson; found in 1990
when he predicted that if the New Democrats
won, children would go hungry.
NDP Premier Bob Rae may slow Harris's
bandwagon a bit by his reminders that dramatic
tax cuts the Tories want will mean poorer ser-
vices, although he may not get votes for it. Rae
is out of the running and some worried about
reduced services may see more chance of main-
taining them by supporting McLeod.
Harris also will be scrutinized nlore now he
has a better chance of becoming premier and
this will show he is nor always as steady as he
sounds.
He has been for and against healthcare user
fees, casinos and rent controls, which he once
would scrap but now cautiously would abolish
only on apartments yet to be built.
Harris is vague on some of his ideas, includ-
ing what jobs would be available for welfare re-
cipients he would force to work.
He is much further to the right than previous
Tory leaders. William Davis, a party hero and
premier from 1971 to 1985, was urged by his
right wing to make welfare recipients work but
refused.
Some also may feel wary of Harris' company.
He boasts his supporters include financier Peter
Munk, in the news with his S2 million salary
and 'half -a -dozen lush homes around the
world,' and the Toronto Sun, which wor-
shipped the grpuupd Richard Nixon and Ronald
Reagan walked ort: Many Ontarians may not
want to go that far to the right.