Times Advocate, 1994-12-7, Page 6Page 6
Times -Advocate, December 7, 1994
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Cosmetics
ustice minister Allan Rock's
proposals for further restricting fire-
arms in this country won't, like the leg-
islation that went before it, accomplish
much.
Rock is very clearly following
through on his election promises to be
appearing to be "doing something". His
plans to include every rifle and shotgun
in a Canada -wide registry will serve to
tie up our already shorthanded police
forces. Despite promises of a "stream-
lined" and "computerized" system, it
will no doubt keep many police officers
behind desks dealing with law-abiding
gun owners, and not on the streets.
It isn't surprising the average Canadi-
an believes we need tougher gun con-
trol laws. With violent crimes (few as
they may be) becoming more and more
visible, the belief is that weapons are
too readily available to criminals. In-
deed they are, but they aren't statistical-
ly the handguns already registered in
Canada, they are typically smuggled
across the border.
Criminals and thugs seem to have few
disincentives to seeking weapons.
They are aware they can easily plea-
bargain away their firearms charges if
caught. Penalties are stiff for using a
firearm in a crime, they just aren't en-
forced.
The ink is barely dry on Bill C-17, the
Conservatives last round of firearms re-
strictions. As a report by the Library of
Parliament Research Branch notes, po-
lice have not had the time or resources
to properly put that legislation into ef-
fect. There is not even any indication
whether its restrictions on magazine ca-
pacities or bans on certain types of mili-
tary weapons have had even a negligible
effect on crime.
But, the most important aspect of Bill
C-17 was that it was a Conservative ef-
fort. The Liberals needed one of their
own, to go one better, to be seen "doing
something" more.
If there is anything useful in Alan
Rock's proposal, it is the call for tougher
penalties for those who use weapons in
crimes. But they need to be mandatory,
if not automatic. After all, our already
strict penalties don't mean much.
? .
Your iews
Letters to the editor
Lucan Irish, or London team?
Instead of actually thinking about
Lucan this year, they thought
about their own prestige by stack-
ing the team with "Potential" win-
ners.
Dear Editor:
Whenever you go to Lucan Arena you may ob-
serve the Junior D team playing a competitive game
of hockey or have you seen a game lately? Many of
the fans that used to watch Lucan's Junior D years
ago are no longer going there. And why should
they? Fans no longer know anyone on the ice. The
players that are now playing for Lucan's Junior D
are not Lucan residents nor are they the players that
have advanced through Lucan's minor hockey.
through the years. These players are drafted into Lu -
can from London area. In the meantime, Lucan se-
lects some players from the area to play Junior D
hockey. Once these players from London and area
arrive, the Junior D executives and coaches cut our
Ideal boys from the team.
At this time Lucan has many very good hockey
players that are advancing through the various lev-
r
els of minor hockey. Year after year the players ded-
icate many hours travelling, practising displaying
sportsmanship and playing hard to build a name for
the community of Lucan. Since maybe two players
that advanced through Lucan minor hockey make
the Junior D team, the rest of the players are forced
to either travel elsewhere to continue playing or quit
because Lucan has no other league for these players.
Is this how we Thank our community players for
their many years of dedication?
Maybe the Junior D executive and coaches should
think about Lucan and what they are doing to the
community and the local sponsors when they are se-
lecting the Lucan Junior D. Instead of actually
thinking about Lucan this year, they thought about
their own prestige by stacking the team with "poten-
tial" winners. The losers this year are you the coach-
es and executives! You've lost the support of the
fans, you've destroyed the dreams of our Lucan mi-
nor hockey players and you've lost the many pro-
ceeds that once helped the entire Lucan area. We
hope next year you think about Lucan, its communi-
ty and the love of the sport before you think about
your own selfish ego!
Wes and Christine Hodgson
A View From Queen's Park
By Eric Dowd
Ontarians may be crying all the way to the
election expected within months.
Politicians suddenly are tumbling over each
other to tell of their personal trials and tribula-
tions, something unprecedented in Ontario poli-
tics which has tended to maintain an Anglo-
Saxon stiff upper lip.
The latest is Progressive Conservative leader
Mike Hams, who put out a video which has
been shown on 1'V and reveals he had a serious
illness in 1980.
A friend in it recalls dolefully how 'Mike had
a virus that was very hard to diagnose, so none
of us was really sure what was happening with
him. Mike and his wife showed up at a Christ-
mas party and Mike was in a wheelchair.'
Hams then talks of the 'vulnerability of hav-
ing a very debilitating disease,' Guillain-Barre
Syndrome, which attacks nerves.
'After a period of about a week I found my-
self in hospital, unable to walk, losing more
and more mobility of the limbs...'
Harris's wife reminisces that he was 'lying
there, physically unable to do anything,' and.
'the recovery was so slow,' but it made the
couple stronger as he came out of it still in a
race to be elected to the legislature and won.
Harris's trademark is that he is tough -talking
and hard-hitting, particularly on government
spending and welfare abuse, and his advisers
have said they want to give him a more 'hu-
man' image.
They probably would claim that his illness
shows that people who are seriously ill can re-
cover and even lead a party and talking about it
may inspire others.
But it also makes Harris look more human
and softens his image and it is difficult to avoid
concluding that part of his aim is win votes.
A few weeks ago the New Democrat Minister
of Culture, Tourism and Recreation, Anne
Swarbrick, told a news conference of her fight
against breast cancer.
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Your Views
Letters to the editor
Still a place for Christmas in school
The public education system has
not closed its doors to tradition,
to values....
Dear F4itor:
Let's set the record straight! It seems timely to ad-
dress a myth that the public education system has
shut down its former business of offering morals,
values and 'religious' education and has somehow
devoided itself of traditional 'Christian' behaviours.
No so!
What better time than the approach of Christmas
to review a few such activities and clarify what's
really going on in Huron Public elementary and sec-
ondary schools.
In addition to the year-long, daily opening exer-
cises - which still include readings (including the
Lord's Prayer) and stories of a morals, values and
non -denominational religious nature, suitable to the
age and grade level of the children - there are nu-
merous learning activities and special events. For
example, why not drop in at one local school and
join the entire school body for its weekly "Virtues"
assembly? The December topics are 'patience,
peace and prayerfulness'. This event goes on all
year long with a new 'virtue' becoming the focus
each week. Perhaps you didn't hear about the "Par-
ents Teaching Virtues at Home' workshop co-
sponsored by the same school and the Children's
Aid Society (CAS)?
Maybe you'd like to drop in to one of the upcom-
ing school concerts and witness the annual and on-
going tradition of the school -kids version of the
Christmas Story or the Nativity? Try both elemen-
tary schools, for example, in my own community. If
you just want to be part of the 'Christian' Christmas
spirit of the season and tell about the origins of
Christmas from our traditional Christian roots and
as applicable to other cultures. You can listen to
their bands play "We Three Kings" or "How Far to
Bethlehem"; the choirs will render "'The Tiny
Child" or "Peace on Earth!"
Or be a part of the growing multi -cultural tradi-
tions which teach similar values in festivals of
'light' and 'enlightenment' in any of several town
and,village saw.* 4yhe the local enroltneat re-
flects the emergent multi -cultural nature and faith of
our changing Huron County neighborhoods.
If you want to pitch in, by opening your wallet to
help others, then join in the secondary school food
bank drives, or the Christmas Bureau CAS collec-
tions that are taking place in virtually every school;
or the multitude of other humanitarian ventures un-
dertaken by students and their teachers throughout
the system in an ongoing fashion, always... Come
with our children and young adolescents and their
teachers to the hospitals, to the nursing homes and
to the retirement centres where we lend a helping
hand.
Can you believe that we even have "Christian Fel-
lowship" and "Bible Study" groups - yes, outside
the curriculum, but within a number of our buildings
as complementary community or parent sponsored
activities! Do you know how many churches use our
buildings on Sundays? Do you know that the Gide-
on Society still visits every elementary school annu-
ally?
Have a second look. The public education system
has NOT closed its doors to tradition, to values and
morals, and to education about religion. And the
neat thing is, we don't preach it - we actually 'live'
it, through a combination of classroom learning,
special events and community involvement through-
out Huron County and across the world!
And if you want to make it even better. join with
us and share in our values vision of "Opening Up
the World"!
Yours truly
Paul Carroll
Director of Education and Secretary-Treas
Tugging at heartstrings
She said she was 'terrified' when she discov-
ered she had cancer and, 'had I been doing my
regular breast self-examination, I might not
have needed to go through chemotherapy. I
might not have needed to lose a breast.'
Swarbrick was launching Breast Cancer
Awareness Month and it can be argued that a
minister saying this forcefully reminds women
to screen themselves regularly. Her mention of
her own illness undoubtedly dramatized the is-
sue and news media gave it more coverage than
a routine announcement would have received.
Some media said also that Swarbrick showed
courage, so that she wound up with the most fa-
vorable coverage given an NDP. minister in
many months. Talking of her illness gained her
deserved sympathy and, planned or not, prob-
ably some votes.
David Reville, a former MPP who became a
senior adviser to Rae, talks at times about his
earlier mental illness. While this must encour-
age the mentally ill and help others realize'that
mental patients can recover, it also conveys a
message that the NDP must be a humane party
when it has such members. .
Premier Bob Rae also has been reported in
the media as breaking down several times when
talking of a brother's death from cancer and the
deaths of his father-in-law and mother-in-law
caused by a dangerous driver.
Some opposition MPPs feel he milks these
tragedies for sympathy, but are unwilling to say
so publicly because they might seem to lack
compassion.
This airing of personal tragedies breaks tradi-
tion. As one of many examples, the first wife of
William Davis, Progressive Conservative pre-
mier from 1971-85, died of cancer, but he nev-
er mentioned it publicly.
Politicians in an area of growing tabloid jour-
nalism seem more ready to bare souls and tug
heartstrjngs -- voters will have to be wary that
they are not just trying to wring out more votes.
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