The Huron Expositor, 1984-09-26, Page 2OPINION
Huron® It r
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RON WASSINK1 Editor
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SEAFORTH, ONTARIO, WEDNESDAY, SEPTET„iBER 26, 1984
Second class mall registration Number 0696
Examine the facts
The recent police shootings and killings in Ontario has many people up
In arms. Many people are demanding that capital punishment be
reinstated. Others want stricker gun laws.
But does the solution Ile with either of these suggestions?
Before we demand anything be reinstated, we must examine the facts.
One Toronto cop was knifed and the most recent was shot by a fanatic who
got his kicks fantasizing about a movie. That fantasy turned to reality2- --
Perhaps the problem Is we don't have longer prison terms. And the
second is that guns aren't the only weapons used to commit murder. What
about a kitchen knife, or baseball bat?
Bread and water and a hard bunk meant hard time. Today we're catering
to the prisoner. Life In prison Isn't all that bad, especially with color
television and three good meals a day. Maybe we shouldn't be so quick to
release a criminal before their time has been served. A 20 year sentence
could mean a prisoner Is out on the street in 10 years or less because of
good behavior.
And as for stricter gun laws, Ontario probably has the strictest laws in
North America. A potential gun buyer must have or must apply for a
Firearms Aquisition Certificate. And before he or she gets a FAC, their
background Is closely checked by the RCMP.
Guns are stolen and smuggled across the border. If there's a means,
there's a way, If somebody is determined to murder.
Capital punishment or stricter gun laws may not be the answer. . Maybe
it's time to look at the justice system.
' Let's not act on emotions, but examine all the alternatives. - R.W.
Death penalty no threat
The deaths of two Toronto policemen and the critical Injury of a Nepean
officer have raised calls for the reinstatement of the death penalty, says
The Lucknow Sentinel. The Nepean police chief has stated that the two
officers gunned down in an apparent roubery attempt would not have been
shot if the criminals had known they faced the death penalty.
While policemen across the country have a right to be angered by the
deaths and injuries of their comrades, statistical evidence does not support
the theory that capital punishment deters a killer. The threat of hanging Is
not going to stop the killer blinded by rage, the killer who Is insane or the
killer who has no respect for human life.
In the one Toronto incident Constable Douglas Tribling was shot again
and again after he was down, as was Constable Ralph Erfle as he lay
sprawled across the front seat of a cruiser in Nepean. These killers have no
respect for human life. They chose to carry weapons, while they committed
robberies. They were prepared to shoot If necessary. The death of
Constable Nell Pjukkala in Toronto would appear to have resulted because
the killer was insane.
Punishment of crime must be for the sake of justice, not for revenge as
Toronto lawyer Edward Greenspan pointed out recently. The moral fabric
of society dedlines when it can consciously Justify taking the life of one
person for another.
We might add another point: With public opinion as It Is In this country It
might be very difficult to Impanel a Jury anywhere on which there would
not be at least one person who would refuse to vote for the legal killing of
even a known murderer. In which case some of the killers might go scot
free to repeat their crimes.
Converting consumers
COUNTRY CORNER
- by Larry Dillon
I'm a pig farmer and I'm proud of it. 1 am
not too proud or pleased with something that
the Ontario Pork Producers Marketing Board
has done on my behalf. They have develdped
a new film to teach children to eat more pork.
The film was shown for the first time to the
members of the Ontario hog industry at their
semi-annual meeting in Toronto.
It is a dglightful and entertaining show. I
enjoyed every moment of it. Children are
featured in the roles of the various
professionals in the industry from farmer
through to cooks. The film is honest, well
researched and entertaining. It is an
excellent commercial for the pork industry.
But the pork producers are making a
mistake. They designed the film for use in
schools. They are upset because some animal
welfare extremists used the schools to spread
their propaganda and the pork producers
want to get their side of the story across. The
fact that someone else abuses the system
does not make it right for others to do so.
As a parent, 1 am concerned about the
material used in the school system to teach
my children. Using this film, which concludes
with one of the actors stating "Pork is the
best thing in the world", is the same as
showing a commercial.
The school system is not the place to show
,, commercials. Using films such as this implies
the -endorsement of the product by a teacher
who the children respect and admire. But it is
not the function of the schools of the teachers
to endorse any commercial product.
if the schools do wish to get into commodity
endorsement, then they should give equal
time to chickens and cows and every kook
with a crazy idea or product to sell. The
parents should be advised of these commer-
cial activities and be allowed to withdraw
their children during times of product
promotion.
The schooling our children receive is a
ecessary part of their growing experience.
mg to teach the fundamental skills
requt d to function in our society has been
the role of the schools. Promotion of meats or
laxatives or other products has been left to
the media.
We regularly become alarmed when the
universities claim that the high school
graduates seeking admission are lacking in
their ability to read, write or do simple
arithmetic, it is vital to our community that
our schools concentrate on these three basic
skills, With an ability in these areas, the
students will be able to study and learn any
subject they wish to master.
From the age of just'a few days, children
are exposed to the one eyed monster which
occupies the corner of most livingrooms in the
nation. Commercial messages are continually
spewed out in an attempt to affect their
demands, and as they grow older their buying
behaviour. The children have learned to
expect distortions and half truths from the
commercials on their televisions,
Commercials in the schools will be
presented under the disguise of learning. The
CONSUMER/ PAGE THREE
•
KIDS had a ball at the Brussels Fall Fair
last Wednesday. Here are some scenes of
the fair, Shown top, left, Laura Douma; top
right, Shannon Hallahan; bottom .centre,
Julie Verburg; bottom right, Angela
Dolmage. (Wassink photo)
brussels Fall Fair
Questions for PopeJohnPauI 11
It was the first time 1 had ever applied and
received a media accreditation, It was a
press pass that could only be used for the
Midland stop of the Papal tour last Saturday.
Though the press pass didn't allow me to
do and see things as much as 1 had expected,
it still proved to be a lifesaver, as I made my
way past hundreds of Ontario Provincial
Police, Each time 1 was stopped, I had to
produce my pass, explain where I was going
and why. The why was obvious --to see the
Pope. Because of the pass, I. along with
about 100 other media types, was allowed
access to the media building in Midland and
the media tent at the altar site. Shuttle bus
service was also provided at no charge.
Despite all the planning. everybody and
everything seemed to be a collection of
.organized confusion. One of my concerns
was getting out of Midland immediately
after the Popc finished his homily. Escry
time 1 asked a question. I received a
different answer—yes. the shuttle buses arc
running continually Saturday. morning—No,
they will stop between 8.10 a.m. ••No,
they're not running a1 all, except very early,
in the morning.
11 was imperative that 1 he home Saturday
afternoon. Thursday night I was ready 10
head home. 1 MIA terrified I'd he stuck in
Midland lit Sunday.
SENSE AND NONSENSE
by Ron Wassink
The same confusion held true for some
1200 OPP and what seemed like an equal
number of plain clothes Mounties. 1 wanted
to know the exact route. the Pope would be
taking in the four stops he would make. My
concern was getting from one vantage point
to another. without being stopped and
without the Pope getting there before I did.
Again. dile question was asked of 10
different officers, and each time the answer
was different.
• I cane to the conclusion nobody knew
anything, except to guard the Popc. Finally,
I was satisfied. Everything seemed to fall
into place about an hour before the Pope
arrived. I made it to three different points.
saw the Pope, listened to him briefly, and
was the first person on the first shuttle bus
hack to the downtown media centre.
I probably put as much planning into the
Papal visit as did the Canadian Conference
of Catholic Bishops. In the two days 1 was in
Midland. I got to know the town like the hack
of my hand. 1 walked the Shrine site three
times and toured Ste. Marie -among -the•
Hurons twice. 1 would hazard a guess that I
put on more walking miles than the
popemobile.
But my one wish, and it wasn't granted,
was to speak to the Pope for two minutes. I
had hundreds of questions that needed
answers.
Back in May. I talked with Ray Contois.
principal of St. James Separate School, and
asked him to ask his students to write down
some questions they would ask the Pope if
given the opportunity.
0 1 received the questions, and carried them
with me to Midland, but to no avail. Since I
couldn't ask him in person, 1 may mail the
questions to the Vatican, c o Pope John Paul
Some are hilarious, others are religiously
serious. Here's a sample.
A grade eight student asks. "What do you
do when it is next to impossible to love your
fellow man?"
"What is your real name?” asked Pant
Nolan, grade eight.
"i would ask the Pope to come to our
church for a while. And 1 would thank him
for his time," says Daniel Blake. grade four.
"Did you want to he anything else when
you were little?" asks Mike Nolan, grade
four.
would ask him to prays for my mom
because she has a hard exam in anatomy,"
says Janice Rodney, grade three" •
"is it fun 16 be a Pope or is it boring?"
asks Jill Betties. grade three.
"How do you feel about the younger
generation?" asks Connie Mem. grade
seven,
"Why do you wear that little hat?" asks
Shelly O'Brien.
"What arc you going to do after you're
done being the Pope?'; asked another
student.
"Were you angry at the man who shot at
you, or did you forgive him?" asks Carol
Ann McQuaid.
There were many more. all along the same
line as those above. This was probably the
hest part. of the Papal visit. Hope you
enjoyed the questions as ouch as I.
Computer crazy, or crazy computers?
The writing is on the wall .,or on the
computer screen.
I saw the other day that the Japanese has('
invented a robot that could play the organ. It
seems it's only a matter of time before
musicians, artists and writers will he
replaced in this electronic age
And who can argue against it? In an aka
that prizes efficiency over everything else. ss c
artistic types just aren't efficient If an
efficiency expert followed me around for a
day, for instance. how could I convince him
that I was really working as I stared nut the
window beside my desk. my fingers sitting
lifelessly on the keys of my typewriter.
How could I persuade him that sitting
reading endless newspapers. magazines and
hooks. that taking long walks. or sitting on
the stone pile on top of the hill in the hack 40.
looking out over the countryside and listening
to the wind rustling the grass was rcalls an
important part of the creative process and not
BEHIND THE SCENES
by Keith Roulston
goofing off. I even have trouble convincing
my wife of that.
I must admit that in a community where
farmers get up at 5 a m. to milk the cows and
souk until after dark. where truck drivers put
in 24 hour days on long hauls, where guys in
the feed mill slug 100 -pound hags all day. a
''Titer looks a little ridiculous. A friend of my
son's went home one day and told his parents
hew anted to be what 1 was when he grew up
because 1 never do anything So how can 1
argue if a robot finally puts some rationality
into the job.
We have to admit too it's about nue turn to
gel killed by technology_ In the newspaper
business for instance, the writers and
reporters are the one group that hasn't been
hurt much by modern technology. Once upon
a time newspapers were thin because all the
type had to be laboriously set by hand, each
letter picked out of a case by a typesetter
Typesetters became scarce with the coming
of the Linotype. Newspapers became thicker
and more reporters were hired.
Then came the offset printing process and
more people in the backshop went. Then
came eomputerited typesetting and side'
display terminals and reporters ended up
setting their own type putting typists out. of
work. Soon a few people may he able to run
the whole naner by having robots make up the
whole paper. Think how that will make the
publishers smile.
But can robots really do the lob? Can they
really be creative? Aftcr all. a recent studs in
the U.S.. showed that .10 per cent of the
highly creative artists studied were mad .
i'
sell. at least had to go to get psys hiatric help
because of their manic depressive mental
states.
Can the computer programmers goe the
machines the correct warped point of stew
that makes human artists see things
differently than ordinary, sane people It 'sill
he interesting to see. After all, computers
have been driving humans crazy for years so a
turn about should he fair play
But if robots aren't as creative. will
anybody notice? Probably not Fse a hunch
the people in Hollywood who make television
programs have been using computers to w rite
the scripts for years.
Nobody seems to have noticed that
She's going to make a good Prime Minister
Thank heaven the election's over and we
can get down to serious things.
As predicted by all the pundits. we have a
new Prime Minister. not that we haven't had
a new one lately. Alias John Turner
But. shades of Dief the Chief. Billie King.
and other assorted ghosts. we now have. with
the greatest number of seats ever • Ta Da
Prime Minister Mila Mulroney.
What's that you say? It's Brian Mulroney?
Nonsense. Oh. 1 know, He gets the title. She
lets him read the speeches, which he docs
quite well, with her hand on his hack: "Is that
a dagger that 1 can see behind me?"
Canada; despite Indira Ghandi of India,
Golda Meier of Israel and Maggie Thatcher of
Great (once upon a time) Britain, is not yet
ripe fora woman P.M. That's why they must
have a consort who can read the speeches and
keep his mouth absolutely shut about
everything except the weather.
Maureen McTeer almost made it, but her
consort kept trying to ram both feet in his
mouth at once. and stubbornly refused to
discuss the weather.
But Mrs. Mulroney (sounds like someone
from the wrong side of the tracks, but isn't)
made it. !shudder to think what it will cost us
to re -redecorate the P.M.'s house on Sussex
St. in the capital city, Bytown.
You think I'm joking? Didn't you have
4
SUGAR AND SPICE
by Bill Smiley
enough stamina to stay up and watch the last
appearances of the party leaders on election
day'
A tired Turner gave up gracefully and
df Jicated himself to something resembling
the re•huilding of the Great Wall of China.
A beaming. belligerent Broadbent rtiter•
ated for the umpteenth time that he was
going to look after the ordinary people of
Canada. and warned Mrs. Mulroney, though
he had grace enough to call her Mr.
Mulroney. that if she/he did not use every
plank they had lifted from the NDP platform.
she he was in dire straits.
Mila. our Prime Minister -elect. was much
less inhibited, as she should have been. She
jigged and jogged and waved for the
cameras, drinking in the applause, grinning
broadly (she doesn't have a jaw problem).
and soaking up the cheers.
She pointed with abandon and a wide grin
at various members of the congregation who
will expect to be senators next week, and
punched her consort in the ribs until he too
pointed and hared his teeth.
She didn't retire gracefully into the
background during the victory speech. but
stood so close to her consort that she could
read i1 and make sure he didn't make any
boo-boos. She put her head. lovingly behind
his back while he was speaking: "This is a
dagger that 1 feel behind me.'
In short, it is not Caesar, but Caesar's wife,
who is. and must be seen to he. beyond
reproach. I think she'll make a dandy Prime
Minister.
Not that Mila doesn't have her faults. She
doesn't have a strong jaw. like Flora
Macdonald, Maureen McTeer, and her
consort. But because of that, she has an
impish grin, which none of the others can
achieve, and which turns people on, if they
are turned on by impish grins.
She speaks too many languages. at least
three, which is anathema to those ordinary
Canadians Ed B. is always talking about. One
is enough for them, two is suspicious, and
three is down -right dangerous.
She is not exactly a great "built" as we
used to say. But that's in her favor. in these
days of feminism when a sweater is
something to keep you warm. rather than
reveal.
Another thing going agamst her is the svc
of fhe majority. Huge majorities arc more
dangerous for the winner than small
minorities.
About a third of Canadians who voted Tors
are going to be shouting in the pups
"Wattaya talkin' about. Mita kissed me, an'
the uddaguy shook hands with me. I'm a
cinch for the Royal Commission on High-
ways. I got the boys warmin' up the machines
right now."
One more thing that may hurt her. about
1998. is her femininity. She's gond•Irnking,
intelligent. and sophisticated. As long as
there is a secret ballot in Canada, I can see. in
the future, vast hordes of Canadian men
voting against her. out of sheer frustration
and envy.
However, she's got a lot going for her. She
has guts which don't hang over her hell, as
most politicians do. She has brains, proven by
the fact that she chose a blarney for her
consort, instead of a true and tired politician.
She's a great if slightly elderly cheer -leader,
as witness her very visible hand -clapping
every time her consort stopped for, a breath.
Good luck, Mila. I'm positive unemploy-
ment', inflation. and women's rights will
disappear under your reign.
1