6 - North Shere News - Sunday, August 27, 2000 ——VIEW POINT———— Surviving on ihe HERE may be hope for the human race after all. That is if you believe our collective future rests on the strengths of reason, toler- ance and compassion. - Some days that’s a hard concept with which to keep faith. News of babies abandoned, children mistreated, political prisoners tortured and atroci- ties committed in the name of religion make the stomach churn. Even news at the Iccal level eventually creates a cer- tain cynicism in most reporters. Some days it almost seems that racism, sex- ism, homophobia and NIMBYism were invented right here on the North Shore. Anger, frustration, personal misery or tragedy drive so many of the stories that cross the news desk. “- + OF course ‘we strive for balance. urnteers and charity donors continue to amaze. But then another letter to the editor will arrive full of bile and mean- spirited venom and our fragile rose- tinted spectacles darken once more. So laughter. tolerance and compas- sion becomes important; trust invalu- able. When they arrive in one package the result is a jaw-dropping, shake of the head. The harbinger of this most recent sunny burst of optimism was, surprisingly, television and the sum- mertime series that concluded Thursday: Survivor. If a “fat, naked fag” and an ex-U.S. Navy SEAL can co-exist for 39 days on a deserted island, forge an alliance based on trust and learn at least some respect for each other, then there must be hope that the rest of us could learn to respect each others’ strengths, not Good deeds do take place, random acts of kindness inspire and a legion of vol- “People have to stop thinking about what the gov- - | ernment and everyone else can do for them, but what . they can do for themselves.” Paulette. Mossop, North Vancouver and West “> Emergency ’ ‘Program’s neighbourhood emergency pre- : paredness program manager on the need to take personal _ responsibility for being prepared for “the big one.” (From an Aig. 33 News story.) : doo “He was a great pastor. When people were troubled he was there for them. He was the kind of guy that you could call on him to say a word and it would always be an eloquent word. He had a gift of being abie to express himself eloquently at the drop of a hat.” Don Collett, current minister of West Vancouver United Church mourning’ the passing of the church's minister emeritus,-Tom ‘Thurman Oliver. (From an Aug. 25 News story.) . . “e's like giving.a bear.a s spanking when you run it out of "town, instead of shooting it. In most cases they get the message not to come into a populated area — to Stay.in the bush.” ° -, Whistler: RCMP. Sgt: Wayne’ Mossman on the success of the festrt town’s use of non-lethal bear management tech- niques. “(From an Aug. 25 News story. ") Le “Q Q Qo 4 ‘can’t go to work and say, ‘I’m late because the bus driver. was up late because his girlfriend tried to commit suicide last night.””. -- Commuter cyclist Dan Jepsen on reasons for the delays of the Lions Gate Bridge, cycle shuttle. (From an Aug. 27 News story.) @O YOU KAVE A MEWS TIP? ‘Bu iness Hours: Michael Becker’. "News Editor 985-2131, local 114 - 7 985-2104: ” mbecker@nsnews.com ubesban, “newspaper and qualified under Schedule . 111, Paragraph 111 of the Excise Tax Act, is published 2 each “ Wednesday, Friday and Sunday ty HEN Pui ications Company and distributed to every door “gn the North Shore, Canada. Post Canadian ‘ff % ublications: Mait Sales Product Agreement No. ie 0087238. Maing rates availabie on request. Entire “contents © 2000 ‘HCN Publications Company. All rights | reserved.” Average : circulation ~ for _ Weanestiay, Friday and Sunday is 64,471. * hate each others’ weaknesses. Justice HEY, before all you human rights conference delegates slip out of town, there’s a small matter of jus- tice to attend to. Your Aug. 20 to 24 get-together chewed over a host of interna- tional human rights issues that will doubtless keep you and your entourages busy until the 53rd annual International Association of Official Human Rights Agencies confer- ence next year. But I didn’t hear much about all those tribunals your industry keeps generating in this part of the world. [Pm afraid they're in need of some immediate attention. Short 4 few judicial bricks of a load, they are. Just ask Don Dutton. . His quest for justice should give any right-thinking British Columbian reason to question the continued existence of the province's human rights tribunals. The UBC psychology professor initiat- ed legal action back in May to quash a ti- bunal decision that he claims has seriously damaged his professional reputation and inflicted deep wounds in his private life. For those who missed it, the tribunal decision in question was issued last October. it found that Dutton had created ‘something called “a sexualized environ- ment” in a meeting with an adult student who had visited his home in 1994 to dis- cuss her course work. And even though evidence presented at the tribunal hearing raised serious ques-_ eli itorial Manager - 985-2131 (165) ipeters@nsnews.com tions about complainant Fariba Mahmoodi’s credibility, the tribunal upheld the sexual harassment complaint and fined the professor $13,000. Those stoking B.C.’s human rights industry fires will doubtless dis- miss Dutton’s lawsuit as the actions of a sore loser. ~ But anyone who has - _ been caught in the cogs of the quasi-legal human rights machinery will sympathize with Dutton. From this side of the - page, I offer rousing applause and support. Dutton, of course, is not the only vie- tim of nial by governmenit-appointed ti- bunal. Retired News columnist Doug Collins is not a UBC professor. Fewer sensitive souls will therefore find sympathy with his cause; not because it’s any less worthy than Professor Dutton’s, but because Collins is a less politically palatable character. Tilley hats and abrasive opinions don’t make it these days with the cafe society or most new media types. - But Collins is Tkewise a human rights show trial victim. He too is seeking justice through the _ courts. But his is not a fight merely to restore a damaged reputation. His is a fight to rid the land of bad leg- islation. - Legislation that allows human rights tribunals to decree opinions and ideas off- limits to public discussion. And not just for the wearers of Tilley hats and the authors of opinions and ideas LETTERS TO THE EDITOR must include your.” name, full address and telephone number. low on rights agenda that offend the political in-crowd. 2 Any authors. Any songwriters. Any publishers of any written material. ; Collins’ reputation has likewise been’ maligned, his personal life likewise thrown © -. into turmoil by human rights persecution. Bur that goes with the ternitory as staked out by Collins. Besides, in the old school of journalism We you give as goad as you get. Both Dutton and Collins, along with this newspaper, were prosecuted in the same biased human nghts vente — politi- cal show trials at which truth is nota": defence; at which fair comment is not a” defence, at which qualified privilege is not a defence... Show trials whose decisions cannot be appealed. Show wials in which com-: plainants are automatically funded by g ernment legal aid, but the accused must“ shoulder al! his or her legal and other : defence costs. Show trials that deliver go ernment edict not justice. ee And both Collins and Dutton bore th scrutiny of media who, forthe most part,, were on the side of the complainant, fro the start. Both have suffered. ; Neither is about to win any justic the court of public opinion which finc anyone charged guilty until il proved i inno: cent. err Both Cc than our sympathy.” B.C.’s human rights industry destroying lives for political gain. It’s undermining your democratic ” sights in the name of fashion. It needs dismantling before more dam age is done. Then maybe we can gei to those pr o ing g international human rights issues. . —trenshaw@n . Satznit via e-mall to: mbecker@nsnews.com 1138 Lonsdal After Sours Mews Tips: $80-2131 (press 3)? Timothy Re Executive Editor 985-2131 (756) beashawansnews.com Distribution Manager 988-1337 (124).