6 - Friday, October 8, 1993 — North Shore News scgUANiRANNROAUNANANNANNARRERERANY WS Rasy a | WUE ME BWW SARA a ANA UNG ss ARN SANS SS POSADA BARRAGE See out of personality EBATES INVOLVING prime min- isterialwanna-bes bear a, striking resemblance to boxing matches in- “volving has-been pugs. ta both “contests; the crowd ‘salivates for a ‘knock-out blow that never comes, yet a __winuner. is always proclaimed in headlines "fhe following morning. ” Witness. Monday: - night’s five-corner - dastanp between federal party leaders. ‘Armed with a’ headful of handlers’ .ad- vice,’ ‘the candidates embarked on 2 bob- " and-weave display that would make George ‘ . Foreman proud. Like aging boxers, they shuffled around the issues et*hand!' at times ganging up on one of the’ favorites when a chatlenger had drawn blood.: And it is ‘often the insignifi cant pile-ons and flurries that tip the scale in the eyes of media purdits, who go to great pains to raise aloft the champion’s arm. Another similarity between national lead- ers’ debates and the battles of aging boxers is that their outcome has little bearing on reality. . In boxing, staged super-fights act ‘as warm-ups for fighters climbing out of justified retirement. More often than not, the warm-up is their swan song. In politics, debates, especially at the ae tional level, are likewise futile. . Ina parliamentary system,.as we have in Canada, we vote for. our local candidate, not the federal party leader. Yet we still use this archaic debate device. to judge the metile of potential leaders. LETTER OF THE DAY Time to ‘look beyond the status quo’ Dear Editor: ., Will McMartin’s performance at the Sept. 30 all-candidates forum ‘demonstrated why North. Shore voters should adopt a “Will for Change.”’ McMartin’s failure to answer questions about Progressive Con- servative party policies echoes a theme consistent. with his party’s national campaign: the desire to avoid dealing with-any issues until after the Oct. 25 vote. By hurling verbal assaults at the policies of Preston Manning and the Reform party instead of an- swering direct questions on his own party’s policies, McMartin communicated the Tories’ long- Standing preference to misinform the public with lies and = half- truths. Since he insulted ‘the intelligence of those in attendance at the forum, North Shore residents should think twice about sup- porting McMartin and the failed policies of the Tory party. North Shore residents who are cynical about their politicians need to look no further than McMartin as an example of such cynicism. Voters are looking for alter- natives to these- self-righteous ego-maniacs who have. become Staples in our political system. If the North Shore truly is seeking a ‘‘will for -change,’’ perhaps it’s time to look beyond the status quo of the Tory party. Bruce Adanac North Vancouver .....Pater Speck | “Timothy Renshaw .Noel Wright Publisher Managing Editor | Associate Editor. ... Sales & Marketing Director Linda Stewart Comptroller . . Doug Foot North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an indepandent suburban newspaper and qualilied under’ Schedule 111, Paragraph Hl of the Excise Tax Act, is published ‘each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Ltd. ana distribuied to every door on the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement Mo. 0087238. Mailing rates available on request, Submissions are welcome but . - we cacnct accept responsibility for unsolicited material including manuscripts and pictures which should ‘be accompanied by a stamped, sell- addressed envelope. Newsroom SUNDAY © WH! V7M 2H4 Display Advertising Real Estate Advertising 985-6982 Classified Advertising 986-6222 Fax 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, ~~ North Vancouver, B.C. ta at This newspaper coniains recycled libre. North Shore managed Distribution 986-1337 &s Subscriptions 986-1337 985-3227 : Administration 985-2131 6 MEMBER SNY SDA DIVISION 980-0511 985-2131 61,582 (average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Entire contents © 1993 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. ONCE UPON a time there was a big meadow filled with many littie creatures —-- among them a grasshopper and an ant. The ant was always working, piling up food and strengthening his little hole in the ground for winter. But the grasshopper sat in the sun all day enjoying himself and strumming his legs. Periodically the ant would lay down one of his burdens, wipe his — sweaty brow, and say to the grasshopper: ‘‘You know, you really ought to give some thought to tomorrow. You should save for the future, you should work.” The grasshopper would laugh, and call the ant insensitive. This went on through the fall, though the days became shorter and the sun shone less. When the ant would stop and rest and warn the grasshopper about the implications of this trend, the grasshopper would lec- ture the ant on the Meadow Clause and tell him that this meadow .was not like the awful one further south where no one cared about anyone else. | ‘ “The creatutus in our meadow are caring, charitable beings, and . they look after one another.” And he would stretch his limbs in the waning sunlight, and. - describe his plans for government tanning salons for the long winter months. And then winter came. One morning the ant got up and ” pushed aside the leaf he had cut into a door, and found the mead- ow buried in a fine thick blanket of snow. He admired ‘the beauty of the scene for a while, and.then he went back inside for some breakfast. While he was eating, a knock came at his door, and he answered it to find the grasshopper there, . looking harried. | “Brother ant,’’ he said, ‘‘it has .. snowed during the night, and I can’t find anythirig to eat.” “Yes, I know,” said the ant. ‘‘I seem to recall having warned you about this.’ ‘You must share with me,” said the grasshopper. ‘You must be charitable.” ; . “But you would have food now ’ if you had worked as I did during the summer months, instead of sunning yourself, strumming your legs, and lecturing me about com- passion.” - “You are a racist sexist homophobe,’’ declared the grass- hopper, and he mugged the ant and stole his food. When the ant came to, he hob- bled out in quest of the great wise beaver who ruled over the mead- ow and dispensed justice to its in- By John S. P. Robson Contributing Writer habitants according to the Mead- ow Charter. “Oh great one,”’ said the ant, “1 have worked all summer to fill’ my larder for the winter; and now the grasshopper has assaulted me and stolen my food. I ask you' for justice.”’ “Well,” said the beaver, “your point of view is certainly valid. But in this meadow all are entitled, to food, clothing, shelter, medical :° care and a decent standard of liv- ing. i “Therefore you cannot grudge the grasshopper the food. Surely - you wouldn’t want to live in the ‘awful meadow south of us.” “But great leader, he attacked’ me. Look at my leg — I think it’s ; : broken,’’ “Well, fortunately for.you we — have universal medical care, al-’ - though I don’t think we can. schedule you for treatment until, say, March.. . : “In the meantime, it has come ‘ to my attention that the grasshap- ‘per has no place to live either. |.” Homelessness is a scandal; so until’ we get the social housing built he will live with you. - :.- ‘Don’t worry, though, he'll be using the bedroom, which you - probably would find inconvenient | with that broken leg. You can’ sleep in the kitchen.”” So the ant called up his relatives in the southern meadow, and they. - came and helped him move. dowa : to their neck of the woods.” : And what became ofthe grass i hopper? Well, eventually the hole © he was living in became dilapi- dated,.and he would sit on his porch and lecture passers-by . about the neglectful, anti-social: attitude of his absentee landlord. . Now J understand that the hole has collapsed altogether, sol’m. : not sure what he is going to do, : 2 Excuse me, I have to go now. Someone’s knocking at my door. Dr. Robson is a policy analyst : with the Fraser Iastitute,a ‘. Vancouver-based economic think tank. Noel Wright on vacation — NEWS photo Mike Waketflo!d COMMUNITY HEALTH nurse Carolyn Smaha prepares patient flargaret Pamptin for her annual flu immunization shot et an area clinic. For more information on the influenza vaccine - contact North Shore Health at 983-6800.