4 — Wednesday, October 26, 1988 - North Shore News

OKAY. To continue with
one man’s electoral angst,
88:

Ina nutshell, the Liberals are
out. Dead meat. Auto-crucifixion
city. I don’t see how anybody
could place any faith in them so
long as John Turner heads the par-
ty.

The guy is pathetic, maybe even
tragic.

The NDP, for all its posturing,
is no more trustworthy in the
crunch than the other political par-
ties, in my opinion.

Ed Broadbent, who is the darl-
ing of the media, if there is one,
doesn’t deserve to be let off the
hook as easily as he is.

=f. =a

last election, like Meech Lake, free
trade and nuclear submarines.

In between Dief and Mulroney,
in every election except the one
that first annointed Pierre
Trudeau, I voted NDP.

I confess to having been caught
up in Trudeaumania — and, like a
lot of other people, lived to see the
dream of a vague New Age
evaporate utterly, skewered on the
horn of Trudeau's ego, lack of
global vision, and his un-
transcended left-wing French-
Canadian power trip.

So, poll-wise, | amount to one
of those dreadful swing voters,
having in fact voted for each of the
major federal parties at one time
or another.

The pro-abortion argument about tie
horror of ‘unwanted’ children — in a
society where the populaton is declining and
there are plenty of people eager to adopt, if
only they could find live babies — is the
weirdest, sickest bit of logic I’ve ever

heard.’”’

Here is a guy whose favorite
word is ‘‘epistemology,”’ yet who
claims to speak for ‘ordinary Ca-
nadians,'’ and professes to care
about the environment, but would
spend tens of billions of dollars on
welfare and the military, compared
with a mere half-billion on clean-
ing up the eco-system.

Which leaves us, apparently,
with...

The Tories. And Brian
Mulroney.

But wait a minute. Wait several
minutes, in fact.

Let me back up a bit.

T voted Tory in the last federal
election, for the first time since the
Diefenbaker era. Whamo! In came
Brian and the boys and girls.
Hordes of ’em.

And more patronage. And more
porkbarrelling. And more metric.
And more French. And less
English. And the same old post of-
fice.

And a pile of other stuff that
wasn’t talked about at all in the

88/89 ADULT SKI BOOTS
87/88 TSi

87/88 Tii
87/88 TSH

cGEeZe
88/89 ADULT BINDINGS

There is nothing automatic
about my vote, in other words.
Just as there shouldn't be anything
automatic about anybody's vote.
Ever.

Having said that, let me add:
this election is substantially dif-
ferent from any previous election
in which I was old enough to vote.

This election is one where it is
no longer true, as the NDP used to
be able to claim, that it is a choice,
if you look at the mainstream par-
ties, between Tweedly-Dee and
Tweedly-Dum, meaning the Grits
and the Tories.

Not at all. The Liberals and
Conservatives have never been fur-
ther apart, in my memory.

It is, rather, the New Democrats
and the Liberals who look like
Tweedly-Dee and Tweedly-Dum.

Except for the matter of
withdrawal from NATO and
NORAD, where do their policies
actually diverge in any significant
way?

at least
20% off sugg. retail

They both oppose free trade and
nuclear subs..They are ‘‘in favor’’
of the environment. Their leaders
both back the Meech Lake accord,
even if the follower types are
mutually restless. In fact, that’s
another way in which they are the
same.

J suppose there is some dif-
ference between Broadbent and
Turner when it comes to the abor-
tion issue. That is, Broadbent is in
favor of abortion on demand,
whereas Turner bare-facedly ducks
the issue, if that’s not a contradic-
tion in terms. (With him, nothing
is.)

On this issue, the Tories under
Mulroney aren’t much better.
None of the parties has the gump-
tion or conviction to flatly oppose
abortion except in dire cir-
cumstances, like rape, incest,
threat to the mother’s health, etc.

The pro-abortion argument
about the horror of ‘‘unwanted”’
children — in a society where the
population is declining and there
are plenty of people eager to
adopt, if only they could find live
babies — is the weirdest, sickest bit
of logic I’ve ever heard.

The real horror is the slaughter
of unborn children. Plain and
simple.

In short, I find a moral vacuum
at the heart of both the left-wing
parties, which is cruelly ironic,
since they claim to be the parties
that ‘‘care.””

The abortion issue, along with
the environment, free trade, nu-
clear subs and the Meech Lake ac-
cord, should be one of the great
issues of this election.

It isn’t for the disgusting reason
that none of the parties is willing
to take an unequivocal pro-life
Position, even if the Tories tend
philosophically in that direction.

When it came to a vote in
Parliament, they planted their col-
lective behinds firmly on the fence.

So, with abortion and Meech
Lake not issues that can be ad-
dressed along with party lines,
what does that leave us as the real
issues of the election?

It leaves, in my mind, the en-
vironment, free trade and nuclear
submarines.

To be continued... ©

YOU WILL RECEIVE
FREE

ONE SINGLE ROSSIGNOL SKI BAG
(VALUE 37.95) OR ONE PAIR

ROSSIGNOL SPORT POLES (VALUE 44.95)

at least
20% off sugg. retail

at least

20% off sugg. retail

279.88 sugg. ret. 395.00
299.88 sugg. ret. 470.00
349.88 sugg. set. 495.00

at least
20% off sugg. retail

ONE CABER BOOT BAG (VALUE 29.95)

ONE LANGE BOOT BAG (VALUE 29.95)

ONE ROSSIGNOL BINDING COVER
(VALUE 11.95)

Local Arthritis Society
founder passes away

THE FOUNDER of the North
Shore Branch of The Arthritis
Society died Monday after suc-
cumbing to illness caused by viral
pneumonia.

Barbara Ann Crowson, 50, vol-
unteer president and public infor-
mation director for the branch,
revived the local organization in
September 1986. A North Shore
branch had been active during the
1950s and 1960s.

"

ia, |
MENS
Barbara Ann Crowson.

Said Danda Humphreys, com-
munications coordinator for the
B.C. and Yukon Division of The
Arthritis Society of Mrs. Crowson,
who was an arthritis sufferer
herself: “She had a tremendous
chergy and commitment. It’s a
great loss for all of us, but we’re
all the richer for having known
her.”

Since its inception in 1986 to
dispense information and raise
awareness about arthritis, the local
branch has held annual arthritis
forums at Lions Gate Hospital and
monthly meetings featuring guest
speakers at the hospital.

Humphreys said Mrs. Crowson
also took on the responsibility of
raising funds for the annual ar-
thritis camp for children held at
Camp Capilano.

Said local branch treasurer Dave
Bremner: ‘‘She was dynamic and
vibrant and she pulled the thing
together by the boot straps.”? The
branch currently lists approximate-
ly 105 members.

Mrs. Crowson, a longtime North
Shore resident, leaves behind her
husband Michael, son Rick,
daughter Pamela, parents Jock
and Vera Murray, brothers Bob
and Bill, many friends and inlaws.

For more information about the
North Shore Branch of The Ar-
thritis Society call Dave Bremner
at 984-0588.

Mrs. Crowson’s family requests
donations to the North Shore
Branch of The Arthritis Society in
lieu of flowers. Donations may be
sent to 415-1000 Bowron Court,
North Vancouver V7H 2W1.

MILES ELKINGTON
TEACHER

A graduate of The Naticnal Ballet

* School, Toronta, Mr. Elkington’s training
also includes Tap, Jazz & Musical
Theatre at Brian Foley's in Torcnta His
choreographic skills include, “A Chorus
Line’, “Grease, “Bugsy Malone’, “Cats”
and “On Your Toes: Teaching Children’s
Ballet & Tap, PreTeen to Senior levels oF
Jazz & Tap, Musical Theatre, also Adult,
Ballet & Tap introductory and Level 1/2.

ENROLL NOW
The Anna Wyman School
of Dance Arts

926-6535

THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT
IS NOT FREE TRADE
Understand this agreement before you vote!
For more information contact |
CITIZENS CONCERNED ABOUT
FREE TRADE

2780 Granville Street
Telephone 731-3733

EFEKE!

FRI. OCT. 28 9:30 AM-9:00 PM
SAT. OCT. 29 9:30 AM-6 PM
SUN. OCT. 30 NOON-5 PM

NORTH VANCOUVER
119 West 16th Street
985-3161

KERRISDALE
5395 West Boulevard
266-1061