6 - Friday, July 11, 1986 - North shore News ae Publisher: Peter Speck Editor-in-Chiet Noel Wright News Editor Batrelt Fisher Advertising Director Linda Stewart News Viewpoint THE VOICE OF HORTH AND WEST VANCOUVEH Display Advertising 980-0511 Classitied Advertising 986-6222 Newsroom 985-2131 Distribution 986-1337 Subscriptions 986-1337 + “a's ee ae ae North Ghote News, * SUNDAY » WEDNISDAY » FRIDAY ste : 1139 Lonsdale Ave. North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 Poine contents 1986 North Shore Free Press Ltd All nights reserved Death FIQhts | oom ERRY MeGuire’s hunger strike for the sane- tity of human fife is long on emotion but short on reason — and, maybe, compassion. Now in day 16 of his fast in front of the Vancouver courthouse, the North Vancouver man says he will continue until B.C. hospital policies are changed to render a more sacred vision of human life. Me(suire says infants, because of severe handicaps, are being left to die. Life, he argues, should be preserved without excep- tion, at all costs. But the smoke from MeGuire’s righteous zeal has clouded his perceptions. He has put sanctity of life ahead of dignity of death. McGuire is demanding that modern medical wizar- dry override nature, that doctors disregard their pro- fessional judgement and the anguished decision of parents and preserve human life no matter its physical and mental state, no matter if that life would be little more than a mockery of existence caved in pain and suffering. Born in the good intentions of a noble cause, the fight for a life handicapped beyond function is reduced to a denial of death. It is too easy to bark slogans from either side of the fence in this issue, too easy to whip up emotions. But we must leave some judgement to those who are in- timately involved and professionally equipped. Life and death are inexplicable and inseparable. Choice is needed in irradiation issue which would allow the processors Dear Editor: I am worried and deeply con- cerned. A food irradiation plant’ itas been built in Richmond, B.C., a plant capable of processing 250 tons of food per day! In the irradiation process: the food gets ‘‘zapped’’ by gamma rays, which stops the bacterial growth and slows the ripening process and thus extends the food’s shelf-life. But at the same Violence not wanted Dear Editor: Three cheers for Doug Collins who accurately represents the feel- ings of probably the majority of ordinary Canadians regarding the influx of radical immigrants that are pouring into our country due to our self-serving politicians and spineless bureaucrats. We are a peaceful country and do not need the violence and age- old problems these people are br- inging with them. If they feel so strongly about their convictions why don’t they stay and fight their battles in their own country. Mrs. C. Patterson North Vancouver time some vitamins are destroyed and the molecular structure is somewhat altered. From what [ understand, the lit- tle research that has been done on the effects of irradiated foods on animals shows no desirable results. The research of the long-term ef- fects is totally unsatisfactory. I also gather that the gov- ernment is planning to change the status of irradiation from ‘‘food additive’ to ‘‘food processing”’ to put irradiated foods on the market without further testing or labelling. 1 believe that in a democratic society the consumer has the right to know whether he is offered ir- radiated foods or not. The choice of buying irradiated food has to be left to the consumer. Lale Doetsch North Vancouver READER REVOLTS Transit loses credibility OPEN LETTER TO B.C. Please consider this letter not only of my protest, TRANSIT: but also firm and calculated revolt. This levy has grown, or rather erupted from a nuisance charge to a ridiculous one. All your credibility was lost with an increase of 400 per cent from our last bill. It is rotten enough that | am saddled with paying for transit with every litre of gasoline 1 buy. The public transit system is of no conve- nience to me. It is just as well that this levy has nothing to do with hydro, in spite of being on hydro’s bill. | will continue to pay for what I use in gas and electricity, regional transit. Marparet Kerr North Vancouver WRITER QUESTIONS CORRIDOR STUDY What's happening on Dear Editor: The time has come to question the handling of the Marine Drive Corridor Study by the planning department of the North Van- couver District. I don't know when they first started this study, but in Febru- ary, 1983 we were sent an invita- tion to view their findings and plans ta date at the Avalon Hotel. Norgate was immediately up in arms, and put a stop to the plan to substitute their green belt in the area of West 16th with a townhouse development. Pemberton Ridge homeowners discovered that up to three quarters of their hill property was to be designated as ‘‘conservation area’’, a real shock as one third of the residents didn’t even receive an invitation. It took two years and the services of a lawyer to canvinee a majority on council that this was private property. The Schlage Lock property was designated ‘‘retain current use and consider long term develop- ment’’, so it wasn’t until Save- On-Foods went in that the resi- dents of lower Capilano realized what was happening to their area. Since then there has been a whole series of decision reversals as to parking, road blockages, etc., public meetings, street traf- fic surveys and now a private consulting firm whose budget of $24,500 is already 32 per cent over cost, and no end in sight. I have no idea how much this has all cost, but for an area of about 200 homes it has to be a pretty high per capita rate. And it isn’t over yet. Judging from the comments at the latest public information meeting at Norgate School, the residents won't be satisfied until they are completely cut off from the rest of us by a walled moat. but you have surely priced yourse!f out of my support to larine? The requests of these residents will have a severe impact on traf- fic flow around the Capilano Toad area. It seems to me that the plann- ing department, in a belated at- cempt to listen to the people has lost contro! to various pressure groups in the area. {f council does not provide firm leadership in this direction the same thing will happen in other areas, and in the meantime taxpayers’ money is being wasted. M. Anderson North Vancouver