EE MLSE TRIE AONE Bt Lessons of year of vali NEVER FEEL DEPRESSED about the year just ending. Remember, instead, with gratitude ail the iessons it taught us on Low to avoid screwing up again next time in the same “NEWS VIEWPOINT American justice anadians often assume that the U.S.A. and Canada work pretty much by the same basic rules. A recent court ruling in Bellingham involving . the July stabbing. death of an 18-year-old ‘Deep Cove man who died while visiting the . Washington state town clearly shows other- : wise. ’ Rasy travel across the porous border sep- ‘arating the two countries gives no hint of ,, the complications to come once trouble aris- ~@s apd Canadien assumptions of rights and “social Safety-neis are dashed in the rush of | unfolding evenfs south of the border.. Young Pat Campbell and friends went down to play on American Independence ‘Day. A An ensuing fight ended his life. The 15- year-old American youth charged with his . murder was acquitted this month. An appeal of the decision is not possible because the teen was found to have acted in self-defence and was therefore innocent, in Canada such an appeal would be pos- sible. . ‘Given the litigious nature of Americans it seems an anomaly that an appeal or review of a not-guilty verdict is categorically out of the question. _The United States is a marvelious place but it i is also a Place where the right to bear and use weapons is a value held highly. » Campbeli’s s family is left with little else but grief in the wake of their brush with American justice. ‘LETTER OF THE DAY Rude motorists are disgusting Dear Editor: At this time of the year when we are meant to be especially caring and considerate to those around us, Twas disappointed — no, disgusted — to witness the ignorance and thoughtlessness of some motorists. Stopped at Marine Drive and “24th at 1:30 on a Wednesday after- noon, at least a dozen cars totally Publisher Peter Speck Managing Edite-r. . . Timothy Renshaw “Associate Editor Noel Wright Sales & Marketing Director. .Linda Stewart Comptrolier Doug Foot ignored the fact that a blind lady, with her seeing eye dog, was trying . to cross Marine Drive on the cross- walk. After flashing niy lights, and | honking my horn to try and stop the traffic, my husband finally got out of the car, stopped the traffic and escorted the lady across the street. PRN A ot Display Advertising ” 980-8514 Distribution Even during this time at least two curs failed to stop on the inside . lane. to.stop, | hope your evesighi never lets you down the way your man- ners did. Sandy Leeden West Vancouver 986-1337 {es Real Estate Advertising 985-4982 Subscriptions 986-1337 ‘Classified Advertising 986-222 Fax Newsroom North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an - independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111, Paragraph Ii! of the Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid, and distributed to every door en the North Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing rates available on request. Submissions are welcome but. we Cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited material inctuding manuScripts and pictures which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. SUNDAY + WEDNEDOAY © FIROAY 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 985-2131 Administration 985-2131 985-3227 @ fecycled foe Notth Shore managed SDA DIMSION 61,582 {average circulation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) Entire contents ©.1993 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved.: If any of you drivers remember : failing to notice, and not bothering - way. Seeéa from this angle, 1993 was a bumper year —~ in fact, exactly like all the years before it. Among its useful lessons nationally we learned... No political party (not even Sir John A.'s vith 154 seats) is safe from Elections Canada, which can erase almost all trace of it in 12 hours flat. Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition doesn’t have to be. In Canada it's perfectly OK for it to destroy the country instead. Preston Manning and Kim Campbell won the election for Sean Chretien. NAFTA will make all Cana- dians much more prosperous by adding to 11% unemployed. Marrying a politician may be slightly better for your daughter than a carcer in an escort agency. More and tnore people are smoking again now that exorbitant taxes have made the price of smuggled cigarettes so attractive, Then, lessons from the provin- cial scene taught us... Mike Harcourt won't bea hands-on premier until he chops off Moe Sihota, Glen Clark and , Liz Cull at the wrists, Libera} fender