6 - Sunday, March 14, 1999 — North Shore News

north shore news

VIEWPOINT

Novel notion

NE of the oft-heard com-

plaints about the treaty settle-

ment process is that “we” will
somehow give it all away.

Leaving aside the question of
whether “it” was ours to give in the
first place, what if we are giving it to
the right people? A novel notion and
One sure to arouse the wrath of those
who cannot stand to sce someone else
given a chance when they have failed.

And make no mistake, in the area of
sustainable resource harvesting we
predominantly Euro-white settlers
have failed. Moreover, we have failed
miserably and spectacularly. More

let’s view with hope the proposals of
the Tsleil-Waututh for the rejuvena-
tion of indian River.

The band’s planning process is, so
far, a model of innovative cross-juris-
dictional consultation.

It’s concept for restoring the health
of the river and the surrounding forest
so that the entire watershed may again
provide a store full of herbs, wood,
fish while becoming a destination for
international and local eco-tourism is
just one strand of a “variable interest”
treaty model.

A model! that moves away from the
“give us land and money” style of

ominously, we continue to fail.

But today let’s not gloomily ponder
greenhouse gases, the melting of the
polar ice cap, massive weather changes,
and the strip-mining of natura!
resources like wood and fish. Instead,

you said it

“Any politician who craves immortality will vote on
Monday for direct democracy. it has life beyond per-
sonalities; it will live for centurics.”

North Vancouver District Coun. Ernic Crist, prior to
the March 8 council vote on incorporating aspects of
direct democracy inte the cunning of the district, and on
the need to support the direct democracy process. (From a
March 7 News story.)

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“This is just the delay of an inevitable future. For
us this isn’t over. It was just the first step. By the elec-
tion, those councillors will be changing their tune or
they will be changing their jobs.”

Political, activist and dircet democracy proponent
Dallas Collis, following North Vancouver District's 4-3
vote against incorporating a referendum on dircet democ-
racy in the upcoming municipal elections, au direct
democracy’s future. (From a March 12 News siory.)

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“What are we being asked ti: enter? Expensive adver-
tising wars for referenda? Petivien battles where victory
fies in who can shout their versioa of reality the loud-
est?”

North Vancouver District Coun, Trevor Carolan, appas-
ing the use of direct democracy in the district. (Front a
March 12 News story.)

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“We want him to stay on. It was very encouraging.”

David Schreck, former North Vancouver NDP MEA and
current deputy principal secretary in Premier Glen Clark's
office, on local NDP support for the embattled premicr.
(From a March 12 News stary.)

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“You know, Junos are one of these things — you real-
ly want te win one, but once you have it, it’s not that
important. Come to think of it, it's one of che only
things in the living room that’s the perfect size and
weight to hit someone with if they tried to rob me.”

Jon Levine, piano player for The Philosophers Kings, on
winning a Juno Award. The band won a Juno in 1996 for
Best New Group; it was nominated in three Juno categories
this year but Jost in all three. (From a March 12 News This
Week feature.)

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negotiation.

Treaty talks are worrying. The
problems associated with creating a
fourth level of government remain.

But the Tsleil-Waututh offer hope
not just to Indian River, but to B.C.

BUNCHA GREEDY,

SELFISH, OVERPAIP PARASITES —
DETERMINED To SUCK US DRY...

NATE DEMAND2. z=

en

on
“EE
ng

Never say it can’t happen here

IF the hair on the scalps of Doug
Collins fans who back his fight
for free speech has not yet stood
Straight up on end, a recent
National Post col-

umn should do the

trick nicely.

Appearing fast
Monday, the piece by
columnist David Frum
reveals the lengths to
which political corree?~
iwss is prepared to po
taday in — of all places
v— Mritain. While the
thought police there are
still seme way from
reaching their ultimare goal, that goal
itsell is File short of terrifying.

Nor content with banning merely the
expression of all racist or discriminatory
Views, tae zealots would make it 4 crime
for you to even harbour racist or discrimi-
aatory thoughts IN YOUR MIND.

Frum traces the stary af what he chill-
ingly describes as “Britain's evolution
towards the policing of the contents of
people's minds” to a night-time attack siv
years ago in London by a gang of five
white hoodiums an two Jamaican youths,
One of the latter was stabbed to death,
the other escaged bat proved a highly
unreliable witness unable io positively
identify their attackers,

So a public prosecution got nowhere
and ata private prosecution three years
later by the slain youth’s family three of
the suspects were acquitted. Frustrated,
the grieving family turned on the police,
loudly accusing them of corruption, con-

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Entire contents © 1997 North Shove Free Press Ltd. Ail rights raserved,

spiracy, incompetence and racism. The
political uproar this sparked led the newly
elected Blair government to set up a spe-
cial inquiry into the affair in 1997,
chaired by retired High Court judge Sir
William Macpherson,
whe has recently
reported the findings.
The police are largely
exonerated.
Nevertheless, the
report says the han-
dling of the case proves
that the British govern-
ment is in the grip of
“institutional racism”
which calls for strong,
even “radical,” counter:
measures, ,

One of thenn, Sir William's preposes,
is to abolish the ancient ban on “double
jeopardy” in racial hate cases — meaning,
an accused who had been acquitted could
tater be tied again on the very same
charge, if fresh evidence arose after the
original acquitral.

That, however, is just for starters,
More genuinely alarming are three fur-
ther recommendations in Sir William's
report, First, it would define a “racial
incident” as any incident perceived to be
racist cither by the victim or BY ANY
OTHER PERSON. Sccond, the police
would be required to investigate the inci-
dent, whether or not che complained-of
behaviour was criminal.

The above are bad enough, but this
third proposal is the real hair-caiser, It
defines “behaviour” as racist language
used IN PRIVATE as well as in public.
Taken together, these three recommenda-
tions would enable anyone in Britain to

Jaunch an investigation of anyone else for
words uttered in the privacy of their own
home. (Where are you, George Orwell,
when we need you?)

In short, Nanny State must cleanse
our minds of all thoughts it deems to be
bad, even if we've only shared them in
the seclusion of our living room with our
significant other or with trusted friends
— any of whose innocent but loase lips
may later bring chose thoughts to the
government snoop's attention.

Prime Minister Tony Blair is believed
to be in no hurry to adopt Sir Williant’s
recommendations, But the mere fact that
they could be serivusly considered at all
in the home of Magna Carta and
Common Law is startling proof of how
fast the rot of political correctness can
devour the fabric of once- free societies.
Hitler, Stalin and Mao must be chortling
in their graves about their latest disciple.

And remembering the record of our
“Human Rights” Tnbunals, never say it
can't happen here!

o0aga .
MANY HAPPY RETURNS of taday,
March 14, to Morth Van Kiwanian
Charlene Donaghey ... Tomorrow,
March 15, a 102-candle salure to senior
Lynn Valley Manor birthday girl Hilda
Greenwood ... And Tuesday, March 16,
wish happy birthday to North Van's Peter
Jones (tormer mayor of West Van) and
his North Van neighbour Jeanne
Wintemute.

QQGQ
WRIGHT OR WRONG: It’s easy to
tell if you're on the right tack. It’s the
one that’s usually uphill.

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