"G — Wednesday, December 24; 1997 - Noith Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT Living as hristian. Jew. Muslim. Hindu. The global village is as reli- giously diverse as it is geo- graphically vast. Likewise, the North Shore is a cul- tural cornucopia, as the old European guard has made way over the past two decades for new residents from the Middle East, the Far East and Eastern Europe. (Not to mention Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.) And the North Shore is the better for it. Today, a drive down Lonsdale Avenue in North Vancouver or Marine Drive in West Vancouver reveals shops and stores catering to all these cultures — and more. with people whose life experiences are much different from our own. Too often, however, these cultural differences become the source of fric- tion, as we suspiciously eye the strangers among us, and mistakingly ascribe blame and responsibility to -them based on these differences. Here on the North Shore, we have a community built on a combined — and unspoken -— system of beliefs. We believe in respecting ourselves and each other. We believe in provid- ing our children with a safe and stim- ulating place to thrive. We believe in the strength of community. We believe in the potential of the individ- THe ONLY TyPe OF IOCK THAT DETERS Home iNVaSiON SCUM... Restaurants and stores operated by ual new Canadians add to the North Shore in many ways — we can get a taste of other cultures without cross- ing a bridge, and we can make friends the wish for. DEEENCE FOS Fn ee een re THE North Shore News Free Speech Defence Fund is closing in on $150,600. To press time Tuesday, donations from over 2,050 News readers and free speech supporters to the fund stood at $145,397. Legal fees expended thus tar by the News have already excecded $200,000. All funds received will help defray the legal costs faced by the News in its battle with the Human Rights Tribunal over a complaint laid against the news- paper and its columnist Doug Collins by the Canadian Jewish Congress. The hearing into the matter, which began on May 12, concluded on June 27. The decision from tribunal chairman Nitya Iyer was handed down on Nov. 12. Full coverage of the decision appeared in the Nov. 14 News. Iyer found that Collins’ column was nor hateful, but also ruled that, while the legislation under which the News was prosecuted infringes upon the Charter’s guarantee of free expression, it was constitutionally valid. Extra copies of the News’ Free Speech Supplement, which was originally published in the Aug. 20 News, are available at the News offices, Another excerpt from the thousands of respon- dents to the cause: o00 Iam 91 years old and have not seen anything like this repressive law except during the war. I hope people realise that if this law can be applied then no one is safe.” — Myrtle McNeill of North Vancouver. oo09g Donations to the fund can be sent to: 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, V7M 2H4. Cheques should be made out to the North Shore News Free Speech Defence Fund. _ — trenshaw@direct.ca darth Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedite 111, Paragraph 111 cf the: Enexse tax Acts published ¢ach Wednesday, Fratay and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and aestntased to every door on the North ‘Shore, Canada Fost Canadian Pubscabons Hart Sales Product Agreement Na. 0087238. Distribution Manage was-1397 124) by 61,582 (average artcuiation, Wednesday, Friday & Sunday) The North Shore News Is published by North Shore Free Press Ltd., Publisher Peter Speck, from 1139 Lonsdale Avenue Worth Vancouver, B.C., ¥7M 2H4 Maintaining these beliefs is by far best Ramadan/Diwali gift any of us could Christmas /Hanukkah/ Guilt-laden Xmas slob confesses THE thing I love most about Christmas morning is its magic pain-killer effect. We're talking abour guilt, of which there’s more around at this season than at any other. Guilt is remem- bering all the things you ought to have done long ago, but didn’t. Guilt is realizing that though you’re now almost out of time, you must still try desperately to catch up. Ten weeks of cumu- lative guilt like that, growing heavier cach day, inflicts agony on even the toughest conscience. I know. That’s the kind of conscience I have. Mostly. But even for us congenital Yuletide slobs the guilt-pain gets worse week by week from mid-October onward. Just after Thanksgiving some sadis- tic disc jockey gloatingly reminds us there are only 76 shopping days left. Good grief, we're late already! Why did we waste last Boxing Day egg-nog- ging our way around the neighborhoed instead of heavy duty bargain-buying in the 50%-ofF malls? Yet another Christmas off to a lousy start! True, initial guile is lightened for a couple of weeks bv a rash of black and orange decorations, witches’ hats and grinning pumpkins. But promptly by SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) 988-2131 (177) Photography Manager Classified Manager 985-2131 (160) 996-6222 (202) “We’re talking about guilt, of which there’s more around at this season than at any other.” 9:30 a.m. on Nov. } the scene has changed overnight to twinkling trees, ho- ho-ho-ing Santas, Christmas cards, stock- ing stuffers, giftwrap and all the other Yuletide baubles. Gotcha once again! With only 50 days now left, the guilt trip begins in earnest. First, all the gift problems we could have solved for half-price last January. What do our near and dear, and last year’s unrequited givers to us, want anyhow? Do they even know themselves? Can we get away with less than $300 per kid without seeming cheap? How little will keep our spouse happy? If spousc-less, how much must we splurge to convince our “significant other” we mean business? Then, there’s entertaining. The guilt about the hospitality owed to all those dear foiks we've never yet had back. Let’s catch up in one fell swoop with a Pre-Xmas Cheer party. All this heavy-duty head- scratching, planning, tig- uring and phoning, along with endlessly revised “to do” lists, organizing the Pre-Xmas Cheer — and mending the home afterwards — gobble up four precious remaining weeks. We're just about to hit the malls (20 shopping days now left) when a whole new load of guilt drops on us: we've forgotten about the Christmas card mailing deadlines. and yon Why the heck didn’t we buy the darn things 11 months ago at a dollar a dozen and write them in August on the beach? So bye-bye to another week’s gift shop- ping — squandered at the drugstore card shelves, then on address-hunting, scrib- bling, stuffing, licking and waiting in line for stamps. At long, long fast (only 13 days left) we're finally away to the stores, where well organized folks really sincere about Christmas have been snapping up the pick of the merchandise for the past five weeks. And so, beaten and bowed, we'll stagger home this evening at 6 p.m. with what remaining salvageable offerings we've been able to grab — only to find we must still dash down to the late-night drugstore for more giftwrap. But then, the best thing of all about this crazy, beautiful season. Come 7 a.m. tomorrow, Christmas Day, that agonizing pain in my guilt-laden conscience will suddenly cease, as I finally face the fact that the whistle has blown. Game over. Now ioo fate to do a damn thing about my Yuletide guilt — so forget it. In short, my usual botched-up happy Christmas will have returned, as it always does. NEVER AGAIN, though, I swear! Friday we'll skip the egg-nogging and spend the entire Boxing Day in the malls. This time we've learned our lesson. You out there holding your sides, please restrain yourself. This is no laugh- ing matter! 000 WRIGHT OR WRONG: May this day -and week bring you the warmest and happiest of memories — and new ones to treasure for all your Christmases to come. HOW TO;REACH. US; Comptroller 905-2131 (133) Display Manager 980-0511 (166) Entire contents © 1997 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number. VIA e-mail: trenshaw @ direct.ca Managing Editor 985-2131 (116) 985-2131 (218) Internet- httpy//werw.aseews.com Michael Becker - News Editor 985-2131 (194) 925-2151 (105) Andrew McCredie - Sperts/Community Editor 985-2131 (147)