It’s a perfectly serious question, dear reader. In the present cam- paign the daily pollsters have already made returning officers redundant by deciding who’s the winner two weeks ahead of voting day. All WE are left to do is docilely confirm their choice in the polling booth. The pious claim by the pollsters that they merely reflect, but do not sway, public opinion is — if you’ll excuse the term — undiluted hogwash. The plain fact is that we North Americans prefer winners to losers and like to identify with the former. Professional football, hockey and baseball prove that point every day. Thus, once the high priests of the 1,000-phone-call quiz can claim that, on one particular day, an almost invisible 0.006 per cent of Canada’s some 17 million eligible voters decisively backed one party, that party has nowhere to go but af ‘ PRESTON MANNING .. lions’ den. meaning to al) of us. tional. into the Remembering the future EMEMBRANCE DAY ceremonies have more relevance to some than others, but the message behind the ceremonies should bear the same For those who have never lived the horror of a world at war, there are few actual war memories to attach to Remembrance Day; for those who have lived through such devastation, the memories remain vivid and emo- And of course it is memories that the day celebrates and mourns — memories that are difficult to recall without a sense of loss or costiy victory. But as we ali honor, for fleeting moments, those who have sacrificed their lives to preserve 2 system they believed im and a lifestyle that we all enjoy, thought should also be focused, for mere than fleeting moments, upon the very real threat of another world war and how quickly all that we have could be iost through international apathy and national arrogance. Though current generations have not lived through the ravages of a world war,. they live under the black and terminal cloud of a nuclear holocaust. The next world war will leave no Remembrance Day; it really will be the war that ends all wars and the war that ends all life on planet Earth. Vigilance for peace then Remembrance Day should communicate to everyone. It is the one battle we cannot afford to lose. Gallup-mongers ousting the returning officers SHOULD DEMOCRACY BE PRIVATIZED? Why not save the millions spent by the taxpayer on Elections Canada and leave the whole job to Dr. Gallup and his competitors who are delighted to do it for free? up in successive polis. As with Mulroney in 1984 and Turner to- day, success feeds on success in a winner-loving society. Then there’s all that pompous pseudo-scientific gobbledygook about ‘‘four per cent either way, 19 times out of 20.’* Maybe it works when asking ‘‘yes-or-no’’ questions about Toyotas, tissues and TVs. That it can automatically apply to the far wider and more subtle range of questions in an election is nonsense — as is often shown by big discrepancies be- tween early rival poils on the sarne issue. But eventually, of course, they ail climb on a common bandwagon. So pardon me, all you Gallup- mongers, for pointing out that your election polls shamelessly manipulate both voters and the media, and badly distort the whole democratic process. With the public brainwashed into believing your 1,000 or so voters speak for all 17 million, those polls in- evitably snowball into self-fulfill- ing prophecies. Avid champion of free speech though I am, I would ban you outright during election campaigns — for the same reason we ban publication of voting day results in the east until after 8 p.m. in B.C. You add nothing but confusion based on ludicrous ‘‘samples’’ of 1/170th of one per cent of the electorate. Stick with cars, cosmetics and coolers, and leave intelligent Canadians to pick their own winners and losers — at the ballot box! is the message that geet WRAP-UP: Into the Capilano- Howe Sound lions’ den Monday, Nov. 14, comes Reform Party leader Preston Manning to support RP hopeful Neil Thompson, suc- cessor to 12-hour candidate Doug Collins, at a 7 a.m. breakfast meeting in the Ambleside Inn — call 926-9955 for any remaining tickets. At 7:30 p.m. Preston also addresses a rally at the Hellenic Centre, 4500 Arbutus overtown ... Tapes of that excellent Coho Fes- tival video ‘‘Urban Salmon’? — produced by Mike Nicell in con- junction with Shaw Cable and scheduled for airing by TV stations across Canada — are on sale to the public at $30 each. Call Mike at 922-3325 to order ... Richard Sutcliffe of the National Model Railroad Assuciation invites all buffs to the West’s biggest model railroad show, 10 to 4 Sunday, Nov. 13, in the Cameron Rec Cen- tre just north of Lougheed Mall ... Did anyone out there serve in the wartime Pacific Coast Militia Rangers (1942-45)? If so, UBC research grad Kerry Steeves, who’s compiling a history of the Rangers, would greatly appreciate a note from you at UBC Dept. of Histo- ry, 1297-1873 East Mall, Van- couver, B.C. V6T IWS... Back home and convalescing well after a stint last week in LGH is West Van's David Mathieson ... And a very happy birthday today, Nov. 11, to-North Van City’s indestruc- tible Alderman Stella Jo Dean. kek WRIGHT OR WRONG: There’s no such thing as a tough problem. All you’re talking about is a tough decision waiting to be made. NEWS photo Mike Wakefteld THANKS, DUCKS!...donation from North Van Rotary from proceeds of its February ‘‘Great Capilano Duck Race’’ bought this first power wheelchair for LGH Rehabilitation Services. Left to right; therapist Cara Shorter, Rotarian Neit McDonalic, patient Marion Nagy, Rotary presi- dent Richard Sharp. HURRY HURRY! we ONLY HAVE. FIVE MATES LEFT BEFORE THIS YEARS GOVERNNENT. FINDING RUNS OUT! Publisher ........... Peter Speck Display Advertising 980-0511 Managing Editor... Barrett Fisher Classitied Advertising 986-6222 Associate Editor... .. Noe! Wright newsroom ope caey Advertising Director . 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