6 ~ Wednesday. August 29, 1990 - North Shore News Kid gloves no way to cope with anarchy THE ‘“‘ACTUP” AIDS demonstrators at the QE Theatre must have made an anarchist’s summer — when added to a defiant private army at Oka, barricaded roads and blockaded, torched rail! lines in B.C. These other events were great, too. But to grab and rough up the premier of the province, and knock his wife to the ground right here on Hamilton St., now that was REALLY something for the dedicated focal anarchist to cele- brate! Why bother about any basic rules of civilized life when shooting, sabotage, punching, kicking and spitting are so much more enjoyable ways of pro- moting your goal? And when — even if hauled into court — you've a good chance of winding up with just a few months proba- tion or even discharged for lack of evidence? What’s happening to the rule of law established to protect everyone in a democracy based on the greatest good of the greatest number? And why? What's happening, of course, is that terminal permissiveness has infected democratic society as an over-reaction to the much stricter codes of behavior in the past. “Thou shalt not’* has been replaced by ‘‘If it feels good, do it!’ By any name you choose, the 1960s hippy philosophy lives on today. Except that the flower children and gentle pot smokers have now been pushed aside by armed thugs and physical bully boys, posing as activitists for noble causes which entitle them to flout any and every law with impunity. In return, we handle them with the softest of kid gloves. Whatever crimes they commit must be met by negotiation, com- promise and peace at any cost. The forbidden word is ‘‘confron- tation.’’ So — like ‘‘terrible two’s’”’ with their parents —- they test us for limits to our patience and, finding none, keep up the at- tack. Even on Monday evening, as the army finally prepared to move against Mohawk barricades, de- fiant Indian leaders on the CBC Journal were rejecting Canadian law and laying down their own law to the 97 per cent of Canada’s population who support them to the tune of $4 billion a year. Ca- nadian voters were instructed to tell their government to back off, or worse would happen. Who's to blame for such nonsense, of which the Indian sit- uation is only one example among all too many? It’s easy to accuse our politi- cians of shrinking from any action that may cost them special-interest votes. Noe! Wright — HITHER AND YON But in truth it’s WE ourselves who should look in the mirror. Because the politicians know that tough action against the threat of anarchy could cost them OUR votes too. They cannot trust us to solidiy back the stern measures that doing their duty may require. Is it because we’ve become just TOO decent, compassionate, car- ing — and soft — to resist evils that can destroy us? wees DATELINES: High time to get ready for Coho Festival fun which kicks off next Wednesday, Sept. 5, with the traditional festive evening in Park Royal North from 7 p.m. onward. Highlights include the salmon dinner, entertainment, arts show, door prizes, local celebrities and guest speakers from Fisheries & Oceans and the En- vironment Ministry. Tickets, a steal at $15 a head, are on sale at Eaton’s Park Royal, North Shore News or call 926-6600 or 987- 4488. Like TODAY — they’re moving fast... Meanwhile, only 10 registration days now remain for the hundreds of joggers who an- nually enjoy the 14 km Coho Run to Kitsilano — starting this year at 8 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, from Ambleside Park. The $18 fee covers the bus back to the park, breakfast and the smartest Coho Festival T-shirt yet. Call 926-6600 or 926-5541 to enter... And the Capilano Winter Club of blessed memory holds a reunion of former members 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at Park Plaza Country Club, 2035 Fullerton. Phone Effie Sutherland, 922-7645, for details. ket WRIGHT OR WRONG: When people set out to make an impres- sion, that’s exactly the impression they usually end up making. Sit VANDER ZALM, BOURASSA ... sharing the problem of action against anarchy — but will we back them? INSIGHTS _ TLNDN WeSPONS THROUGH THE a6eS.. } | NEWS VIEWPOINT Ofttrack demand HE EXTRAVAGANT wage de- mand presented recently by Council of Trade Unions (CTU) in its contract negotiations with North Van- couver-based BC Rail is both provocative and unreasonable. Union negotiators are seeking a whopp- ing 23.5 per cent wage boost for their a one-year agreement, and have said they will strike Sept. 4 if no collective agreement has been membership in reached before then. While it is reasonable that the CTU should seek a wage increase to keep pace with inflation, and while it is reasonable that the CTU would include in its wage proposal a 2.5 per cent increase to offset the projected impact of the federal gov- ernment’s GST, it is, as BC Rail chief negotiator the “ludicrous” Brian Foley to expect a 23.5 per cent wage increase, especially over one year. Currently, the highest paid unionized BC Rail workers are enginemen, who are paid $22.70 an hour; has said, the lowest paid are maintenance workers at $16.51 an hour. collective tion. The CTU received a four per cent wage hike last year. And since 1985, the unions have received a total of 16.5 per cent in wage increases. Because this is the eighth consecutive year BC Rail has made a profit and because a 16.5 per cent wage hike over five years is considered relatively low, a reasonable wage increase in a new contract should be offered by the Crown corpora- But by demanding 2 23.5 per cent wage hike over one year, the CTU is attempting to railroad BC Rail. LETTER OF THE DAY Solve parkway problems now Dear Editor: News of the most recent tragic fatal accident on Mt. Seymour Parkway has left me deeply sad- dened, and terribly angry. City traffic engineers have created a deadly roadway and they won’t admit it. They ignored the original pro- tests against creating this ‘‘super highway’’ through our residential neighborhood and they are ignor- ing concerns about the latest sec- tions of the parkway to be ‘‘im- proved,”* I would suspect that police in- vestigations into this and other fatal accidents on the parkway cite two major factors — high speed in excess of 70 miles per hour (115 km/h) and restricted vision caused Publisher Associate Editor envelope Peter Speck Managing Editor Timothy Renshaw Noel Wright Advertising Director Linda Stewart North Shore News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and qualitted under Schedule 11, Paragraph Il of the Excise Tax Act. 1s sudlished eacn Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press Lid. and distnbuted to every door on the North Shore. Second Class Mail Regrstration Number 38S Subscriptions North and West Vancouver, $25 per year Mailing rates available on tequest Submmssions are welcome but we Cannot accept responsibly tor unsolicited material including manuscripl(s and puctures: ay which should be accompanied by a stamped, addressed by median shrubbery. The problem is further com- pounded by multi-radii curves that can’t be negotiated at high speed, and so-called refuge lanes that one cannot get to without scaring the hell out of approaching drivers. This highway needs sensor operated lights at all intersections to allow easy access and to slow the pace of traffic on the parkway. The Berkley intersection needs sensor operated advance greens for left turn from the parkway to Berkley and from Berkley left onto the parkway. All median shrubs and _ trees should be replaced with paving bricks. Presently this greenery creates blind curves, blocking a driver’s advance notice of events THE VOICE OF WOWTN AND WEST VANCOUVER SUNDAY + WEDNESDAY + FRIDAY 1139 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 2H4 59,170 (average, Wednesday Friday & Sunday) sy SDA DIVISION Display Advertising Classitied Advertising Newsroom Distribution Subscriptions Fax occurring in the traffic ahead of him. I want these problems addressed immediately. | have a vested in- terest. My children will soon be taking to the road; properly train- ed and legally licensed, but com- pletely inexperienced. As for myself, a one-time pro- fessional driver with 30 years driv- ing experience, 1 know a hazard when I see one. And I think those who have lost loved ones on the roadway have a strong case for legal action against its designers. Derek and Judy Stedman North Vancouver P.S. We have been residents in this neighborhood for 13 years and we feel very strongly opposed to the ‘‘new improved parkway.’’ 960-0511 986-6222 MEMBER