6 - Friday, October 18 1985 - North Shore News

Editorial Page

Justice for all

n ali-party federal committee in search
of Canadian equality standards has
deemed there will be justice for all.
In a report to be released next week, the
parliamentary committee will recommend
that women be able to join the combat ranks
in the armed forces, homosexuals be given
legal protection against discrimination based
-on their sexual orientation, mandatory
retirement be eliminated and federal public
servants be granted greater political rights.
What more could Canadians ask for? A
lot, we say. The committee seems to be so
caught up in making women into men, men

into women, old people into young people —

and civil servants into politicians, that it
forgets about the real disczimination against
immigrants who are shunied for the color of
their skin, against young people trying to
break into the workforce, against qualified

women earning: half the salaries of mcz,...

against starving welfare recipients aad néedy
unemployment insurance applicants who
must compete for benefits with the able, but
lazy, and against the taxpayers who mst

‘ support such equality commissions without
choice.

. Equal laws are all well and good in theory.
They give citizens discriminated against the
ammunition to fight for their rights through
legal battles. But they don’t finance the cost-
ly law suits, and they don’t make the

’ discrimination any less painful.

Equality must begin with people, not laws.

- We must educate our children at home and

~ iu the schools on the equality of all men and

women, and thereby eliminate prejudice and
discrimination. And then — maybe then —
there will be justice for all.

Up from minors

" ichard Nixon's recent appointment as

; R ‘arbitrator in the threatened major
league baseball umpires’ strike seems
fitting we think. Hailed as “a long-time friend
of baseball and.a man whom both sides can
trust”. by. umpires’
Phillips, Nixon is back up from the minors.
While ‘Tricky Dicky’ struck out as president,
we're sure he can still throw.a preity fair curve

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North Shore News, founded In 1969 as an independent suburban
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Excise Tax Act. is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by

North Shore Free Press Ltd. and distributed to every door on the: North
Shore. Second Class Mail Registration Number 3885. Entire contents
© 1985 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved.

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SDA ee

union leader Richard -

Vea Ithy

PLANNING ON

DOING A LIME
WINTER BOATING?

NOPE, WE JUST
MOVED

lorth Shore

escapes from problems

Dear Editor:

The question of mental
health has always drawn a
blank with those who do not
want to think about ‘people
in our society with major
problems, But at the same
time the person suffering the
problem docs as little as
possible to get out of the
situation because they can
get ‘whatever they want.
People in most cases feel
sorry for them.

‘Although, it is my belief
that those involved with this

problem have been hurt by

the cutbacks.

Social workers, front of-
fice staff, supervisors and
financial aid workers with

the Ministry of Human

Resources, cannot be’ blara-
ed. The policies of the
Ministry of Human
Resources are set by John
Noble, the deputy minister
in Victoria.”5 MHR . workers
are under stress because of
their caseloads, and being
blamed by clients for what
an uncaring government is
doing is not. the right way to
go about things.

The North Shore is a land

of ‘upper. middle class peo-
ple. If their children are af-

-fected by an emotional pro-

blem, care is not far away.

- Unlike those that try to
get out of the system in
other areas, where self-help

_ groups are used; in North

Vancouver and West Van-
couver special volunteers are
available. This is due to the
fact that the North Shore is
a highly Social Credit area.
When clients in boarding
homes start to use their
various illnesses as crutches,
as like with anybody else,

they are hiding the fact of
how poorly they really feel.
The fear of authority be it
the police or the welfare:
system is something ingrown”
in the subconscious of those
with long disabilities.
Appealing for bus passes,
clothing allowances and
work programs is a common
occurence in Vancouver.’
Putting stress on others who
have been there before is an
escape from the system.
Ron Sostad
President
Community Action Network
Society

Open burning is offensive

‘ Open Letter to West Van

Council:

The semi-annual smell of
burning garden refuse has
motivated me to write this
letter. We live in one of the
most beautiful municipalities
in North America, and are
also fortunate in having
minimal air pollution, except
during weekends in October
and May. The smoke put in-
to the atmosphere during
those weekends is an offense
to both health and
aesthetics.

Those with chronic respi-
ratory conditions must suf-
fer greatly, but I suspect
there is a larger number of
residents who like myself are
not chronic sufferers, but
are made il} by the smoke.
Because of our bylaw which
in effect encourages burning,
{ shall probably have to see
my doctor for a prescription
of medication to carry me

through the month.

The other offense is ap-

parent if one hikes in- our
mountain parks on fine days
during the smoky weekends:
the normally beautiful view
is obstructed by dense clouds
of blue smoke.

It is possible to have a

substantia! part of one’s
garden refuse carried away
in normal garbage pickups,
and to arrange to have the
rest carted off for a modest
fee. My wife and I have been
doing this for years,

Smoking has been banned
in our public buildings, but.
when is West Vancouver go-
ing to follow up on this, and
ban all refuse-burning?
Michael Steig
West Vancouver

Collins and News

deserve Jack Daniels

Dear Editor:

Re: the controversial
Doug Collins columns.

Sneaking for myself and
many of our colleagues, we
must say that we back Doug
Collins and his views 100 per
cent. The people that write
to the North Shore News to
express their disagreement
with Collins are more than
likely involved with one mi-

nority group or another and
cannot accept the fact that
he is right.

If these outspoken, mili-
tant individuals who thrive
on putting the right for
freedom down don’t like it
they should leave Canada
and move to communist
Russia where yeu cannot
voice your opinion.

Congratulations and a

pint of Jack Daniels plus a
slice of raisin pie (raisin pie
was given to prisorsrs when
they were good} to both
Doug Collins and the North.
Shore News. Might we add
that if Doug ever decides to
run for Prime Minister he
definitely gets our vote!

Mike Mullin

Scott Ellis

North Vancouver