The Mori Shore Mews Is published by orth Shore Free Press Ltd., Publisher Peter Speck, trom 1139 Lonsdale Avenue Worth Vancouver, 8.0., V7M 2H4 PETER SPECK Publisher 985-2131 (101) Boug Foot Dee Dhaliwal Comptrolier Human Resources Manager 985-2137 (177) ~ Managing Editor : S852151 (116) : i we areal ae | Rdeialearaiien SB 2181. Aasountiog & Main Office Fax Micheal Gocker-Newa Elites 885-2131 (118) | Andrew McOredie-Sparts/Coxmsiesiy Editor. 906-2131 (147). . LETTERS 1G THE €D/TCA Ustters must Include your rame, full address & telephone number - . VIA Internet: trenshaw @ direct.ca . COMPUTER BBS ~ 520-8027 User !D:malibox » Passwordietters puteee 00.7, ieee aig eee a al Seiten ban bncuede ha Btte// wane. B toh Store Now, fended in 1969 s In independent sababen newspaper and unkind under Schedule 111, Peagrgh 11) of the Exche Tax Act ig gubluhed cach Woda, dy ann Suny by Narth Shure Fre Presa Lad tral deride tod to every dour on the Noch Share. Carats Prat ‘Canadian Pubboations Mal Saks Prodat Apraves No. OOTER Mating aes sien ope russ asi Entire contents "© 1996 North Shore Free Press Ltd. All rights reserved. “WERE SINKING! CALL THAT MGMT USE —_ pee fies oi oo. news Wie wipoint C0-0; } UR First Nations brothers and sisters Ryseem to, be. damned if they do and 4” damned if they don’t when ii comes to making concrete moves to economic ‘velf-suffi- ciency. ‘They know they must tend to this goal as the federal . government down-loads and off-loads support programs, The promise of any real seitlement of land claims remains a work in progress for most of _ BC's native population. The Squamish ‘and Burrard are taking cre- ative steps now to improve their positions within the existing framework. The Squamish alliance with SNC-Lavalin on a joint proposal of a twin-span solution: to the Lions Gate Bridge conundrum is a higher-pro- file example of such initiative. To the east the Burrard are working with development partners to build housing and Presumption SOMETHING about the case of alleged child pornographer William Bennest, suspended princi- pal of Clinton elementary in Burnaby, bothers me. Long before appearing before a trial judge and jury, he has already wlio, YOU HAVE REACHED THE LIGHTHOUSE. DUE To AUTOMATION, YOUR CALL HAS BEEN FORWARDED... “HELLO, YOU HANE REACHED THE CANADIAN COAST GUARD. DUE } TO STAFF LAYOFFS, YOUR CALL HAS BEEN FORLARDED.. © 7 VELLD, Tis Is SHELA coPPS AND 1D [{ \IKETO TELL YOU ABOUT AN EXCITING 7). NEW PROGRAM THAT WALL MAKE YOU FEEL GO0D ABOUT BEING CANADIAN... ra Fa fA Rae I INRA rer EPR! LCA i ARAN CAT hae NAN erative quest recreational facilities for use by the broader North Shore community. The changes are being met in some quarters : with anxiety, Some of the friction is based on assumptions ¢ that natives have all sorts of special levers te pull, and that they don’t have to work with the surrounding non-native community. Framing ail of this is a stubborn current of guilt and blame, The sins. aud. indignities resulting from’ the ‘actions of past generations remain alive in ‘the hearts of many. History colors the present for beth sides of the equation and, in all likelihood until we get past the treaty process, will continue to shape it. In the meantime the read to definition of that: . slippery concept of First Nations self-reliance must be travelled with the szirit of open com- munication and cooperative mutual support. due process by a jury of one’s ers. Nowadays, this principle is increasingly flouted by media-happy prosecutors and police who release to reporters what is, in effect, still unchallenged | trial evidence. Unless we’ re ready for a totali- tarian “justice” system where accused are deemed guilty until proved innocent, formal Criminal Helmets good Tagree with the writer (Sept. ft. 4 North Shore News editorial) that we have too much govern- ment regulation and people should take more individual . responsibility. : However, the writer should not lose sight of the fact that we - live in a country with: universal ” socialized medical coverage, which is a fact that most Canadians are proud of (espe- cially “when talking. Americans). We all pay, through: our taxes, for medical coverage. for everyone. When people ride bicycles: Fs without helmets, and . incur: more serious injuries as a résull we all must pay for the increased costs of the medical coverage. If we had an American- stvle 4 ; ; responsibility for y ‘what ver? injuries they incurred, *: and: would: then agree: with? th writer that the government has no business telling us if we must. wear helmets or anything Brent Mardon . = bmardon@finning.ca West Vanconyer Sah Obviously; the "cartoonist who drew the ‘sarcastic: car- tcor of a cave ‘painting: does ‘not. know. that Northw ‘coast Indians did sell.or trade’ 4. their most accessible. boutit with each other’ i.c.: fis other. precious resources or for local currency. Peoples all over the world who live off the land sell their local resources,” our natives be different ‘Shirley. Stone ‘West Vancouver. in of i innocence | flo chambers, the answers time and again ‘fom hun- dreds of ordinary, decent Germans were: “We knew — we never dared ask about such thin The “failure” of a relatively free South / press to prevent apartheid — also cited by Mr. Katz — is irrelevant, That apartheid lasted so long was no fault of the media. The system per- sisted because it was knowingly accepted by an informed majority of the white population. ° Could it be that Mr. Katz has some problem . boy under 14 and been convicted in the court of public opinion as a result of details released to the media by the lice of the evidence they are amassing, We now about the 43 videocassettes seized from the accused’s home, and that they show only males. We speculate about the daily journals taken from his school office, and about the tapes apparently recording, conversations—along with “numerous photographs, magazines and posters” (all presum- ably dirty). We learn that the accused was homve- sexual. Finally, we're told of three new charges in addition to child porn — including abuse of a procuring sex with an under: 18. To average consumers of the daily news, this:is more than enough. Small wonder if Joe Lunchbucket says: “The guy's obviously as guilty as hell. Why waste the court's time?” The answer lies at the root of the 800-year-old British system of law adopted by Canada; the pre- sumption of innocence unless found guilty after Code charges are all that should ever be pub- lished before the court trial begins, g00 DEAR READER Abe Karz — apparently miffed by my reference to the Canadian Jewish Congress as among the Human Rights Council's most eager vpinion- muzzling customers — rejects as “prepos- terous” my claim (Ci censorship caused the Holocaust, Aug, 28) that unfettered free speech and a free press would have made Hitler's atrocities against the Jews impossible, Hider at his peak, says Mr. Katz, was loved, idolized and revered by the vast majority of Germans — he'd never “have been cowed and curbed by a free press.” Hasn’s Mr. Katz ever heard of Nazi propaganda ininister Jasel? Goebbels, one of the most brilliant brain-washers of all time who also conducted the most ruthhess censorship in modern history? Alter five years in the British army fighting Hitler [ spent eight more in defeated Germany with the Allied services, Probed about the gas with free speech itself? goa INVESTING BASICS will be discussed by Canada ‘Trust's John Hasyn at West Van ~ Chamber of Commerce’s 7:15 a.m. breakfas! meeting Tuesday, Sept. 17, at Hollyburn Country Chub — reserve ‘by Friday at 926- 6614 .. . Award the Diamond tomorrow, Sept. 12, to Alan and Alice Jessup who tied the knot that day in 1936: . And also tomorrow, congrats to City Coun, Stella Jo Dean and hubby Roland who celebrate their 45th. goOg WRIGHT OR WRONG: Coine te think, none of'us are going to get out of this alive. , ‘The North Shore News believes strongly in free: . dom of speech and the right of all sides in a debate: to be heard, The columnists published in the News present differing points of view, bist those views are. not necessarily those of the newspaper itself