{ eee nattinadiinthelertes Saneahaiiiel S aaattied Se Re old | Cecil E, Bund | North Vancouver t as ' h @ - Friday, May 30, 1897 ~ North Shore News eee lemenmnaen Greemmeae nena aseeenalae ene Two sides to free speech Dear Editor: . Twas eager to read all that 1 could find in your May 14 edition on’ the great free speech debate, | feel that there is another area of this struggle that needs a little more atten- tion, bur let me try to explain what [mean witha personal example, Let’s just say that I'm walking down Lonsdale one day and a couple of sharp looking young men call me a “stupid old farmer,” Now [ might be totally offended, and rightly so, because, indeed Tm not that young anymore and I'm very proud of my farming heritage, As that incident. unfotds 1 realize that I have two choices, The first choice would “be thatd could count on the big guy down the road tohelp-nte out, and we could show. them a thing or two. - » With that choice, either ‘one of two things would happen: we would beat up on those guys or they would beat tp on us.’ -As ¥ ponder. that situa- tion, I realize that, regard- less of whatever else hap- pens, and even if 1 were able to exact a ‘total apolo- / By; in'the eyes of most of ithe city people ‘standing around, IT would still be the “stupid old farmer.” ‘My other choice-would be to smile politely, and walk on by. I might try to identify what prompied, the com: ment in the first place, and at best I might still be known as “the old farmer” but at worst it would just be forgotten. * “Ynany event this choice will assure me ‘that I will still have my freedom of choice, whenever [need it in the future, ; On the other hand, with’ my first’ choice of action, I would always be indebted to the big guy down the road, This example assumes a level playing field, but, as the first paragraph in the letter by Cristiano Papile indicates, the big guy down the road is pushing up a few hills on his end, I remember what my mother taught me many years ago: “Sticks and Stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” We must fight for our freedom of speech, of association, and all of our other basic freedoms, and I can’t help but feel that the CJC will also want those same basics whenev- er the other side of the coin comes around, ay a . ‘ t . . 1 , : a } : ‘ 5 <. Few a Se pore ” ay ero Papers So Yermeaees Yin Le eater ee ey pee seems be Sey eeemmer spr eee IN ee Armed iii haaieendeeen aed aati blithe ideal eetaeiane iabbal . ‘v north shore news Dear Bditor: [cannot help but wonder about the purpose of Doug Collins’ writings in the North Shore News, Whatever the subject, Mr. Collins contintally writes ina disparaging way about other — usually minority and often oppressed — groups of people, Though his articles are read by many, they perhaps only entice two kinds of reactions! hatred toward the group being written about or hatred toward the writer, All of this under the guise of free speech. Does freedom not also inclide responsibility? As caring citizens of a society, are we not responsible for aur actions and our words? Shouldn't people in post- tions of power and authority be even more diligent in their use of “freedom”? Evidently, Doug Collins has not thought about these kinds of questions late- Jy, If his articles were truly written in the spirit of thoughtful and provocative debate, then one could expect to see some balance and compassion when writ- We have tua Lisa Shatzky Bowen Istand B.C.’s rights law is wrong Dear Editor: If ever there was a community of people who should be concerned about preserving freedom of speech, it should be the Jewish Community, If freedom of speech had prevailed in Germany during the 1930s, it is quite possible that the holo- caust would never have happened, I saw the movie Schindler’s List, and | have read several books on the holocaust, and { am con- vinced that the holocaust is an historical fact. Jews should know that any intelligent, informed person who has examined the facts can- ° not possibly deny the holocaust took place, ’ However, to lend dignity to a law passed in this province by a group of incompetent and ignorant government officials, placing unwarranted restriz- tions on our freedom of speech, is tantamount to being accomplices ta those restrictions, The Canadian Jewish Congress does not enhance the dignity of its own community by supporting such outrageous legislation, The B.C. human rights code is exactly the type of law that Nazi Germany would have been com- fortable with since it’s broad enough and loosely enough worded that it can cover any situation, real or imagined. 1 do not agree with Doug Collins, but he has a right to express his opinions as a journalist. Gerald H. Hall jerryhal@ven.be.ca THIS WEEK’S ARRIVAL! Solid Blitz & Bengaline GREAT POLYESTER SUITING! Check out our 2.79/m dept. [SPECIAL PURCHASE) | VINYLS Great for boats, campers, bbq covers § &much more! - : GARDEN BENCH 719 West 14th St. MAILBOX, Respect for diversity is needed Ing about other groups of people. i ourselves, What is the purpose ofa local newspaper anyway? Is it merely a playground for journalists to say whatever they like about whomever regardless of the consequences? Ls freedany af speech the only thing that matters? J wonder if Mr, Collins has thought about the impact of his words on the younger generations in aur saciety, As an elder among us, he is a role model, whether he wants to be or not, and his words will be read by children and ado. lescents, Will they become more open-hearted, respectful, and responsible in’ % their interactions with different ethnic groups after reading hay articles? * oa As we enter the next millennium, respecting diversity and being responsible’ will become even more important in dealing with the ecological crisls around us, Yes, these themes are just as important as free speech, "oy SELECTION i RICHMOND COQUITLAM a 4580 NO. 3 RD. 273-9181 2773 Barnet Hwy. ni SURREY 464-1918 of 8066 -120th Street 590-8226 LANGLEY BURNABY 19950 Willowbrook Dr. 7271 Gilley Ave. 430-8371 533-4805 MAPLE RIDGE DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER fabrics & 22188 Lougheed Hwy. 463-0067 ated inside : . 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