A6 - Sunday, March 13, 1983 - North Shore News

Law and morality

One of the sores afflicting modern society
is the growing gap between the law and
morality, with the latter frequently losing out
to the former. Today, actions and behavior
by individuals and groups can often be
perfectly legal — while remaining, at the
same time, morally questionable, if not
downright reprehensible.

A case in point is the bid by the Canadian
Union of Public Employees to wreak
vengeance on a North Vancouver City
alderman whose views they disliked by hitting
his employer. Because Bill Sorenson dared
to speak his mind in council about the im-
pact of union wage demands upon the
taxpayers who elected him, CUPE withdrew
its quarter-million dollar deposits from North
Shore Community Credit Union, of which
Mr. Sorenson happens to be operations
manager. His company, to its great credit,
stood by him. But Mr. Sorenson felt ruthless
political arm-twisting of this nature made his
personal position intolerable and_ has
decided to quit council.

In the past week or so numerous voices
have defended the union on the that

it is fully entitled to do what it wishes with its
money. They are perfectly correct, of
course. By the same token, CUPE can claim
to be fully within its “rights” to hound an
elected representative of the people from
office by harming his non-involved em-
ployer. In other words, the subversion of the
democratic process by such methods is
entirely legal.

Moral it is NOT, if we accept that morality
invoives responsibilities as well as rights. The
Sorenson case shows that law which is
concerned solely with rights may be a poor
guardian of freedom.

One-love

No doubt about it, Premier Bennett's
speech during the Queen’s visit Wednesday
to B.C. Stadium was a pre-election address.
But criticism of it for that seems a little
naive. One suspects any other premier about
to face the voters would also haye cashed in
discreetly on such a spectacular opportunity.

server must always make the most of his _
advantage.

sunday

news

1138 Lansdale Ave North Vancouver. 8 C V7M 2H4
Publisher Peter Speck

Associate Publisher
fiobert Git afar

Editor-in-chief

Noel Wright Yarn Frances

Personnei Director
Mrs Bernt Hilbard

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Bran A Eins

Production Director Office Manager

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THIS: PAPER ‘NS RECYCLABLE

As a tennis player, Mr. Bennett knows the _

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Mamie

ONE QUEEN-WATCHER'’S
very special dream came
true Wednesday for an
excited young North Van-
couver girl who had
cherished it for two and a
half years.

Back in 1980 Katherine
Murrell, then aged eight and
a half, wrote the following
letter to Her Majesty: “Dear
Queen Elizabeth, from
Katie: This seems kind of
funny writing to somebody
important. I know that you
are the Queen of Canada.
My Mom and Dad have
pictures of you on your visits
to Vancouver, B.C., but
because Lam only 8, I have
not ever seen you. I hope
you can come to my city
again someume. Bye —
Katie.”

By registered mail, dated
nine days later, came the
following reply on engraved

“Buckingham Palace
stationery:
“Dear Katte: If am

commanded by the Queen to
thank you for writing to Her
Majesty. The Queen was so
interested to hear from you,
and 1 am to thank you once
again for writing. Sincerely
— Henrietta Abel Smith,
Lady-in- Waiting.”

The letter, beautifully
framed, became one of
Katie’s treasures. And on
Wednesday, of course, there
she was with Mom (another
Elizabeth) outside the
Aquarium, jockeying for a
better position to see the
Queen's car. They moved to
a new spot among the crowd
just minutes before it arrived
and then — wonder of
wonders — it stopped
directly opposite them.

Breathless, the grade 5 St.
Edmund’s student dashed
forward and pressed two
daffodils into the royal hand.
What did the Queen say,
they asked her when she

sunday brunch

by Noel Wright

returned.

“She just said thank you,”
Katie reported. “And I said,
you're welcome!”

Good friends don’t always
need to talk a lot ...

Almost 400 elderly and
disabled operetta lovers
from local facili-

ties enjoyed the free dress

rehearsal of Die Fledermaus -

Wednesday ‘at North Van
Centennial Theatre as guests
of the North Shore Light
Opera Society. “This year
such a large dress rehearsal
audience made our efforts
more worthwhile than ever,”
said Society president Simon
Evans. The famous Johann
Strauss musical runs March
17, 18, 19, 24, 25 and 26 at 8
p.m. — tickets from VTC,
Woodward's, Eaton's

and —

holds its spring dinner
Friday, March 25, at the
Astor Hotel on Kingsway in
Burnaby. Dial 277-3701 for

info ... Still with Bonny
Scotland, phone Mary
Anderson, 224-1741, for

details of the 400th anni-
versary party for former
students, staff and friends of
Edinburgh University (1583-

1983).on Saturday, April 23

. And B.C.’s second oldest
girls’ school, St. Margaret's
in Victoria, stages a fun-
filled weekend May 6-8 to
mark its 75th year. Call
Eleanor Sanderson = (112)
592-5707, to register — and
don't worry if you've lost
your gym tunic ...

HITHER AND YON: Her
Majesty doesn't miss much.
West Van Mayor Derrick
Humphreys, a guest with

North Van Rec Centre.

REUNION time approaches
fast — most immediately for
all North Shore members of
the Clan MacLeod which

nesday night reception
aboard the Britannia, dis-
covered in conversation with
the Queen that she knew all
about the large group of
West Van kindergarten

“Blasted woodpeckers!”

pupils assembled that
morning at Ambleside Park
to greet the royal yacht “I
waved to them,” she said ...
Also invited aboard the
Britannia was West Van air
cadet W.O. 1 John Pollitt to
receive from Prince Philip a
Gold Award Certificate for
completing the 18-month
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Program for community
service, explorations,
personal skills and physical
fitness ... Canada's possible
future answer to Margaret
Thatcher, federal Liberal
Party president Iona
Campagnole, addresses the
North Van Chamber of
Commerce monthly tunch
meeting this Thursday
(March 17), 12 noon at the
Canyon Gardens. If you're
not a Chamber member, find
one fast and get to meet Iona
as a guest ... Appointed a
director of Capilano College
by Education Minister Bill
Vander Zaim is former West
Van school trustee John
Gregory, general sales
manager of Radio CIVB .

Cap College board are H _

Rizun of Squamish and
Norris Martin of West Van
Lions Gate Hospital
pharmacist Sam Louie is
illustrator (with cartoons and
diagrams) of Vancouver Dr.
Michael Livingston's new
book, Back Aid — Your
Guide To Care Of The Back
.. Congrats to grade 11
Hillsider Patricia Wrean,
winner of a bursary from the
Federal Republic of Ger-
many for a four-week trip to
Germany this summer
And apologies to North
Shere Credit Union mrarket-
ing manager David Knight
for the gremlin that screwed
up his family names two
weeks ago. Wife Beth, of
course, is the mother of their
firstborn, Christine
Elizabeth — not vice versa!

een

WRIGHT OR WRONG:
The trouble with being a
good sport is chat you have
to lose to prove it.

mae mailbox SS

CUPE act ‘near criminal’

Dear Editor

lt is indeed a sorry day for
those Canadians who beheve
in democracy, freedom of
speech and the
parhamentary process when
an elected representative of
the people its subjected to
the kind of despicable action

recently taken by CUPE
Local 389 in|] North Van.
covuer

We only hope that the
more reasonable. respon
sible and thoughttul union
members will censor | this

action in the = strongest
possible terms To do
otherwise would be to
condone an action that
borders on the criminal. If
bribing a politician ts
frowned on by the law, then
threats and intimidation of
the kind cacrcised by CUPE
Local 389 should be
sidered no less serious

Alderman Sorenson was
elected by the people to
represent thetr interests on
City council He has done his
job well in trying to curb the
shyrocketing

con

costs of

municipal employces.

CUPE Local 389 appears
to have a “death wish”. Why
else would they work so hard
to alienate themselves so
completely from the rest of

society?

Our Attorney General
may be interested tn at-
tempts to influence — the
decisions of our elected
representatives We hupe he

is

Douglas Vo Vincent
Iherese 1] Vincent
North Vancouver

Union actions ‘ruthless’

Dear beditor

Ball
shown himsctit

Alderman Sorenson

has to be a
Cconsctrentious aod

COUFBREOUS Caty eoun

ciiman The fine yob he had
done for the past four ycars
makes the circumstances of

his resignation afl the more

reprchenstible Now that the
actions of CUPE have cost
this alderman his seat) on
council Te seems logical to
assume that (hose who voted
with the umon might have
been domng so out of fear of
similar acts of retahation of
vengeance by the
umon

sauic

Vd like to see a cam
munity (ash force setup that
would act as as economic
watchdog = Something that
might: prevent aldermen tn
future trom being in
tmidated by ruthless sclf
serving achons of 8 unton
Audrey Walker
North Vancouver

Alderman
should not
have quit

Dear Fditor.

Regarding the matter
belween CUPE and
Alderman Sorenson, tt is my
contention that) Alderman
Sorenson has acted unwiscly
in this matter

First of all, CUPE, along
with you or mc, has the mght
to bank where they see fit!
am sure that there are many
out there including myself
who have switched bank
branches because of policy

disagreements with the
manager ois a free
country isnt?

Secondly, 1 think that
Alderman Sorenson = has

acted irresponsibly by
resigning his seat) Most of
the issucs that come before
council have no direct
beanng on CUPE, and he
has the elected duty to make
Ins vwews known on those
issucs

Richard Blackburn
North Vancouver