us with right to debate Dear Editor: I's a rare thing indeed when T run for my cheque book, but your notice that the North Shore News has set up a free speech defence fund caused me to do just that. Having squirmed in my seat since the first time I heard: about the NDP's “Human Rights Code” and how it could be used to quash the public’s right to free speech, I have longed to be able to do something about it, - It seems incredible that in a_ so-called democratic * system - cases where. it was felt harm: "had been done by slander- - Ous speech. This additional ‘legislation is just one more “step to ing a soci- ety where people are afraid to say anything that goes against the current ways of “thinking”, sanctioned by ‘ government, When contro- versial speech is eliminated, controversial thought, soon i , The ‘weather is grey. enough. in Vancouver; we don’t need grey speech aswell, : I congratulate the News’ courage in defend- ing its writers, and hope for a massive outpouring of _ Support in its efforts from those. who still have the ‘awareness of how vital the right to free speech is, Kathryn O’Neill- Morfopoulos . ‘North Vancouver Margieete eNyeels PUbeots otebars Rascller See Cluaite + shetre Nea oMiauier Sirs i; Hedleniann | ‘ shar q slew Still > Leorite ole ye , = Narane Brushed corona Guill shorts ISKSE NX vent (s15gy hy Regina Porter avaifable in “cream & toca . “Te bei) Bellevue We. Wha 926 TELS \ Get Doug out of the News Dear Editor: Ut was interesting to read on the front page af the North Shore News (May 16) that News publisher Peter Speck, of the paper, stands firmly for freedom of speech, Yet, after all the years of reading this paper, I've never seen any profanity written init 1 guess | must assume that no one has ever written a letter bo the editor with profanity in it} After all, the North Shore News “stands firmly” for freedom of speech. The reason that] haven’t seen any profanity in this local paper (and I’m just guessing here) is that the News doesn’t want to associate itself with such vulgar language. [ts readership probably wouldn't appreci- ate It, Publishers and editors continually make choices as to What they deem appropriate to print, That the North Shore News has seen fit to ban profanity in their paper does them credit, but it is still censorship, As everyone now knows, Dog Collins and the News are in legal trouble because of the garbage he writes in bis column, Should Doug Collins have the right to say what he likes? Sure he does! Should the North Shore News give him a forum to do iv? No! Ina recent Georgia Straight issue, David Radler, president and CEO of Hollinger Inc., stated about the Doug Collins affairs “1 support his freedom to say whatever he wants, but whether he should be doing it In newspapers we control is another issue.” Speck should step up to bat and ban Doug Collins just as his paper has done with profanity, If he does- n’t, 1 can only hope that Racer steps in with his power of majority ownership and forces the North Shore «ws to get rid of this evil, little man, ‘ Chris Hirris North Vancouver emharris@unixg.ube.ca Cla, . Gov't speech control sinister | Dear Editor: As a newspaper you know you must be doing something right when you get 24 denun- ciatory column inches on the top outside corner of page 2 of the Globe : and — Mail. (Columnist’s writing tests free- cad limits, Page A2, May ._ Pve never read your news- . paper, nor have I ever read any- ‘thing by Doug Collins, but as a -writer.and a concerned citizen, I humbly bow and applaud your decision to keep purblish- | ing him in the storm of excre-' ment that must surely be falling all around you at this time if what we read in The Globe is true. “ Based on what I’ve heard about Mr, Collins and what he writes about, I can say that I probably wouldn’t agree with MAILBOX POLICY LETTERS to the editor must “be legible (preferably typewrit- ten) and include your name, ‘full address and telephone number, Due to space constraints the HUMBERSTON EDWARDS him most of the time, One thing that I do believe requires further research and clarifica- tion however, is the total recorded number of Holocaust deaths. We have long accepted as fact that six million Jews died in the death camps at the hands of: the Nazis. 1 believe however, that many of the original arti- cles that were published back in the 1950s exposing these hor- rors, iter by at the number of six million by extrapolation. As much as L abhor revi- Sionism, a rechecking of the records could indeed reveal that ‘there may well have been fewer, as Collins seems to have suggested, This, in my mind, would not make the Holocaust any less heinous. The people who are -condemning him for Hi North Shere News cannot pub- lish all tetters, Published letters may be edited for brevity, clari- ty, accuracy, legality and taste. Submissions can be faxed to 985-2104. Ms “Holocaust denial” should give that consideration, In North America and espe- cially in Canada, we have already moved toward a passive form of thought control with societal acceptance of political- ly-correet speech. If Doug Collins is censured by the B.C. government, we will, as. a society, have taken one more dangerous step down the most slippery of slopes. British Columbia will then have demonstrated de facto that, by law, they have the right to tell any citizen what he or she may talk about. - Today, Doug Collins. Tomorrow? Any journalist who happens to piss-off a lobby ‘oup or a politician, m The fature? Any citizen who might speak an improper word as determined by the KIDS FOLLOW THE WATER SAFETY RULES DO YOU? +} The Canadian Red Cross Society JOHN HORTON cs.m.A., ECA. An exhibition and sale of recent paintings “MARINE ENDEAVOURS” - past and present ‘May 24th - 31st Artist in attendance Saturday, May 24th 2-5pm All visitors will receive a complimentary copy of the Capt. Vancouver Catalogue Discovery '92 By John Horton 1360 Marine Drive, West Vancouver 922-7934 | thought police of the day. Collins is a testimonial to the fact that a law that. was ostensibly passed to benefit society may be insidiously manipulated to curtail one of the most precious of our per- sonal freedoms. In a dictatorship, freedom from oppression and. persecu- tion can be achieved in one fell swoop with a coup. The ero- - sions of personal rights that take place within a democratic society are the most difficult to reverse, : : Surely it is better for a soci- ety to tolerate a pain-in-the-ass like Doug Collins than to live with the much greater and more sinister consequences of ° creating and using a law to try to force him to be quiet. Richard E. Gower Guelph, Ontario TAYLOR ively AlrCare - Gov, Cerkited #50222 ERVICE 70, Heresy & hearsay . Dear Editor: | I have followed. the Doug Collins’ expressions in print and.on the radio. (when possible} for many years, and he is the last person to deny the holo- 2 caust, I believe Rev. Hird is; - ike most if not all “politi- cally <-correct” people, expressing a- personal angst based upon hearsay evicence, rumor, support: ‘ ive opinion and a total lack of informed research. This is at least as dan- gerous as those who deni- grate Christians and Jews x their beliefs, without bothering to read the New +: and Old Testaments. Clive Edwards .. _ cedwards@uniserve.com 8.C.A.A.-A:.A.-APPROVID =—«s_—™ TUNE-UP SPECIALISTS —— TUNE-UPS ~ FUEL SYSTEMS - ELECTRICAL SALMING 176 PEMBERTON AVE. N.VAN. Stet Dave 988-7455 Thomas’ y, Campaign Offices 1339 Marine Drive, West Vancouver - Tel: 604-925-8041 Fax: 604-925-8042 5604 Sunshine Coast Hwy., Sechelt’ Tel:604-885-9235 Authorized by tain Morris, Official Agent for David Thomas Campaign