TO THE STUDENT Union Building at UBC, where our
humble servant and ihe Whipper Billy Paul Watson
engage in a sharp bout before a packed house. The rules
do not permit a first-round K.O., or Watson would have

been on the deck
distance with him and,
myself the winner.

The sponsors of the grand
event have a sense of the theatri-
cal. Watson enters from stage
left, I froin stage right. Cheers
and boos accompany each ap-
pearance,

The subject of the debate, nat-
urally, is whale-saver Watson’s
enormous gall and confessed
criminal activity in organizing the
sinking of those Icelandic whal-
ing ships and the destroying of
computer equipment in a whaling
plant. Brazen as a brass monkey,
he again admits to what he did
and intimates that, like God, he
is above challenge.

Knowing that victory is sure, I
play with the guy for a while and
read out a previous column on
the issue. The crowd likes the
lead paragraph, which states: ‘‘It
is remotely possible that Watson
is not a lunatic, but I doubt it.”
There are more laughs when we
get to the bit about his suffering
from delusions of grandeur,
“just like Hitler, Mussolini, and
bottle-smasher Stan Persky.’’

The round closes with more
cheers than boos, and it is clear
that all is not lost in today’s stu-
dent world. Most of them can
recognize a loony when they see
one. (And I don’t mean me!)

When the bell sounds for
round two, it is apparent that
Watson is stiff and stale. He has

| nothing new to say and falls back
on the ropes, bleating that since
‘the Icelanders are themselves
breaking the law by ignoring the
rules on whaling, he can also
break the law. I counter by say-
ing that by such a measure, we
would all be justified in becom-
ing bank robbers.

He shuffles around the ring
backwards, pleading the cause of

purity and high motives. I thump.

| him on the ear with the comment
that, to him, extremism in
defence of whales is no vice. But
terrorism is still terrorism. He
makes a small recovery, however,
when I mention Andrei
Sakharov, the dissident Russian.

without

further ado. So | go the

to thunderous applause, declare |

Sakharov, | pointed out, has
stated that no matter how high
the aims predicated by terrorists,
their activities are always crimi-
nal and always destructive,
throwing mankind back to the
time of lawlessness and chaos.
But Watson got a laugh by saying
that Sakharov is the father of the
Russian H-bomb.

I countered by pointing out
that sledgehammers were used to
destroy the computers in the
plant in Iceland, and that when |
they were invented they were the
H-bomb of their time. The punch
is not my strongest, but I still
have this pirate on the run.

The rounds blur into one
another. [ remember Watson
blinking, though, when I hit him
with the question that if it’s OK
for him to go around sinking
other people’s ships, is it also OK
for some high-minded fellow the
other side to sink his ship, the
Sea Shepherd? How about that,
Paul?

His pale response was that he {
once sank it himself. I tell him
that that sort of thing is his
prerogative and that he should j
sink it again. The crowd loves it.
And I add that there is no
wonder he was thrown out of
Greenpeace. More cheering and }
stamping.

When the youthful enthusiasm
subsides I say that no doubt the
French had the highest motives }
when they sank the Rainbow
Warrior in New Zealand. Watson
waxes gleeful and states that they
killed a man, His agents, on the
other hand, made sure no one
would be hurt. i

I point out that violence is still
violence, that there is always a
danger someone will get hurt,
and that the French probably had
no intention of killing anyone
either.

My closer was that Watson
doesn’t look crazy, but he is.

They carried him out on a
stretcher, but that part didn’t get
on TV.

COUNCIL GIVES $1,250

Volunteer Centre
receives WV grant

THE NORTH SHORE Informa-
tion and Volunteer Centre will get
help making up a funding shortfall
from West Vancouver District.

At Ald. Mark Sager’s instiga-
tion, district council recently voted
the centre a $1,250 grant. This sum
is in addition to the $2,100 already
granted. The additional money
comes out of the district’s contin-
gency fund.

Bill Perry of the Information
and Volunteer Centré appeared
before council to make the request.
This year, nearly 10,000 people
have benefited from the centre’s
services, which include legal aid,
training programs, information
services and legal and financial in-
formation for seniors.

About 7. local volunteers work,
‘out-of thecertre, providing ‘over

$500,000 worth of services.

Perry pointed out that West
Vancouver’s $2,!00 grant repre-
sents a 5.6 per capita allotment,
higher than that provided by North
Vancouver City and North Van-
couver District, but half or fess
than half of what Burnaby and
Richmond give.

Ald. Gordon Rowntree’s motion
to deny the request for an addi-
tional grant was defeated, outgo-
ing Ald. Donald Griffiths being
the only supporter.

Sager’s subsequent motion was
successful, with strong support
from Ald. Diana Hutchinson.
Sager said that he had previously
sat on the board of the Volunteer
Centre.

‘‘And I am aware of the ex-

celient SEUSS. ot Provides he . a
id. *

9 - Sunday, December 7, 1986 - North Shore News

AND YUKON ASSOC.

Local named hotel president

WEST Vancouver’s Richard Gibbons bas been
returned for a second term as president of the B.C.
and Yukon Hotels’ Association (ACK YHA).

B.C. s

owner of Port Alberni’s Hospitality Inn.

Other members of the 1986-87 BC&YHA executive
include Port Moody's Merle Schrader, who is the
immediate past president; vice-presidents Fred
Berusch of Revelstoke, Mary Anne Milobar of
Kamloops, and Marco Puharich and Jack Swoboda,
both of Vancouver; treasurer Robert Waisman of
Vancouver; and executive vice-president Rick Higgs.

Formerly the British Columbia Hotels’ Association,
the BC& YHA recently held its 62nd annual general
meeting atthe Hotel Vancouver.

Gibbons is a practicing Vancouver lawyer and the

3ank Manager
says SELL!

We’re overstocked! 77 Brand
New 1987 Honda’s must be sold
by December 31, 1986!

Accord LX

The

ings

The prices on these new Honda’s are so low the factory
has advised not to publish the prices because it would
create disruption in the market.

You'll never find a better
price on a new HONDA!

| OPEN |

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725 MARINE DRIVE _

| NORTH VANCOUVER
984-0331