6 ~ Wednesday, June 30, 1999 — North Shore News north shore news VIEWPOINT Canada Day hopes ELOW are some actions from politicians and other Canadians that would improve tomorrow’s Canada Day celebrations. A commitment from all levels of government to cut the tax burden of Canadians, who hold the dubious dis- tinction of being among the most heavily taxed beings on Earth. A commitment from all Canadians to develop tolerance toward differing points of view, especially those that the majority don’t agree with, because it’s only through the consideration of ideas outside the accepted that progress is made. A commitment from ‘the federal government to address with more than hot air and political two-steps immi- ‘gration policies that have made Canada one of the world’s softest touches for international criminals and other members of creepdom. A commitment from all Canadians to view themselves as more than occu- piers of a vast resource hinterland affixed to the United States. A commitment from all Canadians to ignore the peddlers of human rights tribunals and other promoters of the new victim society and adopt instead the self-reliance and independence of character that helped develop this vast land into the world’s best country. Cultivation of a renewed pride from Canadians everywhere in the core Canadian values of tolerance, good manners, common decency and neigh- bourliness that distinguish it from the brash U.S. juggernaut to the south. An appreciation from all across this Jand that there is so much more to cel- ebrate on Canada Day than hockey rinks and wood products. mailbox ‘Teachers should know their subjects Dear Editor: 1am writing you about a matter that has to do with my school. I am not surc if it happens at any other schools, but it happens here. I am arguing thar it is not fair to anyone to have an unqualified teacher. By unqualified I do not mean a Grade 9 English teacher teaching Grade 10 English. I am talking about a fine arts teacher teaching an academic subject. Last semester I had this happen ¢o me. For social stud- ics I was taught by the band and choir teacher. I do not think it was fair co the students or to the teacher. The students did not get all the right information. A few times we even had to correct the teacher on facts. When we went into the exam, at the end of the semester, ‘we found questions on topics we never even covered. I talked to other friends that had different teachers for socials and they said that they had covered those topics long before exams. ‘This semester I have a different teacher, but I have friends that are coming to me and asking for photocopies of my notes. They don’t trust this teacher to properly pre- pare them for exams. I find it a bit unfair to the teacher, tuo. In class we would not always pay attention because the teacher would ramble off topic. No one took that teacher seriously. That teacher also probably found it hard to control the class because we didn’t respect that teacher. Many parents were angry with that teacher because their children were not prepared, and therefore their grades went down. The parents feel that the school funds are -being misused because, unqualified teachers are being ‘assigned. In conclusion, I wish that something could be ‘done about this matter, so students can get a better cdu- ‘cation. -Kyla E. Gandy - North Vancouver $ ‘north shore: North Store News, founded in 1969 as an independent suburban newspaper and quakbed under Schedule 111, Paraprapty 191 of ths Excise Tax Act, is published each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Frer: Press Lad. and cistrbuted fo every eae on the North ‘Shore. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement No. 0087238. Mailing rates avatabie or request. Eno Distribution Ma.ager 925-1557 (128) Mark Fancher Creve Senos Dicer eT 51,52 {average ceculaion, Weanesday, Frutay & Suntay) Commit to Canada’s true history MEMORABILIA. Happy-time photos. Achievement certificates. Clippings. Letters we can never throw away. Souvenirs of special events. Almost all families hoard and treasure them. And, at intervals, pleasurably browse through them. For our personal and family memorabilia — whether abundant or limited — are US. They are where we've come from, and . how. Often, too, a ointer to where we're eaded, They are our history and ulti- matcly, therefore, our identity. Browsing through the Wright clan’s albums and memory-books on this eve of the last Canada Day of the millenni- um, it occurred to me that our family — like many others — may be much better served in this regard than Canada herself. Not that Canada’s 132 _ years have any lack of colourful, excit- ing and momentous events. The prob- - lem is that so few Canadians today, especially our youth, are familiar with thar stirring history. For this, thank Canada’s end-of-mil- Iennium “victim industry” and its polit- ically correct promoters, who’ve now . reduced history-teaching in most Canadian schools to a kind of bland Social Engineering 100. In the 1960s genuine history courses formed more than 12% of the high school curriculum in Ontario. Today, they’re down to iphy Manager 985-2131 (160) alee Saphnanca Classified Manager 986-6222 (262) Entire contents © 1999 North Shore Free Press Ltd, All rights reserved. around 6%. As elsewhere, the only compulsory history course today is “20th Century Canada,” described by distinguished historian Jack Granatstein, retired York University professor ~ and now director of Noel Ottawa’s War Museum, in his 1998 book Who Killed Canadian History? as “sociology-speak.” The history taught, he says, “is that of the grievers among us, the present-day crusaders against public policy or discrimination. The history omitted is that of the Canadian nation and people.” Why, Granatstcin asks, does Canada insist, seemingly deliberately, on being the world’s only nation that systemati- hither and yon ‘cally refrains from teaching a positive vic v of itself? His answer: our aochial-minded education ministers, chip-on-shoulder bureaucrats, ranting bogus intellectuals and ethnic commu- nities “conned by Canada’s multicultur- al policies into dem-nding an offence- free education.” Add to that the past treatment of women, aboriginals, Jews and gays, and it’s hardly surprising our kids view his- tory — so far from being something to proudly share —- as something to be - ashamed of and pushed aside by mod- ern education's first commandment: Thou shalt not offend. : But true history, of course, is some- thing quite different. It records our ancestors’ good and bad deeds. It can- not be changed, much less related to present-day standards of behaviour —~ even if these are automatically superior, which may often be dubious. At any date in history people do what they regard as right or appropriate at that point in time. Only hindsight has 20/20 vision. That’s why we should enjoy history fearlessly, as the simple record of where we came from and how we got where we are today. Learn with pride from its inspiring achievements. Learn trom its ghastly errors and plan to do better. And recognize that history — warts and all — is our own identity as Canadians. Just as our personal and family mementos are our identity as individuals. On this final Canada Day of the mil-: lennium one vital promise we owe to -"- future gencrations is to restore | : Canada’s history to its rightful place in Canadian classrooms, taught objectively and free of obsequious bowing to polit- ical correctness, so that our kids grow up with a real knowledge of — and a real pride in — the story of this mag: - nificent country they’re inheriting... Just as they take so much individual pride today in the story they read in their family scrapbooks. a 000 HAPPY BIRTHDAY today, June 30, to West Van’s Mary Speck ....And.~. more of thé same Saturday, July 3,to0 ~ Dundarave’s Tara Murray. Se - 000... WRIGHT OR WRONG -— a Canada _ Day thought: Real love stories never . ~ have endings. Lo: vo, —— awright@uniserve.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Letters must include your name, ful address & telephone number, VIA e-mait trenshaw @ direct.ca " Managing Editor 906-7733 (116) Display Atertising Meaper 92040511 (317)