© Out of the Norm e¢ DENNIS GREGORY and I were the closest of chums in our youth. He lived across and down the lane from me in Vancouver's east end, and we remained close friends even after our families moved to different and distant areas in the city. We were inseparable for a cer- tain period of time, during our high school and early working years, and we even married our young sweethearts and began our families and working careers at about the same time. But the story of Dennis remains to be told another day, as Rudyard Kipling would say. I only begin that here and now to make the following point. Dennis liked to listen then to short-wave radio, and one thing that caught his attention was the English language news broadcast from the Soviet Union. To the best of my knowledge — and no one hardly knew him bet- ter than I did, Dennis was not (nor was or am 1) a communist or even a left-wing leaning socialist or sympathizer. He was, he said, simply interested in hearing how international events were told from both the western and Soviet points of view. His search for the truth, as is my Own, was paramount, and the truth in all this reportage, he reasoned, could probably be found closer to the middle. Smart man for a young whippersnapper, still wet behind the ears, that “Dennis the Menace’’ pal of mine of so long ago. The truth to last year’s Tiananmen Square tragedy must also lie closer to the middle in the telling of this sad event from both sides, as [ started to say in my last column. But if we don’t even listen to, let alone examine the other side of the story, how can we ever expect to reach that middieground of truth and reason? in my last column I said I would share with you some of the information I received on this tragedy from the government of the People’s Republic of China through their local consulate. I will attempi to do so now in the space remaining and in the col- umn to follow. However, I should first point out that my purpose in attempting to fully examine the Tiananmen tragedy from all sides is not to champion the cause or position of the Chinese government or Chinese communist party. Nor do I wish to denigrate the Chinese student movement. I salute and honor the brave young students at Tiananmen Square, and the struggle for freedom and democracy of all peoples every- where. D 3 s 1G FROM CONCEPT TO FINISHED PRODUCT Recycled paper avaiiahle 2443 Marine Drive, West Vancouver 922-0247 Bowen 947-9745 Did you graduate in 1980? Carson Grad 10 year Reunion Last Call! Deadline Aug. 23 Call Pat at 987-5466 etn But my support is not un- bounded. I do not accept injustice on ei- ther side, no matter how great the cause. The end never justifies the means. Nor do | want the freedom of others to come at the cost of the possible loss of my own freedom. The truth to last year’s Tiananmen Square tragedy must ... lie closer to the middle in the telling of this sad event.”’ We face that risk, I say, when we allow our fourth estate to be perverted into little more than a propaganda tool of the govern- ment — any government! The western telling of the Tiananmen tragedy is, I charge, borderline disinformation, and there is no place for that in a free press if we are to remain and call ourselves a free people. Only truth can set, and make, and keep you free, no matter what. It is the truth I seek here. So how do you recall the Tiananmen Square tragedy, based on that information you, like 1, received here through the western media? Do you see it as a cruel and vicious assault upon, and a wholesale slaughter of, young and innocent Chinese children who were only demonstrating peace- fully for simple changes and reforms in their government? Or, and again like me, do you see this as being much more than that? Well, read on. **In 1989 when spring was pass- ing to summer, a shocking turmoil happened in Beijing, which has attracted the close attention of people at home and abroad. [n- fluenced by foreign media, people have many questions, guesses and misunderstandings.”’ So begins the introduction to The Truth About the Beijing Turmoil, the 1989 publication of China’s Beijing Publishing House. “*This turmoil was not a chance occurrence,"’ it continues. ‘*It was a political turmoil incited by a very smal] number of political ca- reerists after a few years of plot- ting and scheming. ft was aimed at subverting the socialist Peaple’s Republic...(by) making use of some failings in the work of the Chinese government and tem- porary economic difficulties...’" The Chinese government’s black-bound booklet names Zhao Ziyang, the former general secre- tary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, as one of the main architects of the events that ultimately led to this ‘turmoil.’ Various political forces and ‘‘reactionary’’ organizations abroad, not named, but said to include the western media, are also blazed by China for having *'...a hand in the tur- moil from the very beginning.’ ‘‘Some newspapers, magazines and broadcasting stations, especially the Voice of America, fabricated rumors to mislead peo- ple, thus adding fuel to the flames.”’ This, then, establishes the initial and to be expected position of the Chinese Communist government in this tragedy, but still possibly a position perhaps closer to the truth and reality than most of us here in the west are ready to face, let alone admit. Few of us will be surprised by the above Chinese official position. But are we ready yet to seriously consider the degree of truth in that? So how does China’s govern- ment see the actual and tragic un- folding of events at Tiananmen Square? Stay tuned! @ Entire inventory on sale Hurry in NOW!! Open Sundays 10-6pm. 9 - Wednesday, July 25. 1990 - North Shore News Building okayed on Odeon site A THREE-storey commercial building development has been approved for the Odecn Theatre site at 1563 Marine Dr. in West Vancouver. The developer secured a devel- opment permit at a recent West Vancouver District Council meeting after months of discus- sion with the municipality. An earlier design, with a resi- dential/commercial mix, was re- jected by council. “This is probably the most at- tractive building we could see at this site,"’ Ald. Mark Sager said. Ald. Rod Day emphasized that while the building is technically three storeys, it will be nu higher than the permitted height of a two-storey building. The area is zoned for two-storey buildings, but an extra storey can be considered by council on specific conditions, including ar- chitectural merit and a floor area consistent with the two-storey fimit. “We have also preserved the in- tegrity. of the commercial area,’ added Ald. Andy Danyliu. But residents of a condominium to the north of the theatre site spoke out against the develop- ment. “This is supposed to be a resi- dential area, but there is a Jot of noise at night with trucks backing up,”’ complained John Cox. He also noted that people work- ing in the commercial area use the streets in the residential area to the north for parking. “Property values will go down because of the loss of views,” he said. But Day pointed out that the proposed building would actuaily be lower than what could be built with a two-storey development. 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