S — Wednesday, May 14, 1997 — North Shore News ORTH Shore News readers have put their money where their mouths are on an issue that is key to our democracy. Their input and contribution to the North Shore News Free Speech Defence Fund has been nothing short of inspiring. The fund, of course, was set up on March 26 to help the News in its three-year legal battle with the _ forces of human rights that have been set badly off course with the institution of Bills 33 and 32 and their anti-demo- cratic approach to the free exchange of idcas. It was established as much to help publicize the misguided bills and their threat to democratic rights as to pro- vide the News and free speech support- ess with a venue for expressing their own concerns. And that expression underlines the reality that, on the : News Free Speech und has eclipsed $70,000. - To press time Tuesday, donations from News readers and to the fund, which was initiated on free speech su March 26, st ne ee north shore news VIEWPOINT speech therapy North Shore, democratic principles matter. News readers don’t take kindly to having their thinking being done for them by someone else. They don’t take kindly to having the government tell them what views are right and what views are wrong. They have said so to the tune of $70,060 thus far. That’s pretty emphatic in any language. The News began its defence of its right to free expression on Monday in a human rights hearing room in down- town Vancouver, That defence is esti- mated to run for one month. Its out- come is anyone’s guess. But this news- paper won’t rest until the NDP’s bad bills are dead and buried. Its resolve has been strengthened by its readership’s generous show of sup- port and principled stand. The fight is on. May the best principles wia. Is Canada genuinely EVEN Preston Manning with his declared independence within days in tough-love approach to Quebec can’t bring himself to contem- ce plate the dreaded ‘M’ word. Asked last week if he would use the military to protect Canadian citizens “THE RUSSIAN ARMY TRAINS TO M@eT NATO: CASTERN EUROPEAN EXPANSION BRST STRIKE: DING a pereNn nia " order to secure fast formal recognition by France, followed by the U.5., Canada would suddenly face obligations in Quebec that no nation worthy of the name could possibly ignore. irst, there are the Cree and other native bands CHARGING: CAN | PAY YOU NEXT a nation? or local police forces. They would demand an immediate an convincing. physical presence by Canada to upheld, from Day One, its unarguable rights and duties in the breakaway province. Repugnant as many dians fired the idea, the Canadian Forces are the only government. organ able to provide that presence. Otherwise, as Parizeau at $70,656. . ~All fan and interests in Quebec in the event of a unilat- which have overwhelm- now makes clear, there would be nothing ds received will help defray the mounting legal costs Noel faosd by the News in its legal batle with the Human Rights Wri hit . Tribunal over a complaint laid agzinst the newspaper and its columnist Doug Colts: by the Cana Jewish Congress. A hearing into ty: matter began on May 12. The first three days of the iiearing — May 12 to 14 — will be held at the Ceansry Plaza Hoel, to stop ruthless separatists from trampling vical adian interests into the ground while Ottawa weakly waffled about appealing to the UN. If the Supreme Court rutes that eral declaration of inde- pendence, he replied: “You wouldn’t want me to do that!” Politically, of course, it was the ingly vored to remain with Canada — plus clearly defined commu- nities (¢.g., much of Montreal and the hither 1015 Burrard Sz., Vancouver. After the Grst three days, the hearing moves to the boardroom, Room 407, 815 Police Commission Hornby St., Vancouver. More excerpts from the hundreds of respondents to the cause: . “It appears the Clark proletariat will continue to prose- cute you for writing your opinions. Wt, and you, have survived the Nazis and the Comeics and ve will sur- p ech and expres- sions of opinion have to be preserved and minorities ‘vive these cheap imitators as well. Free Should not rule the counsry.” — Frederick and Kathy Kranz of West Vancouver Q00 . Weare losing our right to dis of — James Q00 “It appears that the New Democratic Party, a.k.a. the No trying to silence those who Left. They seem to forget that freedom of Democracy Party, and followers are don’t swing or swish to ry of West Vancouver smart answer — and as useless as most politically smart answers. Twenty-four hours tion’s front burner when Jacques separatists had also urged Canadian Forces officers in Que is known as sedition — punishable, ing squad. This being Canada, later the question moved on to the elec- Parizeau revealed that — despite “prior promises of partnership” talks with the rest of Canada — he would have declared Quebec independence “within hours or days” of winning the 1995 referendum. Four days before the vote was held ¢ to transfer to a Quebec arniy in the event of a separatist victory. In any self-respecting nation that depending on national standards, by any- thing from a lengthy prison term to a fir- ic trai- Ottawa Valley) which voted solidly “no” in 1995. As Canadian citi- zens, surely they’re entitled to our protection, aren’t they? Second, the Atlantic provinces are equally entitled to remain physically linked to the rest of Canada. That means we would need to secure unhindered access by road and rail through Quebec to New Brunswick -~ and by water via the St. Lawrence Seaway. Those links should net be negotiable. . Third, would we not have a legal and moral duty to recover for Canada the northern two-thirds of present-day Quebec ceded ta the province by acts of the Canadian Parliament after Confederation? This simply involves repealing the acts and redrawing and yon Quebec cannot legally separate without the consent of the rest of Canada, our duty as a nation will be to uphold that ruling by whatever means necessary. If, on the other hand, the Court says Quebec zn legally separate, today’s Canada is not a nation after all.: Right now these scenarios — and the possible role of the army in the first — are no-win issues for any politician. But * hopefully someone in Cttawa is doing some heavy-duty thinking about them. Q OO MANY HAPPY returns of tomorrow, May 15, to Mount Seymour Lions birth- day boy Jemie Innes. O00 WRIGHT OR WRONG: Work cight hours, sleep eight hours — but not the same cight hours. Quebec's boundaries as they were in 867. During the first hectic days following a unilateral declaration of independence (UDI) as envisaged by Jacaues Parizeau these are not matters that can be left to boy scouts, distant committees in Ortawa tors in question have naturally suffered no penalties. So what happens if the next Quebec referendum in 1998 or 1999 finally produces a “yes” vote? Military-wisc, it’s far from being an academic question. If the victorious sepa- ratists followed Parizeau’s advice and speech is a two-way street.” — A.M. Fishburne and Donations to the North Shore News Free Speech Defence Fund can be sent to the News offices, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, V7M 2H4. Cheques should be made out to the North Shore News Free Defence Fund, ~— trenshaw@direct.ca — The North Shore News believes Strongly in freedom of speech and the right of all sides in a debate to be heard. The columnists published in the News present differing points of view, but those views are not necessarily those of the newspaper itself. family of Vancouver a north shore : HOWE OSRERC TUS: : Wort Stare News, loxnded in 1969 as an : oy : ; me (ae \ . LETTERS TO THE EDITOR independent suburban newspaper and qualified under Schedule 111. Pacapraph 113 of the Exosse Tax Ack, is pubished each Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by North Shore Free Press. Ltd. and districuied 10 every door on the North Letters must include your name, full address & telephone number. VIA Internet: trenshaw @ direct.ca COMPUTER 8BS - 980-8027 User ID: SREMNESUTSEERRSEE os : PETER SPECK beng Foo ‘Vinotty Renshon Manager Sales & Marketing Director Publisher Comptrotier Managing Editor 985-2131 (177) «980-0521 (319) §=— SB5-2137 (101) 985-2181 (x33) 985-2131 (116) Display & Real Estate Fax 985-1435 j + aa v : " aaremeers Newsroom Fax $85-2104 ‘Shore. 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