Hear all cultural Dear Editor: I read many letters in the News Mailbox. There is nothing sounder and healthier for a human and democratic society than the calm, peaceful exchange of opinions. Preferably the opinions are supported with facts and data. No doubt everybody wants to five in a peaceful and friendly atmosphere in a saciety where crime is minimal and pun- ished in accordance with the law. History and experience provide enough evidence that many evils began with nothing else than words. The words of accusation, the words of _ideology which replace the law. It’s surprising how many people lost their lives in peace time — not in the battleficld where death is on Sides in debates everybody’s mind — but because they thought and acted freely in times of tetal- ity. There is, phitosophically speaking, no absolute truth. So, how can something be correct politically? Who has the right to decide what is correct and what is not? The law, the product of deep snidies and education based on the findings of generations of wisdom, or the statements of some com- mission? itis very uneasy to understand, in the light of the eventual fiasco of totalitarian regimes in Europe, «hy democratic soci- eties, including Canada’s, are accepting the same rules thar were the fendamental part of those oppressive systems. To use more concrete terms, are the present Canadian immigration and multi- culturai policies good or bad for the nation? Nobody can sav absolutely ves or absolutely no. Both issucs are very important, and everybody must have the right to say any- thing abour ir. It is mandatory to see all by both eves, not to use threats, but argu- ments and objective facts. Facts can sometimes be unpleasant. But they must be recognized as such, as we have to accept that a tooth has a cavi- ty. The danger of this artificial phenome- non known as political correctness is underestimated. The situation reminds me of the words of the mastes magician of totality, VI. Lenin, about the sparks from which a huge fire is born. The fire in which the books were burned in Germany and Soviet Union when Hitler and Sralin came to power. On our beautiful North Shore it start- ed with a quiet discarding of certain books from public libraries. Ir is not the iairy tale. Vladimir Cicha North Vancouver Ne should incarcerate and seize the assets of benzodi- Time to identify dangerous drugs = In your March 3 article “ (Support group joins in on drug issue), Suzanne Zeviar of _ the Benzodiazepine Action s Group is: quoted ‘as: saying, | “The (present) system is set up * Valium. ~ only for drug pushers.” : -’ - [think Zeviar has hit the nail -” on the head. Benzodiazepine is “: am: extremely: dangerous and addictive drug. we Countless studies have doc-. “:. umented “loss . of memory, ~ heightened confusion and loss 7 \ of. coordination due to benzo- oh abuse. erly Quebecers on seda- This new PC actually listens to you! tives and seeping pills suffer more than 2,900 fractures each year, A study of 3,000 elderly drivers who crashed their cars and landed in hospital showed that 66% were impaired by long-acting —_ sedatives In his book, Confessions of a Medical Heretic, Dr. Robert S. Mendelsohn writes, “If you tead the list of indications for Valium, and then read the list of side effects, you'll find that the lists are more or less inter- changeable! Under the indica- tions you'll find: anxiety, fatigue, depression, acute agita- like - tion, tremors, hailucinosis, skeletal muscle spasms. And under the side effects: anxiety, fatigue, depression, acute hyper-excited states, tremors, hallucinations, increased muscle spasticity! I admit ] don’t know how to use a drug like this: what am I supposed to do if I prescribe it and the symptoms continue? Stop the drug or double the dose?” What should we do? Assuming our policy concern- ing cannabis is correct, we should hand benzodiazepine distribution over to the black market by prohibiting Valium. Just say the word, and the IBM Aptiva C8X with Voice Enabled IBM Home Director will turn lights and appliances on and off at your command. You alse pet a 166MIEz Pentium® processor with the new MMX™ technology. 32MB RAM. a.3.1GB hard drive, Total Image 3B Graphics™. a 33.6Kbps modem with Communications drive, 180 days or 180 hours on the Internet with IBM Global Network?, 15" IBM colour monitor’, preloaded Windows® 95. 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Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa. Waterton, Taare, Hurutton. London. Wvdsar. Wion.tg, Regina, Caigary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Victoria 3. Viewable mage size measuies daporcity azepine “pushers” and we should “send a message to kids” by filling our over-crowded prisons with adult Valium addicts. Alternately, we should decriminalize and regulate the ‘ medicinal use of cannabis. Cannabis is not addictive and has been safely used for thon- sands of years to reduce stress and anxiety. Either way, what is good for the goose should be‘ good for the gander. Matthew M. Elrod, Victoria Creater@islandnet.com Cypress needs upgrade | Dear Editor: Anvone skiing the Cypress Bowl area, as I have for 20 years, could not fail to sce the recreational potential. However, the controversy over expansion has moved from the sublime to the ridiculous, Inflated figures and dis- aster scenarios 2:¢ the norm. The only thing missing from Derek Humphreys’ tale of woe was global warming. The parks ministry was clearly out of its element in ski management. Something had to give. Expertise was applied with privatization. Things improved steadily. Many more now know the joy of skiing. Back-country tuuring for the poor! That was never possible. Only a West Vancouver lawyer could come up with that one. However, the limitations are apparent to all. Lift machin- ery must be replaced. Cypress is the only focal mountain with terrain suitable for expansion. Does anyone believe that population pressure will nor force a more unwelcome solu- SAIS ouisigtne pRoleune ncaa ott Il tion than the current pian? How do you explain to a visitor“. thar, all the sewage from one of the busiest ski sesorts-in - Canada must be trucked daily across the city? Let’s get real. Barry MacGregor North Vancouver (COLLISION SPECIALISTS | B.C.A.A. - A.R.A.: APPROVED. CENTRE BRITISH COLUMBIA Ministry of ‘Transporiation and Highways NOTICE TO RESIDENTS ON THE WESTVIEW OVERPASS ' On Thursday, February 27, Premier: Glen Clazk ‘andl helped officially Westview Overpass. The contractor, Walter & SCI (Canada) Lid. had to complete paving by Saturday, March 1, 1997; -weather permitting. : The contractor worked hard to complete construction on the overpass a full three ‘months ahead of schedule. Drivers look forward to ne longer stopping at ” traffic light on the Trans Canada Highway between Horseshoe Bay and Hi Bit, Mother Nature has not been on our side. The contractor requires t 10 days of dry weather and moderate temperatures in order to ensure @ g¢ long-wearing asphalt surface. Instead, wet and cold conditions, starting the da’ after the ceremony and continuing througa this past week, have postponed : ‘final paving. I apologize for any inconvenience this delay completion of th overpass has caused. As soon as weather permits, paving will be finished on ‘the last sections of t overpass § so that traffic can begin to flow freely. : After the overpass opens, the contractor will turn to filling and paving the ve eastbound on-ramp to Trans Canada Highway and the westbound off-ramp from © the highway to finish the Westview Interchange. That should take a few more weeks to complete, again weather permitting. Further construction will still be necessary in order to complete the whole project however, this should not delay motorists. Thank you for your patience while the project has been under construction and during this short delay in final completion of the Westview Overpass. Yours sincerely, hs Bmr~ Lois Boone Minister