fabloid reporting di

ear Editor:

oI find it very disheartening thar the

orth Shore News deems it necessary

hurl front page “journalistic articles”

n the perceived mistreatment of our Eommunity members by cither our Bealth care system or more specifically

¢ individuals who care for and about mhese people.

While: I believe everyone has a right fo voice their opinion, would the Mailbox section not be a more appropri- mite forum ‘(if in fact the newspaper is

even: the most appropriate place at all) ther than an article that is written as if ere all cold, hard fact?

There are many flaws in our health

‘are system to be sure, however, the way enact change is by being proactive and Iecting those public officials who are ost: likely to improve our system ‘membering, that there are few coun-

individual that ours does.

As health-care professionals we work very long hard hours, doing jobs most people would be horritied to even think of doing, because we are passionate about people and their right to enjoy good health. We also uphold our patient’s right to dignity and privacy, and would therefure never respond to your tabloid-like articles with any corrections to any of the stated “facts.” We end up swallowing our hurt and frustration and hope that there are enough people out there who still value the work we do and forgive us if sometimes, despite our best efforts things don't go 100% right every time. Being all part of the same commu- nity brings with it certain obligations to one another,

For example, we support and protect

your fight to continue to allow the out- landish views of Doug Collins to be

sheartens

plaint. type articles about Lions Gate Hospital | or local donors and nurses on the front page as “news” but rather in the Mailbox section as opinion.

What is to be gained by attempting to destroy the public’s trust in us? This is not responsible journalism! Sadly, while unsubstantiated medical complaints will make the front page, it is very unlikely this letter will find its way on to any of your pages.

Lori Baker, RN

MAILBOX POLICY

LETTERS TO the editor must be legible

(preferably typewritten) and include your,

name, full address and telephone number.

Due to space constraints the North Shore News cannot publish all letters. Published letters may be edited for brevi- ty, clarity, accuracy, legality and taste. Letters can be faxed to 985-2104 but still

Wecnesday, August 21, 1996 — North Shore News - 9

. Archaic word Dear Editor:

Why, when the trend today is to be politically correct, does the media and the RCMP refer to a senior citizen as “elderly?”

State their age or refer to the party as a senior, but if he or she is not decrepit, do the person or persons in question the courtesy of not referring to them as elderly. The majority of today’s older generation neither look nor feel elder- ly — most are very active and are in better shape than a lot of “mature” adults. By today’s stan- dards, elderly is an archaic word and is insulting and demoralizing.

M. Morris North Vancouver

that can enjoy the quality of care ined with the seni to the

David Mitchell only from his public activities, as the member, independent MLA later, and recently a your the quality a wn writing is dectining rather rapidly, reach- west point so far in the referred column.

ardly understand his logic when he blames Daniel Jarvis Bu unhappy by Ms. Kemper’s appointment to the i important

less of her failure at recent clection.”

{ iomophobes and its application to the writing of Mr, Lautens and Collins indicates.to me that Mr. Mitchell is not only “a volun- lo litics, but also failing badly as a journalist.’ “with full steam, Mr. Mitchell. .T am already practising in roe for your i logic aieesl

CORRECT IVE NOTICE BY GOODYEAR CANADA INC.

Director of Investigation and Research ( impetition Bureau, Industry Canada) has formed ‘us that savings claims published b Goodyear from January to May 1994 in various newspapers across. Canada for the promotion of some of its replacement passen- ger tires have ‘raised questions under the misleading advertising sections 52(1)(a) and 52(1)(d) of the Competition Act.

The advertisements contained savings claims such as: “25% off”; “four tires for the price‘ of three”; “the second at half price” ich. were not based on the ordinary sell-

V4 prices of these tires in all cases.

Goo year has resolved this situation by ensuring that all current and future savings “claims published. ‘by Goodyear are based on the’ regular price at which the product is sold inthe relevant market area. We have also stablished an internal multi-tier ad vertising lew system to support this commitinent.

printed, so please support and protect: our rights by not putting individual com-

jy ted white, mp.

must be signed and fully addressed.

adverterial, August 21 21/96

CALLS FROM CONSTITUENTS

- The federal political scene is usually

fairly quiet over the summer, but this year my office has been receiving a steady. fF stream of letters and phone calls about everything from Agriculture to tha Young |

Offenders Act. Following ere the six subjects which seem to have generated the most interest.

CHRETIEN BEATS MULRONEY

“On. Augist 8th, the Prime Minister appointed two more Liberal supporters to the

| Senate, bringing to 18 the number of

consecutive patronage appointments to the

Senate since the 1993 election. This beats the

record of 17 set by Mr. Mulroney prior to the appointment of Canada’s only elected Senator, Stan Waters. Mr. Chretien has now appointed upwards of 400 party faithful to jobs ranging from parole boards to various commissii ag, making a mockery of his promise, to restore integrity to the functioning

of the Government.

MORE SENATE WOES

Lots of calls were generated by the news °

that fraud charges would not be laid against Senator Therese Lavoie-Roux' and. her

|. daughter after Ul payments were made to the 4 daughter while she was attending university in

California. Reform's Justice Critic, Jack Ramsay, will attempt to initiate a committee investigation into the incident once Parliament resumes, so that the role of the Justice Minister and his Department in the decision not to lay charges can be fully determined.

| Jack has evidence from Humen Resources

employees that ‘ordinary Canadians". are routinely given severe penalties for collecting . UI under circumstances similar to those of Senator

Department

J Lavoié-Roux's daughter, and he’ wants to § make certain that the same rules apply to ALL

UI recipients, including daughters of Senators. SUSTICE ISSUES

Based on the calls and letters to my office, there Is still a great deal of dissatisfaction with our modern justice system. Judges are 2eing criticised for ridiculous sentences, like the one day in jai! for a man who helped smuggle people into Canada from Hong Kong. Parole

boards and the tmmigration and Refugee - j Board continue to be dumped on for their

decisions to release obviously dangerous criminats and bogus refugees into our society, and the Minister of Justice is under attack

“again. for his weak-kneed approach to

criminals and sentencing in general. Section 745 of the Criminal Code, which allows murderers, including people like Clifford Olson, to apply for early release, has people hopping mad, and the increasing amount of gratfiti appearing around North Vancouver has people demanding 2 revision of the Young Offenders Act and strong action against youth gangs. Unfortunately, Mr. Rock continues to show more interest in the rights of criminals

than he does in the rights of victims, so | doubt that we will see these concerns addressed in the near future.

IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEES

Top of the list all year round are complaints .

about criminals and opportunists ‘being released, into society on recognizance after claiming refugee status at

the borders. This lack of control has ted to the: | we

situation where we now have more than 1,300 peopie under deportation orders in Vancouver alone? The vast. majority,

however, refuse to leave voluntarity, and years J © can go by before anything is done to escort :

them to the airport.

An example can be found Ina recent North f

Shore case involving a woman whose” child was taken back to Iran by her ex-husband. Both adults had claimed refugee status in

1991, but- failed to prove that they’ were -| ex-husband | subsequently twice received ‘departure : orders, the latest in 1995, but was still here in |.’

genuine refugees. The

June of 1996. The mother was issued with a

departure order in December of 1995, but had =

not left the country as of lata July, 1996.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of political will .

in Ottawa to address immigration problems in

a meaningful way. This is illustrated by the fact | that ex-immigration Minister Marchi issued |

more than 1,500 special entry permits to rapists, murderers, health risks, and drunk drivers in 1995, as well as granting permanent or temporary entry to a

iurther 4,000 who were Initially denied entry. | Some of these permits may have been |

justified, as in the cases of entertainers who had been convicted of offenses in the USA but

were only in Canada temporarily, but f leave it f°

to you to decide whether you are happy with

the issuing of almost 5,500 Ministerial * Immigration permits each year.

THE REFORM PARTY

A significant number of people wrote, or

catled over the past few weeks fo say that they |

were concerned. that the Reform Party was "going soft” and “backing away from talking about the controversial issues which led ‘it to success in 1993". My feeling is that at least

part of the problem is caused by an apparent |

reluctance of the mainstream media to report on our activities in Ottawa on your behalf, but t have taken the message seriously and will address the topic in more detail é in next week's report.

THE DEBT AND DEFICIT

In spite of claims by the Hon. Paul §

Martin, Minister of Finance, that he has the

country's finances under controt, our, |

federal debt has just’ passed the $590 billion mark, and will reach $600 billion in October. This Government has managed to

increase the federal debt by around 20% in |

just three years.

their” own |

suspected terrorists, ‘|

Basic Education

The Adult Basic Education Program is offering courses for students wishing to upgrade their G.BA., obrain their grade 12, or prepare for university transfer or college career programs. Classes start September 3. For more information, call

984-4971.

i» Train as a Personal . Care Attendant

Are you a caring person interested in a career in the health field? If yes, working for people with ” disabilities may be an - option for you. Capilano College offers an eight- month Certificate. progam with excellent’ employment ‘Gpportunities. Part-tinne © - studies are‘also available. For more information, 4

986-1911, local 220:

Information meetings have been set up every Thursday at 10:30am. for people interested in |: the Office Assistant ESL. : is full-time for nine: . ° months from September to. May. Graduates will be job-ready with general office skills, computer applications, English grammar and ° *: composition skills, For, more information, contact the Department of Applied Business. * Technology at 984-4959,

CAPILANO COLLEGE .

2055 Purcell Way North Vancouver _ British Columbia

986-1911