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WHITBY FREE PRESS, MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1984, PAGE 5 "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every fiAnis,~ ~nd THE CROW'S NEST by Michael Knell Over the course of the last two days, we have witnessed two startling events inthe hallowed halls of our provincial legislature. The first was the inching closer to a decision to build a domed stadium somewhere in Toronto - probably at the foot of the CN Tower. If the present Progressive Conservative government decides to build this monster, with even one.cent of taxpayer's money, it will be the biggest mistake in their 41-year old regime. It will be the biggest act of fiscal irresponsibility in the history of this province. I have no idea why any government would spend up to $120 million (or more) to build a domed stadium that will benefit only a few diehard baseball and foot- ball fans. I would like to remind my fellow citizens that this is a government that is closing Whitby's Durham Centre for the Developmentally Handicapped primarily as a cost cutting measure no matter how much lip service they give to the concept of bringing mentally retarded people back into the community where they belong. This is also a government that literally had to be forced, kicking and screaming into giving Whitby's Dr. J.O. Ruddy General Hospital $200,000 towards the renovation of its second floor to provide much needed long term medical care to the senior citizens of our community. This is also a government, which in the narne of restraint, has been slowly cutting back the level of funding it gives to local school boards, forcing the residential property taxpayer to pick up the slack. If they are doing al of this in the name of stretching the taxpayers dollar, how can they even contemplate building a domed stadium with so much as $1 of tax money? To me, it's ludicious in the extreme. If the government wanted to take this $120 million and build new schools, roads and hospitals; create job training opportunities for our young people or improve the quality of health care and education in this province, I would be ariong the first to stand up and cheer. In a time of economie uncertainty and government restraint, the construction of a domed stadium should not be a priority. It is the professional baseball and football teams that will get the greatest economic benefit from such a facility, then let them build it themselves. The world of professional sports is a big money world. If they can afford to pay a jock six and seven figure salaries, then they can afford to build their own stadium. But they shouldn't be coming to the taxpayers for a nickel. I said that the provincial government had committed two acts of silliness recently. The other was the decision to charge Dr. Henry Morgentaler and his associates with conspiracy to commit a miscarriage once again. To me, no matter how I feel about the good doctor (and my faithful readers have already had an eyeful about that), to charge him yet agaifi is a gross miscarriage (no pun intended) of justice. Morgentaler was found not guilty by a jury of his peers. In no other country in the western world would anyone be recharged with an offense a jury has already acquitted him of. Only in Canada can a jury decision to be appealed and this is exactly what Attorney General Roy McMurtry is doing although he has said he won't prosecute Morgentaler on the latest charges until after the appeal is heard. As far as I'm concerned, McMurtry's decision was probably a political one. He's running for the top job and he's probably scared stiff of offending hard line conservatives who support the "Right of Life" position. Well, I have to admit, I'd be scared too, if I was in his position. But the principle of the thing sinks. The Crown should not be appealing a jury verdict. It is contrary to the very spirit of our judicial system. Double jeopardy is a concept accepted by Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and other members of the Commonwealth whose law is derived from the British system of justice, which dates back a thousand years. I've said this before, but when one considers that Morgentaler has been acquitted by four juries in two provinces, it is not their decisions which have to be challenged but the law. Instead of trying to jail Morgentaler, McMurtry should be pressing for changesin the law at both the federal and the provincial levels. While everyone is denying it in public, the decision to charge Morgentaler a second time had to have been political. It was a reaction to the noise being made by the "Right ot Life" movement. These people are working overtime to get Morgentaler sent to jail. They have no respect for the jury system either. And that's not right. The jury is the cornerstone of our legal system. Because a jury is made up of ordinary men and women it takes away the most important legal decisions away from the judges and lawyers. The jury ensures that the law is of the people, for the people and by the people. The jury is a reflection of society as a whole - it gives the common citizen some control over the legal system. Politics has no place in the justice system. That much is obvious. I don't think McMurtry would have made his decision if the leadership convention was only a few weeks away and the next provincial election was only a few months away. McMurtry made a human decision based on the pressures that were being ap- plied to him. I'm not saying that McMurtry should be turfed out of office or con- demned permanently but ITam not excusing what he did either. No one knows what decision the court of appeal is going to make. It would have been more prudent for everyone to have cooled their heels until the court ruled. Morgentaler shouldn't have re-opened his clinic until after the ruling either, so he is partly to blame for this incident. But it has certainly been a week of inept decisions at Queen's Park. And you know what, I doubt the voters will remember ail this corne election time. I realize how I keep putting off the finishing touches to my assault on the "Counterfeit Down- town", or "How I learned to Live In My Car and Like It". I also hesitate about making any comment on our new Minister of Defence, a cross between Dr. Strangelove and General Westmoreland. Enough. 'Tis the Season...and all that. I cannot, I just plain cannot be un-jolly. One of the mysteries of my own life is that I buy my favourite peanut butter at Cornish's store in Orono. I could go into any Red and White or Loblaws and buy it. It's No-Name Crunchy, and it is the best. Period. No discussion. Well, maybe some other time wè'll compare peanut butter preferences. But from me you expect "Absolute Truth." I have spoken. Anyway, there I am standing in line at the Red and White in Orono. (I just said that to create the impression that it is jammed with shoppers.) I am buying my "fix" in the yellow plastic canister with the black writing. I am reluctant to do publicly what my partner (Nuala FitzGerald, of course) refers to as "disgusting". It is dipping my finger into it and licking my finger. Doesn't everyone? I am also very gregarious. I will start a conver- sation with a perfect stranger. I will discuss pollitics or peanut butter with equal zest. I suggest to this perfect stranger that peanut butter is a very special elixir. She tells me her family likes it too. Says something about peanut butter and jam. How pedestrian! I say nothing. She goes on: "Peanut butter with mayonaisse?" Iam warming to the sub- ject. I sally back: "Peanut butter with sandwich spread." Same as mayonaisse but with bit of non- descript green and red things. Pickle and pimento I suspect. I could have stood there ail day comparing what I call "kid stuff" recipes. This epic is going somewhere. Be patient. I promised a Holiday Season relief from anger and criticism and biting social comment. How about a few random recipes torn from the secret heart of a lover of, not only peanut butter, but "street foods" and "Quick gummy snacks" - but not to be confused with "junk" food which has no value and very little taste. Like those yellow-coloured pieces of styrofoam that are fried all puffy and taste vaguely like cheese. Recipe. Peanut butter Tango. (Like the name?) Ingredients. One tablespoon of Peanut Butter. Two pieces of Black Bread. One Spanish onion. (Bermuda can be substituted) Method. On to one piece of the black bread spread the peanut butter evenly so that the entire surface is covered. And one thin slice of onion. NOTE: Save the rest of the bread for "seconds" and the onion for next time. Black bread is used because factory style white bread which (as Italians would say) is eaten only by Mangia-Cakes. White bread sags. Black bread stays firm - like plywood. The amount of peanut butter used should never be heavy, as in those disgusting TV commercials with the kid O.D.'ing on Skippy. The onion serves not only to add a "tang" (hence the name "Tango") but it also reduces the stick-to-the-roof-of-the-mouth tendency of good peanut butter. Variations on above. Peanut Butter de la Maison. Same as above except anything you have around the house may be substituted e.g. sandwich spread, bananas (an old favourite) apple slices (works like onion without the tears) or - are you ready - Spoon Size Shredded Wheat, or if you're stuck - Grape Nuts. SPECIAL NOTE: The real peanut butter af- ficionados use no butter. That is for amateurs. Recipe. Georgia Cheese Cake. Ingredients. Graham crackers, butter, sugar, cream, peanut butter, eggs. It will become clear to any cook that as you read this you will realize it is the recipe for cheesecake, except that instead of using creamed cheese, peanut butter is substituted. Hence the* use of "Georgie" a state famous for its goobers. METHOD. Crush the graham cracker crumbs and blend with sugar to taste. Add enough cold butter (creamed) to make the substance workable. Pack into the bottom of a buttered casserole dish. Blend the peanut butter with enough cream to CONT'D ON PG. 6 form of tyranny over the mind of man." w - Thomas Jefferson ~1 ~zairii~ SOLWAY trimpm