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WIIITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1985, PAGE 5 "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every forn of tyranny over the mind of man." - Thomas Jefferson U ui1 aiiidL i z nÂr-1,, CROW'S NEST by Michael Knell Bishops' goals should be ours as well A couple of weeks ago, our local daily carried a wire story concerning the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops outright condemation of not only the T. Eaton Co. but Canada's retail industry as well. In a May 1 International Workers' Day stater.ent, the conference urged this nations 10 million Roman Catholics and all Canadians to support the efforts of retail industry workers in their bid to form unions and improve their working conditions, job security and salaries. The bishops blasted Eaton's, and the retail trade, in general, for exploiting their employees and deliberately keeping their wages low and their futures un- stable. Perhaps one of the most significant paragraphs in the bishops' statement was this: "The church's social teaching maintains that any attempt to deny workers the right to organize and bargain collectively or prevent them from organizing through intimidation and threats is an attack on human dignity itself." Over the course of the last couple of years, the conference has been in the news as an advocate of the rights of the common man in a society that is con- tinually facing economic upheaval. Two years ago, this same conference calls unemployment one of the greatest moral crisis facing Canada today and called on the government to take any measure necessary to ensure that all those who want to work have not just the opportunity but the right to work. Shortly after this most recent story appeared, I chatted with Bishop Robert Clune, the auxiliary bishop of Toronto who resides at St. John the Evangelist Church here in Whitby. Bishop Clune notes that statements such as these do not represent a radical change in the policy of the church. The church has always, he maintains, enac- ted.policies that "put people before profits." The good bishop also reminded me that the Roman Church has traditionally condemned both communism and laissez-faire capitalism as immoral and ex- ploitive of the common man. Both philosophies ignor the fundamental dignity of every human being and by their very nature exploit, for their own benefit, the common man. Bishop Clune noted that for over 100 years, the church has held this position- it is nothing new. Even Pope Paul VI issued an encylical entitled "The Progress of the People" which reaffirmed this position as the formal policy of the church. "People have a right to a living," Clune says adding that we will be judged by "by what we do as a society to help them." In a country where there is so much wealth, it's a sin that so many are unem- ployed and living in poverty. "We have so much in this country and not to share that with others is sinful in a society where so many people are nearly star- ving," Clune says. Although they've been saying these things for a century, the bishops are just now making the news with their policy statements because people are now willing to listen. They are willing, Clune speculates, because the current economic climate has made them more receptive to the message. The bishop even goes as far as to say that if the church was making these sort of statements, she would be in the wrong. It is the first duty, he points out, of the church to care about the poor and the disadvantaged. These concerns are rooted in the Gospel. "The most disadvantaged should always be the concern of the church," Clune says. "Somebody has to speak out for them and it is part of our mandate to teach and to draw attention to the issues." I have to not only applaud but support the stand taken by the conference. I am not a Catholic but the goals to which they aspite should be those of all. The most valued natural resource in this country are the hearts and minds of its people. Everyone will say that but many of the captains of industry will only give it lip service. They believe that the bottom line - the statement of profit or loss - is all that counts. There is nothing wrong with having a prosperous coun- try whose economy is led by profit making business but that profit should not be made at the expense of or on the backs of the common man. The bishops are right on when they say that all people have a right to lead useful and productive lives, that they have a right to earn a decent living and more importantly, have a right to self-determination. I'm not a strong union supporter, but I recognize the place they hold in our society and the role they play. When I was younger, I worked for a major Canadian department store chain. If any group of workers is entitled to the privileges and responsibilities of the collective bargaining process, it's them. Perhaps what is more important is that the church is now being seen as a ad- vocate for the rights of the common man. Instead of pursuing the book-burning fanaticism displayed by the fundamentalist movement in the United States (and, to a certain extent in Canada), the Canadian Conference of Catholie Bishops is addressing human issues and human problems and demanding that the powers that be, take action in keeping with what is just and moral. Ail I can say is thank God for that. WITH OUR FEET UP By Bill Swan Lift your eyes to the top of this page and you will see what is known in the trade as a page flag: Ad- vise and Dissent. That purports to be a hint of sorts, and since seldom do I feel like Advising -- unless you get me going on politics, which as Uncle Max says might cure your insomnia -- that leaves room only for dissenting. Of dissent there then follows some odds and sods. PLANT PETENUIAS First item: marigolds. I know, I know, Writing for a community paper based in Whitby, the home of the marigolds, one should have a sense of com- munity. Voicing dissent over the crudy little noxious flowers rivals frowning on motherhood. But there it is. Marigolds stuff up my nasal passages, turn my cover-boy complexion to wrinkled rash and make my nose run. Worse, they die in my garden, a feat duplicated by a great many other domestic plants. Earlier this week I uncovered a hither-to-forth secret fact: many Whitby residents hate marigolds, too. To them I say: bully for you. Rise up in disrespect. Plant petunias. (They stink worse.) Better yet, begin Whitby's Rival of the Roses. Make Whitby the White Rose capital of Ontario. Domesticate the dandelion. THE INVADERS Having had the opportunity of late to join frequen- tly the multitude and throng who daily herd into Toronto, I have developed a whole new set of reflexes. People who commute to Toronto on Highway 401 resemble the remainder of humanity only by a rough count of appendages. (Usually two arms and two legs, per.) But the kamikaze pilots who compete with me for road space make up a special breed, imported from the far reaches of the Andromeda galaxy. Knuckles white upon the steering wheel, aggie- like eyes fixed on an infinite point beyond the hood of the car, where super-senses perceive a one-car gap in the adjacent lane -- that undoubtedly describes no mere human. Some philosophy: Why does the adjacent lane always move faster? Why does the slowest car on the road always shift lanes to get in front of me? Would a marigold hood ornament help? BRASSY STUFF Brass: name plates, house numbers, plant holders, picture frames, electrical outlet plates...you complete the list. If it exists, someone markets it. In brass. Don't get me wrong. I love the metal. But today's penchant for things brass defies un- derstanding. I know these things are supposed to say I'm young, I'm upwardly mobile, my spouse works, I'm a yuppie. Brass also says things like, "I have no taste," and "I've got more credit than brains." Worse things exist. For example, I once finished a complete wall in cork. And had to live with the results for two years before I moved. And brass doesn't chip, or flake, orsmell bad, like some cork does. But it does gleam in the sunshine. And its ugliest feature? Fifty years from now the young couples of today will have piles of brass hidden away in the den closet -- too ugly and sickening to display for the world, yet too expensive when first bought ever to be thrown out. After they're dead and gone, after their children have thrown the junk out - that's when their gran- dchildren will discover brass again. Marketing cycles always return. BRAIN TEASER Enough of dissent. Now the introduction of a new feature in this column: the weekly brain tease. Today's puzzle: you have three cups of tea and 12 lumps of sugar. You are to sweeten each cup, but may add only an odd number of lumps to any one cup. You must us all 12 of the sugar lumps. You may not use partial lumps. No prizes are offered, but if you can solve this puzzle, phone the offices of the Whitby Free Press (668-6111) with your answer, and leave your name and address. Or drop into the office. Leave your an- swer. Say Bill sent you.