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WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7,1985, PAGE 5 "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." - Thomas Jefferson THE CROW'S NEST by Michael Knell A lady with courage I met a lady with courage last week. Her name is Phyllis Major. Three years ago - today, in fact -she was robbed of the most precious thing in her life, the life of her husband. Three hoodlums ventured into the grounds of their Ashburn .area farm in an effort to steal a few tires that were stacked outside. Her husband and one of her five sons caught them in the act but then they tried to stop them, her husband, Walter Clark Major, was dragged by their van 400 feet tohis death. It was my privilege to meet Mrs. Major at the home of a mutual friend and although we spoke for only about half an hour I came away with a deep respect for her. She still hasn't completely gotton over that tragic event. "You never really get over it," she told me adding that life became bearable again because of her family. Because they needed her, and she them, she put the pieces of her life back together again. But underneath the grief that is still all-too-real there is an anger and a sense of frustration that still swells to the surface from time-to-time. And they still live with their fear. Even now, she told me, her son still very carefully locks every door and win- dow in their home every night as a precaution against a second tragedy. For a time after her husband was taken from her, she couldn't watch television or bear to be alone In the bouse. When she was, all she could do was sit and stare out the window at the driveway, praying that only a familiar car.or face would stop by. After talking to her, I found myself getting angry as well. I found myself sharing her grief, her anger and her frustration. You see, the police have been unable to bring her husband's murderers to justice. They still roam the streets free men. They still have not answered for their crime. Despite an intense investigation, that is still continuing, police have not been able to find either the van or any of the suspects. Mrs. Major told me that whenever she sees a black van, she overcomes her initial reaction of fear to stare at it and doesn't relax entirely until she passes it or finds out that its either a Ford or a Chrysler. Here, ladies and gentlemen, is a real victim of crime. The mindless, violent act of three degenerates has caused a lifetime of pain, suffering and anguish for one family in our community. The Majors do not even have, as of yet, the satisfaction of seeing justice done. I'm not sure, and the police aren't sure, that the killer will ever be caught. I'm also not sure of what can be done for them now. But meeting Mrs. Major and talking with her for those few moments has taught me a valuable lesson. Most of us read the newspaper or watch the nightly television newscasts as pass of violent events such as these with an attitude of "This couldn't happen to me". There is something about the human psyche that prevents it from truly comprehending the pain and suffering caused by acts such as these. Until it happens to us, we tend to shrug if off when it happens to others. Last week, we learned that homicides in Metro Toronto are on the rise. It's become old news. We've become hardened to it. It doesn't make an impact. But when Mrs. Majors watches the news or reads a newspaper and is told of yet another murder, she understands. She has compassion for the victims of that crime. Not just the loved one who lost his or her life but for the family that bas been left behind. She understands because she's been there. It happened to her. What about the rest of us? Does it have to happen to us before we understand, before we force our governments to act? I hope not. Mrs. Major wants to know why the federal government is slow to act on the general public's demand for a return to capital punishment. She wants to know why our police force hasn't been able to apprehend her husband's murderers. She wants to know why our court and parole systems seem to be so lax in their handling of dangerous offenders. She wants to know why our system of justice seems to be falling flat on its face. And she has a right to know. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone can really give her an answer. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't act, or that we shouldn't try to find the answers. There are countless families such as the Majors spread across this country. And I know it sounds callous, but they may never see justice done. I don't like it, but it's a fact of life. The police aren't perfect - they don't solve every crime. They don't, as tle Mounties are fond of saying, "always get their man". They are caught up in a large and complex issue that the politicians can't resolve. The federal government knows that the Canadian people want a return to capital punishment and more resources for their police departments. The government knows that the people want a tougher, less lenient court, penal and parole systems. But they haven't acted and don't seem to be getting ready to The plight of people like Phyllis Major and her family is real. It is miles apart from the philosophical debate that politicians like to engage in when debating these sorts of issues. I'd like to introduce Mrs. Major to Justice Minister John Crosbie. After talking with her for 30 minutes, I think he would become angry enough to act. But it probably won't happen. That, in itself is tragic, because Mrs. Major and her family deserve to see justice done. " 'A/A4 .EE P/CHUREÇ ?" WITH OUR FEET UP By Bill Swan Computer phobia Thirty-three years ago a brash young writer produced a novel entitled Player Piano. The writer's name was Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Since he had written science fiction stories prior to the novel publication, the novel was published as science fic- tion. As science fiction it enjoyed some success -- which is another way of saying it didn't make it as a main- stream novel. That's too bad, since anyone reading the book now can only be struck by Vonnegut's gift of prophecy. Player Piàno painted a portrait of the society of the computer age. Remember, though, that in the early fifties the computer age was five years old. Vonnegut described a society in North America in which computer-driven robots produced all of the goods needed. All factory production, of course, was computer produced. All assembly jobs; all the boring, repetitive, soul-destroying, mind-numbing work was done by robots. Or computers, the term is interchangeable. The only people with jobs, then, were those executives who made investment and production decisions, and the technological elite -- those who serviced the computers and robots. That employed about 10 to 15 per cent of the population in useful activities. The remainder lived on welfare. The only exception were those who were selected to serve in the army or the police. That employed another 10 per cent. That was important, because with no jobs and no future, the grey anonymous mass of people needed a large and ar- med police force or army to keep them from revolting. Society bas learned a lot about computers since then, and computers have changed dramatically, especially in the past ten years with the advent of personal computers. (This column is being typed on a home computer system which replaces not the writer but manual typewriters.) Even so, during the next ten years we are going to face Vonnegut's fears: robots now paint cars in Oshawa; they weld faster and more accurately than any person; and they keep meticulous records of what they have done. Still, Vonnegut's predictions have still to be met. That crunch will hit us over the next ten years. (We are feeling that crunch now, of course. Some exper- ts estimate that half of our present unemployment can be attributed to the automation of society, that is to computers.) And in that regard North American auto produc- tion is at least five years behind Japanese produc- tion. When General Motors and Ford and Chrysier catch up -- which they will, a terrible crunch will hit. We in North America have two options: recruit more people into the police forces and army. And at the same time retrain those displaced by com- puters, robots and automation. Unions have reacted rather accurately. How many cars, they ask, will robots buy? Unemployed persons don't make good con- sumers. Until they give up all hope, and buy beer and bigger color televisions (now all made in Japan anyway). Will an automated society capable of producing limitless luxury goods become the richest society the earth has ever known? Or will those riches be enjoyed only by the few? In order to enjoy those riches, two things must be overcome. One is computer phobia. The other is CONT'D ON PG. 14