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PA a1 in WHV FREE PRESS. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 19.1987 o lle J Il ROXANNE REVELER News & Features Editor Reflections of a Golden Age By MABEL M. MeCABE I've been doing some traveling the past few weeks so some of these pieces may seem disjointed. I spent a lovely weekend at my. son's farm in the Orillia area. I don't think.we were at the farm much. We seemed to be going all the time. They raise and supply the special goats for Santa's Village and my two grandchildren spend the summer there. They are rather grown up now and look after their precious livestock with great care. Naturally we spent the Saturday with a picnic lunch and the kids (animal and human.) We visited Beaverton, Washego, Gravenhurst and all points bet- ween. By the time they brought me home I was wondering just where I had been and if I'd seen the farm at all. Kidding aside, it was a good time and I enjoyed it. This week I have just returned from my daughter's home at Big Bay Point near Barrie and we visited every plaza within miles and had a wonderful evening cruise on their boat. I guess I could call it a ship because it seemed so big when I first saw it. What great memories that brought back. We watched the full moon rise and as the silver rays danced over the little swells, it was like silver stars floating. We looked above to see so many stars that it was breath- taking. One forgets how they look after being so long in the city among all the lights. Since my return I've wondered how the early explorers would react if they returned now and saw the condition of the rivers around Toronto and other urban centres. They were so impressed with the clear sparkling streams called the Humber and the Don. They even reported how they could see the fish swimming. Now if any fish survive one would have a hard time finding them in all the sludge and pollution. It's hard to imagine the'native people making a long stop at the sides of these streams just to fish and enjoy the swimming. Accor- ding to recorded papers of the time, that is just what they did. I wonder what Champlain would think of the signs 'NO SWIMMING, CONTAMINATED WATER' on the shore of what he had called the most beautiful fresh water sea he'd ever seen. Times sure have changed since he first laid eyes on it, haven't they? Poor Lake On- tario dying before our very eyes. That night we cruised on Lake Simcoe, brought it all back - the beauty and the idea that one might still be able to swim in water that was not a death trap. It makes me think that we have really cheated the up and coming generations. I hope one of them has the good sense to clean up the mess we have left behind. From what I see and hear there is not much being done by those who have the power and pull the cash strings at the moment. I think we have had it too easy for too long and now we all have to start making noises to the politicians. This is a good cause and a good time. With an election in the offing we can get their attention for almost anything. To strike while the iron is hot is an old saying so let's put it in play now. Society will meet next week Brooklin Horticultural Society will be holding their regular mon- thly meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 26 in the Christian Education Building of Brooklin United Chur- ch, starting at 8 p.m. The focal point of the meeting open to all comers, will be the an- nuals show which in past years has produced some excellent specimens not only of annuals but other flowers and vegetables. Guest speaker for the evening will be Veronica Colangelo of Ash- burn, well known authority on flower arranging. BAKE SALE Brooklin United Church Women will hold bake sale at Grass Park on Friday, Aug. 21,1:30 p.m. The campaign in Durham East You have AIDS. What do you do? Who do you point the finger at? Who do you accuse? Or possibly your reaction is "Not me!" Things like that don't happen to me, or for that matter anyone I know. The assumption is probably correct. But in many cases, that is exactly what has happened. People from all walks of life have discovered they have the dreaded disease and ultimately know their life is nearly over. A recent article in (yes, you guessed it) Newsweek, tore at my heart strings. It was followed shortly thereafter by an interview on Canada AM on the subject of AIDS. AIDS has now been classified as an epidemic in the U.S. The article in Newsweek I mentioned was aptly called "The Face of AIDS, One year in the Epidemic." And it contained a great deal of information I was unaware of previously. Or more likely that I had never paid attention to. I had taken it for granted that AIDS victims were either male homosexuals or "druggies." I'm sorry to say I also had the miscomprehension that these victims were a lower form of life - the classic picture of uneducated stumble-bums. Again, this is not the case. In the article, there were 500 photographs, complete with a small biography, of people who lad died of AIDS. Although a sizable majority were homosexuals or drug 'users, AIDS bas not been contained to an alien population. It has hit everywhere. There was Liberace, the agent who VIEWPOINT by ROXANNE REVELER Teli us more... launched the careers of Elvis and Carol Burnett, the man who created "A Chorus Line." There were also lawyers, doctors, scholars, preachers, war heroes and· even an Olympie decathlon champion. There was a 13-month-old baby, who like her mother, died from a contaminated blood transfusion. The peple iniithe article ranged from the infant to a widow of 87, but their mean age was 36 and their common lot was the loss of their best years. It has been a scant six years since the-first-1 casés of AIDS were brought to official notice - 31,inystery Étories of healthy young men dying of a rare cancer and a rarer pneumonia. The stats have been multiplying rapidly ever since, and so las the fear that surrounds them. Canada is not 50 Up to date on its statisties. It is notas up Canada is not so up to date on its statistics. It is not as up to date as its American neighbor on the whole matter of AIDS. But the Toronto Board of Health did indicate there are 273 definite cases of AIDS under their care. There are also over 2,000 people who have proved positive to AIDS through voluntary testing. A good manyof the latter are female, and 42 per cent of this figure contracted the killer disease through sexual relations, presumably with men who are bisexual. I think the majority of the population is afraid of AIDS, and rightly so. I have had blood transfusions, as has my son. This was prior to the testing for AIDS in blood that is now carried out. Is the deadly virus laying dormant in my body waiting to rear its ugly head at a given time? I don't know. . Regular, everyday people such as you and I should band together and call for more public information on this sub- ject. Education is the only answer and it has to start with the children, the younger the better. No matter how distasteful the subject, hiding our heads under the sand won't make AIDS go away. And talking clinically about the disease, and for that matter, homosexuality, won't give anyone AIDS, and won't turn them into a homosexual. Don't turn a blind eye and a deaf -ea tg this important factor that has crept into our lives . ijmnvited. It has to be brought out into the open and ap- prpt·iate action taken. It's our only hope. At least thats the way it looks to me. Phone 655-3637 LIBERAL LEADER David Peterson, with son Ben, visited Kirby las.t week with Durham East LiberaL candidate Diane Bainre, shown behind at left. 1 L 1 m . j Il r'A