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WHMTY MRE PRESS. WEDNESDAYI MAY 31, 1989. PAGE7 PAGE SEVEN -T1E 'DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT While tens of thousanlds of students continue their occu- pation of Tiananmen Square, the oppressed of the world are wývatching theni on television and gaining courage from their successa. And so, just as the Chinese students were inspired by events in Moscow, Poland, and the Phillipines, democratie revoîts are, right now, being seeded around the worid. The short term resuits of the Chinese student revoit remain uncertain,ý but for the long terni, the government bas seen a dli;play of ý popular will like< it has neyer witnessed before. The hardliners may be in control, but behind the scenes,, they will have agreed te a graduai liberalization in order te secure -their, power. For a period of two weeks the students made China ungovernable and its leaders have corne face te face with the rea]ity that they can govern only with the support, or at least the cquesceceof the people. *But China is only a sineli part of a world-wide movement toward democracy- a world-wide awakening that people have reai power. The oniy differences between the Chinese students' revoit and what bas happenened in other places is the scele of the demonstrations and the total lack of violence. The discipline of both sides in resisting any provocation bas resulted in a peaceful- stalemate. Wihile the students haven't won,te government bas certainly lost. The lest ten years rnay be iooked at by historiens as the beginning of a world revolution the likes of which have not been seen since the end of the l8th century when first the Axnericans and then the French broke the yokes of monarchy. The following fifty years saw virtually every royal famnily 'stripped of their absolute power. The pivotai event that changed that period was the invention of the printing press. Ideas could be put on paper and passed from hand te hend. People iearned to read and found out how others lived. Newspapers (both legal and underground) brought new awareness and fueled the dissa- itisfaction that led to revolution. Up until then, through ail the eons of human history, the idea of democracy was an anachronism. Humen beings are basically rather pliable creatures and they readiiy accept the domination of others of their species, even te the extent of kifling and being Illed in wars that their 'leaders" start with other "nations" in order te extend their domination. Apart from a few brief experiments, democracy consistently. failed te take root until the l8th century - people were simply too willing to accept authority. There were, Of course, rinor revoîts but these were suppressed with a vicious brutality which precluded eny widespread support. But aithough the printing press started the move tewards dexnocracy, governments, inevitably learned te use it for their own advantage. Governments started their own newspapers and any that faiied te toe the line were simply banned. The people were egain put in the dark. Today, another world revolution is underway. The modemn printing press is television and it's been the smnall, easily transportable camera that bas led the way. TV takes us daily into the heart of Tiananmen Square where ordinary people tell the world what they want and what they're doing te get it. It took us te the streets of Panama City when thugs were beating up the leaders of the opposition parties following a rigged election. Lest week we saw the televised sessions of the new Soviet 'Congress and the demonstrations which followed. In the last ten years we and hundreds of millions around the world have watched the graduai unfolding of events in Poiand. We saw a dletermined band of workers stand up te imprisoninent, intimidation and inurder ...eand we watched them. win. We watched as millions took te the streets in the Phillipines te force an end te, the unparalled corruption of the Marcoe regime. We watched as student demonstratio'15 in S. Korea gained wider and wider support, until strongmnan Chung Kee Park was forced te ceil free elections. Chinese students watched those Koreân demonstrations on television sets which, ironicelly, were readily aveilable in China. as part of the econoniic refornis of their cuitent neinesis, conservative leader Deng Xiaoping. .TV continues te, keep a watchfùi eye on Panama and will be watching Chile later this year to see if dictater Augusto Pinochet wll honor the resuts of last year's referendum which requires hum te step aside. 1 L Il7 - -m oe =m------- -- --- W. M. IIURLBERrS BLACKSMITH SHOP, BROCK STREET SOUTH, C. 1912 This brick blecksrnith shop stood where the Bell Telephone building is now, near the corner of Brock and Dunlop Streets. It collapsed during the high winds of Hurricane Hazel in October, 1954. Whitby Archives photo 10 'YEARS AG 0 from the Wednesday, May 30, 1979 edition of the WHITBY FREE PRESS " The Town Council's Operations Committee took a welking tour of the downtewn to look into problenis in the area. " A water fountain for children to play in is one of the features of the new Rotary Centennial Park. " Residents want a four-way stop sign at Wilnut and Centre Streets. 25 YEARS AGO froni the Thursday, May 28, 1964 edition of the WHITBY WEEIKLY NEWS " A Toronto development company is planning to purchase the Eastbourne property at the mouth of Lynde Creek. " J. A. Irvine, Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Canada in Ontario, will officially open the new Masonic Temple on Cochrane Street on May 29. " The Town of Wihitby Fire Department answered a cail to the LASCO Steel Plant even though it is in Whitby Township. 75 yEARS AGO from the Thurschiy, May' 28, 1914 edition of the WHITBY GAZETrE AND CHRONICLE " Sam Hughes, Canada7s inister of Militia, opened the Brooklin Spring Fair on May 25. " Résidents are complaining about cows running loose and darnaging lawns. Note: We were chastised on two'points Iast week. Firstly, we referred te Rev. Isherwood as pester of St. John's in Port Perry instead of Port Whitby. The saine caller also thought the picture of the Royal Train was backwards since the Grand Trunk station (now the Whitby Gallery) stood on the N. side of the tracks. In fact, the picture was taken at the CPR station (since demolished) at the N end of town. - - - - - - - - - - - -