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Wiitby Frbè Press, Wednesdày, March 31, 1993, Page 35 'Cal Police'kits available The Whitby Lionesa Club can provide 'Call Police' kits for women who mny need roadsile assistance when travelling alone. The kits ehinclde an emergency flng that alerts motorists and the police thnt assistance is needed or that there is a potentially dangerous situation. The kit also includes a paniph- let that outlines the steps a woman must take to ensure safety while waiting for help. Cellular calis will bring the police quickly. The club is selling the kit-s for $1 each. Funds raised allow the club to continue to support organizntions such as the CNIB, Durham Literary Council, Kid- ney Foundntion, Rape Centre and Ilearing Ear Dogs of Canada. To purchsne a kit, call 668- 2268 or 668-9883. No need for'cover up' bylaw FROM PAGE 1 be moving into a larger store elsewhere in the plaza and the new facility will have a separate area for adult videos. "We're moving in four to six weeks " said Gavaleik. "Were trying, but this is a business. You don't just build a room overnight," he said. (In her comments to The Free Press, Osborn acknowledged that the store is moving, but her remarks were not included in the original story.) a result of Osborn's com- plaints, Gavalcik said adult videos in all four stores are now displayed so that only the tapes' spines are visible. "We heard her complaints and we did react," said Gavalcik, adding that this was the first complaint of this nature since the Dundas store opened in 1986. "Probably a large percentage of our customers don't even know we have adult movies," he said. While Lindsay maintained that if the stores were not sensit- ive fo their customers' feelings and did not want family busi- ness, then more space would be devoted to adult material. "If we really didn't care we would have a whole wall full," said Lindsay. "It's a fact that these movies rent out more than any others." Lindsay said general release movies cost about $100 to obtain, whereas adult tapes range from $10 to $30. "To put up a wall of those would be an extremely inexpen- sive investment," he said. Lindsay also pointed out that when they bought the Oshawa store two years ago, the contro- It begins in the home By Ross Stevenson Durham riding MP There's no denying that a lot of violence occurs on television. At almost any hour, one can switch on the TV and watch dramatizations of brutal beatings, wild car chases, smash-ups, gunfights, bloodshed and murders. It's become so common that we tend to accept such violence as normal viewing fare. However, a great many Canadians are deeply concerned about this issue. They believe it's at least partially responsible for the increasing number of armed robberies, assaults and crimes against property. And there is evidence indicating TV does desensitize childen, teenagers and even some adults to the true horrors of violence and criminal behaviour. Last fall, we had a clear expression of the depth of that public concern when a 13-year-old girl, whose younger sister was a murder victim, brought to Ottawa a petition signed by 1.3 million Canadians. All of them share the opinion that violence on television is a major problem. In February, some solid progress was made toward addressing the problem during a Toronto conference sponsored by the C.M. Hincks Institute, an organization specializing in children's mental health. Participating were some 140 representatives from the broadcasting, cable and advertising industries, parent and teacher groups, as well as government agencies. Producers, broadcasters and advertisers in the television industry announced formation of a National Action Group, headed by TV personality Laurier LaPierre. By next month, it should have in place self-enforced regulations for broadcasters and a rating system to warn parents about which programs are violent and, thus, potentially dangerous for young viewers. This followed strong hints from Communications Minister Perrin Beatty that if the industry doesn't act, he is prepared, if necessary, to ask the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to impose a tough federal code. At the Toronto conference, Beatty outlined a strategy to deal with TV violence. Included is a strong, industry-wide, uniform code to set out boundaries for what is acceptable in drama and videos, to ensure viewers receive warnings about what's to be shown, and with ensured safeguards against violence to women. Advertisers will be urged to place their ads on violence-free programs. The federal government can use its clout as a major national advertiser by doing that and, instead, focusing its ads on programs more consistent with the values we want to impart to our young people. Some may wonder why we don't just pass a law banning TV violence. It's not that simple. Censorship laws are blunt instruments at best, with dangerous implications only to be used in extreme situations. Anyway, it's certain the majority of Canadians would object to govemment censors telling them what they can and cannot watch and, no doubt, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms would agree. When people have a free choice and understand what's available, most will avoid violent programming. For example, surveys show that movies with 'G' or 'PG' ratings are five times more likely to draw large audiences than films classified for restricted viewing. Responsibility for shielding children from TV violence has to begin in the home. While television is an incredible education tool, parents should be aware and be very careful about the kinds of programs their children are watching. Any of us who have raised children know the importance of feeding them a proper diet. Equally important is what goes into their minds. versial 'Last Temptation of Christ' was among the inventory. Even though the tape "rented like crazy» in other stores, the two decided not to offer it. "If we wanted to offend people we would have kept it,' said Lindsay. Mike Rostek, who with his wife Valerie, operates Otter Creek Video and West Lynde Video, said store owners should police themselves "If you go irL'-o a video store and it's overly boisterous and they make a point of shoving it in your face, don't go in or complain to the manager," Ros- tek advised. "But to have a bylaw, we have enough of that in our society already," he said. Rostek's Otter Creek store car- ries no adult videos, while the West Lynde shop has only a binder listing what adult tapes are available -- none are dis- played. If a customer wants an adult video, he/she can choose from the selection listed in the binder. The tape's covers are kept in plastic sheets along with a pull- out tag. The customer gives the tag to the sales clerk and the tape, kept in a covered container, is exchanged. "It's embarrassing when you have an 18-year-old girl receiv- ing and giving out porno material to men," said Rostek. "This way the tag goes in, the movie goes out and no one knows." Rostek said he opted for this method to assure parents that "their kids get what the parents sent them down for." "It's not that I (necessarily) disagree with porno material, but it should be as discreet as possible," he said. Although he would prefer not to do it, Rostek said he may have to use the binder method in his Otter Creek store. "We're losing a lot of rentals. Adults cost the least and make you the most.» Meanwhile Staff Sgt. Jim Adams of burham Regional Police said some local stores have been asked to change the way videos or magazines are dis layed. une of those was the Canaan Food Fair on White Oaks Ct. which kept adult magazines in a rack over the freezer, less than four feet off the floor. Videos were kept on a top shelf in a back section of the store, in the same room as bottled soft drinks. "He's rearranging his stock," said Adams, "there's no pro- blem." Adams said a "couple of other" stores were also inspected by police. "Everybody we've talked to has been very co-operative," he said. Adams added that police can only request, not force, mer- chants to relocate adult material. Possible spili FROM PAGE) he said. "Our contention is that it was paper left in the drain (from the initial spill)." The company has written the ministry to this effect, but has received no reply, Dupuis added. When advised of Dupuis' com- ments, Park said, "if it's left over, it still shouldn't be getting into the creek." 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