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SECTION TWO WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6,1991 Sfit Canadian Stattsmatt Durham Region's Great Family Journal Established 137 years ago in 1854 Also Incorporating , ___ The Bowmanville News ■Mil The Newcastle Independent " ill The Oruno News Second Class mail registration number 1561 Produced weekly by Jamee Publishing Company Limited 62 King Street West, Bowmanville, Ontario L1C3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 John M. James Editor - Publisher Richard A. James Associate Publisher Peter Parrott Brian Purdy Donald Bishop Associate Editor Advertising Mgr. Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition of advertisements produced by the employees of James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Subscription Rates including G.S.T. 12 months - $23.54 6 months - $13.91 Foreign - $74.90 Although every precaution will be taken to avoid error, The Canadian Statesman accepts advertising In Hs columns on the understanding that It will not be liable for any error In the advertisement pubKshad hereunder unless a proof of such advertisement Is requested In writing by the advertiser and returned to The Canadian Statesman business office duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted In writing thereon, and In that case If any error so noted is not corrected by The Canadian Statesman Its lability shal not exceed such a portion of the entire cost of such advertisement as the space occupied by the noted error bears to the whole space occupied by such advertisement. Animal Rights Versus Necessary Research Most of us, in these enlightened times, believe in animal rights. Concern for the comfort of all beings with nervous systems capable of registering registering pain is a sign of advanced thinking. Contrary to what the extremists extremists might tell you, there has been some progress from the medieval times when humans generally believed believed that animals had no feelings and could, therefore, be dissected while still alive and conscious. Nevertheless, while most of us believe believe in some form of animal rights, few of us have become animal rights fanatics. It's admirable to advocate health, comfort, safety and preservation preservation of all animal species. It's even better better to actively contribute to that comfort comfort by, for example, caring for unwanted pets or arguing against turning pound animals over to research. research. ' . But it's quite another thing to engage engage in this new'breed of animal worship worship which can be seen among some of the more extreme animal rights advocates. advocates. Such people would argue that "spe- ciesism." is wrong. By that, they mean it is unethical for .human beings to see their species as being entitled to dominate dominate the planet. Unfortunately, this sort of rhetoric is usually followed by ;hints that human beings are not nearly nearly as worthy as the Disney-like creatures creatures of the animal kingdom who must be protected at all costs. The extremists extremists suggest that because of the way wé treat animals we are, if anything, inferior life forms. No doubt, in the «Walt Disney fantasy of the animal ■ rights extremists, cats do not eat mice, ■wolves do not devour deer and dogs do . not tear living sheep limb from limb. - ■ We are quick to point out that our -purpose is not to attack the concept of Animal rights. Rather,.we wish to take tissue with the woolly-headed extremism extremism that results when you take a valid concept such as the humane treatment )of animals and push it beyond reason, ivi."The whole issue of animal rights evokes a cluster of topics such as 'Tac- ' tory farming", vegetarianism, hunting, 'the sale of furs, the operation of zoos, ■and the use of animals in research. Although Although it seldom arises in the literature literature on this subject, we suspect that the keeping of pets would be banned by the more extreme proponents of animal animal rights, since that is, in itself, a form of exploitation. The broad concept of animal rights can enlighten our thinking concerning .many of the above-noted topics. If the ; ëxtremists in the animal rights move- ! ment can be commended for anything, ;it is for drawing the public's attention to. some of these issues. But the fatal flaw of the extremists is the belief that man's role on this earth can be down- . graded to just one of many thousands ^of species who all have equal rights. -iv The extremists believe that human l beings have no justification in imposing imposing their will on the environment or the animals that live therein, ht Well, it would be nice to check out of the nine-to-five rat race and retire to! the tranquil life of hunting and gathering and cave-dwelling. That is the condition in which we would have to live if we were to resist any attempt at dominating our planet and imposing imposing the whims of our species upon others. others. One of the problems with that lifestyle lifestyle is that it won't support the five billion people who currently inhabit the earth. They would have to go somewhere else. And, of course, that idyllic concept of peaceful co-existence with nature is without such benefits as penicillin or running water. It seems far more reasonable to accept accept the fact that the nature of the human human species is to dominate and change the environment. In fact, we should congratulate ourselves on this fact. Our civilization can take no pride in the invention of the helicopter gunship or the freeway. But, on the other hand, we might point out that antibiotics, schools, hospitals, and symphony orchestras orchestras do not spontaneously erupt from the jungle. The news is not all bad. There have been some benefits arising from our species' habit of dominating dominating its environment. In recent years, we have begun to realize that we must not destroy Our . environment in our attempt to domi-; nate it. And yet, we will continue to exploit the earth's natural resources.. The logger who clear-cuts thousands of square miles and the logger who har T vests trees selectively are both imposing imposing the will of their species upon nature. nature. But there's little doubt that one is doing it in a more rational way than the other. The same comparison can be made between the farmer who unwisely unwisely douses his fields with chemicals and the one who uses fertilizers and insecticides sparingly or not at all. The question of whether humans should impose their demands on the environment or on other species is really irrelevant. The fact of the matter matter is that we have and we do. And, if the world is to be fed and clothed in the future, we must continue to do so. Let us conclude our argument by looking at iust one of the ethical questions questions posed by animal rights activists. They wonder if it is right to sacrifice the life of a rat or a guinea pig in research research that will save tne life of a child. (Or, for that matter, an adult). The staunch proponents of animal rights will declare that experiments can be done in other ways - by using computers computers or human cells cultivated in a laboratory, laboratory, for example. But ethical dilemmas are not, always always black or white. And, while those who support animal rights have proven proven that many, if not most laboratory experiments using animals are unnecessary, unnecessary, they have not proven that every every one of them is unnecessary. And so, we pose the question again: If animal research is required in order to save lives of human beings should it be conducted? And, keep in mind that we are not referring in our hypothetical hypothetical case to an undergraduate science project but to an instance where credible credible scientists believe the research is necessary. Do we have the right to impose the needs of our human species upon another another species in this situation? Of course we do. Charging for Garbage The City of Peterborough is looking house- at they into the possibility of charging house" holders for each bag of trasn tn? throw out. *■■: Some sort of fee per bag of garbage ■has been proposed, although it remains remains to be seen whether the first bag : would be free of charge. . . At any rate, it seems to us that Peterborough Peterborough is headed in the right direction. direction. .... So far, conservation has been advocated advocated on a "moral" basis. That is to say 'the public has been encouraged to conserve conserve and to recycle and to re-use because because it's the "right" thing to do, And Although wc know that future costs of garbage will be high, wc haven't really been forced to face that fact yet, '^ Furthermore, the fact that recycling ÿ the "right" thing to do will not influ ence a certain segment of the population population who couldn't care less about doing the right thing. They are, no doubt, the same folks who toss litter from their cars while driving through the countryside. For people who don't care about conservation conservation or for those who care but really don't try that hard to change their habits, the concept of a fee for garbage pickup should be invoked. People may or may not comply with voluntary admonishments to cut back on their trash output. But when their garbage starts to cost them money, they are more likely to take action, And the money raised by the trash pickup charges should go to a special fund aimed at cleaning up the environment environment or promoting recycling, reduction reduction and rc-usc. Reader Vehemently Opposed to Gulf War Dear Mr. James: "So wh3+ I propose, Udf es and foMlewen, is that tkese creatures U iumed over to medical research» if no voters daim All in favour ...wag, you* tails. Writer Offers Suggestions for Town's Animal Control Policy I just thought 1 would let you know my prayer for this week. Dear God, I thank you for this kinder, gentler nation. But, please God, I can't take too much more of this kindness kindness and gentleness. It's interesting if not sickening sickening to see what evil still lurks in the hearts of men. I heard a woman call anyone against this hate deal (under (under the guise of freeing a very small country whose well dressed youth are disco- ing the night away in clubs -in Cairo) peacemongers.. I am cancelling my subscription subscription to a Toronto Sunday Sunday paper even though I have liked a certain columnist columnist very much because it is so biased toward war and be "I don't want to set the World on Fire, I just want to start a flame in your heart." The divisions in this country are terrible. Try to express' your opinion of Geo. Bush and see how quickly you could be turned upon and tom to pieces. Actually, it's the complete opposite with Mulroney though. How stupid people are. This battle may be won eventually, but I truly believe believe we will have lost the war. I personally am ashamed for my country. An American just last night said he'd love to get over there and kill a wire-haired turban. I also had a US Vietnam Vietnam vet say he couldn't wait to get over there and kill "niggers," so I personally will not support the troops there for any reason. Most » continually mocks my Politi- are innocents but too many cal party, which was the " Dear Andrea, I would like to thank you for printing the address of The Honourable Elmer Buchanan, Buchanan, Minister of Agriculture Agriculture and Food. I also encourage encourage concerned residents to write to him on the issue of pound seizure. In your article of January 16, it was mentioned that Councillor Larry Hannah stated the possibility of the Town of Newcastle extending extending the redemption period for lost pets at our Animal Control. Is this possibility being pursued? I nave written written yet another letter to Council requesting information information on various aspects of Animal Control and ways which the community could help to make the system more effective. A week and a half have passed with no response response from council. I wondered wondered if you knew any more about the situation. In today's Statesman (Jan. 30), I placed an ad for adoptive homes for many dogs and cats, as well as donations donations of food, toys, blankets blankets and various other supplies supplies for the animals. ■ 1 have been working in co-operation with members of a group called T.A.G.S. (The Animal Guardian Society) Society) to increase adoptions, foster care and reponsible pet ownership. As you may already know, there is a big problem with pet over-population, and it isn't going away on its own. As part of the program, I have been visiting our local Animal Control on a weekly basis to deliver toys and/or treats to the animals there, and to get listings of those cats ana dogs available for adoption. The employees have been very friendly and helpful, and seem to have a genuine care and concern for animals in their care. Unfortunately, they don't make'the rules. How can Council ignore these important issues, especially especially when there are volunteers volunteers willing to assist in any way we can? Some of the items of concern concern include: 1) a point made by some delegations at the January 7 Council Meeting, Meeting, that animals turned over to the pound by owners that request euthanasia of their pet can be sure their pet will not be sent for research. Newcastle's Animal Control has a policy, however, of "No Owner's Request Euthanasia." Euthanasia." What affect does this have on pets that are turned over under this request? 2) Why does the town continue to send cats for research research when they are not required required to by law? 3) Why does Council not respond to requests for a change in our Animal Control Control system including adop-, tions, (more aggressive and more informative) fostering, longer redemption periods for lost pets, extending' hours of adoption/ redemption, low-cost spay/ neuter programs in cooperation cooperation with area veterinarians veterinarians as well as having animals at the pound spayed or neutered before being adopted out, etc. Please help us (concerned residents and animal welfare welfare groups) bring some attention attention to the pet overpopulation overpopulation problem in this community and help us to encourage a more effective system of solving this problem. problem. Nancy Armstrong Bowmanville was onl and say "This is wrong. 1 ' Every letter to the Editor is mocked and belittled. I may in time also cancel CNN news and stick to CBC news. This is also mocked because they are giving other other people's opinions. Talk about Freedom of Speech. Thank God for Peter Arnett tho'. Anyway, the popular song tor the week seems to are blood-thirsty. I believe we have been sucked into this killing field by a wolf in. sheep's clothing (Bush) and by a sheep in Parliament. Sincerely, Kae Armstong Piper P.S.- I may be one of the first Bowmanville casualties of this war. I have already lost considerable weight. I have trouble eating and sleeping. If I should expire, you can call it "Friendly fire." Queen's Park Report by Gord Mills, M.P.P. I'm suremany ofthe As a grandfather, I know how much our children love to play outdoors in Dear Editor, I am member of a non political political group of Canadians from across Canada that are in the process of impeaching Brian Mulroney under section section 220 and 221 of the criminal criminal code, he has shown nothing but contempt for this nations heritage and its people by making a mockery of our laws ana our traditions, traditions, we are saying enough is enough he has to go. Democracy Democracy has become a thing of the past in Canada, we are now living in a legalized dictatorship and Mulroney now controls every segment of our society including the press, this letter will be sent to every newspaper in Canada Canada (over 800) less than 200 will have the courage to go against him and print it. There is not enough money money for the things that Cana dians consider to be important, important, like the environment, C.B.C. etc, but there is always always enough money for what Mulroney wants, ;he. ' now has 64 R.C.M.P. body guards, Trudeau had 14, it takes roughly 300 people around Mulroney to run this nation, he has 591, the list is endless. Life for most Canadians Canadians is at the best of times a struggle, and if we were living in a democratic society it would be unthinkable unthinkable that a Canadian Prime Minister would deliberately cause millions of Canadians to suffer through the loss of their jobs, homes, farms, and businesses by making a made in Canada recession, if it was not for food banks every night nearly half a million Canadian children would go to bed hungry, this is a national disgrace, are Reader Believes Life Starts at 80 Editor's note: we to go back to the days of Charles Dickens, are there no work houses, are there no prisons. ARE THERE NO - FOOD BANKS. When we ask, why are you doing this to the people, his reply is always the same, "trust me, I know what is best for Canada," this mans contempt and his callous disregard for the well being of the common people must not be allowed to continue. The time has come for impeachment, impeachment, but we will need your help if we are to succeed succeed with the task that is before before us, we will need by June 8, 1991 at least 1 million million signatures on our petitions. petitions. I am asking you today to support us (please don t make excuses wny you can't) with your voice, purse, and pen by writing to me for petitions petitions at box 1473 Peterborough. Peterborough. Ont. K9J 7H7. The time for cursing the darkness darkness (Mulroneys dictatorship) dictatorship) is now over, it is time to light a candle for democracy. democracy. OH CANADA WE STAND ON GUARD FOR THEE. Sincerely, John Welham, Campaign R.R. 10, Peterbo- We apologize for belaboring this 80 year old thing,. rou gh, Ônt. K9J 6V2 1-705 but a belated birthday card just arrived from long- 748-6190. time friends, Arthur and Bertha Barnes, Base Line, and enclosed was a newspaper clipping on the same topic. Mrs. Barnes probably found it when she was attending attending a gladiolus convention recently - in of all places - Las Vegas! She says she didn't lose a dime. What made it even more timely was the fact that we had just searched most of the office trying to locate a picture we had carefully set somewhere and couldn't remember where. Luckily, it turned up. Like myself, constituents in Durham East are finding finding we have to get up a little earlier these days. This is especially true for those of us who live in the county, where the roads can become quite treacherous in the winter. Although we may not have to worry about accidents with other cars, we can still find ourselves swerving on the ice if we go too fast. In the city where there are more vehicles on the roadways, accidents are more likely and can cause a lot of problems for other motorists. Weather conditions can play havoc with our roads both in the city and in the country. This leads me to the theme of this week's column - winter safety (in particular winter driving.) So, whether you're a motorist or enjoying enjoying winter sports, here is a checklist checklist of tips than can help keep you safe: * Don't be in such a hurry -- take the time to clean the snow from windows windows and lights, top up the washer fluid and adjust or replace wiper blades; . . ."".Keep the g^s tank at least half- full; more is better; ""Maintain a safe distance from other other vehicles. It takes three to 12 times more distance to stop on snow and ice than on pavement. To stop, pump brakes gently and intermittently. Slamming the brakes on will lock tne wheels, producing uncontrolled skids. In a skid, release the accelerator and steer in the direction you want to go. Don't'break. When you feel the car regaining regaining traction, straighten your wheels; and ""Always be prepared - you should always have in your car: ice scraper and snow brush; sand, kitty litter or traction mats; small snow shovel; dry cloths or paper towels; jumper cables; winter grade windshield washer; flashlights; blanket; and emergency warning triangles and lights. While motorists dread this time of year, snowmobile enthusiasts and cross-country skiers love it. Unfortunately, Unfortunately, fatalities often occur when snowmobilers and skiers enter unfamiliar. unfamiliar. areas. Never assume ice thickness thickness is the same all over. If you ddn't know - don't go. If you are plunged into icy water - remain calm. Extend your arms across the ice. Use a belt buckle to dig in. Drag yourself out. Roll away from the hole. Rush to a warm place. If you are rescuing someone, someone, lie down. Hang on. Use a jacket to pull the victim to safety. Mark dangerous dangerous spots with a branch. If your snowmobile snowmobile breaks down, build a shelter. Wait for rescue. Avoid alcohol. Why not even take a safety course. the snow. Keep in mind that an approaching approaching car is much quieter on a snow covered roadway. Snow forts are fun. But a plough flinging snow against a roadside fort, or the sudden . collapse of a snowbank can lead to suffocation. suffocation. Before tobogganing, check for hidden dangers in the snow. Well, I hope these winter recreation and travelling safety tips come in handy. Many of them are just based on plain common sense. Additional information information can be obtained through the Policing Services Division of the Ministry Ministry of the Solicitor General (at which I am Parliamentary Assistant), or the Ontario Provincial Police. ***** On a different, but very important note, I would like to say that as your MPP, I want my office to serve the needs of all the people throughout Durham East. Although we have a toll free number, it is sometimes difficult for constituents in other areas to travel travel to the constituency office in Bow- ipanville. So, in the future I will be coming to you! This Thursday, (February (February 7tn) I look forward to seeing you at a constituency clinic at Manvers Arena Arena (comer of Highway 35 and 7A in Manvers) from 4 to 8 p.m. For Port Perry area residents, a constituency clinic will be held on Friday Friday (February 8th) at the Church of The Ascension, (Anglican Church), 274 North Street (at John St.) from 4 to 8 p.m. If you have a constituency problem problem you would like to discuss.please drop by and see me at one of these clinics. They will be held regularly in different parts of the riding to ensure that all constituents' needs are better served. ***** Finally, I'd like to share some of the highlights of the past week with the residents of Durham East: I was pleased to participate at a cer- ëmony marking the opening of the Dr. Emily Stowe Public School in Courtice. Judging from the great turnout of parents parents and residents at the opening, there is obviously a good deal of community community support tor this new school. It will undoubtedly be a focal point for the community and I look forward to attending many functions there in the future. On Thursday evening I met with Manvers Council to discuss the possible possible extension of the Janetville communal communal water system. I know this is of great importance to the residents of the Janetville area, and I will be working working with the appropriate officials to try and resolve the situation. Andrea Adair I don't Life Begins When You Reach 80 I have good news for you. The first 80 years are the hardest. The second 80 are a succession of parties. Once you reach 80, everyone wants to carry your baggage and help you up the steps. If you forget your name or anybody else's name, or an appointment, or your own telephone number, or promise to be three places at the same time, or can't remember how many grandchildren you have, you need only explain that you are 80. Being 80 is a lot better than being 70. At 70, people are mad at you for everything. At 80, you have a ner- fect excuse no matter wnat you do. If you act foolishly, uv u it's your second childhood. Everybody is looking for reac j ers symptoms of softening of the brain. Including a woman Being 70 is no fun at nil. At that age, they expect f r0 m Guelph who recent- you to retire to a house in Florida and complain about jy wro te a letter to the ed- your arthritis (they used to call it lumbago) and you j^ or ask everybody to stop mumbling because you can't un- gh e titled her letter derstanu them, (Actually, your hearing is about 50 which appeared in the percent gone). , . paper last week, "Man vs. If your survive until you nre 80, everybody is sur- Woman." I should have prised that you are still alive, llicy treat you with re- k een suspicious of its con- spcct just for having lived so long. Actually, they seem i ents immediately surprised that you can walk and talk sensibly. - ■ ■ 4 - y * usually comment comment on letters tnat are printed in this paper. As a community newspaper, newspaper, we encourage our readers to voice their concerns concerns about local or national national matters and express express their views on any issues.. I don't think it is fair to use this space to criticize criticize someone for their opinion. But, as I have a forum for expressing my. views, so do all The Statesman So, please, folks, try to make it to 80 time of life. People forgive you for nnythi me, life begins at 80! It's the best ing, If you ask Instead, I thought she may have been writing to clarify matters and to show that the battle of the sexes doesn't have to exist. But this is what she said: She implied there wouldn't be a battle if women quit studying for careers that were once "exclusively the domain of men." She wrote that we are breaking the laws of God and that man no longer is being considered the bread winner and protector protector of the weaker sex. She suggests that the price being paid for these actions of women is male violence in the homes and on the streets. She wondered if this is the only way men know to strike back at losing their self-esteem ana masculinity. I know rape is an expression expression of power and I believe spousal abuse is also a method of gaining control. I too have wondered wondered if this is a result of an inability, on the part of some men, to accept, as slow and as sometimes uneventful as it is, social change. But to suggest that violence violence against women could somehow make up for a. perceived loss of masculinity is an insult to men everywhere. I remember hearing some pretty heated words when Marc Lepine murdered murdered 14 female engineering engineering students in Montreal over a year ago. I recall the comments centred on the feeling that "I'm getting getting sick and tired of ne- ing blamed for what he did as if every man had a finger on the trigger." 1 wonder how men would react to being told they can't accept women being as good or better at things as they are and that they have to show their lack of acceptance by physically overpowering overpowering them. I don't know any man who would appreciate being being lumped in with the rapists and abusers in society. society. I wonder if the author of the letter thinks society society would truly be better if we went back to the time before the suffragists won voting rights for women. If we are so capable of "molding the world to be E eaceful and law-abiding" y rocking the cradle, as the letter states, what's going on now? For centuries, when all women did was rock the cradle, I think the opportunity opportunity was there to make our world more peaceful and law-abiding. We had two world wars in this century and tjuite possibly we are facing facing a third one now. The fact that women have the choice to work or stay home and raise a family hasn't created violence violence in.society. Violence against people people existed long before the first voice discussing equality was heard.