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6 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, May 18, 2007 OPINION Play it safe this weekend As the unofficial kickoff to summer, the Victoria Day (May 21) long weekend finds us eager to pursue exciting activities that have been absent from our lives since Labour Day. It's also a time when an almost neglible amount of planning now may make the difference between a fantastic weekend and a tragedy. For many, the long weekend is a time to kick back and relax with family and friends and, if Mother Nature co-operates, soak up some rays in the process. There's nothing wrong with that, as long as common sense planning goes along with it. Recent statistics-- a 17.3 per cent decline in impaired driving charges and 22.4 per cent drop in 12hour suspensions administered in Halton between 2005 and last year-- suggest more of us are working some form of personal safety net into our fun. While that's encouraging news, the fact there are still people out there getting behind the wheel when they're in no condition to do so is both frustrating and deadly. The only acceptable number impaired drivers are on our roads is a big fat zero and Halton Police will be joining other police service this weekend in targeting aggressive drivers as well as those who choose to drink and drive. While we're talking safety, the Canadian Red Cross reminds everyone to enjoy themselves, but do so with water safety in mind. On average, 400 Canadians drown each year. Most of these deaths are preventable. For those who will be near water this weekend, the Red Cross offers a number of tips including: · Everyone should wear a life jacket or personal flotation device (PFD) when boating. · Stay sober whether you're boating or swimming. · Children near water should be closely supervised by an adult at all times. · Pools should be fully fenced on all four sides with a self-closing, self-latching gate. · Inexperienced swimmers should wear a lifejacket or (PFD) when enjoying water activities. Have a happy and safe long weekend. www.independentfreepress.com Phone: 905-873-0301 Fax: 905-873-0398 Steve Nease STAFF DIRECTORY Publisher Ken Nugent Advertising director Steve Foreman (sforeman@independentfreepress.com) Retail advertising manager Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@independentfreepress.com) Managing editor John McGhie (jmcghie@independentfreepress.com) Distribution manager Nancy Geissler (distribution@independentfreepress.com) ADVERTISING Advertising co-ordinator Jennifer Christie (jchristie@independentfreepress.com) Retail Sales: Jennifer Spencer (jspencer@independentfreepress.com) Adam Spinney (aspinney@independentfreepress.com) Andrew Key (akey@independentfreepress.com) Amy Sykes (features@independentfreepress.com) Real estate: Sue Spizziri (realestate@independentfreepress.com) Classifieds: Kristie Pells (classified@independentfreepress.com) ACCOUNTING Rose Marie Gauthier, Michelle Wimmer EDITORIAL Cynthia Gamble: News editor (cgamble@independentfreepress.com) Ted Brown: Photography (tbrown@independentfreepress.com) Lisa Tallyn: Staff writer (ltallyn@independentfreepress.com) Eamonn Maher: Staff writer/sports (emaher@independentfreepress.com) PRODUCTION: Mary Lou Foreman, Kevin Powell, Shelli Harrison, Dolores Black, Debbie MacDougall LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Medic Alert bracelets can save lives Dear editor, I have been an epileptic since I was 18 and since that time have worn a Medic Alert bracelet. I cannot imagine going anywhere without this piece of information on my person. You can maybe imagine my surprise when I heard a colleague almost died as a result of a diabetic coma the other day and he was not wearing anything on his person to say he was diabetic. It was at work when he told me this and when I enquired, "Do you have a Medic Alert", his reply was "Yes, but it is so awful that I don't wear it". Had he had a diabetic seizure at work, I don't know if anyone would have realized he required sugar. It is fantastic the Medic Alert and other pieces of jewelry with health notification on them are available so we know that someone is is allergic to nuts, bee stings etc., is prone to seizures for whatever reason and many other medical conditions. This is not to look cool, but to save lives, such as in the case of an accident when giving the wrong person penicillin may cause death instead of saving their life. Please don't be vain. There are many different designs available today through Medic Alert or at your pharmacy that you can choose. Chances are that the general public will not even notice you are wearing anything special-- but you will and so will those trying to help in an emergency. Sally Miller, Georgetown Something bugging you? Send us a letter! Letters to the editor must include an address and daytime telephone number. Unsigned letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 200 words and may be edited for content and/or length. Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1 E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com Religious practice `infringes on us all' Dear editor, The degree of tolerance we must accommodate for the magnitude of religious unreason is taxing. Those of us who look on this movement as being rather absurd find it more astonishing each day as we are requested to accept yet another public form of religious practice that infringes on us all. The latest attempt to jack up the tolerance level is a request by a group that wishes to dispose of their deceased relatives into the Credit River-- a practice that apparently has been going on illegally for some time. Evidence of this has been noted on the banks of the Credit River in Norval and the Glen recently-- not only the remains, but also a quantity of paraphernalia that goes along with the exercise to further pollute the waters. This practice in India has helped to make the Ganges River that they bath, drink from and utilize for all kinds of things, one of the most polluted waters on earth that one (Christians accepted) could almost walk on. There are many and varied attempts where our traditions and laws are being confronted and challenged by religious beliefs. It's enough that we have created our own problems, such as the premature influence of children's minds through religious instruction in separate schools, conditioning them against rational decisions later in life, and the ever-constant presence of religion in everyday life. No one questions the right of individuals to believe or not, but religion is a personal presumption-- no other person should be subject to any of its afflictions in public. We are expected to be tolerant of religious practices, but tolerance is certainly not a religious virtue-- look around at the state of the world today. Wm. M. Pomeroy, Norval Driver calls for boycott Dear editor, Petro Canada's CEO Ron Brenneman recently bragged about the company's strongest first quarter in history-- $580 million, up from $486 million-- and also that the oil crisis removed usual pricing discounts. What? Was the pump shortage deliberate? If all of us stop buying gas from the two Petro-Can stations in Georgetown maybe it catches on in other towns. I will not buy another pint of gas from these stations until the price is below 80 cents. Edward M. Cachia, Georgetown THE INDEPENDENT & FREE PRESS The Independent & Free Press is published every Wednesday and Friday at 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown Ont., L7G 4B1. It is one of several newspapers published by Metroland Media Group Ltd. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of the advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with reasonable allowance for signature will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the acceptable rate. In the event of typographical error advertising goods or services at wrong price, goods or services may not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell which may be withdrawn at any time. 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