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OPINION This summers 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing is shaping up to be the most closely watched in history for all the wrong reasons. With just 119 days to go before the most populous nation on the planet at 1.3 billion welcomes the rest of the world, there is growing uneasiness that Chinas suspect human rights record is coming back to haunt it. Can decades of Chinas heavy-handed rule of Tibet and memories of 1989s armed takedown of pro- democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square be simply swept under the rug for 17 days this August? As Canadians, we hope not. Recent attempts by protesters to literally snuff out the Olympic flame as it makes its symbolic journey from Athens to Beijing via five of the worlds seven continents are both unprecedented and, we fear, an ominous sign of what may come as each day draws us closer to Beijings Aug. 8 opening ceremony. The protests also raise the question of whether a country still so deeply mired in unconscionable human rights practices such as torture of prisoners and wrongful imprisonment should have been allowed to host a sporting spectacle founded to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit ... The International Olympic Committees (IOC) con- tention in 2000 that awarding Beijing the Games would pressure China to clean up its act where human rights violations and social and economic reform are concerned was either naive, or a brilliantly-concocted marketing ploy intended to calm those who recognized the hypocrisy of it all. While some human rights supporters have floated the idea of boycotting Beijing, or at least the Games opening ceremonies, that effort should have been put in motion eight years ago when the IOC was forcefeed- ing us the notion that its awarding of the Olympics would ultimately cause China to change its ways. Olympic lament Steve Nease LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear editor, Spring weather, the robins and early spring flowers are late this year. However, one sign of spring that is on time is the eighth annual door-to-door campaign for Cancer Assistance Services of Halton Hills (CAShh). In Halton Hills we have a choice when it comes to deciding who should be the recipient of charita- ble monies. We can donate to the Canadian Cancer Society in the name of research, or we can donate to Cancer Assistance Services of Halton Hills, a local group that specializes in pro- viding much-needed practical sup- port to cancer patients and their families in Halton Hills. Since start- ing up eight years ago, CAShh has assisted more than 800 families in Halton Hills, providing guaranteed transportation to and from treat- ments, use of equipment such as wheelchairs and walkers, dietary supplements, wigs and turbans, home and child care plus a long list of other services at no charge. Sadly, the number of cancer patients in Halton Hills is growing every year. Donation dollars are very important, and its imperative to make an educated decision when canvassers start knocking on doors. Both charities are worthy and theyre both different. Our name is built on service. The choice is yours; please do make it an informed one. Anna Mae Moore, CAShh Campaign Manager CAShh, Cancer Society campaigns differ 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. E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1 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) Katie Borg (kborg@independentfreepress.com) Brendan Louth (blouth@independentfreepress.com) Amy Sykes (features@independentfreepress.com) Andrea Lefebvre (alefebvre@independentfreepress.com) Real estate: Sue Spizziri (realestate@independentfreepress.com) Classifieds: Kristie Pells (classified@independentfreepress.com) ACCOUNTING Rose Marie Gauthier, Michelle McEachern 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 STAFF DIRECTORY Send us a letter! Phone: 905-873-0301 Fax: 905-873-0398www.independentfreepress.com Something bugging you? What do you think? Below are the results of our most recent online poll. For the current poll go to www.independentfreepress.com Halton Police are planning a crackdown on speeders. Do you think speeding is a problem in Halton Hills? Yes (80%) No (20%) The Independent & Free Press is published Wednesday and Friday and is one of several Metroland Media Group Ltd. community newspapers. Editorial and advertising content of The Independent & Free Press is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE INDEPENDENT & FREE PRESS 6 Acton/Georgetown, Friday, April 11, 2008 Dear editor, I was very disappointed by the heading that you gave Leslie Adams letter published March 12 in The Independent & Free Press, concern- ing the naming of the new school. The negative sounding P.O.W.E.R. against naming school after trustee, was inflammatory and inaccurate as anyone would notice if they took the time to read the first paragraph, in which Leslie clearly stated that there should indeed be a school named after Ethel Gardiner. Your thoughtless headline did not reflect the balanced argument that P.O.W.E.R. put forward, i.e. that this particular new LEED school should have a name that puts the environment front and centre in the minds of its students, teachers and parents and that Ethel Gardiner should also be honoured. A community newspaper should be giving groups like P.O.W.E.R. support, not undermining them. Ann Geh, Georgetown (Editors note: The exact quote from Leslie Adams letter read: A school should be named after Ethel Gardiner but not THIS school. The Independent & Free Press stands by the headline.) Dear editor This is a rebuttal to P.O.W.E.R. and its president, Leslie Adams (re: March letter (P.O.W.E.R. against naming school after trustee). I really dont care to which stan- dards the new Georgetown South school is created if it will educate the children of Halton Hills. After all, a school is constructed for the basic pur- pose of education. I doubt very much if any of the persons or organizations named in L. Adams letter are residents in Halton or Halton Hills where the school is to be located, nor have any of them contributed to the specific educa- tion of OUR children. While I agree that P.O.W.E.R. and others are doing good things for the environment I dont think they gave much to the specific education of the children of Halton Hills. Ethel Gardiner did just that and did it for a number of years! I, for one, (as a contributor to Halton Hills via taxes for 40-plus yrs) feel very strongly that Gardiner Public School is the correct and perhaps ONLY name for this new school. Doug Brownlee, Georgetown Headline undermined P.O.W.E.R. letter on school Gardiner P.S. is the ONLY name for school