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6 Independent & Free Press,Thursday, January 28, 2010 OPINION Classless act For the past two days we've been trying to understand what thrill there is in trashing an elementary school. We still don't get it. Never will. Tuesday morning Robert Little Public School prinicipal Bob Tadman received a most unwanted phone call informing him his school had been vandalized in the wee hours of the night. Nine of the 19 classrooms, as well as the library and staff room, were ransacked as the culprits threw furniture around, damaged computers, smashed display cases, emptied fire extinguishers and even, in this frenzied mayhem, managed to kill several fish in an aquarium. Boy, sure sounds like fun to us. "It was just senseless," said Tadman. Vandalism costs all of our communities in so many ways-- not just monetarily. It is invasive, destructive and a blight on society. But when children bear the brunt of such a stupid act that's when we hope our justice system takes a much stronger view when it comes to dishing out punishment. School is considered a safe environment. It's a place to learn and be with friends all under watchful eyes of caring educators. The students' sense of security has been dashed. While computers can be replaced, chairs and tables righted, and supplies stored away, no one can replace the fish. It may seem somewhat trivial, but children grow to love the `pets' that are in classrooms. Teachers are now faced with the difficult task of having to explain the actions of the accused. If there was any good to come of this idiotic act, it was in the response from the Acton community as the school was flooded with calls of support and offers of help. We're hoping those responsible will feel the full weight of the law and that any punishment involves several hundred hours of community service so they can put their obvious abundant energy to better use. School life will return to normal and the vandalism will become a distant memory for the youngsters. We just don't want the justice system to forget. 905-873-0301 Publisher: Ken Nugent General manager: Steve Foreman (sforeman@independentfreepress.com) Retail advertising manager: Cindi Campbell (ccampbell@independentfreepress.com) Managing editor: John McGhie (jmcghie@independentfreepress.com) Distribution manager: Nancy Geissler (ngeissler@independentfreepress.com) Classifieds Kristie Pells (classified@independentfreepress.com) Accounting Rose Marie Gauthier 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) WEB POLL RESULTS Halton Hills council is expected to okay a local budget hike of 4.9% next week resulting in a tax increase of $58 for the average local property owner. Is this increase..... · Too high (70%) · Too low (9%) · About right (21%) Steve Nease Go to www.independentfreepress.com Letters to the editor Harper avoiding accountability Dear editor, Stephen Harper's recent 63-day prorogation of Parliament brings his shutdown of Parliamentary activity during his tenure to 148 days. Since the announcement, a grassroots organization of Canadians across the country totalling more than 200,000 people, are voicing their distaste of this move. The question that we must ask is why did he choose to prorogue Parliament now? Harper and his Conservative team claim that it was a good time to regroup and reset the parliamentary agenda-- but what about the 36 government bills that were already moving through the system? By suspending Parliament, he personally has killed each one of them. What is becoming clearer is that Harper needed to shut down Parliament, choosing to avoid being accountable to Canadians. While I am not yet an elected official in the House of Commons, I feel it is the responsibility of our MPs to be accountable to the people they represent. On January 25, my fellow Liberal colleagues returned to Ottawa, when Parliament was supposed to return, where they will be conducting the business of the people of Canada. I encourage Canadians to get involved and to ask your government to return to work. Barry Peters, Liberal Candidate, Wellington-Halton Hills challenge that Mr. Harper has had to rise too, due to the worldwide recession and the coup on Parliament Hill. To name a few. Mr. Harper has come through with flying colours. He needs this time to recalibrate and attend to the upcoming budget (in so doing, they are working). After all it's only five weeks; not three months. Then Iggy can go back to the south of France and the Facebook group can find another cause to take away the January blahs. I know the Haitians could really use more assistance Dawn Schertzl, Norval Good for Harper Dear editor, I'm writing to express my astonishment to the reaction of Prime Minister Harper's proroguing Parliament. I don't recall any such reaction to the Liberals' Jean Chretien's proroguing of Parliament....not once but FOUR times! On each occasion, the Liberals killed their own legislation. On one occasion Chretien prorogued Parliament for three months. But that was more recent history. Mr. Trudeau prorogued Parliament 11 times. In an economic climate such as the one we have experienced over the last year, and the incredible Letters to the editor policy Letters must include an address and daytime telephone number. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters should not exceed 150 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. Prorogue hypocrites Dear editor, So the federal government is off from December until March 1? Bob Rae's provincial government was off three times from December until April-- once for four and a half months. Funny that Mr. Ignatieff didn't remember this. Oh wait, Mr. Ignatieff didn't live in Canada for 30 years. Gloria Sargent, Caledon The Independent & Free Press The Independent & Free Press is published Tuesday and Thursday 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.