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6 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday,November 9, 2010 OPINION Honour our vets This past weekend hundreds of local residents joined with area veterans at Remembrance services in Acton, Georgetown and Glen Williams. This Thursday, services will also be held at 11 a.m. at both the Georgetown and Acton cenotaphs-- the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. But is holding Remembrance services enough of a tribute to the brave women and men who have served this country so valiantly over the decades? Tory MPP Lisa MacLeod doesn't think so and introduced a private member's bill last Thursday that proposes Nov. 11 be made a statutory holiday. "This is a day of mourning," MacLeod said. "And we have to think of the new veterans who are coming home from Afghanistan . . . Democracy is not cheap." Her bill, entitled Respect for Ontario Veterans, Soldiers and War Dead Act, 2010, would switch Nov. 11 for the Family Day statutory holiday in February. The bill, if passed, would not just close the Toronto Stock Exchange, banks and businesses; it would ensure schoolchildren remember the day by calling for a remembrance service on the last day of class before Nov. 11. Nov. 11 is currently only a government holiday in Ontario-- one of three provinces/territories that does not mark the day with a statutory holiday. Perhaps it is time that changed. While we certainly supported a provincial holiday in February (even the horribly named Family Day), there is much merit in MacLeod's recommendation. With the numbers of Second World War veterans dwindling it is vital something is put in place so their efforts are never forgotten and all veterans are properly paid tribute. A provincial holiday may accomplish that. In the meantime buy a poppy, take in a Remembrance service or simply thank a veteran. Lest we 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 Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod has proposed making November 11 a statutory holiday in Ontario to honour our war veterans. Do you support this proposal? · Yes (66%) · No (34%) Steve Nease Go to www.independentfreepress.com Letters to the editor `Victims' don't need to offer an apology Dear editor, A response to Mr. Paul Davies's Oct. 26 letter (CtK owed apology). You write that all Christ the King students and parents have been negatively tarnished by Patricia Murphy and Jenn Unsworth and you expect an apology. Instead of being angry that a few CtK students have tarnished the entire student body and demanding responsibility, you want the injured party to apologize. The victims know the vandals are CtK students as they have actually spoken to one of them. You ask why it matters which school these students attend. The idea that you think these students are only expected to be followers of our Catholic faith when they "are on a school-sanctioned field trip" or acting as "official representatives of the school" is offensive. As Catholics, we are expected to follow the way of Christ at all times. This does not include damaging someone else's property. You seem to want to excuse this damage because the perpetrators were teenagers. Why on earth does that make it okay? Teenagers need direction and guidance. When they are not held accountable for their actions or forced to take responsibility, the adults in their lives (in this case the parents) are failing them. The damage should not be ignored just because they are teens. Yes, the 1,600 students of CtK are being painted by the same negative brush but it has nothing to do with the letter Ms. Unsworth & Ms. Murphy wrote. It is because of the conduct of eight students. They need to be held accountable, offer the necessary compensation and a heartfelt apology. Their parents also need to apologize for their insulting behaviour in all of this. This is indeed a blight on the student body of Christ the King school and it will take eight individuals to remove it. Ms. Unsworth & Murphy do not owe them (or you) a thing. Anne-Marie Jander, Acton who they are. To call that "racism, bigotry, and intolerance" is beyond the scope of what was intended. To the staff, parents and students, we apologize if you found our mentioning the school name in a negative, targeting manner. It was not the intention at all. To the students responsible for destroying our table, we still would like you to take responsibility without having to file a claim forcing the issue. It's the principle of it and a lesson needs to be learned. Thank you to the numerous members of the community that have shown their support for this situation. Jennifer Unsworth & Patricia Murphy Owners, Cartwheels Gym Centre 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. Publication is not guaranteed. E-mail: jmcghie@independentfreepress.com Mail or drop off: Independent & Free Press, 280 Guelph St., Unit 29, Georgetown, ON., L7G 4B1. Coles store thanked Dear editor, I would like to thank the Georgetown Coles bookstore staff for raising more than $500 for Gardiner Public School's library through their Indigo/Chapters "Love of Reading Fund." As a parent volunteer in the Gardiner library, I would also like to thank everyone who donated to this very worthwhile cause. Lynne Bradshaw, Georgetown Intent misunderstood Dear editor, Cartwheels Gym Centre in no way intended to "target" the community of CtK. The school's name was only mentioned in our submission so that the students responsible knew we knew 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.