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6 Independent & Free Press, Tuesday,October 12, 2010 OPINION Let Joe, not john define prostitution When Ontario Superior Court Judge Susan Himel struck down three core components of the Criminal Code provisions surrounding prostitution recently, her intent, was to protect sex workers from engaging in dangerous transactions. Fair enough. But by openly condoning prostitution, Himel has left Canada's murky prostitution laws open to a lot of ugly interpretations. While prostitution is technically legal in Canada, until now, virtually every activity associated with it was not. In her ruling, Himel said it now falls to Parliament to "fashion corrective action." Does the landmark ruling mean a bawdy house can sprout like a pesky dandelion smack dab in the middle of a residential cul-de-sac? If the decision, which is being challenged by Queen's Park and Ottawa, stands it will be legal for prostitutes to openly chat and solicit customers along Queen or Main streets and okay for anyone to run a brothel out of a home or make a living through prostitution. Critics of the ruling argue courts should not be allowed to rule on issues that have social, moral and public policy repercussions. We agree. The voice of the public in this case needs to be heard simply because the issue affects our neighbourhoods and communities. Hand this issue to our elected legislators, namely the members of Parliament to tackle. A referendum on the issue would give the average Joe-- not john-- a chance to vote based on the consequences of Himel's decision on his/her neighbourhood and children. 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 A new survey says 86 per cent of Ontarians claim it is harder now than it was two years ago to make ends meet. Do you agree? · Yes (90%) · No (10%) Steve Nease Go to www.independentfreepress.com Letters to the editor Fight continues in Terry's name Dear editor, Re: "Fox runs surpass targets" Sept. 22. I am so proud of our community for stepping up and fighting against cancer at this year's Terry Fox Run. I have been participating in the Terry Fox Run yearly since I was one month old and every year I have witnessed the generosity of the Georgetown community. It was amazing to see the growth in the number of participants this year. However, the fight is not over. This year there have been more than 65,000 newly-diagnosed cases of cancer in Ontario. According to Stats Canada, the number of people living with cancer is still growing. I think that we all know someone who has been diagnosed with, and who is fighting a battle with, cancer. With the support of family, friends and communities such as ours, survival rates from this horrible disease are increasing. Medical research resulting in new and innovative treatments are the direct result of funds raised from the Terry Fox Run. I know from personal experiences that these treatment save lives. Without the fundraising and research my mother would not have survived her cancer. However, we still have a long way to go to completely eliminate deaths from cancer. Each year we must continue to support Terry Fox's legacy by participating in the run. Rebecca Kogon, Georgetown like my neighbours and they don't seem to mind. You complain we're too noisy, well, it is what it is-- a motorcycle! You complain about pollution. Here's a good example: when you drive your family truck to work every morning and use 20 litres of gas, I use my bike and only use two litres of gas-- do the math. Just think, our riding season is ending and your idling season (winter) is just starting. Get over it. Mark Gagne, Acton Cyclist unapologetic Dear editor, It amazes me sometimes how something so little can turn into something so big. Noisy motorcycles of all things. I have been reading all the complaints and comments on baffles, horsepower loss and how folks are going to change the way we bikers set up our bikes. Guess what? All your whining has fallen on deaf ears. Whether it's about noise pollution or waking your sorry butt out of bed in the morning, we do care! Well, we think about you folks and then we think how nice it is to own a Harley. I know I Market is farm fresh Dear editor, Regarding Lynne Simon's Sept. 30 "Market blocks access" letter. I invite her to stroll among the fresh food vendor tables at the Thursday Acton Farmers' Market, where she'll discover a variety of fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and bread. This is, indeed, a genuine farmers' market, for which support and attendance from local residents is appreciated. Peter McClusky, Whole Circle Farm Acton 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. 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.