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Page 4— Halton Hills This Week, Saturday, January 23, 1993 EDITORIA Editorial -- n. 1. an article in a newspaper pre- senting the opinion staff. of the editor or editorial Smoking stinks By Wendy Long Tomorrow, January 24, is the last day of National Non-Smoking Week. I’m fortunate. I’m not a smoker myself, and no one in my fami- ly is. At least, not now. But before I get to that, let me say how saddened I become when I see someone, anyone, light up. You’ve heard the statistics * before and I’ll try not to bore you with the gory details. Personally, I don’t see the pleasure in sticking a rolled up weed in my face and inhaling toxins. I may have once, in the murky depths of adolescence, but thankfully common sense prevailed. No, wait. I think I will reiterate a few scary numbers. Barbara Rieger of the Halton Hill unit of the Canadian Cancer Society, and the Halton Council on Smoking and Health, tells us that 13,000 Ontarians die annually from tobacco usage. (Not 500, not 1,000, or a couple of thousand, but 13,000.) Tobacco use causes about 80 F per cent of all lung cancers, and lung cancer rates among women have tripled in the last 20 years. Lately, researchers have also been pinpointing even the damage L f * 0! d-hand smoke, or Tobacco Smoke. If you smoke, everyone around you is affected is one way or another. What exactly does all this mean? If you like yourself, don’t start smoking. If you do smoke, it would be to your benefit to quit, ASAP. Smoking doesn’t guaran- tee health, but your odds are sure as heck better when you throw your dice in this game of life. Some people treat their pet’s health better than they treat their own. If I climb down off my soapbox, I admit that I feel great com- passion for those smokers whose cigarettes are their emotional lifeline. I shiver in sympathy as I drive or walk past smokers hud- ied in frigid doorways holding their smokes between purple and ‘blue fingers, shuffling to keep warm. And who can feel happy about out six bucks for a pack of puffs. 4 My smoking friends happily ignore any negative information I try to tactfully convey, even if I’m clutching my throat for air in a blackened room. (I hope you read this, Laura.) Indeed, smoking is a chemical addiction. Like any addiction, whether it be alcohol, drugs, or food, its take a great deal of courage, strength and humor to gain control. Back to my family. My grandfather was a heavy smoker from the time he was a teenager. Lung cancer claimed his life while he was only in his fifties, leaving a bereaved family and a grand- daughter who would always wonder what he had been like. It would have been nice to meet him. His wife, my grandmother, also a smoker, quit cold turkey after more than 40 years of sucking soot. Yep, cold turkey! At fifty- something! Well, Nan celebrated her 80th birthday last summer, and the doc says it’s a mighty good thing she butted out. Cliff would have been proud. So to National Non-Smoking Week, by-laws restricting smoking in commercial places, and those who find the strength to quit — or never start — I salute you. Letters Welcomed Halton Hills This Week wel- errors, punctuation, spelling errors comes your letters. Letters must be _ or as a result of space limitations. signed and include your full name Send your letter to: : and address. Names will be with- The Editor held on request. Halton Hills This Week Halton Hills This Week reserves 232 Guelph St., Unit 9 the right to edit, revise, or reject Georgetown, ON any letters on the basis of factual L7G 4B1 Parade awards The Lion’s presented their annual Santa Claus Parade Awards onTuesday night. Left to right, Commanding Officer of the Air Cadets, Captain Greg Siekierko, accepted the award for Best Marching Band, Knights of Columbus, Wally Mozil, was a judge, Dennis White of the Kiwanis Club, and Peter Welling of the Optimist Club were also judges. President of the Lioness Club, Mary Tenant, accepted the award for Best Overall Float and Best Service Club. Sales and Marketing representative for Challenger Motor Freight, Gary Carter, accepted the Honorary Award. Lil Chapman also represented the Lioness Club, with Bob Jackson and President Denis Borotsik representing the Lion’s. Congratulations to all. Reader writes (a A letter "grudgingly" written Dear Editor: Tam writing this letter grudging- ly, as I am trying to walk the fine line between expressing my indig- nation at the appearance of the KKK in Georgetown and Acton, and trying not to give extremist groups any further publicity. There is no excuse for advocating violence and racist behavior. In my opinion, it is partly because of the lessons on “tolerance” imparted to us by some civil libertarians that we have to contend today with extrem- ist groups, often promoting illegal activities. e recent example comes from a group calling themselves QUAL- ADA, an anonymous “Queer Action League” inciting their homosexual members to “break the law” (vandalize, steal and destroy private property of their “homopho- bic” opponents) in order to further the homosexual cause. These suggestions were con- tained in an open letter publicly cir- culated and posted in a downtown Toronto church. The letter contained’ target names of individuals and organizations (such as the Family Coalition Party, the SUN, the Salvation Army, the Reform Party) with their telephone numbers. Obviously some behavior (e.g., when explicitly advocating vio- lence) cannot be tolerated. Society has the means to protect itself, through legislation and Law enforcement, and it should use these means, The members of the KKK and those of QUALADA should be brought to justice and charged. If the police feel that they have no power to arrest people who openly advocate violence, th re is a need for legislation and possibly Court reform. The irony is that the Ontario NDP government is now consider- ing legislation forbidding non-vio- lent picketing and street counseling by pro-lifers, while hatemongers and violent (possibly armed) groups are allowed “free speech”. Giuseppe Gori Where are all the artists Dear Editor, Where have all the artists gone? Since the early part of December 1992 the Arts Alive committee has been running a competition to find an artist to create a design for a small bronze medallion that will eventually be made at Art Cast Inc; on Armstrong Avenue, Georgetown. This medallion is then to be pre- sented every five years to citizens in Halton Hills for their achieve- ments in the areas of visual and performing arts. As of writing we have had only one entrant! The entry forms with all the requirements have been available from the libraries, Recreation and Parks, local high schools and mid- dle schools. Also, forms are at Office Magic and the Brass Thimble in Terra Cotta. We have also advertised the competition in local newspapers. There is a generous remunera- tion for the winning design plus another sum if the same artist can sculpt a model (out of any materi- al) of the design that would be ready for casting. Our deadline is fast approaching we urge anyone who is creative to pick up a form at one of the above locations and put their talent to work on this pro- ject and be rewarded for their efforts. Linda Parker Committee member Arts Alive For Pete's Sake by Roe 7 [As Weer Halton Hits This Week, Weekend Eaton, is pub- lished every Saturday at 232 Guelph St, Georgetown, Ont. L7G 481, and is printed in Cabville by Q.E. Web Printing. yaphical error advertising goods services ALRIGHT. SO VAL DUMPED 4A--- event of ‘services at wrong price, goods or CN Not be sold. Advertising is merely an offer to sell a ‘which may be withdrawn at any time. 4) PUBLISHER: Ken Bellamy EDITOR: Scott Kline CIRCULATION MANAGER: Marie Shadbolt PRODUCTION MANAGER: Kathleen HALTON HILLS THIS WEEK IS INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERATED. PHONE: 873-2254 FAX:873-3918 AT LeasT fou ste HAVE YOUR FRIENDS... You must REALLY BE DEPRESsEp To GIVE UPA THROW- AWAY pune (& Liké THAT! ‘ Cos & 3 eye ifs ih)