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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday August 8, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of IAN OLIVER President Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA ANCHOR Circ. Manager Hang up to hit the road We've all seen the driver, chatting on their cellphone while the stoplight changes to green, blissfully unaware of other motorists behind him/her. Or how about the driver who crosses over the centre line while trying to retrieve that all-important message on their BlackBerry? While inattentive drivers are unlikely to go the way of the dinosaur, the Ontario government is proposing new legislation this fall -- the socalled "distracted driver legislation" -- that could range from an outright ban on the use of electronics while driving to measures to toughen existing laws. Progressive Conservative MPP John O'Toole has been pushing such legislation for years through a series of private member's bills and it appears the Liberal government has been convinced it's time for action even though only months ago Premier Dalton McGuinty dismissed a cellphone ban. "Do we ban coffee drinking in cars?" mused the premier. But rarely does one engage in conversation with their coffee cup or use it for text messaging. More than 50 countries already ban cellphone use in vehicles to some degree and three Canadian provinces (Québec, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia) ban phone use with fines ranging from $115-$400. According to one U.S. study, driver distraction was listed as a factor in 80 per cent of North American car crashes. Getting behind the wheel of a vehicle carries a huge responsibility with it. Your life and the lives of others depend on your ability to follow the rules of the road and to be alert and ready to react to unexpected situations. It takes only a split second for an accident to happen and any legislation put forward that penalizes those who insist on fumbling with a cellphone or iPod instead of watching the road is a good step. Certainly there will be civil libertarians who will crow about an infringement on rights and others who will say the law is virtually unenforceable, but we're eager to see what Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley comes up with this fall when he attempts to get drivers' eyes back on the road where they belong. The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Re: your editorial dated July 30, 2008. In response to the heartwrenching story of Sara Carlin and your subsequent editorial, "The courage to speak out." Nothing can ever ease the pain and suffering of such a tragedy. It is unspeakable pain. Every parent who has read Sara's story would, if given the opportunity to voice an opinion, demand the answers and appropriate action thereafter that an inquest would provide. Has the system not failed Sara, her family and friends enough? It should not be Sara's parent's requesting this inquest -- but our Coroner's Office. Why are they not doing what is right? Their motto is: "We Speak for The Dead to Protect The Living." Their code of ethics states: "Coroners shall accept their share of profes- Inquest the only answer to heart-wrenching saga of young suicide sional responsibility towards society in relation to matters of public health, health education and legislation affecting the health and well-being of the community." Don't we owe it to the well-being of our children? GlaxoSmithKline's said the drug has been used by "tens of millions of patients as a safe and effective treatment." They should welcome an inquest. How can a drug that Health Canada issued advisories back in 2003 and 2004 stating "the drug should not be given to children and adolescents under 18 years of age due to a possible increased risk of suicidal events" possibly be safe and effective? How could a doctor prescribe these drugs having read these Health Canada warnings? The Carlins did not have the benefit of the knowledge of a Health Canada warning. Most parents don't. As a mother of two soon-tobe teens, I think it is the only ethical, moral and decent thing to do -- an inquest must be done. It's too late for Sara, but it should be done in her memory so that another tragedy like the Carlins faced will never happen to another unsuspecting parent. CHRISTINE ELIZABETH YARDLEY Everyone entitled to have their say I wish Mr. Swirzon had signed his article to The Oakville Beaver as a member of the Oakville Watchdog group to give readers a better idea of who he is. Comments such as "preposterous" (referring to the redevelopment proposal as an environmental disaster) and "lose the emotional knee-jerk reaction" (SCORA's newsletter), "give it a rest. We are tired of these kinds of diatribes" and "I suggest environmentalists mind their own business." If we were to follow Mr. Swirzon's lead, we would be in a concrete paradise where all environmentalists would be jailed. Perhaps Mr. Swirzon has forgotten we are living in a democracy and have the opportunity to voice concerns. His letter is demeaning and adds nothing to the debate over the Aquinas redevelopment. May I suggest you vet letters with a little more care. L. HABS Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council.The council is located at 80 Gould St.,Suite 206,Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone 416-340-1981.Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline.