The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Wednesday September the HERALD Opinion Page 11 Protection of education system a public responsibilty One only has to pick up a newspaper turn on the radio or spend some time in front of the boob tube to realize how much violence has become an almost integral part of our everyday lives News of murders rapes assaults incidents of female and child abuse are now received on such a regular basis that incredibly our socalled enlightened society appears to have accepted such previously abhorrent acts of violence as the norm rather than the exception in a world of up sidedown societal values A sad state of affairs indeed Increasingly violence is also creeping into our school systems and educators are being asked to handle situations and being thrust into roles light years removed from traditional teacherstudent relationships The Ontario Teachers Federation recently released a shocking report which indicated major assaults have risen 150 per cent in schools over the past three years In a survey of Ontario schools principals reported assaults ranging from biting kicking and punching to the use of firearms and knives The incidents involved assaults on both teachers and other students It was also reported that minor assaults increased 50 per cent over the same three year period The report further indicated the increase in school violence is provincewide encompassing both rural and urban schools and even filtering down to the elementary school level at a similarly alarming rate of increase The solution if indeed one can be found rests on the responsibilities of parents and guardians Making sure a young person is getting the full benefits of our education system requires more than merely trundling the youngster off to school It means becoming familiar with the school with the teachers with the curriculum and of prime im portance how that particular youngster is becoming ac climatized to the education system Educators can only be expected to do so much It is up to all of us to ensure the education system works and in turn represents a safe healthy and fulfilling learning en vironment As I see it anyway Councillors deserve praise for development decision Congratulations go out to Acton councillors Norm Elliott and Gerald Renme as well as the other councillors who recently supported a development proposal for John and Church Street in Georgetown Congratulations is deserved because these councillors didnt permit their personal feelings to cloud their professional judgement The development application calls for the construction of three townhouses at the corner of John and Church Street Following the lead of councillors Elliott and me a majority of Council supported the proposal because it represents a compromise solution Earlier this year councillors rejected a development proposal calling for four townhouses to be built at the location in question Councillors agreed the proposed density was too great for the property size Council made this decision despite a staff report recommending four townhouses would be suitable for the location Councillors suggested if three townhouses had been proposed then the application would have received approval Subsequent to that decision the developer Edward Bam wrote a letter to the province claiming his original application was unfairly considered by councillors At one point during the letter Mr Bain described council as a kangaroo court Understandably several coun cillors were very upset with Mr Bains letter And they made cer tain Mr Bam knew how they felt when the application for three townhouses was recently con sidered However both councillors Elliott correctly pointed out the province is pressuring municipalities to Bens Banter mm and Renme correctly pointed out Mr Bains letter and the new ap plication are two separate issues Acknowledging he may lose some votes over his position Elliott urged councillors to support the revised application because the Town needs this type of housing He prove higher density housing Following Coun Elliotts lead Coun noted the Church and John Street neighborhood is com prised of a mix of housing types It isnt a nice neat single family home neighborhood he said Its good to see politicians make an unpopular decision that will in the end benefit the Town With respect to the same ap plication it was also good to see a majority of councillors didnt let certain arguments against the proposal made by area residents af fect their decision One argument used by opposing neighbors centred on the idea that Mr Bain would profit from the con struction of three townhouses The implication being Mr Bam didnt care about the effect his develop ment would have on the surroun ding neighborhood Hogwash Unless Mr Bain builds a good quality development he wont be able to sell the houses and he can kiss his profit goodbye The profit motive will encourage Mr Bain to build a development that com plements rather than detracts from the surrounding area Other objecting neighbors claim Mr Bam wont built a quality development because he doesnt plan to live in it upon completion Again this is illogical Mr Bains ability as a builder will determine the projects quality not whether or not lives in one of the houses The public must realize Halton Hills can no longer stop develop ment other than single family homes As a result instead of ob jecting to higher density housing it should focus attention on ensuring this type of housing is done properly and complements the community Telephone technology grates at the best of times Do you ever begin to fell from time to time that the world might be a happier place if Alexander Graham Bell had studied or rather than elec tronics Oh Im certainly not gestmg that the telephone is a bad invention like the hydrogen bomb say or aerobic exerdise Ill certainly concede that the elephone makes our lives much Without the telephone for salespeople would have to come to your door to make nuisancecalls Still there are times when I start feeling that telephone technology is getting just a little out of hand I had that feeling just this mor ning when a friend one of those who has one of those nifty dual phoneline hook ups put me on hold in order to determine whether the caller on the other line was someone hed rather talk to instead I enjoy sitting on hold while my friends make sure that Caller Number Two isnt someone much more important It reminds me of my place in the universe Telephones have always had a wonderful way of making us face up to our own insignificance Youve undoubtedly had this ex perience many times at conve nience stores There you are standing meek in line with your loaf of bread and perhaps even your package of toilet itssue You finally reach theiounler And the phone rings Naturally the clerk answers the phone instead of ringing in your purchase So there you stand head bow ed thinking Heavens dont mind me After all Im not an voice impulse Im just a real live person This of course is the same principle that lies behind the telephone answering machine They exist to belittle others Be honest Were often at home when our little recorded message tells the caller otherwise t we Were just screening calls and the caller knows this since he does the same thing hims If If we were really truthful peo ple our messages would say Hi Were in right now but were not answering the phone until we find out who it is If we dont pick up the receiver while youre leaving your message it means we don like you very much Wait for the beep But somehow there s something even more insulting about being put on hold when so meone gets a call on his second line Just for starters I can help feeling a bit resentful of people who decide they need two phonelines at home in the first place the implication being that they re constantly expecting vitally important calls which must be dealt with instantly I mean who do these people think they are Amway disnbutors It s possible of course that I simply being oversensitive about this Perhaps it t really a deliberate attempt to snub me I never hear what my friends say to the second caller after putting me on hold Its possible to cry Hang up insignificant wretch Don t you realize I m talking to Weir But I don t think so especially considering the frequency with which my friends come back on the line saying Gee Ian it looks like Im going to have to call you back But I have a plan Im going to prove to my friends that Im just as significant as they are by put ting a new message on my answering machine Henceforward it will run as follows Hi Were in but were not go ing to come to the phone because were busy having dinner with the Pope So dont bother to leave a message cause we re now too important to talk to you Have a nice day SNAFU by Bruce Beattie The only time we went to nice hotels was so Harry could get stationery to Impress his friends Poets Corner IS MISSING Theres a hole in m world Thai Im falling through Sweet Jesus I just dont know what todo We hate a nice home A dog Ith a bone trees All things to please in the basement Illlet in the den Friends i to Again and again Mat htnes in the kitt hen Famih that tares Two cars in the Few grey hairs Good food on the table A marriage thats stable reeling of worth A love of this earth Musk lo soothe us Moxirstomoveus Good books filled with Maid for the cleaning An at keep us Out of the red An analyst to quiet The screams in our head Political leaders To march us to war The media to tell us What fighting for Holy laws of the land A judicial system Tosuieus From those that do stray Our kids learn each rule Perform school Know how lopla fairly But practice it rarely Were all in good health Appreciate our wealth Eat all our greens Hang on at the seams We know we are lucky And to the poor So long as they stay Well away from our door Sunny vacations We think are our due We still enjoy kissing I dont know whats missing My God of course It must be you By JB Acton THE THREE RS There s a rule for this There s a rule for that Wherever I go Wear a mental hard had Gut of our denizens And even at home Rules rules rules Not trusted on our own A license for everything and pontificate Even a license to live Called a Birth Certificate We are told what to do So we can tell when Each will be an issued An adult playpen I dream of life quietly My visions keep growing All goes on in my head The subconscious knowing Im not plagued with dumb rules No Boundaries to cross unique Sleeps my albatross Its an adventurous life I live in dream state I ve more fun asleep Than I do while awake By Lois A Richardson HOW DO I LOVE THEE How do 1 love thee goes the quote Let me count the ways But 1 couldnt describe my love for you If I had a thousand days just the thought of seeing you My heart pounds and my legs go weak I yearn for your smile and your kisses Your gentle hand upon my cheek My hands tremble when I phone you I live to hear your voice Thoughts of you encompass me Im yours 1 have no choice You haunt my every hour You live within my heart I cant exist without you So why are we apart BBrooke Acton