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A6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday September 19, 2001 T h e O akville B eaver Ian Oliver Publisher Neil Oliver .Associate Publisher Norman Alexander Editor Kelly Montague, Advertising Director Steve Crazier Circulation Director Teri Casas OfficeManager Mark Dills Production Manager Riziero \fertolli DirectorofPhotography Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd.. includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance. Barry's Bay This Week, Bolton Enterprise. Brampton Guardian, B urlin gton Post. Burlington Shopping News, C ity Parent. Cdlingwood/Wasaga Connection. East \brk Mirror, Enn Advocate/Country Routes. Etobicoke G uardian, Flam borough Post. G eorgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times. Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week. Markham Ecnomist & Sun. Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror. Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News. Mississauga Business Tmes. Mississauga News. Napanee Guide. Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner. Northumberland News, North 'fork Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today. Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week. Owen Sound Tribune. Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week. Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal. Scarborough Mirror. Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Vbung, City of 'fork Guardian Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member a THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: O T _ M H RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE BY: Ontario Community Newspapers Association Preparing forTomorrow's Health Curt i w 'ESSKTHEAKIS f c ....... Jinge Bell Fund JTWiena JAward TV AUCTION (-^,e OnkinlU' (B^nwrds FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-2809 Circulation: 845-9742 WW C N A . Canadian Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers ol America BRONTE BUTTERFLY O N T A THE fin d R I O |oakville galleries | OPINION S K 't H O tfo U J U mm hrtovMIU T h e O a k v ille , M ilton a n d District Children' s Choir REAL ESTATE BOARD E d it o r ia ls F u n d a m e n t a l l y w r o n g Much invective has been flying around since the terrorist bom bings o f the World Trade Center and the Pentagon last week. In many reports, the terrorists have been referred to as cowards. These men may have been many things but cow ards certainly doesn't describe their psychological Religious fanaticism makeup. And that's what makes terrorism such a special is often at the root of \ kind o f evil and one that's extrem ely difficult to terrorism or in the control, let alone eradicate. One unfortunate consequence o f these bom b case of U.S. Christian I ings is that many followers o f Islam will be tarred fundamentalism, the \ with the same brush as the terrorists. If Islamic fun damentalists conducted these attacks then all fol source of intolerance. low ers o f Islam are terro rists. T h at reaso n in g means that those bearing any physical resem blance to m id-eastern peoples, are potential targets for those bent on revenge but who have no other means to vent their anger about these deadly attacks. All religions have their wackos. All religions have various factions which take radical far right wing positions that have nothing to do with religion but everything to do with hate and intolerance. And Americans need only look at some o f their own religious `leaders' to see that hatred comes in many forms. Incredibly right wing U.S. Christian fundamen talists Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson said the U.S. was attacked because it was G od's retribution for sinful behaviour. They blamed feminists, homosexuals and civil rights groups for the devastation. H ere's w hat Falw ell told view ers on Robertson's 700 Club: "I really believe that the pagans and the abortionists and the fem inists and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, all o f them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their fa c e and say: `You helped make this happen. '" Religious fundamentalism in all its forms is to be feared because it always plays to man's baser instincts and the results have always been bloody. WHATS A TERRORIST? Letters to the Editor The Oakville Beaver welcomes your comments. All letters m ust be typed, signed and include the writer's address and phone number. Send to: Letters to the Editor, The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 Some reflections on the frailty of life T he events o f the last w eek, in w hich the fo rces o f inequity have in flicted on our neighbours to the south, w ill certainly cause us to reflect upon the frailty o f life. C a n a n y o n e su p p o se th a t an y o f th e p a s s e n g e r s w h o b o a rd e d th o se ill-f a te d flig h ts b e lie v e d th e ir jo u r n e y w o u ld end w ith the epitaph. O ur hearts m ust go out to A m ericans o f all f a ith s . T h e g e n e r o s ity o f th e A m e r ic a n p e o p l e is o n ly exceeded by the unthankfulness o f th o s e th a t r e c e iv e it. T h e ir spirit w ill not be d im inished by th o se d em o n ic d eed s o f te rro r ism . In tim es o f need, A m erica is first to offer the hand o f co m passion and help. O n Ju n e 6, 1944, m y s h ip , H M C S M im ico , w as e s c o rtin g 60 lan d ing c ra ft to Juno beach. A s w e n e a r e d th e b e a c h , w e w e r e a b o u t to tu r n b a c k to P o r ts m o u th , w h e n o u r s h ip p lo w e d th r o u g h a n u m b e r o f f lo a tin g b o d ie s ...th e b lu e life ja c k e ts w ith U SN im p rin ted on th e b a c k , to ld u s th e y w e r e A m erican sailors. T hey too, like those that sat dow n M o nday at th e ir c o m p u te r s o n th e 1 0 4 th floor o f the W orld T rade C enter, n e v e r b e lie v e d life w o u ld en d for them the next day. I know fro m e x p e rie n c e the g e n e ro s ity an d frie n d lin e s s o f th e A m e r ic a n s . In M a rc h o f 1 9 4 1 , m y s h ip a t th a t tim e H M C S P o rt A r th u r , b r o u g h t th re e s u p p ly s h ip s in to O ra n , N o rth A frica, w hich w as o c c u p ie d b y th e A m e r ic a n a rm y . Letter of the Week A s m a ll to k e n o f frie n d s h ip Im agine w hat a pow erful and healing gesture it m ight be if, on J u ly 4 th n e x t s u m m e r , th e r e w ere d eleg a tio n s o f C a n ad ian s, sc o re s o f C a n a d ia n s, h u n d red s o f C a n a d i a n s , th o u s a n d s o f C an ad ian s, m arc h in g alo n g sid e o u r A m e r ic a n n e i g h b o u r s in h o m e to w n p a ra d es all o v e r the U nited States. C anadians from various parts o f C a n a d a c o u ld `t w i n ' w ith oth e r A m erican tow ns and cities and send groups to the F ourth o f July events. T his w ould show a w onderful token o f support fo r a g r i e v i n g n a t io n a n d a c o m pelling repudiation o f terrorism . F o r those w ho could not trav el to an A m e ric a n d e s tin a tio n , C anadian tow ns and cities m ight even w ant to organize th eir ow n C anadian F ourth o f July parades o r o th e r ev en ts to celeb rate the p rin c ip le s o f fre e d o m an d o u r b elief in d em ocracy and peace. Im agine w hat a potent im age it w o u ld be fo r the w orld to see th e N ew Y o rk C ity F o u rth o f July Parade jo in e d by thousands o f peo p le from all the nations o f the w orld, m arching to g eth er in a celeb ratio n o f peace and fre e d o m a n d an u tte r r e je c tio n o f te rro rism . I th in k th a t C a n ad a, as a good neighbour, should take th e le a d in su c h an in itia tiv e . " W hat can I d o ?" I w o u ld su g g e s t th a t th e a b o v e p r o p o s a l m ig h t b e o n e a n s w e r to th is question. T ied up ju s t ah ead o f us w as a L iberty ship u n loading supplies. An A m erican arm y captain was supervising the unloading, and I h ad th e o p p o rtu n ity to ta lk to him . H e w as a very friendly guy a n d as I v a g u e ly r e c a ll, w a s f ro m s o m e to w n in th e m id w e s t. T h o u g h u n s o lic ite d , he g a v e m e an A m e ric a n h e lm e t, w h ic h I c h e r i s h e d f ro m a n y years. O n partin g he said to me, " Is th e r e a n y t h in g y o u g u y s n e e d ...w e 'd be g la d to h e lp ." I said no and thanked him fo r his thoughtfulness. W h a t h a p p e n e d on T u esd ay la st, w as n o t ju s t an a tta c k on A m e ric a b u t also an a tta c k on hu m an ity by the in hum ane. We can all be thankful, that this act o f treachery, h o rren d o u s as it is, h a s b r o u g h t u s c l o s e r to o u r faith in G od. S o m ew here in the v a s t u n iv e rs e a s ta r b u rn s b rig h te r an d h ope fo r peace on earth springs eternal. G od bless A m erica! Life so fragile It was m ost heartening on Tues. Sept. 12 to see so very m any industries and businesses flying the Canadian flag and all other flags on their prem ises, at half mast, in honour o f those w ho have perished and been injured in the horrific devastation o f W ashington D.C., and the city in w hich I as born, raised and w orked for years, New York City. T h e o u tp o u r in g o f lo v e a n d c o n c e r n so m a n y C anadians have show n our neighbours to the south, is truly overw helm ing. From giving blood, so very badly needed, to money, flow ers at the U.S. Consulates, will always be m ost dear to me, rem inding me that life is so very fragile. L et us give thanks for every day w e have. June Noonan Halton Separation School Board trustee 1977-88 A n e te rn a l d ile m m a The recent spate of violence against the people of the Muslim faith are acts of terrorism that simply continue the type of abhorrent downward spiral that we have seen all too often around the world. Vengeance begets vengeance, the whole gaining an unholy moment uni, until the stabilizing influence of the host of moderates is lost in th e dinning cry of "War"! To be subsumed by our baser impulses is to complete what the madmen have begun and in doing so, we become an unwitting party to their satanic cause. Therein lies the rub. For how do reason able men dispense justice against an enemy that has no roots, an implacable enemy who places no comprehensible value on living orfeying or grief or suffering? Such men are like water...a pond cleaved by a sword which but leaves ourselves reflected. By definition, the extremist will always win the initial victory for public attention. They are part of all societies and they are never representative even though we are drawn by our anger to the sim plicity of the picture painted. It is my confidence that those charged with the onerous respon sibility of securing us all, to th extent possible, from a repetition of the latest butchery, will make common cause with the peoples of all faiths and all cultures. They are in the preponderance if we listen to the quieter voices. The task is to excise a cancer. There is no glory in such surgery, no drama, no mighty monument writ large upon the pages of modem history and probably no closure except time for the bereft. The world is smaller than it was just a week ago. What we do with where we are is the very eternal dilemma of being human. "To be or not to be: that is the question. Whether `tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows o f outrageous fortune. Or to take arms against a sea o f troubles, And by opposing, end them. " -W illia m S h a k e s p e a re M ic h a e l M ille r Ray Richardson F orm erly Lieut. R C N V R J.S . M acIntyre Trying to understand hate proves to be futile exercise It is understandable that there may be many intense objections to certain U.S policies in the Middle East but as a senior high school student from O akville I honestly cannot understand what it was that these faceless cowards were against. In my opinion, how can sonfething be so wrong and so hated that thousands o f inno cent A m ericans deserve to die painfully and without warning? It may be that I am uneducat ed in this specific area but I don't think that anyone can explain it to me in a way that would make thisevent believable. These past few days, my friends and I have been constantly discussing this tragic incident searching our minds for something that makes sense in this chaotic situation in New York and Washington. W hen we first received word that two com mercial airliners had been hijacked and flown into the twin towers o f the World Trade Center, a w ave o f disbelief swept through the school. The hallways were buzzing with questions and concerns w ith the occasional person in tears caused by the uncertainty of what was to come. With rumors o f nuclear war and the end o f the world. Nobody knew what to believe. Once we had turned on the television we then saw, for the first time, the disturbing footage in New York. Dozens of people were leaping to their deaths fro m th e b u ild in g s c h o o s in g th a t fa te as opposed to the fate o f the flam es w ithin the building- we were all paralyzed with fear. How can hate be so strong? I am positive that millions o f people around the world have asked themselves this same question this week not being able to fully understand the degree of hate that possessed these heartless mad men. People all around the world protest policies and systems every day but how can someone justify killing thousands o f innocent people, ter rorizing the nation and leaving them trapped under a heavy cloud o f confusion and pain. How can we ever feel safe again? It is a hor rific shame that our world has resorted to such extreme acts of protest resulting in a future that once seem ed prom ising but now seem s to be nothing but shadows of uncertainty. I write this for my peers and for the love of my fam ily. It scares m e and has frightened many others around the world. We offer any kind of relief and have most certainly expressed our sorrow to the American people and specifi cally those who fell victim to unjustifiable acts o f violence in Tuesday, s deadly act o f war. Amy Greenwood Age 18 Pud f\l's TfM E TO G o IN FoR IR S T PAY O F mommy has t o P iKG AR TEN ,M A tf. f lX EABysrfTERW IIX P ic k You u p . HAVE FUN / 1 LOVE YOU I j 0 0 ID W O R K now . y o u r T H A TW A & N Y So B A D -- 1 ~v ' ~r I C So m uch for promises A prom ise, according to the d ictionary is "a basis fo r expectation...an agreem ent to do som ething." Mr. (Ontario Prem ier M ike) Harris prom ised fine hom e care, said it w as all set up and that people reco v er m ore quickly at hom e etc. etc. My hom e care has recently been cut for the second time. I need this help but the answ er I am given is "go into a nurs ing hom e" . Are the politicians stupid that they d o n 't seem to realize the cost o f subsidizing som eone in a nursing hom e com pared to hom e care? I am a fifth generation Canadian and consider Canada to be the best in the w orld but not all the people w ho are gov erning us. £ v*N m & Babs Hodgson