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6 - The O akville Beaver, Friday F e b ru a ry 17, 2 00 6 OPINION & LETTERS T h e O akville 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. Canadian Circulations Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: | o a k ville g a lle rie s ) Recognized for Excellence by pcna Ontario Community Newspapers Association J Community i Canadian C V j j N A Newspapers Association ! H ahon Healthcare. T tSttZ T SST ' fit!# YMCA The Oakville, Milton SK Suburban Newspapers o f America IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER AssociatePublisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED M anagingEditor KELLY MONTAGUE AdvertisingDirector DANIEL BAIRD AdvertisingManager TERI CASAS MANUEL GARCIA ProductionManager RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director . CHARLENE HALL Director ofDistribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN C irc. Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, Caledon Enterprise, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York 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/Thomhili/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian Time to bench the body check Canada's favourite game, played at its best, is fast, skilful and, at times, brutally rough. And from the time kids can lace up their skates, they strive to emulate their hockey heroes. Along with mastering the slap shot and honing skating techniques, this means that, at some point, they need to learn the art of the body check. The question is, how soon is too soon to start hurtling fragile young necks, shoulders and ribs into another moving object? According to a recent release by the Canada Safety Council, Hockey Canada recommends that body checking begins for male players at 11 years old; in one of that organization' s pilot programs, four branches decided to allow checking for boys as young as nine. That' s too young. In fact, data from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program paints a rather shocking picture, based on information collected between 1995 and 2002. Comparing+iospital reports from areas where checking was allowed to areas where it was not, the findings noted that of 4,736 hockey injuries, 59.6 per cent of the injuries occurred in areas where checking was allowed. At ages 10-13, the odds were not only increased that players would suffer an injury, they were more likely to suffer a concussion or fracture in areas where checking is allowed. According to statistics posted on the American Academy of Pediatrics web site, the theory that teaching kids to check ear lier will prevent serious injury when they are older doesn't pan out. In fact, among older players, it notes, there were higher odds of receiving a checking injury in the area that had introduced checking at an earlier age. The Canada Safety Council recom mends that body checking should not be allowed in minor hockey until age 14. The Ontario Hockey Federation' s phi losophy is that checking is a critical skill in the game of hockey. But just like skat ing, puck control, passing and shooting, there are key progressions to the skill of checking. Body checking represents the final element in a four-step progression. The OHF also notes that "body checking is not hitting and the use of hitting to intim idate opponents." And while the OHF participates in the atom (ages 10-11) checking pilot pro gram, we think that' s just too young and there's no need for it to begin so early. Not just because there are so many other areas to develop, but because there is just too much at stake. The Oakville Beaverwelcomes 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.f 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 I read with interest the article on bullying (Students urged to stand up against bullying, Oakville Beaver, Feb. 15). Schools also have responsibility to ensure they are not tacitly supporting bullying. During the recent election; I was a scrutinizer at a local school. The cubi cles in the girls1 washroom were fes tooned with graffiti identifying one girl. How must this girl feel every day to Swift action needed to stop bullying see her name carved into the stalls, identifying terrible things she is alleged to have done. Why has the school permitted this display of bullying to remain and not taken appropriate steps to remove graf fiti or paint over it? Bullying comes in many forms and schools m ust make a concentrated effort not to allow any type of bullying to be sanctioned. DIANNE GARRELS MUNRO Different motivations for defections Mr. Anzurowski's recent letter, Who has got their facts straight now?, Oakville Beaver Feb. 10 makes several important points that warrant comment. First, Anzurowski equates the Conservatives' recruitment of Emerson with the Liberals' recruitment of Belinda Stronach. To be sure, the two are not the same. Emerson was recruited to allow Vancouver representation at the Cabinet table. Stronach's recruitment was done purely to prop up a government that was about to fall. Second, Anzorowski claims that "Conservatives will be arrogant" as they govern. This statement mistak enly assumes that the deci sion to recruit Emerson was an easy decision to make - a decision taken lightly, born of arrogance. Many Conservatives recognize that Harper made a truly dif ficult decision: override the wishes of the VancouverKingsway electorate to ensure that Vancouver's interests are expressed in Cabinet. I cannot imagine that this decision was made without thoughtful consid eration. Canada has a histo ry of Prime Ministers going to great lengths to ensure a broad-based, representative Cabinet. Recruiting Em erson came from this tradi tion - and not some deepseated, underlying rightwing arrogance. Now, to be clear, I do think Harper made a mis take. I believe he could have worked to obtain a Vancouver voice in Cabinet without having to recruit Emerson from the Liberals. How? Well, Harper could have appointed a Special Advisor to the Cabinet for Vancouver. While not a Minister, this Special Advisor could work with Cabinet to ensure rele vant decisions considered a Vancouver perspective. Critics could charge that unless full Cabinet represen tation is granted, Vancouver would not garner equal attention or weight. This would most certain ly be a reasonable compro mise. Harper could have related that this was the best that could be done, given the election results (and no MPs from Vancouver). Harper made a mistake. However, the mistake is not equivalent to the Liberal appointment of Stronach. And, it is certainly not a mis take hatched by arrogance. TIM D'SOUZA Pud .SAMMY/ m T WILL IT X TNf e f oRPUT K Y our LAUNDRY BASKET?/. tw enty BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com Bu CASH. c k s . your dirty asms IN I'M MOT BRIBING YOU TO DO THE RIGHT - TH IN S.'/