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i 2 The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, September 7,1983 Section Two [ Letters to the Editor More Tragic Questions About Ill-F ated Plane The details surrounding the destruction destruction of Korean Air Lines flight 007 are leaving many questions and problems around the globe that may never be answered or settled. Flight 007 appears to be the innocent innocent victim of an unaggravated assault assault by the Soviet Union. However, despite the reputation of the Soviet Bear, it seems unbelievable that the pilot of the Russian fighter plane would launch a deadly air-to- air missile at a commercial airliner, airliner, unless it was indeed doing something seriously wrong. From all accounts of the incident, it appears that the Boeing 747 trespassed trespassed Soviet air space while flying from Anchorage, Alaska to Seoul. It was flying the northern most flight path, which at times comes within 20 miles of Soviet territory. Indeed, it is extremely unusual for a jet to veer off course by several hundred miles, but in this case it seems to have made the deadly error. Russian pilots scrambled to intercept the intruder. According to the international procedure for intercepting aircraft, the Soviet jet would signal the 747 by rocking its wings. The 747 would then acknowledge acknowledge by rocking its wings, and would then follow the interceptor. Either this wasn't done or the signal signal was ignored by the Korean pilot. Regardless, the Russians must have felt that there was a possibility possibility of a breach of its security and after trailing the jet ,for more than two hours, allegedly shot the intruder from the sky, killing 269 passengers and crew. New information released on the weekend has added another twist to the already confusing tragedy. The United States reported that an American reconnaisance plane was in the area at the time of the assault on the Korean jet. To complicate. complicate. matters further, the American American spy plane was very similar in shape and size to the Korean commercial commercial flight. It is conceivable that flight 007 may have been in the wrong place in the wrong time, as Russian war planes scrambled to intercept the American spy plane. This would also validate initial claims by the Soviets that the downed aircraft was a CIA spy plane. However, the Russians trailed the Korean plane for more than two hours before firing the air-to-air missile. Surely the pilot would recognize recognize the 747 as a commercial airliner airliner and relay that information to ground control unless he was unable unable to see the markings on the plane in the early morning hours. Investigators are now hampered in their search for wreckage to determine determine if the jet was attacked, since the Russians have denied entry to their waters by Japanese searchers. If anything is found, it will certainly never be seen again in the free world. The cover up of evidence will be as corrupt as the news releases of Tass to the Russian Russian people who are no more than ill-informed pawns in the government's government's plans. We only hope that the truth does come forth from this mishap and that if found guilty, the U.S.S.R. does its utmost to compensate the families of the victims. Sanctions, whether they be economic or landing landing right privileges, seem to be inevitable. inevitable. When these are enacted, the Russians may be forced to come clean with an answer, since this time, it is not only the American Eagle against the Hammer and Sickle, but the rest of the world as well. Computer Whiz Kids Weed Bed SUGAR and SPICE Poor Planning Without a doubt, the computer is the most significant invention of the century, if not of all time. Everything Everything is computerized now from high tech navigational devices on the Space Shuttle Challenger to Atari Home Recreation Centres. And from this wonderful invention not only comes increased productivity, productivity, greater efficiency and pleasure, pleasure, but also crime. Computer crime is growing so fast that the term "Top Secret" is a fallacy, fallacy, as computer whiz kids break into the computers of major multinational multinational corporations, essentially at will. With a few correct keys and a little luck, little Johnny could conceivably conceivably be launching a missile in Russia, and at the same . time change the traffic lights in downtown downtown Toronto. Several movies have been produced produced with this type of plot, where a young computer genius breaks into sensitive army intelligence headquarters and is able to control military actions. Or else he manages manages to switch bank accounts with a millionaire and becomes rich instantly. instantly. It may sound impossible, but it is happening, and nobody seems to know what to do about it. A few true cases will serve to illustrate illustrate the problems law makers are encountering. The classic scam involves a junior bank clerk who sees an opportunity opportunity to pick up several thousand dollars by' crediting the rounded off half cents of a company's company's payroll to his own account. A Milwaukee man uses his home computer to gain access to the computerized computerized radiation therapy records records of a cancer centre in New York. Although no records were altered, altered, the possibility existed to change times and amounts of radiation radiation to patients. An insurance company used its computer system to create fictitious fictitious life insurance policies and to record false premium payments on those policies, thereby artificially inflating the value of the firm's assets. assets. In the process, it defrauds its shareholders and creditors of millions millions of dollars. The variety of potential crimes is limited only to the programmer's ability. According to the Toronto Star, many passwords and security formats are simply taken from the computer owner's manual. The same story also states that the computer computer wizards the Star interviewed could get into the records of any major industry, anywhere! Legislation is in the works to amend the Criminal Code of Canada to include computer crime, and proposed penalties include fines and imprisonment of up to 10 years. But, the main problem facing the law makers is trying to catch the offenders. Estimates by The Financial Financial Post indicate that American computer crimes cost between $40 million and $3 billion. That's a fairly large spread to try and accurately accurately assess the dilemma facing government and industry. Unfortunately, legal measures, may be ineffective in this case since it is so difficult to apprehend any good computer operator. The only way to fight the computer crime is for business and governments to improve internal audit and security measures, making systems more difficult to penetrate. t Canadian Statesman Durham County's Greet Family Journal 623-3303 Established 129 years ago In IBM. Also Incorporating Ths Bowmanville News The Newcastle Independent The OronoNews Second class mall registration number 1501 Produced every Wednesdayhy THE JAMES PUBLISHING COMPANY LIMITED 82 M King SI. W„ Bowmanville, Ontario L1C 3KB (J^NA JOHN M. JAMES RICHARD A. JAMES Editor -- Publisher Assistant Publisher GEO. P. MORRIS BRIAN PURDY DONALD BISHOP Business Mgr. Advertising Mgr. Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition ol advertisements produced by the employees ol The Canadian Statesman, The Newcastle Independent and The James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and must nol be reproduced without written permission ot the publishers. SI5,V0 ■ ytar -- 0 months le.OO foreign -145.00e yeer strictly In ndvnnco Although every precnuflon will be token to nvold error, The Cnnndlsn Statesmen accepts advertising In Its Columns on the understanding that It will nol be liable for any error In the advertisement published hereunder unless a proof of such advertisement Is requested In writing by the advertiser and returned to The Canadian Statesman business olllce duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted In writing thereon, and In that case It any error so noted Is nol corrected by The Canadian Statesman Its liability shall not exceed such a portion ol the entire cost ol such advertisement as the space occupied by the noted error bears to the whole space occupied by such advertisement. It's still too danged hot and dry to get steamed up about anything, if you can figure out that mangled metaphor, so I'm going to give you something light, yet not without weight. This came to me via Jack Ryan, who clipped it from someone who had reprinted it from the newsletter newsletter of the English equivalent of the Workmen's Compensation Board. Therefore, it's at least fourth hand, but I'm sure it will tickle the risibilities of any person who has ever had to deal with the civil service, service, whether it be Revenue Canada, the County Weed Commission, Commission, or the Sewage Committee of the Town Council. It's a bricklayer's report for compensation compensation for an accident. It might be entitled Poor Planning. Here it goes: "Dear Sir: I am writing in response response to your request for additional additional information in Block 3 of the accident reporting form. I put "Poor Planning" as the cause of my accident. accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more fully and I trust that the following details will be sufficient. "I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working working alone on the roof of a new six- storey building. When I completed my work, I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carry them down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley, which, fortunately, fortunately, was attached to the side of the building at the sixth floor. "Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground and untied it slightly to insure insure the slow descent of the 500 pounds of bricks. You will note in Block 11 of the accident form that my weight is 135 pounds. "Needless to say, I was jerked off my feet so suddenly that I forgot to let go of the rope. Due to my surprise, surprise, I proceeded at a rather rapid rate up the side of the building. "In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the hazard, which was now proceeding in a downward direction direction at an equally impressive rate of speed. This explains the fractured fractured shoulder. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the two fingers of my right hand were knuckled deep into the pulley which I mentioned in paragraph 2 of this correspondence. "Fortunately, by this time, I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of the excruciating pain I was now beginning to experience. "At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground - and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now, devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel weighed approximately 50 pounds. "I refer you again to my weight in block 11. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. "In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and severe laceration of my legs and lower body. "Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks, and, fortunately, only three vertebrae were cracked. "I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the pile of bricks in pain, unable to move, and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my mind and let go of the rope. "Sincerely XYZ " I know that Workmen's Compensation Compensation Boards get stories like this, and even more fanciful, but they're a hardnosed lot, and I hope this bricklayer got full compensation, and was out moonlighting on a con struction job two weeks later, purely for his imagination. We have a pretty good social assistance assistance system in Canada, one of the best in the world, even though I'm one of the "Middle-class" who get stuck for most of it. There aren't too many people really really hungry in this country. There are very few people who can't get medical attention when they need it. We talk about a "poverty level" in this country that would be riches to most of the people in the so- called Third World. I was talking to my son the other night, swatting mosquitoes in the back yard. He's lived in a dictatorship. dictatorship. I've fought against one. We talked about the best place in the world to live. We don't always, even often, agree. But we decided, unanimously, that Canada, despite its vagaries of politics, economy, and weather, was just about the first choice in the world to be born, recreate, find a decent living, raise a family, and die. Without someone breathing down your neck every minute. I think I'll stick around, as long as The Lord lets me. Where else can you feel morally superior to a vast nation next door to you? September 4,1983 Dear John: Well, John, it has been some time since I last wrote you a letter but I felt I should now give you my version of the affairs at City Hall. In some of your recent editorials you make mention of the minutes of a so called in camera meeting and it just does not give you any information information at all. And then again you mention about the meetings meetings in regard to the hiring of a new administrator and the ups and downs that took place. Well, as I was on vacation at the time, let me try and bring you up to date as 1 have been told and 1 expect she has informed me fairly accurately. accurately. First of all, the minutes that you refer to, 1 believe were in reference to a jierson that some lop staff recommended recommended should be fired and, as I am' told, a majority of council would not buy it, so it never happened. So we again avoided another lawsuit (|ws- slble), It looks to me- Hint we now have certain people who seem to take great delight in getting us into messes of this nature but then again if you don't pay taxes here why worry? Next, the administrator resigns resigns and council accepted his resignation and advertised for a replacement and after the alotted time and interviews it seemed that a move was then put into place to give the present administrator back his old job. (It is my understanding understanding that he resigned of his own free will ana never re-applied for the job). This motion, as I understand, understand, carried and the next day in another meeting, this action was rescinded and 1 have to say that again in my opinion it lias to be the only thing that the Mayor and I agree on. Again, in my opinion, we were being set up for another possible lawsuit. How could anyone advertise for a replacement and then give it to somebody who never even applied but then again if my Information is true (and It generally is) there was a lot of so called work done on the matter, Now, It would appear that we now have a new administrator administrator going to take over and I would hope that council uses this opportunity to take and revise the bylaw so they will be running the show and not certain staff (take a look at recent action in North York and you will see). When a member of council asks a question of staff then they should get a proper answer and not an answer like it is none of your affairs, We are fortunate that all staff do not treat all elected persons in this manner. In reference to our new administrator, I would hope that he will keep us up to date on the hours of work of our top staff, so if we, the taxpayer, wish to discuss a certain matter matter they will be available MONDAY to FRIDAY for this mrpose (try going to city hull lefore a holiday and draw your own conclusions). Before you get the wrong Idea, John, I am not referring to the clerks and typists, etc. I am referring referring to the higher ups. Well, I guess I hud better sign off for this time hut before I do I want to again say that your last two editorials in regards to the activities at city hall HAVE CONFIRMED exactly what I have been saying saying for the last two years. It would appear that you are now getting into the same pipeline as I am. Good luck. Yours truly, Ken Hooper Dear Sir: I am a proud mother of three avid sports players. I would like to share the events of this past week in the life of my son. After working hard all summer being the best soccer layer that he could possibly c, it was finally one week before the championship game. It went like this: "Mom, I'm going to play better than 1 ever have before next Tuesday." "Yes, son 1 know you will - but it's only Wednesday," "Mom, if I eut all my meat, will I be able to play better?" "Possibly son, but it's only Thursday," "Mom, I'm going to kick that ball as hard as I can to help get a goal." 'Wonderful son, but it's only Friday." "Mom, please put me to bed early on Monday so I will have lots of energy for the game on Tuesday." "Yes son, but it's only Sunday, Sunday, go out and enjoy today." "Mom, please hurry up I don't want to be late for the game." "It's only 5 o'clock son, we have lots of time." "I can hardly wait to get out there on the field, Mom." "Yes son, but try to relax a bit so you'll be ready when the coach puts you on, "Mom it's nearly half-time, and the coach hasn't put me on yet." "I know son, but he knows what he's doing." "Mom, he's still not put me on," as he wipes a tear away when he thinks nobody's looking. "Mom, it's a tie, I wish that dumb old other team would really start to lose." "Now son, it's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game," "Mom, there's only 5 minutes left and i haven't played yet. I must a lousey player, eh?" "No son, you're a good player," "But Mom, if I am then how come the coach hasn't put me on yet?" "He will son." But he didn't, and my 9 year old was devastated. "Mom, didn't you say it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game?" "Yes son, that's right," "Then if it's that way - why didn't the coach put me on? I know I'm not as good as some of the other guys, but I would have tried my very hardest." What a rough lesson for my boy to learn - that unfortunately unfortunately there are some people who want to win no matter what, and his feelings as a person don't even count. I must add' that after playing soccer for four years and trying his best in hopes of that final reward a trophy, when it was at last placed into his hand - the sparkle had gone out of my boy's eyes, and the trophy though gleaming gold, indeed seemed tarnished to him. A Concerned Mom