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

< i 4 The Canadian Statesman. Bowmanville. February 1. lflH'i Canadian statesman (J^A Durham Region's Great Family Journal Established 135 years ago in 1854 Also Incorporating The Bowmanville News The Newcastle Independent The Orono News Second Class mail registration number 1561 Produced weekly by James Publishing Company Limited pany 62 King Street West, Bowmanville. Ontario L1C3K9 416-623-3303 Fax 416-623-6161 John M. James Editor - Publisher Richard A. James Associate Publisher Peter Parrott Associate Editor Geo. P. Morris Brian Purdy Donald Bishop Business Mgr. Advertising Mgr. Plant Mgr. All layouts and composition ol advertisements produced by the employees of James Publishing Company Limited are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Subscription Rates Six Months --$11.00 One Year--$20.00 Three Years -- $57.00 Five years -- $90.00 Foreign -- $60.00 per year Although every precaution will be taken to avoid error, The Canadian Statesman accepts advertising In Its columns on the understanding that It will not be liable lor any error in the advertisement published hereunder unless a prool ol such advertisement is requested In writing by the advertiser and returned to The Canadian Statesman business otlioe duly signed by the advertiser and with such error or corrections plainly noted In writing thereon, and In that case 8 any error so noted is not 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. Civilized Society Needs Punishment, Not Revenge Ted Bundy. The name conjures up images of evil unspeakable. Last week the North America media were full of stories about the man who killed dozens dozens of young women throughout the United States. When he was executed early Tuesday morning, television cameras captured scores of people outside outside the jail cheering and celebrating his demise. The scene was a kick in the stomach stomach of humanity. It revealed us to be far less civilized that we often pretend we are. One lady suggested that the electric chair was too good for the brutal brutal murderer: she wanted revenge and said that he should have done to him what he did to so many others. Society's compassion is not measured measured most accurately during December December when it is fashionable to contribute contribute a little to charity or to lend a hand at a foodbank. No, our collective compassion compassion is measured best when events seek to "destroy it. When someone who is pure evil stands before us awaiting punishment, that is the moment at which our compassion truly is measured. measured. The issue of capital punishment tears into the fabric of society and divides divides reasonable people who hold the best of intentions. Canada chooses not to execute criminals under any circumstances; circumstances; several states in the union union south of us opt for the punishment of death in certain specific circumstances. circumstances. Sober proponents of the death penalty penalty do not rub their hands with glee when making their case. Nor do opponents opponents believe that murder is a minor offence to be treated lightly. What should trouble us is the widespread reaction reaction to Ted Bundy's execution. Amongst the spectators at the prison and much of the media there was no remorse or reflection on what the state-imposed death really represents. represents. In many quarters there took place a macabre form of celebration. When the death penalty is deemed necessary there should follow deep mourning for the victims of the crime, for the criminal, and for a society society which finds it necessary to execute execute some of its members. There never never should be wide smiles and high fives because someone has been executed. executed. Maybe Florida authorities should have thrown him into a pit of lions, if only to increase the entertainment entertainment value of the day. The death penalty is serious and regrettable even for those who advertise advertise it as necessary. No one ever should consider it to be society's revenge. revenge. Revenge is one emotion we 1 must strive to keep out of our criminal justice system if we hope someday to rightly call ourselves civilized. Free Needle Misses Point ! Toronto the Good is no longer. Its new Council has decided to hand out free needles to drug addicts in a perverse perverse attempt to curb the AIDS epidemic epidemic through rewards rather than through punishment. Under the plan, drug users, renowned renowned for showing patience and understanding understanding when their bodies crave a fix, will make their way to Metro's needle clinic where they will exchange exchange dirty needles for clean ones. An old needle is required to receive a new one. The collective quixotic belief belief of Council is that the drug user then will ride the TTC home, administer administer his drug, and put off taking more drugs until he has an opportunity opportunity to return to the clinic. Rarely in public policy history has the gap between good intentions and dire consequences loomed so large. Actually uttered by a Toronto health department official were these Orwellian Orwellian words: "simply by showing up at the clinic for a clean needle could be considered a commitment to drug rehabilitation." rehabilitation." For every such addict (assuming one exists) there will be thousands more whose eyes will open wide at the prospect of receiving free needles to replace those which they had been using using during the previous week. Politicians naturally wince at the suggestion that they are promoting drug abuse. They point out that AIDS is spread very efficiently when addicts addicts share infected needles and that they are trying to reduce the chances of people contracting the deadly disease. disease. By handing out free needles politicians politicians are addressing only the symptom of the problem and not the cause. The real cause clearly is that people continue to use illicit drugs. Until they are persuaded to give up their habit, AIDS will continue to be spread by addicts sharing needles. Free needles, if anything, will encourage encourage increased drug use and thereby add to the problem. There is also the matter of tax dollars (city officials officials have set aside $650,000 for a one-year pilot project and plan to ask for provincial assistance) going into a program which encourages people to break the law. No one knows what the program actually will cost because no one knows for sure how many drug users will take advantage of the offer. offer. One segment of society in particular particular should be inflamed by the program. program. Sufferers of diabetes receive no government assistance to help them purchase and administer the insulin insulin which, on a daily basis, they need to survive. They must purchase their medicine and needles. Medical plans are available and do help, but they cost money too. Diabetes patients looking to save money may decide to feign an addiction and drop by the free needle clinic once a week to help defray their costs. Under-funded hospitals hospitals may send brigades of doctors and nurses to the clinic to supplement the hospital's supply of needles. In short, the free needle initiative is a misguided, knee-jerk reaction to the serious problem of AIDS in the drug addict community. This action will only serve to encourage increased increased drug abuse and thus will ensure ensure the continuing spread of AIDS amongst addicts. Spring is Coming Soon February 1 represents an important important psychological milestone for Canadians Canadians each time it rolls around. At approximately noon on New Year's Day, the realization sinks in that the holidays are over and that January stretches before us for the next 31 days. Thus, when February comes, to remove remove January from sight, there returns returns to our step some of the bounce which has been missing since late in December. Of February it can be said: next month spring comes (offi- ciàlly, anyhow). Since the month serves as a prelude to warmer times, how thoughtful it was to spend only 28 days expiring. Although this winter has been unusually unusually warm and snowless, no one has been heard to utter: "cancel spring, I love this weather," In fact, what we have liked about the winter so far is the reminder it occasionally brings of spring. February 1, then, can remind us of birds and flowers, of warm weather and of the sweet smell of things new, But February is a grand month notwithstanding notwithstanding any of these happy images. images. For it is at the end of this very month that baseball spring training camps slowly begin to unfurl their flags and welcome their players ■ men known quite properly as the boys of spring. It's Still Winter Way Up North There are only two notable days in February: February: my birthday and Valentine's Day. I like one of them and loathe the other Understandably, I love my birthday. I love it so much I start preparing preparing people for the occasion occasion a month in advance. advance. I have only once had a rotten time on my birthday and that was because because of Valentine's Day, Four years ago, I had my wisdom teeth removed on Valentine's Day - an experience experience I likened to the St. Valentine's Day massacre. massacre. Having my teeth yanked out on Valentine's Valentine's Day did not, howev er, cause my dislike of February 14. The problem with setting setting aside a certain day when people are expected to show the person they love how much they love them is somehow linked to commercialism. It isn't the same commercialism commercialism that everyone everyone claims has spoiled Christmas. I'm romantic enough to still believe in the magic of the yuletide season. But Valentine's Day is quite a different story. There is nothing magical magical about Valentine's Day. It's just a day invented invented to con the consumer consumer into spending money- money- I have no problem with that. But what does bother me is the fact that consumers consumers fall for the day and go through all the Valentine's Valentine's Day cliches without putting any thought into what they're doing. First of all, I don't understand understand why people need a specific day to express express their love for someone. someone. To tell someone you love them on Valentine's Day is as cliched as making resolutions on New Years Day. I'd be insulted if someone decided decided to do something nice for me only on February February 14 and only because because it was expected of them. I believe that if you are going to follow the lead of every other so-called romantic romantic in the world who plans to woo a loved one on the same day, at least there could be some originality originality to it. The idea of sending someone flowers is sweet but only 400 billion other people nave thought of the trick before you. Therefore Therefore the idea should remain remain just that. Don't follow follow through with it. If you have to have something delivered, how about balloons? Not heart shaped balloons either. either. Send normal, colourful colourful balloons. Or better yet, get up one day at 6 a.m. and tie a cluster to the bumper of his or her car. To get up that early for such a stunt would definitely show that you're thinking about your loved one. If balloons don't work, how about buying a pair of tickets to a concert or a play? Don't just hand them over to your "valentine" "valentine" though. Make a game out of it. For a week or so, give your mate a clue each day so that he has to guess what the secret is. To make it even more challenging make a rule that if the loved one doesn't guess the prize by the end of the week then he or she has to take you to dinner the night of the event. Or do something with your favorite person that they love and you hate: Go dancing, or skiing or« take in a hockey game." Just don't send flowers or) go to dinner. ; It really doesn't mat-; ter what schemes you devise devise to show someone you love them. What does: matter is that you don't! do it on Valentine's Day.; Pick any other day in February if you feel a! compulsion to tell some-! one you love them this; month. If you're looking for a day, try the 18th' since it is the only other, "notable" day this month. But most of all, be, inventive. Flowers die.: But a picture of balloons; tied to a bumper will be; remembered forever. Reporter Goes on Patrol with Police by Chris Clark When Tom James was a little boy he went to the Canadian Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto every year. He went to see clowns, to play games, and to fly through the air on the rides. But what he enjoyed more than anything anything else was the big policeman policeman who always had time to chat with him. Wide-eyed, Tom would tell him that he wanted to be a policeman when he grew up. The officer would smile and tell him he could do it if he worked hard and stayed out of trouble. Tom filed that advice away, and today he is Constable Tom James of the Durham Regional Police, assigned assigned to 16 Division, Bowmanville. Bowmanville. The recent opportunity of riding with Constable James for a day revealed a lot about the job Durham police officers officers do for the Region's citizens citizens each and every day, largely without notice or recognition. recognition. Tom describes his cruiser as "a mobile fishbowl." "Your actions are always being watched by citizens, and we have an image to project and protect. It sounds funny but we have to get over the self-conscious feeling feeling of having everyone looking looking at you while you are working." Despite the close scrutiny which police receive receive while they are driving through the community, most people have an inaccurate inaccurate perception of the duties a police officer fulfills. "Except for moving violations, violations, we only appear when we are requested. Normally that means you've got a problem," he says. The result is that whether you meet an officer when he or she is giving giving you a ticket or at the scene of a serious accident or crime, the police quickly become-associated become-associated with unpleasant unpleasant and trying circumstances. circumstances. "One of the most difficult aspects of my job." savs Constable Constable James, "is breaking down the barriers and educating educating the public. When you put on the uniform it creates a barrier to the public." Many people seem to believe believe that the human side of an officer disappears the moment he or she dons the uniform. At that point, some people believe that all police become a monolithic force of robots lacking any sense of humour or understanding, But this perception is absolutely absolutely wrong. Frequently during the day Constable James waved to passers-by and the "regulars" he encounters encounters in his patrol zone. Stopping to pick up some lunch, he joked with his friends behind the counter. When people can look beyond beyond the uniform they often will find an interesting person person with whom they can strike up an enjoyable conversation. conversation. "I enjoy meeting the public," public," he relates. "It goes back to that image we have; part of our job is public relations." But policing, as you might expect, is not a job with sunshine sunshine bursting out at every seam. The job often is tough and depressing. Leaving aside the taxing scheduling which requires officers to work three different 10 hour shifts on an irregular 12- week cycle, the constant pressures and responsibility can dampen the enthusiasm of a new recruit very quickly- quickly- "The hardest part of the job is when death is involved and we must notify next-of- kin. You feel quite helpless because there is not much you can do to comfort a person person at that moment," Tom admits. Of course Tom's own mortality weighs on his mind in varying degrees as well. "Death," he says quite matter-of-factly, "is always in the back of your mind." He told of two experiences experiences when he was within a breath of shooting someone. "Of course I would hate to shoot anyone, but if he points a gun at me and doesn't drop it when I tell him to, I can't hesitate to pull my trigger." During a close call not long ago Tom was "very scared." "I didn't realize until after just how dry my mouth was." But he emphasizes, "you try not to take it home because because you don't want your family to worry. However, if something bad has happened happened on my shift my wife can tell when I get home." Tom says that his family helps him to keep his sense of humour and perspective. "The day I become really cynical is the day I leave this job." A lot of work is required for a police family to maneuver maneuver around the scheduling and other difficulties to enjoy enjoy its time together. He adds with a smile that, "we have no bigger supporters supporters than our spouses," On his days off, Tom finds that his job can crowd into his life. "Technically, you're a policeman 24 hours a day, but you don't want to always be on duty. You'd go crazy if you were. But even during off-duty hours you are supposed to be above reproach." reproach." One of the things Constable Constable James enjoys about his job is the variety that comes with each day. Although he has certain routines he follows, follows, no day is the same as any other. On a typical dayshift he may arrive at work by 6:30 a.m., check his duty roster for the day, find out what has happened over night, and get ready to begin working working at 7:00. If he hasn't drawn a special detail which takes him out of his patrol zone, he will start at 7:00 driving through his area looking for irregularities or traffic violations. While driving he pays attention attention to everything that is going on around him. Tun nel vision he is without. "1 watch for expired license license tags, people not wearing wearing their seatbelt, or cars which were listed on the board at the station for us to watch for." During this time period his radio is on 10-8, a code meaning he is available to answer calls from the communicator located in Oshawa. He listens to the general chatter over his ra- ■ dio, waiting for the voice to call for 1601. Today he is patrolling patrolling sector number one in 16 division, thus the number. Contrary to some popular jokes which are not based on fact, police receive one coffee coffee break in the morning and another in the afternoon, much as any other job provides. provides. When on day shift, lunch is at 11:00 and shift ends at 5:00 p.m. As we drive around after lunch, the constable muses about the Bowmanville area. "One of our biggest complaints complaints is about the trucks on Highway 57," he says. He especially especially cautions about the intersection of Hwy. 57 and Baseline Road where traffic lights will be installed very shortly. He is very concerned concerned that once those lights go in, drivers waiting on Baseline Road will not ensure ensure that trucks coming over the hill on Hwy. 57 are going to be able to stop at the red light. He suggests that motorists motorists exercise extreme caution caution at this intersection. Given his love of meeting and serving the public, Tom is somewhat concerned that as Newcastle grows the police police and the people increasingly increasingly will become remote. "It becomes harder for people and the police to interact. You've got to get back to the people, he says, although he recognizes that there is a prohibitive cost factor involved. involved. When Tom, 42, joined the police force he made about $5,000 per year and he con sidered it a career. As more. police are hired and as sala-; ries rise, he wonders how many young people who. choose policing out of school are viewing it as a career.: Some, he fears, are attracted! by the money alone. But he points out that without a love for the job, there is no! amount of money which can compensate for some of the less desirable aspects of his; profession. He believes that as a con-! stable he has the best job on the force. "Its not as prestigious prestigious as being a detective, but you have freedom of movement movement and you're not confined confined to an office." There is' not another job around, he suggests, with the variety, and exposure to the public that policing offers. Despite the drawbacks, of which there are plenty, he is proud to be a member of the Dur : ham Regional Police force, serving and interacting with the public on a daily basis, f Constable Tom James of the Durham Regional Po- most enjoys is meeting and interacting with the nub. lice has been patrolling the streets of Bowmanville lie, and area for ten years. One of the parts of his job he