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EEE iii, is 4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, Sept. 25, 1984 editorial comments ALAN Reece | chatterbox by John B. McClelland GOODBYE TO GREEN Robert Coates, the new minister of defense didn't waste much time last week in announcing that Canada's armed forces would be de-unified to an extent, including a return to the distinctive uniforms for each branch of the forces. As far as I'm concerned, this is a move long over- due. I've never been in the armed forces, but I sure hate the sight of those garbage-bag green duds the soldiers, sailors and airmen have been forced to wear for the past few years. Not only was the colour ghastly, the uniforms didn't seem to fit properly: too baggy here, too short there and so on. But the Army will be back to khaki, and the Navy and Air Force will have their own blue uniforms once again. I hope that in going back to the distinctive col- ours for our servicemen (women) the government also digs up a new tailor so that the uniforms fit properly. I agree that the change in uniform may help in boosting morale and pride among members of the Arm- ed Forces. But uniforms are only window dressing. The Armed Forces of any nation are only as good as the equipment they have, and as most people know, Canada has not been a front runner in keeping our forces out- fitted with the best and latest in military hardware. As defense minister, Mr. Coates had better be think- ing about this as well. The new uniforms are an impor- tant, but small first step. New and better tanks, planes, destroyers, sub chasers, computer electronics, even rifles are all going to cost a bundle of money. It will be interesting to see if the Conservative government, which is committed to cutting spending, will open the treasury for our Armed Forces. This is one case where I hope it does. Keeping a modern armed forces in fighting trim is a costly business these days. But what do Canadians want, an army that's ready or a paper tiger with no teeth? OFF TO JAIL? 'A warrant of committal for your arrest has been received by this Police Force. Failure to pay the above will result in your committal to the Provincial Jail. Details of this warrant have been placed on a National Police Computer File." I gulped when I received this notice in the mail about two weeks ago from the Durham Region Police. That's me the warrant is referring to, and I don't like it one darn bit. The thought of going to jail for three days doesn't exactly make me shout for joy. Neither does the fact that my name is now on a national police computer file. The source of my consternation is non-payment ol a parking ticket for an offense which occurred more than four years ago in Toronto. The original ticket I remember well, was for $10. And I admit, I neglected to pay it. However, on receipt of a summons a few months later, I am positive that I quickly sent off a money order to clear this matter up. However, the Provincial court office in Toronto says I didn't pay the fine, so the deal was turned over to Durham Police, and unless I now pay $17 (talk about inflation) I could hit the slammer for three days. I am over a barrel. Despite the fact I honestly believe the fine was paid a couple of years ago, I have no record of proof. I'have always prided myself on honesty and respect for the law. Two speeding tickets and a couple of park- ing tickets are the sum total of my brushes with the police. And now this. A warrant of committal issued in my name. I phoned the Durham Police HQ in Oshawa to ask if there had been some mistake, and a friendly clerk told me the only way to check is for me to contact the Court Office at Old City Hall in Toronto. I did just that, by letter, two weeks ago. No reply, as yet. If it turns out that my memory has failed me com- pletely (a possibility) and indeed I have not paid that fine, then that $17 owing will be in the mails as quickly as possible. But what about the interim? I have been advised to carry at least $17 in my pocket at all times, for should I get stopped by police for some other reason and that big computer in Ottawa spits out my name, I could very well wind up in jail unless I can pay that $17 on the spot. Not a pleasant thought. i And what if there is an error in that computer file and it shows I owe $170 or $1700. Heck, I could end up in the Big House on the St. Lawrence. Seriously, this is a pretty small matter. But it is a little scarey to get a letter in the mail threatening jail over a four-year old parking fine which I'm sure | paid long ago. I don't relish the idea of paying a parking fine twice. But I don't want to go to jail, either. I just hope that some clerk toiling away in the court office at Old City Hall in Toronto will get my letter of enquiry, dig out the files and find that yes, that park- ing fine was paid and I'm in the clear. The next step will be to get my name erased from that Police Computer File before I reach retirement age. HYDRO, AGAIN [received a press release from Ontario Hydro last week, stating that Hydro's board of directors has ac- cepted a recommendation from the Ontario Energy Board to hike rates 8.6 per cent in 1985. : This is the rate at which Hydro sells power to utilities, so obviously these increases will be passed on to you and me, the consumers. How come Hydro can jack its prices by 8.6 per cent when inflation is running at about half that rate Well, Hydro chairman Tom Campbell has the (Turn to page 6) The Noose A 19 year old with an obsession with violent anti. police movies dresses up in battle fatigues, shoulders a semi-automatic rifle, puts 85 rounds of ammo ip his pocket and takes to the streets of Toronto, apparently searching for a former girlfriend. The result? A confrontation with police that leaves one officer dead, two other wounded and the young man dead from police bullets. Would any of this have happened if Canada had capital punishment on the books? Nobody will ever know for sure. What is sure is that Canadians want the newly elected Conservative government to take some kind of action on this issue. It could be a free vote in the House of Commons or possibly a nation-wide referendum. We would prefer to see the former as the latter could be unwieldy and time consuming. The murders of four Ontario police officers in less than a month are more than enough reason for Parlia- ment to act. The Papal Visit The historic visit to Canada by Pope John Paul II is over. For 12 days, this man, like no other individual before him, was the unprecedented focus of media and public attention. The major newspapers in this country devoted pages and pages of photos and stories. Likewise with the television networks. The CBC alone had more than 100 hours of coverage of the Papal Visit. And while crowds on certain stops along the tour were smaller than anticipated (the fickle weather of a Canadian September no doubt played a role in this)millions of Canadians came out to catch a fleeting glimpse of the man, hear his addresses and take part as he celebrated Mass. The television cameras caught John Paul Il as he reached out to Canadians, touching the hands and foreheads of young children, the old, the sick and the dying. We saw a man of unquestionable strength and courage combined with an aura of serenity and inner peace, a man with a genuine feel and love for all of humanity; a man of charm, dignity and unfaltering conviction. We heard him re-affirm the position of the Catholic Church on such topics as priestly celibacy, the role of women within the Church, abortion and birth control. We heard him address the major issues facing mankind in this century: the arms race and threat of nuclear destruction; the gaping disparities between the rich and poor nations; the explosion of technological ad- vancements; the human misery brought about by chronic unemployment; justice; unbridled materialism. And we heard the critics, carping about the cost of the Papal Visit, the irony of unprecedented security necessary to protect a man of God. What did this Papal Visit mean for Canadians: Catholics, Christians of other faiths, non-Christians and non-believers? The answer to that question, of course, is almost impossible. The visit had different meanings for individuals. However, it is fair to say that Pope John Paul Il, by focussing on the major issues of the day, has forced all reasonable Canadians to again start thinking and defin- ing those issues. He has generated a dialogue within his own Church, and he has told us all to take a hard look at our values. That in itself cannot help but be healthy and in the long run, beneficial. By re-affirming his Church's position on women priests, abortion and birth control, he has told Catholics that the road for the faithful is often a difficult one, and change cannot happen simply for the sake of expedien- Cy, or because popular mores appear to warrant it. Likewise with the broader issues facing every human being on this planet. There are no easy solutions. It will take rock-ribbed will and determination, even sacrifice, just to start thinking about ways to ease world tensions from the arms race, hunger and poverty. The first step in the resolution of any problem, large or small, is dialogue, and the Pope through his words and his presence in this country, has opened the way for that. It is now up to all thinking and reasonable Canadians to continue that dialogue, \ work ever harder in the dif- ficult search for solutions to profound human problems facing us in this country and in the rest of the world. No matter what our beliefs or faith, Pope John Paul's 12-day odyssey across Canada has left us with a challenge on many fronts. How we respond to that challenge is up to us. a ----