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4 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, April 22, 1986 Editorial Comments Girls and Boys Justine Blainey is a 13 year old girl with a dream. She wants to play hockey for a boys team, something she has not been able to do, simply because she is a girl. All that changed last week when the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that a section of the Ontario Human Rights Code which permits discrimination on the, grounds of sex in athletic organizations, is in- valid and contrary to the guarantees under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Justine's victory in her fight to play hockey for a boys team is being hailed by women's rights groups as some kind of a major step forward in the struggle for equality before the law. Maybe it is, but we wonder about some of the ramifications that might flow from this court ruling. In the first place, we wonder if this court ruling is really going to allow all girls to play on boys teams, if they want that. What Justine will be allowed to do when hockey season rolls: ardund, is try out for the team, like any other hopeful. The decision on whether or not she makes the team is up to the coach, the manager and so on. For a lot of reasons, there are a lot of people not too hap- py with last week's court ruling, and we can't help but wonder how many Justine Blaineys are going to suddenly find themselves "not good enough" to make a competitive team next year, when in fact they really é > good enough. And what about all the shoes that may fall on the other feet in this thorny and difficult issue. Does the court ruling mean that boys can play on Ringette teams? Does it mean that boys and men of all ages can play for previously all-female hockey teams? The ink was hardly dry on the court ruling last week when the coach of one girls hockey team said she would gladly sign several husky guys who could very well win her a provincial championship. The possibility that males cannot be barred from playing on all female sports teams has many people worried that it could in effect spell the demise of organized team sports for females. In some categories of all-girls hockey, for example, body- checking is allowed. What would be the results if suddenly a girls team of 16-17 year olds had three or four guys in the line-up who tip the scales at 200-plus pounds? Don't think for one minute this is not a possibility. - : Obviously, there are no easy answers to this issue. In a way, it's sad that a 13 year old girl who wants to play hockey for a boys team, is good enough to play, and was welcomed by her team-mates, had the doors closed last season. We can't help but wonder now just how many boys teams are going to keep the door shut by simply saying to any girls trying out: "Sorry, you're not quite good enough.' Likewise, we wonder how many girls will find themselves with no place to play hockey, ringette or any other team sort when the coach decides that a few guys in the line-up would greatly help win a championship. Justine's victory last week may prove to be a hollow one and create far more problems than it supposedly solved. NN POR! PLRET STAR CO LIMITED J \ 13 QUEEN sen $0 004 90 ORY] | PORT PLETY ONTA®O ove EE (010) 983 730) -- J. PETER HVIDSTEN Member of the Publisher Canadian Community Newspaper Association . and Ontario Community Newspaper Association Advertising Manager Published every Tuesday by the 7 1.8. McCLELLAND Port Perry Star Co Ltd, Port Perry, Ontario Editor Authorized as second class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa. and for cash CATHY ROBB payment of postage in cash Second Class Mail Registration Number 0265 J VAN COM an o Mun G Qe o% y Wi I» Aria, ay)0S Subscription Rate: In Canada $15.00 per year. Elsewhere $45.00 per year. Single Copy 35 ©COPYRIGHT -- All layout and composition of advertisements produced by the adver tising department of the Port Perry Star Company Limited are protected under copyright and may not be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher 'OK, ONE MORE TIME, TAKE IT FR . Nd 3 Y, Fa YS . IZ nd Br --C _ om THE TOP ! Letters to the editor People grateful for 70 km. Dear Sir; The people of Utica were quite ex- cited last Friday when the 70 km per hour signs went up in our village. I would like to thank the Regional Council Members, Mrs. Yvonne for all their support and help and the Regional Works Dept. for expediting the putting up of the signs. Also thank-you to the Port Perry Star who believed in what we wanted and felt it was important enough to bring it to the public's attention. Thank- you John McClelland and Cathy Robb. Let's hope that everyone will pay attention to these signs so that fur- ther action will not have to be taken. Yours truly, Judy MacSween Christie, Durham Regional Police Chatterbox by Cathy Robb Men are so irritating, it is wild. No matter what they do they are right, even if they are wrong, if you get my drift. Although there are exceptions, and there aren't many, most men are irritating by nature. It's in their genes. You can love a man to pieces, but sometimes, every once in a while, he'll turn you into a frothing looney just by opening his mouth or looking at you the wrong way. He knows, of course, he's being + irritating, because he is doing it on purpose. Still, he pretends to be innocent because, after all, men are always innocent. And they're always right. The following are a few things about men that truly irritate me, seeing as how they are excerpts from an unwritten book called Man Facts: Men are better drivers than women. This is absolutely true, otherwise, why would men always blame 'women drivers" for everything? The on- ly exception to the rule are men with hats, who, according to hatless men, are as capable on the road as women. Insurance companies lie about men. They must be lying, right? I mean, if men are the best drivers, why do insurance company statistics claim that more men than women are the cause of accidents? It's an insurance conspiracy, that's what it is, to soak men for all they're worth, so they can spend more money on women. Women cost men money. When dating, most men insist on picking up the cheque, even though most women would prefer to have it the other way so that the men in question won't expect anything in return. When married, women who work cost men money at income tax time. If only, men whine, their wives would stay home and not work, they'd get a whole pile of money back. On the other hand, women that stay home still cost men money since they're not bringing in another pay cheque. Any way you look at it, women cost. Women take up too much of men's time. Women are forever complaining about: a) how much time men spend working; b) how much time men spend at the bowling alley, watching hockey games, or, ¢) how much time men spend with their friends at the local pub. Just think what men could be doing if women weren't around. They could be a) sitting home alone on a Saturday night wishing for a woman, or, b) going out to singles bars on a Saturday night looking for a woman. Men are allowed to be rude in public. Yes, let's face it, it's in the Constitution, men ARE allowed to pick their noses, scratch their backsides and pass gas in public. Women are not. Men do not have to wear bathing suit tops on the beach. Even though some men I have seen are, in fact, bigger busted than Dolly Parton, there is no requirement forcing such men to wear a full bathing suit, a bra or even a shirt. Men actually like hockey, football, soccer, baseball, golf and most assorted sports. I cannot explain this, it is simply true, and most irritating to me. Men like to fight. While most men will deny LIKING a fistfight, bar brawl or any assorted spat, most will brag continuously about a black eye or a bruised fists for months after a fight. While most women would do their utmost to hide a shiner (i.e.- wear dark sunglasses or gob on the Maybelline), most men wear it like a medal of courage. I, personally, laugh at this, but not in front of the fighter for fear of being punched. Men like to be told to get lost. The surest way to any man's heart is to tell him to go away, go play in the traffic, take a short hike on a long trail etc., etc. If a woman actually shows a man she likes him, she will be forever mistreated and taken advantage of. If however, she tells him she hates him; he will love her forever. Men play poker with men, men play golf with men, and men have lunch with men. The only time a woman is invited to have lunch with a male col- league (unless he is John B., who is much cer than most men), it is to be hired or fired, or because the male colleague has no one else to eat lunch with. No men, that is. Men are tough, women are bitchy. Men go after what they want, women are pushy. As irritating as all this sounds, that's the way it is. Are you as thrilled as I am?