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6 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, December 12, 1989 The 2ovf Perey Sar 235 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY, ONTARIO Elsewhere $60.00 per year. Single Copy 50¢ EDITORIAL Publisher - J. Peter Hvidsten Editor - John B. McClelland News/Features - Julia Ashton Billing BUSINESS OFFICE Office Manager - Gayle Stapley Accounting - Judy Ashby t - Louise Hope ea @ Retail Sales - Kathy Dudley, Linda Ruhl, Tracy O'Neil PHONE 985-7383 FAX 985-3708 The Port Perry Star Is authorized as second class mail by the PRODUCTION ADVERTISING Post Office De a pis mani of potiage: Annabell Harrison Advertising Co-ordinator - Valerie Ellis Second Trudy Empringham Advertising Sales Representative - Anna Gouldbum Subscription Rate: In Canada $20.00 per year Darlene Hlozan Advertising Sales Representative - Tanya Sheehey Member of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association Ontario Community Newspaper Association Published every Tuesday by the Port Perry Star Co. Ltd. Port Perry, Ontario headline mma ihe odin. glib. Ji J ode Editorial Comment THE MASSACRE Canadians were sent reeling in horror last week when a man with a semi-automatic hunting rifle invaded the halls and classrooms at the University of Montreal. Shouting anti-feminist curses, he systematically gunned down 14 women, most of them engineering students, and wounded as many more. What kind of pathological hatred was running through the obviously demented psyche of this one individual that he could butcher in such a discriminating manner, actually separating the males from the females in the class before pulling the trigger? Was this a crime specifically aimed at women? Yes, by virtue of the fact he systematically selected his victims, by the anti-feminist curses he shouted, and by the crude letter found by authorities, a "hit list" with the names of many women, some of them prominent. No doubt, as the days and weeks pass, and authori- ties are able to dig deeper in the life of this madman, they will find more evidence of his demonic hatred towards women. In the immediate after-math of this senseless blood- bath, level thinking Canadians of both genders groped and struggled to find the words to describe their feelings, to find some kind of perspective in which to place this tragedy. Some called it an extension of the actual violence women in every corner of Canada face daily at the hands of abusive husbands, boy-friends, fathers, brothers and total strangers. Indeed, they argued, this was the pervert- ed end result of the subtle and not-so-subtle violence (physical and psychological) that society in general metes out to women in the home, the workplace, the street cor- ner, in film, on television, in sleazy magazines, or on the pages of those household publications where women are used as objects to hustle everything from lingerie and perfume, after-shave and beer, fast cars and vacations in the sunny south. Others suggested it was an assault against the long and difficult struggle women have waged for equality and access to the professions, education, corporate board rooms, and the decision-making levels of the political sys- tems. These are not'simplistic assumptions and in the wake of this enormous tragedy they must not be dismissed as mere statements of outrage. This was an assault against all women. For whatever twisted reason, the gunman picked female engineering students as his victims. He might just as easily have walked into a Kindergarten, a senior citizens home, a crowded church, a bingo hall, a shopping plaza or a sports arena. As all members of society attempt to come to grips with this crime of unbelievable proportions, some answers to some fundamental questions are needed. Would a tragedy of this magnitude have taken place if hgh calibre weapons were not so easily and readily availa- o . 'What phenomena in society worked to produce the obviously twisted thinking of this man? What is the relation- ship between his particular hatred towards women and the ever-increasing violence we are witnessing against all seg- ments of society: women, men, the very old and the very young? ~ Can we as Canadians, continue to bury our heads in the sand and smugly think these kinds of mass murder Turn to page10 LEAD U% TO YOUR LOANS OFFICER ! -------------- ee -- -- -- ---------- er -- -- -- a -- SMOKING MAD Just three more weeks, and smokers in On- tario will lose another battle in their fight to have the right to smoke in public. That's right, on Jan- uary 1, 1990, the new Ontario workplace smok- ing act comes into effect, and it basically prohib- its smoking in 90% of Ontario's workplaces. Not being a smoker, the law is not going to bother me personally, but | must say, | think it's unfair. Smokers should have rights! In fact, this law stinks, just about as much as second hand smoke. Here's a brief outline of the new law: * The Act prohibits smoking in enclosed workplaces (any partially, or fully completed building mine or tunnel separated from the out- doors). * Smoking will be prohibited in areas of a workplace that are not accessible to the public, such as lunch rooms and the area behind coun- ters. Areas in the workplace primarily used by the public (such as the floor area of a store, res- taurants and bars) are exempt from the Act. * An employer ma area in the workplace, but if they do not, smok- ing is banned in the workplace. * If an area is designated as a smoking area, it cannot exceed 25% of the floor area of the workplace. * Employers are required to post signs that identify the designated smoking area(s) in the workplace. * If an employer is convicted of an offence Wiles this Act, they are subject to a maximum fine bf $25,000 and employees to a maximum fine of $500. So once again the employer becomes the "bad guy" for the government. The onus .is put on the employer to make sure all of the above conditions are met, or he/she will be subject to a heavy fine. \We have a few smokers here at the Star who have already been limited to smoking in one area of our building, so there will be little change necessary in our premises. To ask them - now to give up the little space they have left to enjoy their cigarette, would be unfair. This time the govenment's gone too far! designate a smoking, -and people he Jottings by ). Peter Hvidsten JOINING THE U.S.? An article in Toronto Star last Sunday, hid- den on the back page of the first section, just about made me spill my morning coffee. "Canada Part Of U.S. 'by 2000 Says Hot- Selling American Book", the heading on the arti- cle read. | couldn't believe my eyes! The book entitled, American Renaissance: Our Life At The Tum Of The 21st Century" says the United States will expand by five states within the next decade, with Puerto Rico becoming the 51st state and Canada making up the other four. While Americans are lapping up the book, over 100,000 copies have been sold, and it has been rushed into a second printing. Ironically, the author, Marvin Cetron, can't find a publisher to distribute his book in Canada. "It's too explosive", he says. Boy, that's an understatement: Any Canadi- an who loves this country just the way it is, will be hopping mad to find that the Americans think they can take us over without a fight. But as the article says, the first step was not decided in Washington, put north of the border in Canada, referring to the free trade deal in a chapter devoted to a Canada-U.S. bloc. "Once the free trade agreement with the U.S. takes full effect, the next logical step will be to accept politically what has already emery economically - the integration of Canada into the U.S.", the book says. : : And it concludes that Ailing a Canadian nationalist's worst nightmare, Canada may - if not Ly the year 2000, then soon. thereafter - the 52nd through 55 states of the U.S." | don't believe now, and never did, that Can- ada will ever merge with the United States, and | for one -would be dead set against any such move. Author Marvin Certon bases his facts on trade figures, economic figures, attitudinal figures o to at three meetings in Can- ada. But he made no effort to find out if the aver- age Canadian would be willing to join. For that reason alone, | suspect Mr, Certon's prediction will amount to nothing but hype. He obviously doesn't know how proud we are to be Canadians. Nothing will change that! ome