â€"Letters to the Editor EeCE 7 ce is sA ced C m 2 o ial nublichad in tha Mal i P All material published in the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Any Tim Coles Production Manager reproduction in whole or in part of this material is strctly forbidden without the consent of the publisher. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of the advertising space oeeuried the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to calegorize and reject advertising. In the event of typographical error, advertising goods or services at the wrong price, goods or service: be sold. Advertising i ler to sell and may be withdrawn at any time. Classified Advertising: 845â€"2809 Circulation: 845â€"9742 or 845â€"9743 Ian Oliver Publisher Robert Glasbey Advertising Director Norman Alexander Editor Geoff Hill Circulation Director Teri Casas Office Manager Tim Coles Production Manager The Oakville Beaver, every Sut and Friday, at 467 Rd., Oakville, mmhe Metroland mn gzshu Distributing Ltd. gmup of suburbnn newspapers which includes: A;axâ€"Pnckaflng News Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Colli Conmctlon Etobicoke Guardian, etownl a(:ge lent/ Acton Free ress. ‘ Kingston This Week, Lindsay ‘This iam Economist and Sun, t i Tribune, Milton Canadlan Champion, Mississauga News Newmarketâ€"Aurora Eraâ€" Banner North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby This Week, Peterborough This Week, Richmond HiÂ¥ ThomhilWVaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror. All material published in the Oakville Beaver is protected by copynmlmmy vapmdudbnmwbobormpenoflhssmlemllsstnmy forbidden Dear Sir: Satisfaction, in the sense that she could view secular humanism (the preâ€" vailing religion of the public school system) from a safe distance and build a Christian world view with moral absolutes missing for many years from government schools. It was with a sense of both relief and satisfaction this month that I watched the last of 143 monthly tuition cheques for my daughter‘s Christian school education clear my bank account. Relief, in that since 1981, not one of these cheques has bounced despite a struggle to remain in the middle class financially. Your editorial of July 10th, "Who‘s responsible", was not well thought out and shallow, trotting out some tired presuppositions in opposing Christian and Hebrew day schools. The first must be that the parents, not the state, have the right to choose where and how the child is to be educated. This is a basic United Nations pronouncement that only the Ontario government in all of Canada (and most of the civilized world) refuses to recognize. Successive Ontario governâ€" ments, supported by the textbook lobby etc. have always claimed a monopoly to educate our children. This presupposition needs to be continually challenged. Secondly, Christian parents do not want the rest of Ontario society to "foot the bill to further their own desires". We merely desire to have our middle class tax dollars to be applied to the school of our choice and end the repressive double taxation we are forced to pay Ontario, as the last provinâ€" cial holdout should consider the more enlightened voucher system of Alberta. This would make the Ontario public system leaner and more imaginative in the spending and raising of funding, exactly what harried public school supporters are asking for. Finally, I feel that your editorial is ill timed given the recent controversy regarding the new sex education format of the Halton board. With no moral absolutes like the ten commandments and the sermon on the mount allowed to be taught, it has painted itself into a corner. The words of C.S. Lewis, a Christian writer of our century (whose life is portrayed in the recent film Shadowlands), are appropriate, "We castrate the geldings and bid them be fruitful." Attempting to teach children any subject in a moral vacuum is like "takâ€" ing a child‘s coat away from them in cold weather," states the Book of Proverbs. Parents should have the right to choose child‘s education 467 Speers Road, Oakville, Ont. L6K 3S4 Lid. group of suburban newspapers which includes: A A;ax-Pnckaring News Advertiser, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Collingwood Connection, Etobicoke Guardian, Georetown ind lent/ Acton Free Press, Kingston This Week, Lindsay This Week, M iam Economist and Sun, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Milton Canadian Champion, Mississauga Naws Newmarketâ€"Aurora Eraâ€"Banner, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby This Week, Peterborough This Week, Richmond HiÂ¥ ThomhilWVaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror. . se Alex Smith all my adult life. For the most part, it‘s been only slightly elevated, although there have been times when it almost kissed the moon. I’ve had high blood pressure Consequently, me and my hypertension keep coming to the attention of concerned members of the medical community, who insist a relatively fit man of 35 years really shouldn‘t be experiâ€" encing such problems. I don‘t disagree. Each doctor I meet feels comâ€" pelled to detail the grave dangers of hypertension; you know, damâ€" age to the heart, brain, kidneys, and blood vessels, leading to heart attack, stroke, kidney failâ€" ure â€" the vast knowledge of which works wonders toward putting me and my hypertension at ease. Painfully aware of precisely how I could croak, each doctor then advises that before we can effectively treat my hypertenâ€" sion, we must determine its cause. I say, "I‘m hyper, I‘m tense, it just stands to follow..." Apparently, it doesn‘t always work that way. Even though I‘ve already been tested, I‘ m disâ€" patched for tests for all the usual suspects; you know, kidney dis, ease, narrowing of arteries, tumors of the adrenal glands, and such. Naturally, like Woody Allen, I imagine I‘ve got a "tumor the size of a basketball." Thankfully, the test results disagree. After the tests, I‘m told that in 90% of patients with high blood presâ€" sure, the exact cause is never found. Ahhh, thanks a million for the reâ€"examination. Preventing blood pressure from kissing the moon In dealing with hypertension, Anyone with high blood presâ€" sure, and there‘s an army of us out there, knows that the "norâ€" mal" measure is 120 (systolic) over 80 (diastolic). Anyone with hypertension also knows that a systolic reading of more than 140 is considered abnormal in an adult, as is diastolic pressure that remains higher than 90â€"95. Hypertense types tend to become obsessed with these stats. Of course, the more obsessed one becomes with their blood presâ€" I‘ve seen more than my share of doctors and specialists. From these medical moguls, I‘ ve colâ€" lected earfuls of advice; some of it seemingly sound, sensible and sane, some of it holistic and hokey. On the sound side; achieve and maintain a healthy weight (I have, I have). Reduce sodium intake (I have, I have). Exercise regularly (I do, I do). If you smoke, quit (I did, long ago). Drink alcohol in moderation (er, define moderation). On the other side; rub root of ginseng across your troubled heart while listening to a tape of a single tree falling in a forest; that will surely spank your saucy systolic pressure (the upper figâ€" ure of the bloodâ€"pressure stat), and depress even the most diaâ€" bolic diastolic pressure (bottom figure). After trying all of the above, my blood pressure remains above normal. I need to learn to relax. To chaperon my blood pressure. To keep it from kissing the moon. Smell the coffee? I considered this wild concept. A day off, my feet up. I became obsessed with the idea. I became so woundâ€"up and wired at the very prospect, it was like I‘d imbibed the darn coffee instead of just smelling it. My blood pressure soared â€" 170 over 110. Because my stats were consisâ€" tently up (up and away), I was prescribed a drug designed to wrestle my blood pressure into line. One problem, I was advised; like all blood pressure medication, there are some "minor unwanted side effects." The bottom line; I‘m a typical Type A personality, an obsessive perfectionist wound tighter than a majorâ€"league baseball in this, the season of the live ball. Also, I partake in polyphasic behavior (forever trying to do several things simultaneously). As J.D. Salinger would say, I‘m a real madman. sure, the higher it climbs. I requested a definition of "minor unwanted." I‘m not anxâ€" ious to begin growing breasts. Not at my age. I was given backâ€" ground literature on the medicaâ€" tion in question. I quit reading after the paragraph that said, "Males taking the drug may experience impotence, which may be quite annoying." "You must learn to relax," the stress expert said. "You should take up some form of relaxation: tai chi, yoga, meditation. In the short term," she continued, "you must work hard at relaxing. Take a day off. Put your feet up. Smell the coffee."