6- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 6, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Manager TERI CASAS Business Manager MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, Caledon Enterprise, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian For kids' sake, drive safe It's hard to imagine that the summer of 2006 is officially over for Halton students (and parents). While it may not officially wind down until Sept. 23, once the kids head back to school the carefree days of summer are just a sweet memory. This time of year can be particularly scary for motorists and students alike. Our congested roadways do not make it easy for bus drivers to collect their charges -- especially if they are being tailed by an impatient motorist late for work. All one has to do is look at the main arterial roads to see what commuters are up against as they try to get to work on time. Drivers are already forced to concentrate on long lines of traffic, speeding and aggressive motorists and those individuals who refuse to slow down for a yellow light. As well, drivers often deal with youngsters and teens who pay little heed to the rules of the road. Little ones who dart across the street and teens who think they can saunter into oncoming traffic are every driver's worse nightmare. But it is up to you, the motorist, to do everything possible to ensure our students arrive at school safe and sound. These are some of the reasons Halton Regional Police officers step up traffic enforcement in an effort to remind drivers to be extra cautious now that classes have resumed. Project Safe Start is already under way here with an emphasis on five S's -- speeding, seatbelts, stop signs, school zones and school buses. Basically, it means motorists had better be paying attention to what's going on around them and that means hanging up the cell phone and to stop fiddling with the car's stereo system. The police are also asking drivers to be courteous to each other and the children. So think twice before sending a rude gesture and laying on the horn if you feel slighted. Safe Start continues until Sept. 15, but you can bet traffic cops will be keeping a careful watch on drivers as they make their way around town long after this particular program wraps up. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Change in Afghanistan cannot be made at the point of a gun Last week NDP Leader Jack Layton urged the Prime Minister to bring Canadian forces home from Afghanistan by February 2007 and to redouble Canadian efforts to negotiate for peace in that country. The reaction that followed immediately in the Canadian press was one of condemnation and ridicule. I write today to urge Canadians to think more seriously about the proposal. Like America's military involvement in Vietnam in the 1970s, the goals of the current action in Afghanistan are ambiguous, and seem to offer little justification for becoming involved. This is a military action we cannot win. Afghans have never agreed on much, but they have been united for hundreds of years in their determination that no foreign power will control their country. Through the centuries Persia, India and Britain learned this to their cost. The Russians lost between 40,000 and 50,000 men during their occupation before they learned the lesson and withdrew unconditionally. America and its allies are learning it now. After hundreds of years of practice, Afghan citizens have become very good at repelling invaders. They do not want foreign soldiers on their soil. What do they want? They want occupying forces to leave. They want roads and schools and hospitals; telephone and electrical power systems that work; they want land mines cleared, so that people can walk and drive in safety; they want building materials that will not crumble and collapse, they want investment in industry and agriculture; they want skills training for young men who have learned nothing except what the military has taught them. In short they want what we all want, peace, prosperity and independence. Canada can take a diplomatic stand here and cease hostilities, recall troops and engage in discussions, not only with President Karzai (who as yet is little more than the mayor of Kabul), but also with Yunis Qanuni and the Taliban. Whether we like their philosophy or not, we cannot hope to change it at the point of a gun. We may do more by offering aid for economic development. "Engagement is not endorsement", as King Hussein of Jordan so courageously maintained. So let us seriously consider urging our government to cease Canada's military engagement and engage in negotiation instead. TINA AGRELL, OAKVILLE NDP The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com