PAGE 10,WHITBY FREE PRESSIWEDNESDAY, APRIL 22,1987 Brooklin Profile ROXANNE REVELER News & Features Editor Phone 655-3637 I am starting to feel like one of the animals on the en- dangered species list. I am one of a small minority...a electrie chair. Or why not just une them up, put on a blin- very small minority. You see, I do not believe in the rein- dfold (to be humane of course) and after the traditional statmen 0fthe eat pealty I 4. l I last cigarette (or would that alarm the non-smokers statement of the death penalty.-N rus)plth rge.Cabtalil msy At this point, most of you have just thrown the article, - gp t re a at e along with the remainder of the paper in the garbage bin. Advocates of the death penalty love to run lists of mur- But for those few (I hope their's at least one of you) who is der victims, especially the police, the implication being still reading, I'il try and explain why. that these victims would stil be alive if the death penalty To quote the ten commandments is a little trite, but were still in Place. Well, they wouldn't be. Just think about you've got to adlmit, they guy who wrote them knew what it for a minute. Most murders occur ina state of passion or he was talking about...and he says quite clearly "Thou R one sort or another. Someone in an agitated state does not shalt not kill." stop to ponder the phiosophical and practical im- Now it doesn't matter how you try to rearrange those plications of the act. If tbey did, they wouldn't do it. words, and what nuances you try to read into them, the True, a few murders are committed by professional bit message is loud and clear as far as I'm concerned. Killing Opposea to aeatn sentence men. But what is proved by hanging them...that you are is killing. Doesn't matter one damn bit how and why you copying the killer's low-life behavior code? take another life or what they have done to cause you to emotions and Im glad it did. I have had more than my fair share of "discussions take that life. It is stiil taking a life and IFm against it. Will killing the killer bring back to victim? Wili it stop with various folks over this question and inm sorry but in Five iyears ago, a very good friend f mine was cut down murder? 0f course not. The'only thing it ight prove is this case I have a closed md. There is nothing that can by a group of thugs who snuffed out his life for the sake of that a caught killer can only kil once. That l'Il grant you. be said to me to condone the taking of a life. it has nothing a few tires he had chained to a tree at his ome I loved But it also means that if a mistake is made in court, it can to do with religion, nothing to do with statistics, noting to this man because he was all that was emblematic of good- only be made once too...and neyer reversed. do with poiitics. Some people believe in killing. Others ness. Little did his murderers know that he would have I just wonder why it is necessary to sink as a society to don't. I dont. gladly given them those tires had they but asked. I have the samne level of butchery as the murderer? Is that what But it does make me wonder why ail the money and ail watched his widow and children mourn and grieve for we mean by justice? Surely not. the time and effort that is being spent on the whole matter those five long years. And just how do we propose to "murder" these killers of capital punishment, is not channeiled into upgrading I tell you truthfully, wben those who committed the anyway? Wil we go back to hanging? Tie a good old- our judicial and penai systems. Now that is a story unto it- crime were first caught, my reaction was quite base - fashioned noose around the old oak tree? Heaven only self. "Kil the bastà rds." But then my head took over from my knows hydro is too expensive hese days for ai return to the At least that's the way it looks tome. Ashburn News By FLORENCE ASHTON There were nine table of euchre played at the euchre party last Thursday evening. Prizes are as. follows: lone hands to Edna Manns, ladies high to Ruby Smith, mens high to Don Wood, ladies low prize to Violet Cole, with mens low to Wilma Lynde. 50 - 50 prize to Art Richardson. Door prizes to Elwood Manns and Jean hodgins. The next euchre is on April 30. The Brooklin Horticultural Society will meet at the Brooklin United Church on Wednesday evening of this week at 8 p.m. This will be the narcissus show and general meeting. The special speaker will be a representative of the Royal Botanical Gardens. His subject will be "Planting to Attract Birds to Your Garden." The flower arranging course un- der the direction of Veronica Colangelo will commence on Mon- day evening, May 4 at Burns Chur- ch Hall. This course is being spori- sored by Brooklin Horticultural Society. The remaining dates for this course are May 11, 19 and 25. Also keep in mind the spring plant auction to be held at Grass Park, Brooklr on Saturday, May 9, beginning at 10 a.m. This is a good opportunity to obtain some healthy, hardy plant stock to set out in your garden this spring. Plant materials are all donated by members of B.H.S. and may include annuals, trees, wildflowers, houseplants, perennials and flower and vegetable seedlings. If you have items you wish to donate, but have a problem getting them there, please feel free to call Betty van Buuren 655-4937. Just make sure ail donations are labelled. Do come out and support your local society. The sanctuary at Burns Church was adorned with lovely Easter Miles, hydrangea and an arrangement of white mums, on Easter Sunday. We were pleased to have our good friend Rev. Dorothy Bulmer assist with the service. The junior choir sang beautifully "The Golden Sunshine" with both the junior and senior choirs joining together in singing "Thine be the Glory." Again, we were privileged to have our minister Rev. Stuart McEntyre sing "The Holy City." His text was from 1 Corinthians, Chapter 15, verse 20 'But now is Christ risen from the dead.' Next Sunday, April 26 is a very special day at Burns, when we celebrate the 19th anniversary of the new Burns Church. The mor- ning service will be at 11:15 a.m. This will include a presentation of pictures on the screen with reminescing and a few other sur- prises. The evening service is at 7:30 p.m.. presented by Kiwanis of Sydenham, Oshawa, with mens choir conducted by Norm Williams, former organist and choir leader of Brooklin United Church. Refresh- ments will be served following the service. Everyone is invited to join in the celebration. Sunday, May 3 is Missionary Sunday at Burns Church, with Dr. A. Goodwill MacDougall as guest speaker. The Eleanor Knight Group will assist in the service. Three jailed for murder FROM PAGE 1 When Major fell from the moving vehicle, he was run over by its rear wheels. He was pronounced dead at Whitby General Hospital. The prosecutor said the five then took great pains to drive carefully so they would not be spotted as they returned to Ralph Fisher's Garrard St. N. home just east of Myrtle and they hid the van in a small copse behind the home. Scott dismissed claims by defen- se counsel that the three had shown remorse for their actions. He in- troduced as evidence a photograph from an edition of the Whitby Free Press which showed one of the ac- cused using hand gestures which Scott said best indicated "their moral fibre." He suggested all three men were, in fact, not sorry for what they had done and had not expressed any concern until the day of sentencing. The van was later sold to a friend and repainted; the tires dumped in- to Lake Scugog. "Al (the three accused) are totally blameworthy of that death", said Scott, "Today a community that calls that their home is their own to protect" In his pre-sentence dialogue, Justice Evans said a judge had to consider public indignation as well as the protection of society. He said the charge of manslaughter was one of the most serious offenses in the criminal code and still could carry a life sentence. Justice Evans called Major's death was a "tragic waste" adding vengeance was not part of the sentencing process. "No sentence will alleviate the suffering of the family or. return Mr. Major to his wife and family," said Justice Evans. "Protection of. the public is paramount to me" declared Justice Evans, "because people have a right, to live without fear of their lives of personal property." Reflections of a Golden Age By MABEL M. McCABE When we reach the age of senior citizens many of us become targets for the unscrupulous and those who have no conscience. These come in many forms and ideologies. There are the kind that knock you down and steal your money. Others are not averse to coming to your door and making false claims about repairs needed. Some of us are not wise to the actions of the thieves and are soon parted from hard-to-come-by dollaris. The police are aware of these and do their best to clue us in to the scams. Well, we do have jackals amongst us and we have to beware. I'm speaking of a group who have been written about a great deal in the past few weeks. This paper has had the subject covered. My effort is to all those who are alone and in the age group where they are the most vulnerable. Television evangelism is now at its peak and we must be sharp to avoid using all our needed cash to further the aims that are anything but holy. The true colors of many of these men and women have come out scandalously for all to see. What really is the aim of many of them? As I recall from my religious background, Jesus was a great teacher and prophet who wandered around telling the people of his day to love one another. He never promoted the amassing of large amounts of money. He was a simple man with a simple message. He never built a building or wrote a book yet his teaching has sur- vived bright and clear if we take the time to study it. He appointed one apostle to collect enough money so the group could eat. It was Judas he chose. How did the handling of funds af- fect that poor soul? He betrayed The Master for 30 pieces of silver. Even away back then money corrupted. The only time Jesus became angry was when He discovered the money-changers cheating the poor. Does that not tell us something about preachers who always have their hands out for more and more? It is the old and the lonely who spend most timein-ü offt'1e the TV and are most in need. Still it is the widow's mite and the last dime from the poor that these charlatans feed on and suck dry. Please understand I am not putting all religious teachers in the group of wrong-doers. There are many good and true people who are spreading the word in most effective ways. What we have to do is close our ears to all the sob stories and pleas that are asking for our cash. We must make a real effort to weed out the good from the bad. We have to inquire and ask where the money goes. It does strike me as unusual that most of the American based out- fits send their messages over Cariadian stations and have Canadian postal boxes for donations. I believe this practice should be stop- ped. If funds are needed I'm sure there are Canadian denominations that can put theni to good use and we wiil not be feathering the nests of those so-called preachers who dwell in million-dollar homes while the poor go hungry because they are sending money, in good faith, to their faise organizations. Let all seniors be alert to the danger of the spoken word of great orators whoonly want our money and care nothing about our im- mortal souls. 'Once Upon A Classic' There will be several categories in this year's Brooklin Spring Fair parade . which will have "Once Upon A Classic" as its theme. Prizes will be handed out for the most beautiful and most humorous floats in the commercial category as well as for most original, most humorous and most beautiful in the non-commercial category. There will also be an award for the best non-organizational group float. Entry forms are due May. 26. Forms are available at area libraries, Brooklin Flour Mill, from Linda Tripp (655-4993) or Betty Catherwood (655-3646). RENT IT! Walk behind and ride on lawn rollers, tillers, thatchers, aerators and other lawn and garden equipment. BROOKLIN RENTALS 53 BALDWIN ST. BROOKLIN 6553600