Pµgs .~Witby Fr~ Pss, Wednepday, Optober 7, 1 92 The only Whitby Newspaper owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents! Published every Wednesday by 677209 Ontario Inc. at 131 Brock St. N., Whitby, Ontario L1 N 5S1 Phone 668-6111 Toronto ine 427-1834 Doug Anderson - Publisher Maurice Pifher - Editor Alexandra Martin - Production Manager 2nd Class Postal Régià tration #05351 The Other S ce of the Fence by DougAnderson Vote for the Dynamies I was one of those who opposed Meech Lake. I opposed it because I believe in a strong central government and I oppose any form of special status for anyone. I was profoundly disgusted when our Prime Minister labeled me, and thousands of others, as unpatriotic. Now we have Meech 2. This time l'm going to vote YES. And I'm not even holding my nose. It's not because it's the best deal or even a particularly good deal. I haven't even read the text and like 95% of the population I probably never will (although we'll make a big deal out of not having enough Information.) As Pierre Trudeau ably pointed out, the Charlottetown Accord is full of flaws, still weakens the central govemment and still creates a special status for Quebec. The more things there are in any agreement the more thigs that one can disagree with. «But that's not-what's important. The specifics are nowhere near as important as the dynamics. Whereas Meech 1 was a narrow agreement which addressed only one issue and applied a straight jacket to future reform, Meech 2 is a broad agreement with substantial movement on Senate reform, native rights, interprovincial trade barriers, a social charter and at least some of Quebec's requests. Meech 2 Is not the end of a process but just the beginning. Like children leaming to walk, the first step Is by far the most difficult; but within days, they toddle around with carefree curiosity. As soon as this referendum is passed (and I believe it will pass easily) the horse trading will begin again, but it will be far more relaxed and open. That's the stop we need to take. (After the American Constittution was drafted in 1787, more than a third of ail its amendments in the two hundred years since took place in the first four years.) Meech 2 perpetuates the amendment straight jacket of the original, but with so many innovations and new untried structures there is ample room for hindsight and second thoughts- fruitful ground for further compromise and tradeoffs. And when the Supreme Court gets around to putting its spin on the agreement'and tells the Premiers what they really agreed to - all the more reason for further changes. Who knows? in a couple of years, they might get around to putting the word democracy into our constitution and make it Dbligatory that politicians represent the wishes of the people. My main objection to both Meech ' & 2 is the total absence of democratic principles. There was afair bit of lip-service paid to public participation for Meech 2 but nothing binding. Even the current referendum isn't binding except in a few provinces. I remember writing a couple of years back in reference to Meech 1, that even tin-hom dictators of banana republics feel an' inherent obligation to legitimize their latest constitutions with a referendum. Perhaps we're making progress after all. About the only thing that a NO vote would prove is that we can, but what that would do ta the country, l'm not too sure. Even though the majority of us opposed Meech 1, the politicians were able ta blame its failure an Elijah Harper and Clyde Wells. A NO victory on Oct. 26 could not be sa easily dismissed. Our current leaders have gone as fer as they can for the time being - some are in trouble for going as fer as they have. A NO victory will be followed by political paralysis. The short term effects will be economic instability - the long term effects almost certainly the graduel disintegration of the country - not with a bang but with a whimper. If I believed, even for a moment, that a NO vote would lead ta an open, specifically elected constituent assembly to draft a new constitution, I would switch sides in a flash, but the leaders af the NO side aIl have their own separate narrow agendas, none of them populist. Voting NO because we don't like any of the politiciens will not get rid of them. It might get rid of the country. Canada is the second largest nation in the world and possesses a proportionate share of the world's natural resources. Our potential is boundless. In spite of decades of government drift from crisis to crisis that has-driven us farther and farther into debt, we continue to have one of the highest standards of living in the world. This referendum can be the end of the beginning or the beginning of the end. We can build a great new democracy for the 21st century or we can throw away what we already have. On October 26, vote for a change. Vote for the dynamics j "And we can be thankful we won't have to hear about the referendum much longer." Viewpoint The be ast vs. a. Canadian'dream-ý perhaps, your neighbour? If anything could shred this country, it would be the beast. Saur with failure, the beast has had its claws into our constitution for 10 languorous years. To what demise? 'An imperfect compro- mise.' One, they are eager to scrap for. A political brawl, motivated and centred on their heated desires for historical - footnotes. A constitutional signatory. The ultimate political climax. Yester- day's imperfections equals today's miracles. - The beast has already gnawed. on equality and infringed on basic democrtic. ideals. Can we really stomach the beast chewing up democracy? Our constitution is a mish-mash cluster of notably British statutes, some Canadian, and unwritten rules of Parliament established by convention and precedent set in Britain. A constitution is the blueprintfor government. How do we reconcile and harmonize our constitutional crisis? First, we do not use the formula our government has used, the beast feast. Second, we must realize that we are a world-class democracy and society, not unlike a world- class athlete who won't merely settle for world-class status, but is compelled to go for the gold. We as a democracy cannot conclude with world-class distinction, but must Third, we must recognize the wholly unique opportunity afforded us at this time in history.,Thét is, to create a freshly improved, unprecedented form af democracy for the world to envy andomulate. Fourth, we must realize that we have the dapabilities, the resources and technologies to succeed. 'Lierally we have the combine- knowledge and SE E PAGE 16 By wm. B. Carruthers, Just a Canadlan ~i can recall no opinions for the day I was born without a past. Born with a clear heart and an empty mind, it was a day unlike all the rest, the day I was born void of all prejudices. Thus was my approach to life. An innocent approach, smooth and unencumbered. Not unlike the one our government should have undertaken in its constitutional quest.- But, alas, it's the caste of 'the beast' (politicians) to create chaos out of simplicity. Fuddle-minded, the beast would beguile us with its certitudes. Clogged with threats, it rumbles, "If you don't accept our constitutional package,,. this country will be torn apart." With such lurking doom, you're compelled to ask yourself, 'why?' Is it for the sins of humanity? How? Anarchy, reminiscent of th e French Revolution? By whom? The Huns, Hitler, Hussein or, To the editor... Don't be conned @,... .. ,ou8o fnave lied to us repeatedly over the years, particularly our beloved prime minister. The real problem will not go away, with or without Quebec. In fact, the awful burden of the socialist and politically correct agenda camouflaged in fine print by the carefully orchestrated hold-Canada-together-at-all-cost scare-mongering will, no doubt, bankrupt what is left of the weary, tax-ravaged Canadian middle class in very short order. We have allowed a gaggle of ulteriorly-motivated gasbags to turn Quebec into an uncon- scionable leech. It is now busily sucking the cultural vitality and, in many cases, the livelihoods from the rest of us. My experience with Much support for Fox run To the Editor. Thank you so much for supporting the Terry Fox Run through The Free Press. Because of the advertising we received, it was a huge success. I asked most people how they heard about the run and they said, "Whitby Free Press." Ail money raised goes towards cancer research. Again, bravo for a job well done. Marilyn Peck Terry Fox Run co-ordinator for Whltby leeches is to rub sait on them as soon as possible and let them fall away. The main body of the country may thus recover. Don't be conned by the frenetic flag-flapping. The real danger lies in acquiescing to this crazy hidden agenda and outrageous political blackmail. A 'no' vote may buy a little time, force an election, replace some of these jerks. That's the way I'm voting, twice if possible. Chris J. Mumford Whitby New loonies ro the Editor: Ihe other day, I came in contact for the first time with the most recently minted Canadian one dollar coin, commonly known as a .oonie. On this newly minted coin, there is no longer a loon on one side. It has been replacedwith an image of three people who are sitting down and looking in the direction of another image in the background --- the Parliament building which houses the House of Commons. Why are they putting those new images on our loonie? The Parliaremnt building is full of a bunch of loonies or bird brains who are governing us. John Southern Whitbyb To the Editor: It is difficult to tell if there are more mouths than flags flapping in the pseudo-patriotic clamour crescendoing toward the constitu- tional referendum of Oct. 26. The idea, I suppose, is to conceal the sad fact that Canada's spirit and economic backbone is already broken. We are wallowing in a moral, udiciary and fiscal trough that has en decades in the making by much the same cast of gloating, opportunistic buffoons who now profess to be the architects of our salvation. Remember, most of Arrogant To the Editor: Such arrogance from our local municipal politiciansl 1 thought they were elected to work at the municipal level on such things as the ever- increasing level of municipal taxes. (Mine have gone up by $850 over a six-year period.) How is it that they have the time to sit around drafting up a resolution regarding the referendurm? I do think every citizen should vote on the referendum. How we vote should be our own appraisal of the situation. We do not need to be told by; more politicians which way to make the ballot. I will vote 'No. S. I.tchfield --__ _I - ----- --Whitb 0,1-0 m- ow,- wn