Page 6. Whitby Fee Press, Wednesday, April 3, 1996 The only Newspaper owned and operated by Whîtby residents for Whîtby resîdents! MEMBER 0F: +CNE CANADIAN ONTARIO COMMUNITY COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER NWSPAPER ASSOCIATIONASOITN ISSN#0844-398X ASOITN Phoe: 668-61e Prsi Osrutfeeton:% 1-800-668-0322 WhibyBoAu nd&Mesn ePlsherspbian commecia aurlti PifOherajaxEditoerin otPry ACanda + rT- ouctioManad$5+ger Prîntsed eonyWnestwitinir7um20% naioIc 900 yldocotns t usOng06vegetaby asdntaios. NS To the dito, Elevate the» debate le Ail written material, illustraions and advertising contained herein is protected by copyright. Any reproduction by any means for commercial purposes without the express permission of the newspaper is prohibited and is a violation of Canadian copyright law Reproduction for non-commercial distribution should bear a credit line to theWhitby Free Press. 'Strugglers' neglected To the edltor: Re: Latter by Dr. Peter Prendergast 'An act of cnJelty,' Fiee Press, March 20. We are a group 0f alght womfen wha beiong ta AMAC (Aduits Moiested As Childien). Wa meet as a group weeak t aclinio run by tharapists of the Whltby Mental Heafth Centra. Each ai us se IndMvdual psychiatrists and therapists weekly.'Dr. Prendargast mada raference ta the neglect we wara sufferlng as a resuit af the OPSEU strike. Each ai us ln oui AMAC group ara ln vanous stages ai oui healing. Some of us hava bean ln thaerapy for over Nie years, whlla others are Just beglnning oui journey ta survivai. The sufiering we enduraci durlng the strike has had a negative affect on aur dally existence. We are ail trying ta cope ýwlth oui past and present dilemmas. Many of us suiiered again from panic attacks, flashbacks, suicidai1 thoughts, nlghtmaras, parentlng prablems ... the list goas on. Our plight may seemn somewhat trivialIn comparisan ta those who hava the basic #ie skills ta iunction mnarmall." Mental heath patients are at the bottam of the heap ln the eyes ai aur gavemment and the genaral puDîic wnen nl camas ta medical care. The govemment didn't consider the staff of the Whitby Mental Heaith Centre as an "essential service." One raraly hears 0f genaral haspital patients havlng ta endure theasufiedng we are enduring as a resuit of this strike. We wauld Ike ta aller Dr. Prandergast aur heartielt thanks for creating public awareness on how Important the WMHC is ta aur dally existence. Hîs care and concein for the waliare af ail patients who utilize' the sevIlcesaofthe WMHC Isaobviaus ln his latter. The nuises, tharapists and social woarkerSathe WMHC should not go «wvthaut mention ln ouriMlter. These compassianate .and ampathatic -crofêssonials aaethe reasan that many ai us have found firm ground. Thase men and wamen did not want ta strike ... their harda, Ike ours, were lied. We would like ta lat aur nurses, therapists and social workers knaw that wa ara struggling ta survive again. Many af us*are taking "ana stap iarward and twa steps, back" ln aur road Ia racovery. Dr. Prendergast- reierred ta the conditions' af outpatients et the WMHC as "phoning dally ta plead for an end ta the strike. Many mare are deterlorating In homes." We were the anas cahlng and struggling ta survive. Struggllng ta Survive N o impact? To the editor: Re: 'Nursing manage rs laid off et genaral haspital,' Free Press, March 27. i raad thet "three or four" night shift nurse managers were laid off ta halp WGH conform ta naw fiscal guldelines and spanding restraints, as dlctated by the provincial gavemment. This will "have no impact on patient cara," according ta hospital vice prasident Marc Kealay. Who is ha trying to kd? Some nurses wil b. requlred ta do double duty ta help bridge the gap. Further, five members 0 f management will be available on a rotation basis, aneata a time ... umm, ana persan, management no less, ta halp do the work ofI 'hree or four' who have been daclared redundant? Mr. Keaiey couid not IrdIcata. whather or not aciditional laoffs are planned. Hawever, management should hope that some of them do not feu victim ta baing declared superiluous and than dumped. J. Gardon Neal Whitby To the editor: Re: Letter, Keep door shut on mmoraî te.rrodsts," Free Press, March. 13.1 Carol Swltzer's letter, alieglng thait 1Iincite and agitate members of the Fanilly Lie Education Advisory Gommittee (FLEAC) to fragment the Durham board trustees, position respecting Reduce the Risk Draft #4, requirès my response. Important issues such as these should not be discussed ln a factual void, regardîess 0f. how such an approach may asslst varlous spec l interest groups ln promoting their agenda. The founidation for this Important Issue should not rest on propaganda, scare tactlcs, and unflammatory. phrases which do not advance the debate., An example of the mislnformation wh .h ppears In Switzer's letter l her reference ta a Taronto Board of Education document which she suggests is both pra-homosexual and hamophoblo at the same time. May I suggest that the limfie has corne ta advance inta the Dost- McCarthy era.RIt s lime -for the debate ta be elevated beyand such an appraach. 1 beleve trial public school olectors, are becoming more aware ai an Interest ln thîs Issue. Public schools belang ta everyane. The debate should oeutr at the leveI which public schaaî electars deserve; Rt must be Informed, inclusiv e and free from intimidation, caercuon and pressure tactlcs. This is the Canadian way. Reduce the Risk, draft #4 is a teacher resource package which was deveoped by the Durham 'Board 0f Education, undar the direction ai a M1iristry 0f Educatian and Training guldeline. The package was ta be used ta Instruct senior students - Grade 11, 12 and OAC - who choose physical an d health education options. The package facusas on the prevention oi AIDS and S10. The Durham board voted ta withhold Reduce the Risk, draft #4, a substantially revised varson 0f draft #3, on Oct. 10, 1995. This vote reflects the board's view with respect ta draft #4. This is binding on ail trustees. Even sa, whiie it may corne as a surprise ta Swïtzer, the vote ln no way precludes further dabate and discussion of the generai issues. lndeed, the direction by the Ministvy of Education and Training ta the board romains, and in soma manner a resource package wiiI have ta be deveboped and ultimately accepted by the board. I have and wAil continue ta provida my input Into this process. To do otherwise would be ta forfeit the duties which have been entrustad ta me by the public schoai electors ai Brock Township., FLEAC is one af the largest andî oldast communhy parent advlso'ry committees ofILth board and is 1comprlsed 0f 19 members, Twetve 0 f the members are parents and community représentatives and seven are board staff. Draft #3 was recommended for acceptanca ta the board by FLEAC priai ta Oct. 10, 1995. Other trustées and i had an iapportunlty ta give Input Into the revisions which led ta draft #4. 1 opposed draft #3; I found, draft #4 entirely acceptable.* SvÀtzer's Mdk 1allégations about draft #4, including ithat it is-a "biatantly pra-homosaxual 1AIOS document" are wlthout foundation. While it is conspicuousîy absent from Switzer's lettar, RI s Important ta know that three maembers 0f FLEAC have reslgned since thea board voted ta wihhold Reduce the Rlsk, draft #4. RIt 15because 0f these résignations that 1 made comments ta FLEAC. In pa 'rticular, I amn vaty concerned that the représentative of the Durham Regional Heath Department has rasigned. As she lndicated in her letter 0f résignation, R Is because 0f the "board's decision ta prevant students irom iaceivng Information regarding saler sex practices." This leaves FLEAC wlthaut a member iram the health departmeant. Because ai valuable public heaith input and inslghts such a member can provide, their présence Is critical ta the high quality delibérations and recommendatians irom FLEAC, for which the board has been most grateful over the years. Contrary ta what SWltzer has alieged, I appaaied ta FLEAC members not ta rasign, but ta continue servlng on. FLEAC. i encouraged tham ta bing reco mmendatians ta the board and accept the right of the board ta accept or reject, such recommendations. I can understand haw thesa remfarks do not fit Swltzar's spécial Intarast group's agenda. I amn a iong-term proponent 0f abstinence'education:- It Is a base canard ta state, as Switzer has done, that I support nanything goes but wear a condom agenda ta klds.0 I wish ta emphasize that abstinence éducation Is valuabie and mandatcy-) in the Durham Board of Education. Hawever, ln the milieu ai today.. we must do more for aur students than teach abstinence aniy. SRagardless aio the scare tactlcs employed in rnany American' abstinence matariais, this MI not, in and 0f itseif, serve the needs of ai students. You. cannot frighten students inta taklng a particular path. lndeed, Dr. AIba DiCenso, assodiate priessor, school 0f nursing, McMaster University, recentiy stated that abstinence progran's-. are na, mare effective at causlng students ta choosa the apprapniata path than sax education classes. The realty ls that 50 per cent af aur' students have been saxually active at least once. In spite of ôur best aducatianal efforts, some students wfilI remain sexuaîiy active. Some -persans wouid have us instruct aur students ta be abstinent or live wlth the consequences; "ba. abstinent or dle." Surely this vlaw la not anly Inoonsistent wlth Canadian valuas, but with basic humanitaian principles and comman sense. i will not abandon any of oui students. 1 I wl continue ta ýýInvite recommandations from FLEAC and press the board for accaptance af a document which wiII meet the needs 0f ail students. Bi8111Fairbum Trustée, Township a« Brock Confli ot of interest Te the. edîtor: Re: ,Durham taxes Increase $5 ta maintain police service.' Jlm Witty, Raglan chair and chair af the Durham Police Services board, has announcad a $5- tax increasa ta maintain police services. la he annaunclng ýthîs as Region chair, police chair or just an incompétent fool? Who Is he represanting? R ls clearly not the taxpayer. Ha has used the threats 0f many other budget .cantralled enlities, "... farcad ta iaW off ... " (the people that actually provide the service). They neyer saem ta aller ta dump thé underpariormlng management staff that has been pramated past iheir lavai of ablllty. The politiclans and bureaucracy that cause the situation are the last ta be dlsposed af. Why Is that? Dan't expect an answar irom Jlm Wltty. Thare ouid be a lot Of gaod done by the $100 million spent by Durham Ragian an polclng. To achieve it, wa wouîd hava ta staît at thé top. You don'tprune the mots taget atrea ta bloÉsm and prôduce fruit. And should wa blame someône aise? We neyer electad Jlm Witty ta be Région chair but wa permithlm ta be ln a clear confllct af interest'. Ha cannot b. axpected ta show' a leadership ha là incapable of. We can be fauled for not damandîng the right ta have policlans accountable ta taxdpayers. Mayte wèe got what wa deserve. Don Young Ajax,