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6- The Oakville Beaver, Friday November 10, 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: THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS A DIVISION OF METROLAND MEDIA GROUP WEST GROUP PUBLISHER IAN OLIVER NEIL OLIVER Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director 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 Why should we remember? Why should we remember on Nov. 11? We remember because between 1899 and 1902 approximately 7,000 of our nation's soldiers served in the South Africa War; 267 gave their lives in battle. We remember because in the First World War (1914-18) -- by far the bloodiest conflict in which our country has ever been involved -- about 650,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Nearly one out of of every nine -- a total of 69,000 -- didn't survive. We remember because in the Second World War (1939-45), one million troops from Canada's armed forces waged war on the sea, in the air and on land to strike down the systematic genocide of the Holocaust. More than 47,000 of these soldiers never saw their loved ones again. We remember because during the Korean War (1950-53), nearly 28,000 Canadians served in the Canadian Army Special Force with 516 paying the ultimate sacrifice. We also remember because in 59 years of Canadian peacekeeping missions, more than 150,000 Canadians have served abroad, with 155 losing their lives -- including 42 alone in Canada's four-year mission in Afghanistan. All tolled, our nation has sacrificed more than 117,200 of its sons and daughters in the name of freedom and peace. We should remember because in the last 107 years more than 1.8-million Canadians have voluntarily put their lives in jeopardy in an attempt to bring peaceful conclusions to global conflicts. We remember those who died on the field of battle; we remember those wounded in action; we remember those scarred psychologically by having witnessed the carnage, the inhumanity and the horror. We remember their bravery. We remember their sacrifice. We remember that it is because of them that we enjoy one of the best standards of living in the world and live in a nation free from war in our own backyard. On Remembrance Day we should also remember the countless families of soldiers killed in action for peace's sake. While it would be naive of us to expect a world free of conflict, it is essential we remember these past battles so that we never lose sight of war's toll on humankind. It is our duty to honour our ancestors' sacrifice, by promising we will never forget. 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. Religion should not play a role in the democratic process RE: Recent media coverage We are truly privileged to live in a democratic society where we have the right to make a collective decision on what issues are most significant to us and who is the best person to fight for those issues. Our democratic process is precious to us; it is one of the freedoms we enjoy in this great country of ours. It ensures the success of our country. Canada remains to be one of the best places to live in the world. I am proud of my heritage and the many cultures that I am a part of through my blood relations or by marriage. We live in a cultural mosaic where our differences are appreciated, and indeed celebrated, not held against those that are from a different race, religion, etcetera. This enriches our lives and of our children's and it also leads to understanding and open-mindedness. As you know, I am running again for the position of Ward 4 Town Councillor in Glen Abbey and West Oak Trails. Recently, much has been made of the name that my family, business clients (and business media) refer to me by. As I've noted above, we live in a diverse society where the Anglicization of names is commonplace. People from different heritages often adopt names which are easier to pronounce or are more familiar to the English-speaking community, workplace, etc. that they interact with. Why should the reverse be of significance? I am a specialist with respect to investment and financial products for the BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com Muslim community. My family, Muslim clients, and the business media covering Islamic Investments refer to me as Jaafer Syed yet know my name is Jeff Gareau. That is the long and short of it. I want to make it clear that my legal name for the purposes of Pud Jeff Gareau business as it is in every aspect of my life is Jeff Gareau. I remain behind my conviction that we live in a secular society where reli See Gareau page 7 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.