WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1985, PAGE 5 "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." - Thomas Jefferson THE CROW'S NEST by Michael Knell Free trade talk sparks far too many questions I like to think of myself as a patriot. I was born in this country and, for the most part, was educated here. During my childhood and youth I saw a great deal of the world, perhaps more than most people do in a life time. As a youngster I spent time in England, Kenya, the United States and have visited both West Germany and France. But Canada is where my heart is. Even in my childhood, when I travelled at the behest of my parents, it always felt good to come home. As an adult I've become something of a nationalist - not just politically but economically, socially and culturally as well. I suppose that's why I feel a little uneasy about Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's attempt to begin free trade (or is it freer or enhanced trade?) with the Americans. For me, anyways, the issue of free trade strikes more than an economic debate, it touches on the very reasons that brought about Confederation some 118 years. The history books show that Confederation was an attempt to create a political, social, cultural and economic union in North America unfettered by the American republic to the south. Although the Fathers of Confederation no longer wanted to be dependant on Britain they did not want to be swallowed up by the growing American republic which was just putting itself back together after a horrendous civil war. They were also afraid of annexation. The lessons of the War of 1812 were still etched into their pschye. If nothing else, that war demonstrated to the Fathers of Confederation that the Americans saw Canada as a prize for the taking. In fact, the annexation of Canada was the official policy of the United States until well into the 20th Century. It wasn't until Franklin Delano Roosevelt took up residence in the White House that the policy was finally put to rest. Although I'm struggling to remember the author's name (I believe it was Globe and Mail reporter Lawrence Martin) there is a book that gives an in- teresting perspective on Canada-U.S. relations seen through the personal relations of the Canadian prime minister and the American president. Entitled "The Prime Ministers and the Presidents" the book should be required reading for anyone (including Mulroney) interested in the free trade debate. Although it's not a very long book, it gives some practical insights into relations between our two countries. The Amèrican government bas always looked upon Canada as a junior partner or as a child in need of its care and guidance. They have never really come to terms with us as an independant, sovereign and unique nation with our own identity, problems and goals. The book also demonstrates the differences between the personalities of Canada and the U.S. Canada, as everyone knows, is a more conservative, withdrawn country. We aren't a superpower and I don't think we want to be one. On the other hand, America has an enormous ego that constantly needs to be stroked. America thinks everyone else in the world wants their country to be just like theirs. Most American leaders know more about Central America than they know about Canada notwithstanding the fact that we are their largest and most valuable trading partner. They sell more to us and buy more from us than any other nation on Earth. In effect, they take us for granted. Those observations bring me back to the whole question of free trade. To me, it must be more than an economic debate. Included in the discussions must be the political, social and cultural goals we have as a nation. What sort of a society do we want to build? Do we, in effect, want to become the 51st to 60th states in the Union? Can we, as a people, survive under those conditions? Will we, by opening the floodgates of free trade, invite the anarchy present in many American cities to Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver? I had the misfortune to live in the United States for six months during my high school years. Despite the fact that I suffered through many of the usual teenage traumas, that experience gave me a dread, a foreboding about life la the U.S. I attended a high school in York County, Pennsylvania - in the middle of Dutch Amish country. This high school had its own police force, every member of which patrolled the halls armed to the teeth. My family lived with a Presbyterian minister who was a close friend of my father's. In his study this man had an arsenal suitable for a platoon of commandos. To be honest, I felt like I was living in an armed camp. Everyone had guns. They were proud of them, they showed them off. I was put off by, annoyed at and afraid of their national arrogance. They were better than everyone else. They believed, quite sincerely, in their moral superiority and that every human being on this planet wanted to be an American. And, I suppose, I'm afraid that this attitude will be transported into Canada on a wholesale basis if free trade (whatever it really means) comes into being. Many Canadian leaders, in both public and private life, have said that we already suffer too greatly because of our branch plant economy. We are already too reliant on the U.S. for investment and job creation. They have been advocating that we not only invest in ourselves but that we look for other trading partners and investors. They bill themselves as economic nationalists. Canada must have a sovereign, independant economy. My gut reaction to this is "right on"! If we allow ourselves to be completely dominated by the American corporate giants, why not go whole hog and join the Union? If that happened, I'd be tempted to emigrate to Australia. But there is another side to the debate. More on that next week. WITH OUR FEET UP It had to happen sooner or later: a reader called the other day (about another matter, for those who are skeptical) and professed to looking forward to the puzzles included in earlier columns. For her, then, I dedicate this oldie. Archaelogists excavating the site of an ancient city came upon a stone pillar, the top of which bore an iron ring. On the side of the stone was chiseled out the following message: TOTI E HORS ESTO What was the purpose of the stone pillar? (The answer follows later in this very column. Stay tuned.) READING AND WRITING AND STUFF Television and rock music are leading young people of today down the road to deprivation, illiteracy and joblessness, right? And according to statistics, the level of functional illiteracy in Canada today stands at 22 per cent. That based on a study done in London, Ont., and translated into English means that more than one in five Canadians cannot read at a grade 9level. But blaming such a failure on television and popular music constitutes a copout by educators. On the other hand, blaming such illiteracy on the educational system errs just as badly in the other direction. As one who has been involved in education in one way or another for more than a quarter of a cen- tury, I can give lie to the theory that the good old days were that much better. In fact, a high percen- tage of the one in five who are functionally illiterate went to school in the "good old days". People tend to forget that 30 years ago only 30 per cent of students starting high school completed grade 12 -- and only half those completed grade 13. And in those days there were no community colleges to absorb the ambitious who did not pant after a university degree. A few years ago I had the opportunity to teach in an adult literacy class. The group included a teenager involved in drugs in a big way, a gen- tleman in his fifties who had reading disability and made slow but tortuous progress, another in his thirties who once owned his own company. And, if you can believe the coincidence, a former truck driver who was my neighbour in a townhouse development. He had driven truck for several years, suc- cessfully, until one day his illiteracy caught up with him. Most of the time he was able to get people to read instructions, and bills of lading for him. In strange cities he had to stop people to read street signs for him. Finally came the day when he had an expensive, perishable load with him - and arrived at destination in the middle of the night and got hopelessly lost because he could find no one, and could read neither maps nor street signs. What we are now seeing is the second generation of television and rock music (it is no accident that they go together) and yes, the world is different than it was 30 years ago. What it is, for those who want instant answers, is richer. Despite soaring oil prices, and house prices that would make a horse swat flies, we are materially much better off. We can give our children instant gratification. Crib mobiles, new clothes, tricycles, bicycles, record players, cars - you name it. And why shouldn't we? Few of us were ever lifted to a higher plane by wearing second hand clothes. What has richer got to do with illiteracy? Well, now we're well enough off to be able to afford people to study the situation. It's likely been much worse in the past. It's just that now we know about it. SOME NOTES ON LAST WEEK Under the heading of the best laid plans, etc.: last week this column was devoted a look at a local athlete, Ann Emmett, who has been winning a num- ber of races for women masters (those over 35). Ann had planned to run the Toronto Marathon last Sunday. A mile illness interfered with her last few days of rest before the race. And Sunday turned out to be a beautiful day, if you remember, at about 21 celsius but for marathon runners, alas! that is hot, hot, hot. She covered the first half right on pace for a 2:55 finish but the heat and the earlier illness combined to give her a one-two punch. She dropped out at about 14 miles. Her husband, Terry, also found the heat difficult. He finished in 2:52 -more than respectible, since it placed him in the top 60 of 2,400 entrants, but 8 minutes slower than his best time. First place in the masters men (over 40) went to Gary Ranalli of Oshawa, who coaches for the Whit- by Tigers, in 2:32 -- a few minutes slower than his best. The inscribed stone column? To tie horses to, dummy. Read the message again.