PAGE 4, WEDN-ESDAY, JANUARY 15, 1986, WHITBY FREE PRESS Published every Wednesday whitiby BILL MCOUAT by M.B.M. Publishing Community Editor and Photography Inc. SlPhone 68-6111 VALERIE COWEN Advertising Manager j è à The Free Press Building. it Voice of the County Town Michael lan Burgess, Publisher . Managing Editor e3o1 Boxk Street .o rth, Snt. es ass ai51 The only Whitby newspaper independently owned and operated by Whitby iresidents for Whitby residents. Propaganda against propaganda We are running a story this week about a Scar- borough high school teacher who has accused a teacher at Whitby Senior Public School of refusing her permission to address student mem- bers of a lunch hour outdoors club about the trap- ping of fur bearIng animais. The Whitby Senior teacher who Is a co-leader of the club says on the other hand that he did not refuse permission for the woman, Edle Gornile, to address the group. Rather, Ewald Bengel, a grade seven and elght science teacher, says he told Ms. Gomille that she would first have to obtain the permission-ol the board of education area superintendent - standard proceedure for people who want to come into the schools to speak to students. According to Mr. Bengel, however, Ms. Gomille did not follow up on his suggestion and she was not heard from again. Instead, Ms. Gomille went ahead and did her presentation last weekend ln the Whitby Library. What angers Ms. Gomille, indeed what prom- pted her to approach Mr. Bengel ln this first place, is that a trapper was allowed to speak to the group. In fact she was angry enough to start an organization called Teachers Against Propaganda and has accused Mr. Bengel of propagandizing in favour of trapping by not allowing her to present the opposing view to the members of his club. What Is interesting about all this is that it Is un- clear whether Ms. Gomille is concerned about propaganda In the schools or is interested in get- ting her own message into the classroom - that the trapping of fur bearing animais is inhumane. When it was polnted out to her that her own presentation at the library was a form of propaganda Ms. Gomille said she was only presenting the other sîde of the argument and ad- ded that she has no qualms about the trapper making his case to the students provided she has equal time. This is fair enough but later during the same interview Ms. Gomille said that inviting a trapper Into the classroom is in conflict with the province's educational goals. One of these goals Is that "moral values should permeate ail aspects of the school program" and Ms. Gomille listed compassion, respect for life and sensitivity as being among the moral values that should be upheld. "Clunking an animal on the head if it's still alive or trapping are not consistent with the values encouraged by the Ministry bf Education," concluded Ms. Gomille. Unless our grasp of the English language is failing us it would seem that Ms. Gomille is saying that the trapper should not have been allowed into the classroom. If this Is the case Ms. Gomille is guilty of the same transgressorlshn- ses Mr. Bengel of committing. It is not otflçg l- e here whether or not trapping is humane. Trping is legal and the trapping of animais is a fact of Canadian life as closely interwoven with the fabric of our history as the Canadian railroad. There is nothing wrong with bringing a trapper into a classroom to show students what he does. It is a living lesson in history. There is nothing wrong with showing students film footage of animais suffering a slow and agonizing death in the traps either. Presenting either position, for oragainst, in Isolation is propaganda and cloaking your argument in the guise of an organization that op- poses propaganda is the most insidious kind of mind control there is. To the Editor: Canadain taxpayers, workers and nationalists can all be thankful that the federal government has found a buyer for the money losing. Crown cor- poration, de Havilland. Eighteen months ago, a Gallup Poll com- missioned by the National Citizens' Coalition found that 57 percent of decided Canadians - a two to one margin - agreed that the federal government should sell all Crown corporations that per- form functions that could be done by the free enterprise sector. We taxpayers can be thankful that we won't be asked to continue giving subsidies to de Havilland on top of the $700 million we've already spent. Canadian workers should welcome the sale to Boeing because there's a good chance that with its technical and management exper- tise, de Havilland will start to make money while producing a useful, desireable product. That is the only real job security there is. As long as Bob White's union helps to ensure that the wages and productivity of the Canadian de Havilland workers are more at- tractive than those of the US and that the workers develop a good non-strike record, Boeing could end up moving a lot of business into Canada. Lastly, nationalists should be glad about the sale of de Havilland. Until 1974, the company was owned by a foreign company. Then, for an eleven year period awash in red ink, the Canadian government owned it. Now, it is being sold to another foreign company. Canada is being made stronger by the sale of this fiscal sinkhole. The sale of de Havilland - and Canadian Arsenals - is a step in the right direc- tion. It will help to reduce our huge deficit and the future interest costs on it which we will ail have to pay for through our taxes. Let's hope that the government follows Thank To the Editor: On behalf of the patients, staff and q volunteers at Whitby 1 Psychiatric Hospital, I would like to thank all those in the community who responded to our request for Christmas 9 gifts for our patients. 1 Whitby There are lots of ac- tivities on at the Whitby Senior's Activity Centre this month so drop down and pick up a schedule. All activities are for people 55 years of age or through with the sale of Petro-Canada, Air Canada, CBC, CN, Via Rail, etc. Canada will be a far stronger, far bet- ter place when they're in the private sector. Yours sincerely, Colin Brown, President, National Citizens' Coalition. you The continued support and interest of the community contributes greatly to rehabilitation in the hospital. All the best in the New Year. Cindy Wideman Co-ordinator of Volunteer Services. seniors older and the lounges, library and games are open to all members. Memberships are $4 per year and may be pur- chased at the centre during office hours. -ALU I H~AK $ 1's-r -N Letters to the Editor