Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 13, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Brian readers forum september saturday free press a 1 7 september n i i More courageous style of political leadership would help premiers need history lesson premiers Are meeting in Calgary tomorrow and monday to discuss National but without Quebec Premier Lucien Don a University of Winnipeg history professor and president of the Manitoba association for rights and explains Why they need a More sophisticated understanding of Canada to discussion of Canadian constitutional fundamentals is Des tined to be forever abortive until More of those participating in the debates learn something about european and world Basic to most discussions of our society and culture is the myth that entirely new societies were founded in the Western its not just that the myth too often ignores the indigenous Peoples already Here or that it wrongly claims that the Cul Tural traditions of the so called old world were left behind and sin free societies but its also that entire rhythms and patterns of history around the world and Over a few thousand years can teach much about human habits and predilections that we ignore at our Canadian society is too Complex to understand on the basis of knowledge of Canada what Are some of the lessons that would be useful to us at this in our country an understanding of How countries Are at the risk of lets say that most countries of any site Are the result of three types of events the usually very local sorting put of Power relationships and legitimacy the acquisition of some neighbouring territories through marriage and inheritance very through Pur Chase or and the acquisition of other neighbouring territories through two truths Are profoundly important to grasp about acquired Territo no matter How the first is that both benevolent and oppressive acquis tors usually or soon that the acquisition will be More secure and enduring if the Laws and customs of the acquired territories Are recognized and constitutional recognition need not be because it merely ratifies the primordial Reali but sometimes constitutional recognition strengthens the Acquini Tor and reassures the acquired by legitimate zing rights on both sides and providing Constitution Al recognition becomes More important the longer the two parties mis understand and quarrel with each but it rarely creates any new the second truth is although the Acquisito almost immediately and continually tries to circumvent or modify the inherited traditions of the acquired despite All the distinctive Ness of the minor party endures for centuries if not whether the two sides interact in cooperation or in they will both gradually grow to resemble each other and continue to be proud of their differ but the dominant party except for its few paranoid members will always be Freer to undergo cultural changes without fearing that its traditions Are threatened than is the Case for the minor in the fashion just described grew rus and the aztecs just to name a few examples As Well As Canada and the United the Bengali or to Tanac Peoples All know something of what it must feel like to be a As their circumstances Are All historically nor however but Anglo phone North americans sometimes talk As if some new Anglo celtic sociopolitical with the weight and authority of divine or Manifest destiny behind sprang to life in new England and upper spread out across the continent with no Independent and legitimate poli ties in its and assimilated every other culture of any or cooperative Ness Only the obstinate or downright ornery ethnic groups Ever attempting to defy their so called inevitable out of such ignorance for its not always bigotry has sprung not Only the Reform but the wrong headed and counterproductive attitudes of most Western premiers of recent if the opponents of the official recognition of the undeniable truth that Quebec is a distinct society knew something about the patterns and forces of his we would All be saved a lot of acrimony and the second lesson flows from understanding the for the result of this historical pattern is that the overwhelming majority of countries have More than one significant Cul racial or religious relations Between and among groups May be More often suspicious and hostile than but the very Lon term endurance of the mosaic is and relations tend to be More stable and Harmo Nious if the dominant party remains sensitive to the traditions and fears of those under its threatening influx constitutionally entrenched asymmetrical and coexistence of distinctive Laws and jurisdictions Are just some of the responses that recognize realities and create opportunities for a trouble free to Call these responses pan Dering to Munich like or whatever is just ignorant and nothing will guarantee the cessation of peace and har Mony or the end of All suspicions and but refusal to recognize historical lessons and primordial realities will guarantee the opposite aggravated worsening of relationships and significant National its time for Western premiers and Preston Man Ning to exercise a More sophisticated understanding of Canada and a More courageous style of political Portage and main is a weekly column featuring views of to Contact Gerald letters to the editor give poles credit for Enigma theft your 30 article on Leo Mol and the statue of sir William Stephenson is in error in attributing to Stephenson the theft of the top secret German cipher machine known As the this in a Triumph of the polish intelligence Fred Stambrook Winnipeg where is my councillor City councillors Are elected to look after the affairs of the City and look after the affairs of their three events have occurred in the last Short while in the Boniface Ward that makes me wonder if our affairs Are being properly looked the first one is the construction of what appears to be a Large warehouse Type building on Archibald Street that is actually the new Home of the fort Garry Curling which was an Eye sore on main Street for years and now has turned into an eyesore in our since the building was built after hav ing received million of taxpayer Dol i am amazed that they would be allowed to destroy what could have been a pleasing entranceway to what Ever will be constructed on the old Canada packers and Swift the second item was the installation of three Stop signs within feet of each other on Lakewood Boulevard after consultation with the since i live seven houses from Lakewood and was never i wonder which residents after i and others the Stop signs have been the third and most ridiculous event is allowing the construction of an Auto body shop within feet of adjacent to a medical clinic and other Community the location in question is the old Uncle willies restaurant behind Kentucky Fried Chicken in lad cos the residents in the Lowental area affected were Proba Bly unable to complain for fear of Evic Tion since they share the same where was the City councillor to protect their rights while a zoning adjustment sign was in it should not be left up to residents to police for unwanted is Why City councillors Are Why is our City councillor not look ing after our affairs George Provost Winnipeg education funding not the problem it is difficult to take seriously the complaint by Diane presi Dent of the Manitoba teachers Sci echoed in other recent about decreased provincial govern ment funding to elementary and secondary schools nest egg services Given the Fol lowing observations statistics Canada data show that enrolment in the Manitoba k12 sys tem has declined by 15 per cent from 1 How to reach us the free press welcomes letters from letters must be signed and should include a clearly printed address and Telephone names will be published but not All letters May be edited for style and Short letters Are less Likely to be please address letters to letters to the Winnipeg free 1355 Mountain Winnipeg r2x letters can be sent to our fax number letters May be submitted through the internet at . Letters sent via the internet obviously cannot be but must include Home address and Telephone 197071 to statistics Canada data also Indi Cate that during the same period the annual amount spent per in constant 1986 increased from nearly to nearly a Large body of anecdotal Evi Dence and the results of recent standardized tests show that student knowledge and especially in key disciplines like English and have declined Dur ing the same these declines have been far from the results of the recent provincial mathematics test varied nearly As much and teacher As they did Between student and some of the Best results were obtained by students in Low intercity these observations Lead to two con More and More Money is being spent on fewer and fewer Stu dents who Are learning less and the key problems with Mani Toba education Are neither the amount of Money spent nor the socioeconomic background of the key problems Are curriculum educational philosophy and teacher selection and Hymie Rubenstein Winnipeg jobless defy economic Boom it is most heartening to read on the front Page of the free press How the Canadian Economy is gathering steam the positive comments by the Royal Bank s chief economist should warm the hearts of All it is unfortunate that so Many of us cant seem to share this in this category we can include the the people needing health single children in people suffering from corporate employees who Haven had a real wage increase in several years and seniors on fixed could these people not get with it and realize thai the Canadian Economy is chugging steam ahead Joe Segal Winnipeg Walter Vreitos work succeeds because of his Lack of a fan of his coverage pathetic the seemingly endless puerile pre occupation with the death of a Pam not Overly Bright aristocrat and her billionaire Playboy Friend is pathetic on a planet where thousands die in filth and agony every the Royal family really Only embodies the remnants of How much longer should free men and women in this country be forced to sustain these toffs with their amused gazes and supercilious mannerisms fresh from their endless blood Cocking their Heads quizzically whilst affecting interest in our redundant Little lives Francis Trueman Winnipeg blood workers take exception i am writing As the manager of blood collections for the Ottawa blood Cen tre of the Canadian red i am writing to comment on the free press article of bloody As the supervisor of 200 frontline staff and volunteers who collect blood for local patients i wish to take exception to your unconfirmed report about an unhappy Ottawa blood donor that was splashed across your such reporting is an insult to the hardworking staff and volunteers who work to sustain Canadas blood irrespective of what uncertainty the future holds for As a new Mem Ber of the senior management team at the Ottawa blood i can attest to the significant changes staff and volunteers Are undergoing to improve the organizations customer Alison Wesley James Ottawa Art training not the key i am responding to the 30 review of the current Winnipeg Art gallery exhibit featuring the work of Manitoba artist Walter Garth Buchholzz comments about the artists Lack of formal training and former occupations were not at All ill Many highly successful and talented artists Are while Many with Art degrees demonstrate less Talent and imagination than i have been an admirer of Walter Vreitos work for 10 years and was very pleased to see the Winnipeg Art gallery give some attention to his i dont think that the focus on churches does his work jus As i wrote in the guest Book for the i Hope that the Winnipeg Art gallery gives Veito another Solo exhibition that is More representative of the entire body of his his depictions of our typical farm Yards and the fishing boats and gulls at Gimli Harbour display a delightful and unique vision of Mani As the owner of three of Vreitos i would appreciate the Opportunity to see More of his i am sure that others would enjoy seeing it Eva Boldt Winnipeg weather Page informative i really enjoy Reading your weather it is so Well Laid out and schoolchildren would have fun doing research using that keep up the Good work the changes Are appreciate Diane Block Winnipeg doonesbury by Garry Trudeau ;