Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 8, 2004, Winnipeg, Manitoba A11 Winnipeg free press focus thursday july 8, 2004 happiness comes in bits and pieces i to time to speak of happiness for we dwell too much on our prob lems. Happiness comes in Many forms and gradations. On my daily walk in the neighbourhood a woman and i Exchange greetings. I would say she is in her 60s. She is unknown to me but we both Stop As we offer pleasantries about the weather. I cannot detect her accent but i like what she is saying. She is sharing a moment with a stranger and enjoying this Brief encounter. I Hope this Beautiful weather stays awhile she says with enthusiasm. I thought of this As we parted two people who had never met before reaching out to one another in a Small Way but with some warmth and Cour Tesy. However slight this was a bit of happiness. Life is not without grievous loss and sorrow. It May be elusive in its perception when it occurs but happiness can be a state of Bliss when it unfolds. We Don to reach for the stars to attain Hap piness. The Joy of happiness is near at hand if we recognize it As in simple pleasures. I spend the evening with children and grandchildren for a Holiday. We Are seated around the dinner table enjoying the Superb Home cooking talk chatter and wine. The menorah with eight candles is in the Centre of the table and i gaze at my family through the flickering of the candles their faces shining with animation in the course of a hot political debate. Atmosphere the atmosphere i make Clear is warm and appreciative of the occasion. I am so pleased that the cousins ? my grandchildren ? get along so Well. We Dine with civility and with laughter too. Is there anything so heart warm ing As getting a spontaneous hug from a granddaughter along the same vein is this thought by Benjamin Franklin human Felicity is produced not so much by great pieces of Good Fortune that Seldom happen As by Little advantages that occur every Back Home that night alone i Savour the enchantment of the evening. This is happiness Oft realized after the event. Happiness has so Many meanings occupying an impressive list in the dictionary. I find this encouraging. It suggests happiness is far less Elu Sive than we think and May be in a Dor Mant state to be set off by an emotion or an event. John Barrymore observed happiness sneaks through a door you did to know you left in a walk through the Woods i experience Joy in the peace and quiet the fragrance of the vegetation and the thought it has All Arisen from tiny seeds. I can be Happy at a political turn of events Itzhak Perlman playing the violin the Sun rising Over Lake Winnipeg in july. What do the poets and philosophers have to say Maurice Maeterlinck states Happi Ness is rarely absent. It is we that know not of its i see happiness among spouses fam Ilies old friends Young lovers. Loneliness is an affliction of the human condition but i should qualify As a Happy person. I have been most fortunate in pursuing a career i love ? journalism. I have a Loving family. But i have voids in my life and i should Fol Low my own words ? to find happiness even in the most unobtrusive events. George Eliot said i am More and More impressed with the duty to find philosophy the problem with this philosophy is the lot of the poor and oppressed in the world. Happiness does not come with an empty stomach. One fifth of the people in the world go to bed hungry according to a report of the United nations. If we give a priority to the impoverished undoubtedly we make the world a happier place. Poverty i have heard it said is the weapon of mass destruction. You never hear poets or philosophers say that happiness will come with a Large Manor with six bathrooms and six garages. Neither will you hear them say the More you buy the happier you will be. The perplexing and distorted ethic of our times is that the Road to nirvana is through consumption and accumulation of material things. We also get a distorted picture of the world in the emphasis on death and destruction in the Media. Misery and suffering abound but in reality i think most Lead decent lives certainly in Canada. The world May be a happier place than we think. Byron the poet said All who Joy would win must share it ? happiness was born a separate Justice system denied sask. Commission on aboriginal issues makes 122 recommendations s Saskatoon almost two years after it began the provinces commission on first nations and Metis Peoples and Justice Reform recently completed its work and delivered its final report. The report makes 122 recommendations and com Prises two volumes. It looks not Only at jus Tice issues but at a number of other social issues such As education prevention of fetal alcohol syn drome the creation of alcohol detox centres and the prevention of family violence. Even though it offers Many far rang ing recommendations the commission does not Call for a new and separate jus Tice system for first nations and Metis people. Instead it attempts to make the existing system work an approach which some fear May allow the province to delay any significant change. Among the commissions recommendations Are measures for ensuring implementation. The commission says the Federal and provincial govern ments along with the federation of Saskatchewan Indian nations sin and the Metis nation of Saskatchewan should appoint an implementation com missioner by next Spring. It also says that by next fall the commissioner should have an office established jointly by All of these bodies so that the commissioners work can begin. Independent the commissioner would be an inde pendent officer who has inter jurisdictional authority and would report annually to governments through a mechanism like a standing committee. The Federal and provincial govern ments should share the Cost of this office the commission recommends. However the Saskatchewan govern ment has already said it thinks the Money could be better spent elsewhere. Justice minister Frank Quennell told the Media that following through on the recommendations is More important than creating an office to ensure that the government does so. Its a matter of strategically focusing however Quennell says the govern ment endorses the reports themes and both he and corrections minister Peter Prebble said there has already been Progress in some areas targeted for change by the commission such As reducing the numbers of aboriginal youth in custody. The commission also recommended that the two Levels of government As Well As the sin and the Metis nation be required to report to their Legisla Tures within six months to explain what action has been taken on the report. It appears the province plans to take the entire six months since a detailed response in to forthcoming until Early next year. That disappoints Prince Albert tribal Council grand chief Gary Merasty who wrote in a Public response to the reports release that unless there is real Federal provincial and first nations discussion and co operation on these issues i predict we will be told in 2005 that the waiting will the Prince Albert tribal Council represents 12 first nations in the Northern half of the province. Merasty added maybe this is Why i am lukewarm to the reports release. The government holds the cards on change and its timing. It has kept those cards close to its Chest and bought itself significant Merasty differed with the comments of Prebble and Quennell who said positive Steps have been made in aboriginal Justice Reform. The Prince Albert grand chief said the province has held off implementing any new initiatives during the past two years. We have been told repeatedly that the govern ment will wait for the commissions report before deciding what to do with Justice Reform effectively putting new initiatives on although Merasty would have liked to have seen the $3 million spent on the commission used for strategies to improve social conditions he said that since the report has been completed it should be a catalyst for the sin which represents status indians in the province held its own news conference to comment on the report and did not attend the event held for the reports release even though it had lobbied for the creation of the com Mission. Aboriginal a vice chief initially objected to the reports inclusion of both Metis and first nations people in All of its find Ings. Lawrence Joseph did to like status indians being included in the term aboriginal. We Are treaty status people. We Are not aboriginal Joseph told the Media. Joseph insisted that governments must remember that status indians have distinct rights under the treaties. Although he backed away from calling for a separate first nations Justice sys tem he did to strongly endorse the commissions approach in recommending revision of the existing sys tem. The sin later apologized for Joseph a complaint that status indians did to want to be lumped in with the Metis. Even though the commissions report want wholeheartedly embraced by those it was directed to it is still a document which requires a detailed response from both Levels of govern ment. Although the Federal government has to yet responded even on a superficial level it might seriously consider what parts of the report it can implement. With a minority government and a Host of tory maps from Saskatchewan some observers Are hopeful that the liberals will want to bring aboriginal voters Back to the fold by paying Atten Tion to aboriginal issues. The Federal government has an obvious role in implementing change to the Justice and social systems a role which the com Mission repeatedly identified. For those interested in seeing As much of the report implemented As quickly As possible perhaps the Feder Al not the provincial government will serve As the initial catalyst. Letters to the editor the free press welcomes letters from readers. They must include the authors name address and Telephone number. Letters May be edited. Letters to the editor 1355 Mountain Avenue Winnipeg r2x 3b6. Fax 697-7412. Email time for female lieutenant governor As the dust still settles from the fed eral election i am struck by a few thoughts related to the induction of Manitoba a 23rd lieutenant governor John Harvard. Plucked from his Riding to make room for Glen Murray or. Harvard will be the 22nd Man to hold this Posi Tion in our great province. Pearl Mcgonigal at the time of her Induc Tion in 1981, was the first female lieu tenant governor of Manitoba. With All due respect to or. Harvard i can to help but ask myself about Anita Neville. While i am far removed like Many Manitoban from the dynamics and lives of prime minister Martin and his Manitoba members i believe Glen Murray would have had a stronger shot in his own Home rid ing. Most importantly however we re Long overdue for another female representative in this prestigious Posi Tion. I wish or. Harvard All the Best in his new Post and while i know he will do Well i am definitely going to be watching with avid curiosity the next time the Job comes open Jessica Loly Winnipeg there a plenty of nightlife regarding the july 5 letter decent nightlife is important. I would remind or. Rathbone that there is plenty of nightlife in Winnipeg past 2 . One aspect is called the House party where people return to an agreed upon destination to continue their fun. Although they Are not spending their hard earned Money at a dance Hall they can still dance to their hearts Content. He might also like to spend a week in the Corner Park at the end of my Street where he can spend sleepless nights listening to the patrons file out of establishments at 2 . And proceed to smash Beer bottles get into fights cry longingly for their loved ones argue and shout up and Down the Street and generally put on a great show until about 4 . Who needs longer dance Hall hours when one has All that entertainment Murray Moman Winnipeg vehicle noise too loud i write to encourage citizens who Are concerned by vehicle noise to Contact the Winnipeg police service and ask that serious attention be paid to the doonesbury Decibel Levels of motorcycles and cars this summer. It seems As though modern Muf Flers Are being manufactured with High volume As the goal. Id be sur prised if these items Are marketed As mufflers at All what exactly Are they muffling watching the Public a disdain for the noise level becomes obvious As the offenders Roar by a restaurants Patio or Down a Street where the pub Lic is gathered. Motorcycles and custom fitted cars Rev their engines with contempt and judging by the Stream of negative adjectives from bystanders that Fol lows the intrusive and unhealthy noise one can Only wonder Why the Law is not being enforced. Timothy Sanderson Winnipeg Manitoba has healthy perspective i am still annoyed Over the election polls and Media coverage that always lumped Manitoba into the Prairies and the West As one of the provinces that vote conservative. I was greatly relieved to read my thoughts expressed in David Sauers july 3 letter Manitoba has a healthy democracy. Winnipeg is not Calgary he says. One would have got that impression from the to coverage when they skipped right Over Manitoba from Ontario to Alberta. Manitoba really is politically diverse As evidenced by our electing 4 nip 3 liberals and 7 conservatives 2 of which were almost evenly split. From this voting pattern i do not feel it is fair to include Manitoba As the alienated West but with this kind of coverage we might have grounds to feel excluded. Furthermore we should remember that Manitoba is the geographical Cen tre of Canada and has historically been categorized As the Gateway to the West. Perhaps this is what gives us this healthy perspective. Eleanor Ulasy Winnipeg by Garry Trudeau ;