Politicians are blind to reality in forests Dear Sir: _To say that this City Council and Regional District lacks vision is an understatement. I re- “commend that they all be issued seeing-eye dogs ~ immediately. To altempt to halt coastal logging or prevent the possible 18 month moratorium is fudicrous. They are dreaming in technicolour. Have they ever contemplated the effect of a boycott on coastal wood products and what that would do to the companies involved? - This certainly has occurred (o the companies, -or else they wouldn’t be negotiating with these “eco-terrorists”, as Jack Talstra labelled them. ’ Aside. from lacking vision, our fearless leaders also suffer from the ostrich syndrome, and now that: their-heads have finally swivelled out of the sand, the knee-jerk reactions have begun. ~ They: must-find someone to blame, and it might as well be the environmentalists. ~ Yes, we must stand up to these eco-terrorists and fight for our forestry jobs, because we as civic leaders have been so shost-sighted and put all our eggs into the forestry basket. These leaders care precious little about the . impending “fall-down” effect in timber supply in 20 years or so, as they can’t think past the next local election. For Les Watmough to suggest that Jim Doyle give forest. companies a “use it or lose it” ulti- matum like our illustrious former forest minister Dave Parker did over 10 years ago is ridiculous. Les, times and conditions have changed! - There is no point forcing companies to cut more timber when Iumber prices are depressed. Also the issue of what is a sustainable rate of cut for this area needs to be addressed. If past practices were sustainable, we wouldn't “have a projected fall-down, would we? "Many of Dave Parker’s past decisions were detrimental to our area, and they certainly would be even more so in the present circumstances. “Tn past-letters to the editor and articles, there have been assumptions that the Kalum LRMP process is in jeopardy or may be shelved as a re- sult of the secret negotiations. There is a great deal of misunderstanding re- garding the LRMP. - This process is about zoning land areas for re- source ‘uses, general and specific. “ While it is consensus based, there is no guar- antee whatsoever that there will not be future boycotts of our wood products or wars in the _ woods, even though cy locully derived ‘land “use plan is in place. This is why the forest companies and environ- ‘mental groups-are hoping to reach a type of : peace agreement, and a moratorium may provide “a cooling-off period in order to achieve this. The threat of boycotts is very powerful, as it ‘precipitated the drafting of the Forest Practices Code in the past. ~It-is also why most B.C. forest companies are ‘falling all over themselves to obtain some type of eco-certification, or “stamp of approval” to re- main competitive in the market place. I recently attended the B.C. Forest Certifica- - tion Forum in Victoria. -”. There is definitely a shift in the forestry wind. It has nothing to do with forest companies going “green” but everything ta do with market “pressures. We up here are at a disadvantage. ‘We are not only far removed from major mar- kets, but also far removed from pragressive thoughts and actions. I say to Terrace city council and the regional district, you can fight apainst the changing winds or you can sail with ther. If you opt for the for- mer, you will be left be- hind to wallow in the wood chips, and you will only have yourselves to blame. By the way, 1 have me : 284 belonged to various en- — vironmental organiza- Les Watmough tions for over 25 years. I resent the label “eco-terrorist”. In the early 1980s, | made a written, oral and visual presentation on behalf of the Skeena Pro- tection Coalition to Bill Young, the chief for- ester, in order to get the Kitimat Valley designa- ted asa Provincial Forest and protect that area’s high productivity for growing future forest crops. Were this area not a Provincial Forest, it would currently be an industrial zone cluttered “with steel mills and copper smelters, and our - most productive forest land base gone forever. ‘T have also spent a good deal of personal time -appealing forestry pesticide permits, contributed ‘to hearings concerning parks and wildnerness, local resource plans and I am also a member of “the Kalum LRMP. ‘ | have worked in a technical capacity in the forests for over twenty-five years, which has eamed me the nickname “Snag”. [don’t like secret deals cither, but if that’s what it takes to gel long- -term peace in the - woods, the shorl-term pain of an 18-month log- a ging moratorium is worth it. This city council and regional district should also think long-term and investigate non-natural resource options for jobs for future generations. -- We have not sustained our forests, so don’t expect them to sustain us. Renee Mikaloff 7 Terrace B.C. . The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, May 3, 2000 - AS CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Bag Viail LOCAL PRO-LIFERS conducted a prayer Vigil outside Mills Memorial Hospital protesting abortions that have taken place there. The vigil happened on Mothers Day last year. Dear Sir: I commend you for publishing the Paul Evans exposé of the propaganda devices used in Sarah de Leeuw’s column “Abortion providers appre- ciated”. Someone once wrote of 2 pro-abartionist’s po- litically correct brainwashing techniques: “afler the killing, lying (name calling) comes casy.” Christ the King says that there is to be no di- vorce and remarriage, and that sex is reserved for martiage which is meant to bring into the world the maximum number of Catholic children for the glory of God, The rejection of God’s truth in this malter naturally leads to abortion as a back- up to birth control and secondarily to sodomy. To offer resistance to present day institutiona- lized sinfulness seems to be hopeless. We're in our predicament because our leaders betrayed us, Vatican-2 herelic popes failed tu ex- communicate renegade Catholic politicians be- ginning with Trudeau and all the Kennedys. ‘Abortion propaganda debunked The Blessed Virgin Mary told the children at La Sallette that, “the antichrist would sit in Rome”, referring, il seems, to the apostate anti- popes of the last 50 years who first revealed their disobedience to God by failing to inform the world of the third secret of Fatima. Our Lady of Fatima predicted in 1917 that Russia’s errors (atheism) would spread through- out the world. Since then, hundreds of millions, including the unborn, have died as a result of state-sanc- tioned extermination policics. So'we have come to a time when there is no fear of God nor the punishment of the fires of hell. Most Canadians enjoy a life of comfort and security but someday that will end and we will have to face God and His judgment. Then, the smiles and haye a good day will cease. Tom Brophy Terrace B.C. Treaty ‘doomsday’ has arrived — almost Dear Sir: I’m afraid the prophets of doom were correct: it looks like the Nisga’a dea! is going to turn into a template for settlement of aboriginal title claims for the rest of B.C.'s First Nations. The voting majority of Nisga’a see their treaty as an acceptable redress for the inequitable way off-white colonists bullied them aside and cor- ralled them onto puny reserves and proceeded to help ourselves to just about whatever we fancied. A dozen decades is a long time to wait for justice, but the Nisga’a waited, Patiently, they tried reaching a deal with B.C.’s first few premiers, but got turned down. They turned to Ottawa, and when that route failed too, they turned to the courts for a just and equitable settlement of their claims. The courts cynically sent them back to the politicians. And all the while, through the length and breadth of Nisga’a territory, it’s been business as usual, hallelujah! Business was good, $4.5 billion worth of ‘good — that’s what KPMG reckoned we've helped our-- selves to from Nisga’a terrilories over the years, No wonder the vested and (threc-picce-suited) interests in the off-white community didn’t want the status quo disturbed by any settlement of aboriginal claims. When the Nisgsa’a finally reached agreement with the provincial and federal governments, the opponents of the deal subjected that agreement lo the longest debate in B.C.’s legislative history. When it got to Ottawa, staunch defenders of the status quo talked on and on, night after night, Irying to wear down supporters of the treaty. In the end, though, the status quo: lost. The Nisga’a finally achieved their goal of having the equal rights they were denied in the 19th cenlury finally recognized — at least on paper. — in the 21st century. . Well, almost. Because in the’ next couple of weoks, Gordon Campbell and the B.C. Liberals (B.C.'s govern- ment-in-waiting, as they like to think of them- selves) want lo move the goal posts again by hauting the whole matter back through the courts. And in the ‘meantime, of course, il! be “business as usual” for the Claims Jumper Clan. Whal kind of message do you suppose that’s sending to’B.C. First Nations? In just the first seven years of the BC trealy process, 50 of B.C.’s First Nations have anted up over $150 million on negotiations - money that'll have to come right off the top of any settlement they ever manage lo reach. And what can they hope to get From it? Well, taking the Nisga‘a experience for a template, the most they can hope for is bad faith, more broken promises, and the ever-popular “Run-around Shuffle”. , John How Terrace B.C, Shame idiots who call in bomb threats Open letter to youths behind recent bomb threats and school closures: Get a life! Unfortunately, I truly doubt that your actions were in some description,-a form of respect for those students who died at Columbine a year previous. I suspect that you were sitting at home with the television on, listening to some kids on the news stating that they were afraid te go lo school because of some other equally ill thought out, media-driven, threats, 1 would have actually applauded the-same- -youth if they had put together an honest effort to remember those slain at Columbine. In my days at high school, we protested all. kinds of things, but-never disrupted anyone else who thought better of getting an education. Amchitka rings a bell, for whom it: tolls. Hey, took it up. Perhaps the school did nat talk about ‘the whole situation enough, but of course, | wasn't there in the lead up to the disruptions. | know that I live here for the hope that noth- ing, so brutal could ever actually ‘happen on our school g grounds. To those others that thought it was. way cool to continue to call in threats to the schools, you are on my top ten stupid people ist, It seems clear that: you have no need for the education that is afforded you, so I hope that you are never allowed to return, | ~“T challenge you to tell me how far in life you expect to get with no education and a criminal record, To the authorities: { would hope that Ujjal’s counterparts can sce that this is not an act of simple mischief. This is, by definition, terrorism. The Young Offender’s Act should be disregarded. 1 want to know who these idiots are. It is unfortunate that so few can disrupt so many. L think that most of our youth do have rational heads on their shoulders. It is unfortunate that they will all get tarred with the same brush. To those youth who died at Columbine, your memory lives on. Chris Spangl Terrace B.C. Not impressed by these bomb bozos An open letter to the bomb threatencr: It is a privilege, not a right to be able to at- lend a pood school, especially safely, and when someone takes away my privileges | am not very pleased to say the least. L realize you must be having a field day, con- linvously “bombarding” various high schools with the threats of a bomb. I'd actually really like to know your motive? | mean, whal exacily are you irying ta prove and why? If you were thinking of my peers and [, when taking, this action, then you would realize that we necd to be in school. These are the most im- portant years of aur lives. 1 need my education, because it is a major part of my future, the next few years of my life are puing to decide whether I sink or swim. If you can not grasp that then maybe you should take into consideration that you may as well be ruining mine and many other lives, Sure, like most teens my age, I enjoy the oc- casional day off school, but it really aggravates me when sumeone has the audacity to get a cheap thrill off the expense of cutting into my learning time. I’ve come far into my education, | don’t in- tend to get “blown” off track any time in the near fulure by anyane clse’s idiocy but my own. By threatening these bombs yau have also de- slroyed and complicated many school activities in which | was involved, now | am left only to put much more unntceded work and effort into projects. For example, many people were disappointed when our school dance had tobe postponed until further notice. { am upset. [ don’t undérstand ‘why or ‘how someone, anyone, could enjoy disrespecting a students right to lean or a teachers dedication. | am simply appalled and outraged with what is occurring in our smali town. Bomb threats are just the beginning, but what next? Do we really have to have something hap- pen like in Oklahoma Cily before we can under- stand the damage? Dues someone have to die? In conclusion, if not thinking of us teenagers, then what about yourself? What is going to hap- pen to you? Is a prank of this calibre really a ne- cessity to make your life meaningful? } just pray you come to terms with whal you are causing within your life and the lives of others, such as myself. | don’t believe anyone is proud of you nor do they have any respect or even pity for you. | also believe this sort of prank is unforgivable and will not be forgotten anytime soon. Above all else, | hope you have and will suffer as much as I have for these lovely little “mishaps”. Karra Wiedeck Terrace B,C. A better alternative to forming lynch mobs Dear Sir: This is an answer to the letter from Robert Deane Jr., Apr. 12, 2000. You talk about a lynch mob as the answer to the problem. Well that is the thinking from the past. If you are really concerned we have the an- swer for you. It can be bering, you may lose a little sleep now and again and you may miss some of your favourite TV shows, but this will not take too much time out of your busy schedule and you may get to feel good about yourself doing some- thing for your community besides grumble. You can net expect the police to tuck you in bed each night without some effort on your part. Your eyes and ears are needed for the Terrace branch of the Citizens on Patrol. So volunteer your time now but please do not just join to be a member. You need to be able to pul one or two hours a month at Icast. So get off your butts. Don’t wait for someone else to gel raped, house invasion or the likes. We can not afford to hire enough police to be every- where, We must do a little ourselves. It’s time to act, not talk. Citizens on Patrol is open to anyone 10 years and older. They must pass an RCMP security check. Forms can be picked up at the office at ihe Skeena mall or the local RCMP detachment. Ernie Fisher Terrgg About the Mail Bag The Terrace Standard welcomes letters to the editor. Our address is 3210 Clinton St., Terrace, B.C., V8G 5A2. You can fax letters to us at 638-8432. And you can e-mail let- ters to us at standard@kermode.net. We need your name, address and phone num- ber for verification.