‘Tis the season for Christmas concerts. And for young people like these Caledonia music students, performances at this time of the year are nothing more than an expression of Christmas spirit. These students were seen recently at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre during a concert staged for Terrace Review — Wednesday, December 19, 1990 AY The dark side of the season Contributed by the Terrace Transition House hristmas is a time for peace, happiness and good will towards friends and family. Right? For many families in Terrace and the rest of Canada it is a time of beatings, threats, fear, crying, hopelessness and broken dreams. There is an especially strong ex- pectation placed on mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters at this time of the year to be happy and have good will for each other. This is only one of the factors that precipitate violent episodes in many homes in Terrace at Christ- mas time, and throughout the rest of the year. The Terrace Transition House | provides shelter, safety, support, - advocacy, counselling over the telephone and crisis intervention for many women and children in Terrace and the Northwest region every year. A total of 324 women and children sought and received shel- the listening pleasure of local elementary schoo! students. ter at the Transition House from Mar. 21-Apr. 19 TAURUS Apr. 20-May 20 GEMINI May 21-June 20 CANCER June 21-July 22 LEO Suly 23-Aug, 22 VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22 LIBRA SCORPIO Oci, 23-Nov, 21 SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21 CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19 AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18 PISCES Feb. 19-Mar, 20 Sept. 23-Oct. 22 It's time for holiday greetings and those once-a- year jetters to friends and relatives. It's time too forsome friendly get-togethers. Spell things out in detail to avoid misunderstand- ings. There’s a tendency to take too much for granted. Work at improving relations with mate or partner. Avoid touching on matters that you know will hit asorespat. The Sur in your 6th House emphasizes health matters. Offer your help and services to an ailing co-worker. You would be smart to keep your friends and co- workers and romantic interests separate and apart. Too much holiday cheer can boomerang. A conflict between home and business could bea disturbing factor. Concentrate on the job at hand. Keep informed on current affairs. You may be more involved than you realize, as the pages of history unfold. Don’t underestimate the value of your services. Your financial know-how can bring a profitable solution toa vexing problem. You are apt to find yourself in thespotlight as the Sun travels through Sagittarius. Pul your best fi oot forward. Caring for one close to you brings youin contact with an inslitution. Keep your own well being in mind. It’s a good time to enter into cooperative en- deavors. Your social life, friendships, and group connections are favorably spotlighted. Use care in making Jong range adjustments Te- garding family/property matters. Tensions could arise among loved ones, B RT'S DELICA TESSEN WE HAVE... 2 aaa large varialy Of _. Meats, cheeses, Europea ~ fovelties, Super. _ Sandwiches, fresh salad We cater for large and: “aml nae and: pen 4603 Park , Ave. Terrace creas from: the: tora) : We stop a lot more than 400,000 vehicles during our Christmas Counter- Attack roadchecks. We stop drinking drivers. A program of the ‘| Government of .... British Columbia QICBC January to November Another 264 women were. sven non-resident support — counselling for women who came in or telephoned to talk about abuse, Violent behaviour is a learned behaviour. For that reason the cycle of violence continues through children who are raised by parents in violent households. Children from violent households tend to grow up believing: *It is all right for men to beat women. *Violence is a good way to win arguments, *Big people have power that they often misuse. *Men are bullies who push women and children around. *Women are victims, and they can’t take care of themselves or their children. The long-term emotional and psychological effects of being raised in a violent family are de- vastating, even if the children themselves are not beaten or abused. Education is very important. Here are some of the common myths and misconceptions about wife battering: *She deserves it, *It only happens in certain cultures or income groups. *She asked for it or invited it. *Alcohol causes men to beat their partners. *Women are assaulted only by strangers. These victim-blaming reactions turn attention away from the real issue. The underlying questions we should ask are: *Why do men assault and threaten, intimidate and contro] their inti- mate partners? *why can’t women live in a world free from the reality and threat of sexual and physical violence? Wife assault has been condoned throughout history. It was written into British Common Law, the body of law that had the greatest influence on the Canadian legal system, that men could "discipline" their wives and children with a Stick, as long as the stick wasn’t larger in diameter than the man’s thumb. It was from this law that the expression "rule of thumb" came into common usage. One way people in a society can interrupt the cycle of violence that is passed from one generation to the next is by changing their atti- tudes and belief systems through education. Because a community's attitude toward what is important is reflected in the community’s common resources, public educa- tion is essential. Violence toward women is a social problem that requires a social solution. We can all do our part to help reduce violence in our community . by getting ‘involved in the issue and showing that we care. Wife assault is not a private, family - matter. It is a criminal offense. _