The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 29, 1998 - AS CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD The Mail Bag Screwy logic Dear Sir: The whole point about my business being fined for allegedly selling cigarettes to a minor (‘‘Smoke seller disputes ticket’, The Terrace Standard, July 22, 1998) was to awaken the Canadian people to the problem of our government using our basic morals and values in order to profit. Our federal and provincial governments are able to justify the fining of legitimate businesses by appealing to the public’s moral values. Iv’s OK to force businesses to pay the government close to $3,000 in fines because the government is doing a public service. I agree with keeping minors away from the awful habit of cigarette smoking, The government, without proof, can fine any business it chooses for apparently selling to minors. No business is safe! It is the same thing as being fined for speeding and not bave been radar detected or having a policeman witness the speeder, A 16-year-old kid who apparently is not old enough to decide whether or not he/she can smoke is now being given the autocratic power to say which business did or didn’t sell cigarettes to them. This is without any witnesses, documentation of the transaction or any real proof. You are guilty unless you remember a transac- tion that occurred months ago, thousands of transac- tions ago. Guilty until proven innocent. Cigarettes kill. There is no need for cigarettes, only a want. My business sells cigarettes because the market demands them. I sell cigarettes 10 make a profit so that my bills get paid. The business as an entity docs not care who gets hurt when cigarettes are used, but I do and the public does. Ban cigarettes. The government hates cigarettes, the public hates cigarettes and yes, businesses hate selling the legalized drug, too. Oh, wait. Our country pulls in hundreds of millions of dollars off the tax-paying nicotine addict every year and this money goes to schools, hospitals and govern- ment institutions that non-smokers use, too, We can’t COUNTERCLOCKWISE, from above: the Gitlaxdax ban cigarettes from Canada, Sayt Kiilim Goot Nisga’a dancers; the Skeena mall If we can't ban cigarettes from being sold, we might clowns; tha Terrace inn Gigi's Pub float; Priscilla as well launch a very profitable crusade against Pratt, Mary McFarland and Betty Demmitt of the ; businesses that have no choice but to sell them, since Happy Gang centre; Luke Bahm and his sister Kelsey © every other business does. Bahm, Colter Bahm and Andrea Stefanik. We'll fine those caught selling to minors and this will Saturday’s Riverboat Days parade was a hit with be approved by the public because nobody likes to see the crowd. Participants gathered afterwards at the minors getting addicted to cigarettes, Legion hall for the parade's award presentations. After all, it’s not the governments’ fault that kids are The prize for best overall float went to the Terrace smoking. It’s not the parents” fault. Its the business Inn's Gigi's Pub, community's fault. Since businesses sell them, First place for commercial floats went to Shoppers businesses will be responsible for them. Perfect logic. Drug Mart, while BC Hydro took second and Misty Now just hold the government accountable for all rivers took third piace. alcohol-related deaths due to wife-beating, drinking The City of Prince Rupert won first prize in the non- and driving, fighting, and general tragic violence commercial fioats category, with the Pentacostal resulting from the consumption of alcohol. After all, Sunday School and the Royal Canadian Legion tak- Glen Clark and the NDP own the liquor stores, ing second and third respectively, Ted Sfikas, Terrace, B.C. The Nisga’a Tribal Council won for best group, while Kitsumkalum came in second and Citizens on Who welcomed whom? Patrol came in third, Dear Sir: The Shriners Glub won by default as the only entry Regarding | the comment of provincial negotiator Jack in the best vehicles category. Wee t Ebbels," the ‘Deputy Minister’ of Aboriginal Affairs, ; ‘*,.who was dispatched to his old treaty table earlier this year to bring the deal home, noted the Nisga’a have always said they wanted to negotiate their way into B.C. and Canada, i wonld like to say to the Nisga’a nation, welcome to British Columbia,’ Ebbels said to a thunder of drums and applause.”’ (The Ter- race Standard, July 22, 1998). Perhaps Mr. Ebbels should clarify what he meant. The way it is written, he is actually welcoming the na- tion to B.C., whereas all aboriginal people were in what is now known as British Columbia long before it became known as such by the Europeans. What is wrong here? Poor research, or run-of-the- mouth amidst the emotional celebration? Was this an official statement by the aboriginal affairs minister? Or “was he just stating what he felt personally, taking the fact that one can say anything and still receive thunderous applause? After ail, he is. the provincial negotiator, and what is said, cither at the table, or in public, should be well- thought out so as not to raise concerns, Perhaps it was The Terrace Standard’s way of writ- ing. Was research donc on the comment “‘...the Nisga’a have always said they wanted to negotiate thelr way into B.C. and Canada.”” What ‘‘way’? — traditional? Sharing of resources where there never was sharing by both federal and provincial governments prior to the present? A voice into what the government does to our people? The Standard should put more research into this, and present it to the public in a more responsible manner, clear and concise, not muddled to the point where com- ments could be misinterpreted. Maybe the comment should have been, ‘‘Welcome to the new working partnership with British Columbia’. After all, aboriginal people were instrumental in wel- coming Europeans onto Turtle Island, and what did they do? History is history. Let's not repeat that. Bill Christiansen, Terrace, B.C. Pull over next time Dear Sir: 1 was recently a passerby of an accident. Before we reached the scene, three emergency vehicles had passed our vehicle, From what [ could see our vehicle was the only on to pull off the road to Iet these emer- gency vehicles go by, I know if] were on the cther end waiting for them to arrive 1 would hope that other drivers were being courteous and as helpful as they could be, without knowing the destination of these emergency vehicles. Sometimes it could be as harmless as a cat sluck ina tree, or something as serious as someone fighting for their life. So my hope and prayer is that more drivers will be courteous and pull over the next time they hear a siren or sce an emergency vehicle coming. Mellssa Jaakkola, Terrace, B.C, The Terrace Standard welcomes letters to the editor. Our deadline is noon Friday for the following Wed- nesday’s issue. Our mailing address is 3210 Clinton St, Terrace, B.C. V8G 5R2. Our fax number is 250- 638-8432. We particularly welcome letters via e-mail. Our e-mail address is standard@kermode.net More letters, Page AG