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6- The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday September 13, 2006 www.oakvillebeaver.com OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5567 Classified Advertising: 845-3824, ext. 224 Circulation: 845-9742 Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: IAN OLIVER Publisher NEIL OLIVER Associate Publisher JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor KELLY MONTAGUE Advertising Director DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Manager TERI CASAS Business Manager MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution ALEXANDRIA CALHOUN Circ. Manager Metroland Printing, Publishing & Distributing Ltd., includes: Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser, Alliston Herald/Courier, Arthur Enterprise News, Barrie Advance, Brampton Guardian, Burlington Post, Burlington Shopping News, Caledon Enterprise, City Parent, Collingwood/Wasaga Connection, East York Mirror, Erin Advocate/Country Routes, Etobicoke Guardian, Flamborough Review, Georgetown Independent/Acton Free Press, Harriston Review, Huronia Business Times, Lindsay This Week, Markham Economist & Sun, Midland/Penetanguishine Mirror, Milton Canadian Champion, Milton Shopping News, Mississauga Business Times, Mississauga News, Napanee Guide, Newmarket/Aurora Era-Banner, Northumberland News, North York Mirror, Oakville Beaver, Oakville Shopping News, Oldtimers Hockey News, Orillia Today, Oshawa/Whitby/Clarington Port Perry This Week, Owen Sound Tribune, Palmerston Observer, Peterborough This Week, Picton County Guide, Richmond Hill/Thornhill/Vaughan Liberal, Scarborough Mirror, Stouffville/Uxbridge Tribune, Forever Young, City of York Guardian One person did make a difference With the fifth anniversary of 9/11 in our thoughts this week, so too are the heroic efforts of firefighters, police officers and ordinary citizens from that fateful day. Unlike our American friends, Canadians are sometimes a little too reserved and humble when it comes to remembering and celebrating its heroes. This weekend, one of Canada's most inspiring acts of heroism -- the Marathon of Hope -- will be remembered for having captivated an entire nation and much of the world for 143 days back in 1980. On April 12 that year, 21-year-old Terrance (Terry) Stanley Fox dipped his artificial leg into the icy north Atlantic water off St. John's, Nfld. Three years earlier, Terry had been diagnosed with a malignant tumour in his right leg that resulted in an amputation above the knee. Determined to beat the disease, Terry envisioned running across Canada in support of cancer research. For four and a half months, he averaged a gruelling 42 kilometres (26 miles) each day, taking him through six provinces. On Sept. 1, outside Thunder Bay, Ont., his dream was halted by the spread of cancer to his lungs. "When I started this run, I said that if we all gave one dollar, we'd have $22 million for cancer research, and I don't care man, there's no reason that isn't possible," he had said. Terry Fox died June 28, 1981. Since his remarkable act of heroism, the Marathon of Hope has generated more than $400 million in Canada and around the world in the name of Terry Fox. In Oakville, organizers are hoping to top last year's participation of 1,494 people, who collected more than $87,738 for cancer research. While we can't all aspire to be heroes, we can still do our part by joining this year's event, or sponsoring someone who is participating. As Fox himself once said,"If you've given a dollar, you are part of the Marathon of Hope." LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The Oakville Beaver welcomes letters from its readers. Letters will be edited for clarity, length, legal considerations and grammar. In order to be published all letters must contain the name, address and phone number of the author. Letters should be addressed to The Editor, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4, or via e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. The Beaver reserves the right to refuse to publish a letter. Change in Afghanistan can only be made at the point of a gun RE: Change in Afghanistan (Oakville Beaver, Sept. 6) Last week's letter failed to remind us that after the Russians pulled out of Afghanistan the Taliban moved in and set up camps for training and exporting terrorists, resulting in 9-11. What will happen in Afghanistan if we and the other countries committing troops to this cause pull out to instead "double our efforts at negotiating a peace settlement?" Will the negotiators take up arms to keep the Taliban from setting up their terrorist training centres? My feeling is that we no longer live in such an innocent world that we can choose to fight only "winnable" wars. The Taliban are savvy to the use of e-mail, internet and access to everything needed to make explosive devices out of elements that can be stored and brought onto planes in containers as small as a shampoo bottle. Being anti-war is honourable. I believe that most all of us are anti-war. But we have to be anti-war and responsible, too. We have to remember that, as our allied leader of UN forces in Afghanistan said last week, we can fight the Taliban in Afghanistan or we can fight them here on Canadian soil. I do not look forward to having my house sandbagged and my water and lights shut off any time soon. But to the most important question -- Why are terrorist groups set on destroying us and our way of life? The main reason, most would agree, is the vast disparity of wealth between our countries, the haves and the have-nots. I agree wholeheartedly with Tina Agrell that what Afghanistan needs is economic development. Until we learn to share with those around the world there will always be those who want to bring us down. Yes, we all want a peaceful solution, but the world is a much more dangerous place than in the Vietnam War years. Today, we do not fight standing armies. The enemy is more of a political party, embedded in the populace we are trying to aid. Until the peace we all wish for comes, we must act responsibly and sometimes, aggressively, to meet these goals. Positive change in Afghanistan will come ­ unfortunately, with the aid of a gun. BERNARD GERMAN The Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate.The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Pud BY STEVE NEASE snease@haltonsearch.com