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www.oakvillebeaver.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, July 16, 2010 · 6 OPINION & LETTERS The Oakville Beaver 467 Speers Rd., Oakville Ont. L6K 3S4 (905) 845-3824 Fax: 337-5571 Classified Advertising: 632-4440 Circulation: 845-9742 --Open 9-5 weekdays, 5-7 for calls only Wed. to Friday, Closed weekends 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: Canadian Circulation Audit Board Member THE OAKVILLE BEAVER IS PROUD OFFICIAL MEDIA SPONSOR FOR: Recognized for Excellence by Ontario Community Newspapers Association Suburban Newspapers of America Canadian Community Newspapers Association ATHENA Award NEIL OLIVER Vice ­ President and Group Publisher of Metroland West The Oakville Beaver is a division of Media Group Ltd. DAVID HARVEY Regional General Manager JILL DAVIS Editor in Chief ROD JERRED Managing Editor DANIEL BAIRD Advertising Director RIZIERO VERTOLLI Photography Director SANDY PARE Business Manager MARK DILLS Director of Production MANUEL GARCIA Production Manager CHARLENE HALL Director of Distribution SARAH MCSWEENEY Circ. Manager Get a life -- jacket The long-range forecast for the rest of the summer is a continuation of what we've seen so far-- warm days and loads of sunshine. That's good. However, the great, if perhaps a bit sticky for some, weather means more time around the pool, boating on the lake and hitting any of the beaches in Ontario. That's both good...and bad. Any body of water poses inherent risks and so far this summer we have seen far too many examples of the dangers water poses. Last weekend alone in Ontario there were three separate drownings involving victims from ages 31-84 as well as a near drowning of a toddler. Prior to that three youngsters drowned in the space of a week. Undoubtedly, there will be more sad tales this summer. In most cases drowning is preventable, especially when it is a result of a boating accident or involves a youngster. Personal flotation devices -- life-jackets -- are recommended to be used anytime you climb aboard a boat and especially if you or your child is an inexperienced swimmer. The seconds it takes to put one on or the minor inconvenience it causes could mean the difference between living and dying. It's that clear-cut. The week of July 19-25 is National Drowning Prevention Week and the Lifesaving Society (www.lifesavingsociety .com) offers a plethora of programs and tips for residents on how to avoid a tragedy. In light of recent water tragedies, Ontario's Chief Coroner, Dr. Andrew McCallum, urges all Ontarians to exercise caution when around water. He offers the following basic rules to consider when enjoying our waterways and recreational swimming facilities: · Learn to swim - Swimming is a basic life skill that everyone should be taught regardless of age. · Wear a life-jacket or a personal flotation device (PFD) even if you are a strong swimmer as fatigue can set in very quickly. · Adults should closely supervise children at all times when enjoying water activities. Children can drown quickly and quietly so adults are reminded to stay close constantly. · Don't drink and drive when boating. McCallum recommends that Ontarians who wish to learn more about staying safe in and around water contact the Lifesaving Society, the Red Cross or other similar organizations in their area. For anyone who loves the water, these simple tips could one day save your life or that of someone you love. 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 416-3401981.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. Letter to the editor Writer should apologize Re; Premier should apologize, Oakville Beaver, July 8. What the writer, Brian Hopkins, clearly ignores with his selective editorialization is that: elected international government delegates at the G20 and police officers are, in most cases, custodians of democracy. Unlike the writer's agents and his self-appointed obstructionists, such officials have a clear and duly-elected mandate to act in our best interest and to safeguard the peace, which we rightfully pay them to uphold and safeguard for our institutions both private and public. In other words, there are two sides to the constitutional coin of checks and balances in our freedoms of expression. The G20 marches in Toronto were far from a peaceful protest which our constitution also provides for. In the Canadian constitution there is no reference that suggests "the right of assembly" or the "right of protest" gives individuals the rights to obstruct or instigate mob rule to create mischief, abuse the police and destruction of property -- contrary to the writer's argument against some of the defensive actions of the police to maintain law and order during the marches. I also noted there were no references in his letter to picks, sticks and sign stakes that were used repeatedly to club officers; no reference to hammers or blunt instruments used to destroy private and public property; camouflaged dressed or spray bombs to conceal criminal acts by the Black Bloc; bricks, stones, sling shots, baseball bats or even steel toed boots used to destroy public and private property. In closing we must also ask the writer and his cronies where they were when the Black Bloc highjacked their "passive protests." Let's stop abusing the agents of democracy with phony pretexts and give them the credit they so righty deserve. ANGELO SGABELLONE,OAKVILLE 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. Air conditioners useful during heat alert Re: When will people realize we are the problem?, Oakville Beaver, July 9 As the heat reached record high from July 5-8, people turned their air conditioners on to keep cool. This was also recommended mostly for seniors and young children. I am very surprised that Heather Elliott would even suggest that people turn off their home air conditioner and drive with their windows down when we had a high heat alert and were told to keep cool by either being inside an air conditioned place or a water park/splash pad. I strongly believe there are more then two clothing lines in Oakville but I can not see what's in people's backyards, perhaps you can. I wonder if you have a car, a washing machine, a dishwasher, etc? I'm sure you have one of these. We're not all perfect but we do our part to contribute to a better future for our children and for ourselves. MARCELA INZIRILLO, OAKVILLE BY STEVE NEASE neasecartoons@gmail.com Pud