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PAGE 4, WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 1981, WIIITBY FREE PRESS w h itb yublishedeverwednesday by M.B.M. Publishing and Photography Inc. Phone 669-6111 The Free Press[ luilding Voice of the CLunty Town Michael lan Burgess, Publisher - Managing Editor 11 Brock Street North, l'he only Whitby newspaper independentiy owned and operated by Whitby residents for Whitby residents. P-. Box 206, whitby, O0 Michael J. Knill Community Editor Marjorie A. Burgess Production Manager Karen Thompson Advertising Manager Maling Permit No, 480 Member of the Whitby Chamber of Commerce g. nt. The violence of the world is starting to leave it's mark in Whitby This is a too often asked and too often unan- swered question that has become somewhat of a cliche, but we're going to ask it anyway: "What is the world coming to?" In the last 12 weeks, attempts have been made on the lives of the three most prominent members of the Western World. Last week, an extreme right wing Turkish terrorist shot Pope John Paul Il as he was about to bring the Christian message to the thousands of faithful gathered in Rome's St. Peter's Square. Two weeks ago, another terrorist, this one working probably for the Irish Republic Army caused a bomb to explode within 50 feet of Queen Elizabeth IL. Two months ago, a lone gunman attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. It seems as though terrorist violence is becoming a way of life on this planet and no nation or leader is immune from it. During President Reagan's visit to Canada earlier this year, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that they receive frequent threats on the life of Canadian leaders, especially on that of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. ANCHORMAN FOR GLOBAL NEWS 1 BEST OF, PETER A weelcy news commentary from one of Canada's outstanding news personalities Most weekends I make a point of staying away from the travel sections of Toronto newspapers. The theory being that there's no point in stirring up lusts that can't be gra- tified. I must say that the standard travel fare doesn't hold much allure any more. Eight days at Sam Lord's Castle in Barbados for $210 dollars plus airfare doesn't move me. Neither do the cut-rate Spring flights to Orlando/St. Pete's. But the exotica drives me crazy. One company is running a once-only re-creation of the Orient Express in October. They're using 1920's style railway equipment and promising wonderful cuisine. The fare will be 49 hundred dollars per person, double occupancy from Ist- anbul. Or what about a European bicycle trip - How does Vienna to Salzburg along the Danube strike you? Or Burgundy by bicycle? No prices on these trips, limited to 25 people per group, but they're bound to be relatively reasonable. What about an educational safari in East Africa for 30 days - the flora and fauna of Kenya, Zambia and Zimbabwe? Or a seven day expedition to Newfound- land to look at the great whales in Trinity Bay? Or what is billed as adventure journey to the West Coast to studv the Haida and Kwakiutl indians on the Islands of B.C.? It's a shame that travel has become so interesting at a time when money is so scarce. The idea of ail those trips appeals to me, I must admit, but the one which really wrecked mv weekend was a 16-day tour (f Central Asia - beginning in Moscow and ending in Leningrad, both fas- cinating cities. But like a sandwich, tnie real thing is reserved for the middle - Samarkand, Bukhara, Tashkent - Central Asia, the centre of the world's most fascinating continent for 15 hundred dollars. Just to read the names is to dream. That's not news, but that too is realitv. The world of violence is even invading the peace and quiet of a community such as Whitby and is having an increasing effect on the lives of each of us. Most people are becoming more aware of the need for personal security. Many of us would not think of leaving our homes without locking ail of the doors and windows securely. The same goes for our cars, cottages and other pieces of personal property. Parents are also becoming more concerned over the activities of their children, telling them to be wary of strangers and not to play too far from home - even in broad daylight. The world of violence is also hitting home with increased occurances of vandalism that our schools are suffering. Taxpayers, fearful of crime not only to their property but their persons have demanded from local government improved, stronger more visible police protection. In the Town of Whitby and the Region of Durham the crime rate is up to an alarming level. It seems as though what is happening at the world level with the attacks on world leaders is happening in Whitby and Durham with increased attacks on private individuals through crime. Will this attack on the human race ever stop? That, unfortunately, is an unanswerable question. This alarming situation affects all of us usually in subtle ways that we do not always notice. But there is a gleam of hope - that hope lies in the realm of education and a willingness on the parts of our leaders and ourselves to do something about it. There have been many calls for a strengthening of the Canadian Criminal Code, for the return of the death penalty and for the increase in the strength of our police forces. These things are ail well and good but they will not necessarily mean an end to this problem. However, their implementation will be a step in the right direction. Perhaps the key to this problem lies in educating our children that the use of violence in any form for any reason is wrong for indeed, "those who live by the sword shall perish by the sword." Violence breeds violence. The longer that our society, nationally or internationally, tolerates the growth of terrorism and violent crime the worse the situation will become. And to combat this situation, we will have to become more violent ourselves by arming our police and other security forces to deal with the problem. That is not a solution. Other national and international problems are beginning to seem insignificant when compared to this one. Our economic troubles have partly caused the upswing of crime in Canada. Other causes stem from everything from lack of education to pseudo- political ideologies. Perhaps it is time to take stock of ourselves and our attitudes in society. When someone commits a crime, in reality, we have ail committed that crime because somewhere, somehow, as a society we have failed to deal with this problem. It will not be until we ail strive to combat this problem that it will be overcome. Many of us say that we do not want the violent ways of the world to invade our little piece of it. If we don't act soon, it may well be too late not only for ourselves but for our children and their children after them. It may be unpleasant but it is also true.