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6 - The Canaian Champion, Fniday, December 10, 2004 *The Canadian Champion lNil i Ont I li t) , M' fi , Ir 3B-4ý , , ,l, i ii .31 I . 1 o 1',a13i , 131 (905> 878-2341 33,i .1! [ 3 Ian Oliver I>oblisher , ,,31 iln.. n.-, 1:ýý,. ....... 3,., Pl, I., ffl iii il, ~ th 1,333.31. leri f amis up),, vt>., When will they listen? Yrii'1 ->)I IF 1 TIINK OFANMMING EL.SE, 11LL TEXTMESSALE ,1 IT TO YOU if ' Eaclî yas at thîs tinie, Mother's Agaîttst i)runk ivttg stops ap its poigitant anti- drinkian anîd drivitig message. Anîd. cacît y car at thts lune, Haltoît Regiottal Police Service and the OPP kick off iheir autual RID)E Reduce lImpaired Drivtttg Everymbore camipaigns. We wonder if there miii eser ho a fiie ýheît ail drivers pay heod to the very stm- pie reftain: If you drink, don't tdrive. Toronto police thts mýeok are luvestigat- tttg the cîrcunistaitees surrouttding a honi- tytttg accidet tai laîmed tlie lnes rtf three îeetts. Alcohol inay ftave heen a fac- tor tn the crash. Another Chrisias. atiother sad story of faîntly and frienils nuttîh wîth grief. While tlruîtk drtvtng fatalities occur througftouî tr year. the holiday period is the mtist dattgerous f'or tlîîs type of accit dent. Too ofteiî at famtily get-togethers tir other festtve parties, alcohol is ctinsutîîed ti large quantities. Fotr thîîse situls mfto donît know mîteti they have reacheil thetr lmit. it's up to lrieîîds atîd relatives to ensure they dontt gel hcltttîd the a% hec o f' a car. P,îy fîtr a caO, divse thetît hotett y ourseîf tor let (hint sta> tiser Tîtesc arejast a fevm casy m îys 10 prevotît a tragedy. 'Wc tîetl to invîtîso escryttîe it the f tghî to stop impatreil drîving tri etîsure our roads arc sale." says Joîf Gareau, presîdett oif the Halton/Peel Chupter otf MADD. Titis is a national tragedy in Canada anîd me tîeed yoîtr hclp tii end tl. Without a dîîuht MADD and thec police have mnade itroads iii reduciîîg the tturher ofi inidents învolviîîg druitk drivers. But a slow decline isn't gonîd onougli. We don't undersîand why utyone mould play Russian roulette mîîh theîr ltves and tlic lises of others. Andl if me dotî-t utîder- stand i., you can Oct police and tiiedical persontnel don't either. Sti tOuts m'hy you utîl continue 10 sec these randoîn RIDE cfhecks. To adil a unique twist 10, the RIDE prograni. MADD and the police are îeaming up to spread the anti-drinkîng anîd driviug message. Tomnorrow night and tiesi Frîday, MADD voluitcers miii join Halton Regional Police officers ait the sohriety checkpoints. TOe OPP RIDE/MADD date is set for tonight. If you happenti bch stoppeil dîîrîng the canîpaîgu.yiii îoitay manît tii îfîatk the ptolice tîflîcers and MADD fic plaeitng a svalue titi your hle. * Our Reu-«--a dà(Er s Writ e Racial comment at parade very offensive Dear Edilor: My kids and i aîiended the Milton Santa Claus Parade. We were ail looking iorward to tl hocause tis mas ur firsi parade tn Milton since moving here several months ago. As we matched the groups pass and mccc ail] having a gond lime, a teettage girl in the cromd sîîddeuly yelied out a racial commnîtt to a passerhy. Then noticing me, the girl gase nie a look of dîsgust. i conldn't holieve the ignorance and ciosed-mindedness tif tis per- son. i mas stunneil Occause îlot îmniy id happen lii ho of the samne cul- turc she mas însuling, Oui i alsît hadu't heard ihai word nsed in more ihan 211 years. i"m angcrcd ihat thîs girl mould Oring 0cr prejudîces oui in a place where there are so many chtîdreit. My lour-ycar old son overheard 0cr commet and tl upset nie mhen ho tumned iti me andl satd. 'Mommy.y mhat does that word meun'?' You'd îhink tOut this girl. who appeared iii Oc about 17 ycars tîld. moulil Ochave hotter. i hope that parents and sohools iry Ioi put a stop to the spread of racîsmn anid lech chîldrcn 10 respvct anîd accept ail races. This sfîtuld Oc taught early tnitin elementary schools and continue lin ihrîîuglt hîgO sclîoois. So iii the girl mho made tOe com- ment, i hope you read ihis letter anid undcrstand hom hurtful yîîu more. Mayho m tth mitre cluicaîttîn art( amareness ytuî'ii iveorie yrîîît prejudices tîmard other cultures. hecause tt's so sud tii sec that somte- one so yîîutg carnies such igno- rance. K. Chung Milton Thnere's lots to learnfrom the real Sauta Claus It's hogîîttîîg Io looik attand stîurd - a lot ltke Chritmîas ail tiser Militon. Christmas lîghls. Carollers. Dieî-iorhidden fotîîts. TOcy're ail a part of that sti callef 'magie* tifChrtstînas. Nia ti mntiotîn lamîly andl fienls. Here ai the Champioîn office. f 's clear that itur Chritmas spirit is tn fine f ort. Onie of our reporter,, purchaseil three mini Christmas trees t'or oiir oiffice. TOe tther botught the tîmamenîs to decorate 10cm. And another decided Christmas just m% asuli Chrîsîmnas mithoat ailseni caiendars 10 mark lte excîlîng counîdomu. We even have our omu Sauta Claus of sorts, siho m'as sneaking around and ieaving chocolates in the sîockings mesve hnng mith care on our cubîcie partitions. To tell you thc trulh. ive neyer bie a big fan of Santa Clans. Why celehrale a lat olil guy who gives îoys mhen I eau celehrale Goi son being sent to oarthin ta Oay ftîmî Orîngtîîg m itI huîm tOc host gîft tif ail, elemal lite. But somethîug i read t0e other day made nie marmi up iii Sauta Claus. AIthougO 1 i he O stor oif tOe jolly îîld bIlla hail its roots tn itistory. i dîdu't knom the detaîls. Atnd. hey, if i didu't kuom% thc delaîls. ihere are Ooud 10 ho others alsti in the dark. Sauta Clans mas aclaally a man nameil Nîcholas. who mas a Oîshop in Myra, m'lîch is nom' Turkey. Bîshop Nicholas is holieveil 10 hase hoen a m'ealthy man mho devoteil mach of hîs lîfe to helping others and mas kuomu for gîvîng pros- culs to poor chiidrcn. He reportcdly dîed on Decemhor 6. arouni 3.30 A.D. -mhîch came 10 mark the hogînnîng of tOc medievai Christmas seuson. Ris morks %me, weil-reuîemhored andl tOc man so revered. that some coantries adopted hîm, Around town as their patron saint. When Duich seltiers came Io the United States in the 1600s, they brought wtth them their saint, known to them as Sinter Nikolass. It mas short- cned to Sinter Klaas and. wtth common use say Sinter Klaas five times fast -eventually became Santa Claus. Over lime, varions authors and illustrators transformef Suuî,i Clausto tic mati mhO cao ho tu ut: uuy mail uc,îr Christmas tîme a soit- or. nmire approachahle version. (310cr tales of thc tîrîgîi ofi Santa Claus inelades that il a wealîhy fittie boy nameil Nîchtîlas humn ta about 255 A.D. Accîring tît tOc legenuf, hîs parents dîid when ho m'as yotung. aind Oc mas lefi mîth ail iheir w ealth. Ho thîtaght tOe host use 0f 10e money mu', to share il mith others less f ortuntate. Okay. so Santa Claus is prctty cool. alihough i stili tink hes io mtoach for thc ctimpetitiou. Rcgardicss let*s ail remember tOut gîvîug te, others is one of the host thîngs mc can do -ai Christmas, and year round. Thero's noîhîng lîke gîvîng to *put a hop tri yîîar stcp andl a twtukle iu yoar cyc tajil f rom Santa. Make sure you include your namne, address and telephone number when submitting a letter to the editor for publication. Il 111 11 , q l u 1 Ij f 1 [ , , ! 11 j G 11 t i j, Il 1 ', 1 - ' 1 l The Mfitooý Canaffi- rhampon ý a RecycJable Prod t IF I«b,