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6 - The Canadian Champion, Friday, February 18, 2005 *The Canadiean Champion Oni (t. 1-)], 4Nt S878-2341 Circulation:90-7 it Ian Olivier Putblisher Neil oirer i i ni laie i>l h Jli Ihenis C/,, ii /ti' Karen Smith lliging cii C/it WendvMcNab .letii iîî fu t 'Fini t'orles Piîîin, tîi ilutii) Charlene Hall D.nhîiî kîîi i Teri ILasas <>1>' c M.iîic.' The Canaiiian iChampion i hîtîît ', irii - .ý 11 , ,i l'i SI ï'l Uil it 'li'i ll 11 o (o MM lI[, l' h ii i i l id i 1',i 't'oi ii , t.i t i li' ihn<i' t JIt "i - nl Mtî'îîîiloiidtttî attttiit ntanitia eînî tnt inui nitii d n tittit ont 1Ot<.n t ii t'l, tVen item n îî/îttîî ruit, a tnîthi , i iýintttii 1ii 'ti/t iit Litit tint ,' h AIen t,,l iii i naptit oui tie a i itittt't titi nou * -- i titi at/i< t cabr e tIre ntnlsn'i tttui'ie hergi tnt /it ii,e i ivetifftiiitits ori Eitornt a ndîî a/nittintnioncntent t Titi Canitti i hiiniiii ni protetîîtîî byicpyight itiaithiii, tse îîittîîtîîie( The Mitn Canaiean Chin os a litiyiiaitî Pindîii Ik Both sides 10 blame With the National Hockey League being the fiî'st professional sports league to cancel an entire season. one wonders. what's next? There*s no "right' side. Both owners and players share elqoal blame for tbis fiasco. Fans should considier how things got to, this state. Millionaire players have blindly fol- lowed union boss Bob Goodenow down the "salary-cap-or-die" road. They defiantly say they won't play under conditions that could limîit their salary tc $5 to, 8 million a year. but will gladly play in mincir leagues that lemnit their salary 10 $10.000 and take jobs away froin others. They won't put the issue to a vote among memrbers in the event the slightest crack in solidarity shows. Billioinaire owneri have blindly fol- lowed coninmissioner Gary Bettman down the "cost-certainty-or-die' lane. They demand a bard salary cap, alwayi being careful to avoid using that phrase, while admitting they can't control (or trust) the raicl within theer group fromi overspending. They require an idiot-proof systemi tor problemis they theniselves created. The fans -the ontes ssho pay the players' salaries and filI the owners' buildings m nalter not a wbit 10 either side. a fact many fans are now realizing. How cisc do you explain the fact that nîany fervent hockey tans arenit suffer- ing withdrawal during this lockout? Wbere is the great public outer'? Have tans finally corne to thc realeza- tion they have been paying top dollar for a product that bas too miany teamis. t00 rnany players ot questionable talent and pronmotes a style of play that does everything to prevent skilled players froni excelling? Hockey has always ranked somei where between high sehool cbeerlead- ing and bass fishirig on the lI-S. popu- larity radar. Perhaps. as Canadians. we're sceing that our Amierican triends knew something we didnt We cao oIl hope that when the puck does drop again the NUL hias a nens look - and new leadership on botb sides. P IUIESIUI *Our Readers Write Bill C-38 oisn't an anti-marriae nproposition Dear Uditor: This letier is tii the creators of flice tlyer enîitled 'A message Io ail Halion tamilies' and dtstrtbuîed by 'Concemned Canadiani Parents'. I jusi tinished reading yîîît flyci reLgarding ssbai vîmu caîl te 'anti- marniage' fasx. Bill C-38 ss'hich proposes 10 aftord same-sex cou- pIes the nighi Io marry -isn't att anti-marriage lais. Claiming su and spreading propaganda stating as mucb ls. in my opinion. both mis- leading and irresponsible. The flyer siaies îbaî allowing same-sex couples Io rnarry, which is ishat this is really about. will spell disasier for the moral and social weltare of our country and desiroy the roots of Caniada's 'living treer, Gîve me a break. Making nnarriage more inclusise doesn't change a damn ibing about the cîimmitent mnade betisecîtiwo people. If soieone slîghtly aliered the îîeîîîîioî of' liose, aiol tai change boss you feel about your lus cd ones?! Not af chance. You can't convince mie ihai any- tbîng wsîuld be differerit about ho\lw you mrci. taîl in love, make a comn mitnment and raise a family beccause of' a more inclusive definition ot marniage. Deliniteons are meant to bc aliceel as socieiies change and esolve, If this ssasn't so, înly white fen would he allovsed 10 vuole, be educated or owsn property in ibis country. Women and other minorîties wouldn'i bet classifed as cetizens. but aîs property or second-class ciii- ,ens. The hest way to find peace in ibis world is to nil only accepi but embrace otîr diflereetees. raiber iban foi tbieatened hv tbem. AIl people baise iuch Io offret, regnardless of glendei. race. physecal ability or sex- ualtty. and sse aIl have mauch îo Iocani. Il thiese people are iruly con- cerned aibout ibeir tamelies. I belese the energy put into ibis issue ssiîild be far more construc- tsve in a tîght l'or dlean air and saller anil bealiby fooîd l'or aIl. These are treasures filal are truly ai risk. and wonbh feglbteng for. Karen Copeland Martin Street My marrae won't be weakened if Bill C-38 passes Same-sex marriage bas defenitely become a bot topi around Milton. For the past couple weeks, lenters to, the editor havc Ilowed int our office on the issue, and l'in sure we'll receive many more since Halton MP Gary Carr announced be'll be voting against ite saene-scx marriage bill, or Bill C-38, and our Tuesday editorial endorsed gay marriage. Wbile the editorial acknowledges that i doercs- nit represent the moral views of ail staff. 1 for one support samne-sex marniage. Usve read wiib inieresi in The Champion and the daily newsparfcrs tbe positions on botb sides of the fence and consîdcred îble arguments put forisard bv ibose opposed 10 gay mamrage. I tbink the mosi prominent is that the institution of marniage is the foundation of our socieey and cbanging ils definition would detrimcntally affect our country. l'ml roi going to argue that marriage inn't important. livre bren married for two-and-a-balf years and value il more than anytbing. I sbould also mention tbat 1 tbink eburebes def- initely deserve the rigbt 10 decide if tbey want 10 perform same-sex marriages or not. But, I don't tbink my marriage, or society. are tbreaîened if the govemment ebooses îo, give samne-sex couples the same privelege opposite- sex couples bave, These gay couples already enesi. We sec îbemi walking band-în-band down the street or on TV. We may even live nesi door 10 tbem,. Wbat will change if aIl of a sudden ibat couple es married? Ive struggled to tînd an anssser 10 ibis question l'or a long time. I've also beard the argument that same-se couples sbouldnit be gisen the opportueîîy îo get marrted because they canit have ebjîdren, from here This raises flie qutestion, abilat about ihose bei- erosexual couples tbat. for one reason or anoiber simply can't basic ebjîdren? Should îbey niui be allowed îo gel married? Ai ibis point tn teme. my busband and I don't bave any ebtîdren and are unsure wben we want 10, bave ibemn. but we'rc still viery mach rccog- nized as a manied couple. I consider my mar- niage every bit as meaningful as one wiîb kids. fils even bren mentioned that cbanging the def- inition of marriage 10 include bomosexuals could lead 10 people wanting 10 marry tbeir dog cal, etc... I tbink mont people realize this isn't the case. In a recent Toronto Star article, a Vaughan man sajd be opposes same-sex marniage because be belireves homosexuals cboose tbeir pariners oui of -sexual sport or fantasy.' I strongly oppose the belief that gays choose io he gay. As souneone lioiho bas a Iew gay friends, l'm positive îbey didn*t chiiose to make theer limes bard, If it sas up io tbent. ibey would lose to aust blend in \vith the crowd, ensiead of brîng rtdiculed. pusbed around and, in one case. even pelîed witb glass botules. fils hîgb time ise remember sse lise in a coun- try wbere equal rigbts are extended to everyone.