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PAGE 6 _ WATERLOO CHRONICLE WEDNESDAY. MAY 4 Snead Class Mail urghtrzlum Number The death of little Gary Murphy of nearby Bridgeport at Toronto Sick Children's hospital last week is indeed another in the long list of tragic events stemming from the institution the past two years. Members of the fourth estate pride themselves on their little bag of golden rules which they carry around, at the ready to be trotted out in a moment's notice, usually for their own defence. _ - ""iiGiiiiijr a; sad, the death of Murphy touched off a multi-ring media circus that has resulted in one of blackest eyes in recent times for the Journalism professionalism. One such rule is that good journalism originates not from the heart, but from the head. We agree. Many, many stories are difficult for reporters tarinvestigate, editors to push for and papers to print or electronic media to broadcast, yet they represent that which is newsworthy and the public is deserving of the exposure. But the ensuing charades after the death of the Murphy child due to elevated levels of digoxin have served a useful purpose to no one. Not the industry, the public nor Sick Kids' itself, a marvellous facility which in time will for certain rise above this string of unfortunate events. Just imagine. Reporters calling various parents of children who died at the hospital "in hopes" of substantiat- ing the initial rumor. Flowers being re-arranged on the child's grave by a television crew to present them "more photogenic". One of this nation's supposedly well-respected newspapers attributing the death to homicide, according to unnamed police sources, almost two weeks before such confirmation could possibly be made. A researcher from the CBC illegally gaining access to the sealed-off ward under phones pretences. Journalism's inmates. on the rampage. But another in that precious bag of journalistic golden rules is "get it right first, but first, get it right." The contempt this industry has shown for that little axiom, whether in the guise of "investigative" Journalism, or simply to "outscoop" the opposition, is dreadfully inexcus- ab e. And all the while, over in Bridgeport sit Brian and Cathy Murphy. Gary's parents. Yes. wanting their sort's death probed to necessary bounds, But also adding the ultimate touch of logic and sound reasoning by questioning the homicide angle and professing their continued faith in the hospital. ..,......,,.. _ . Our hearts go out to them And bless them, in their time of grief. for supplying a lesson for us all. Most peoplt- begin to lose their 59mm. if not their senw. as the passing ye'ars exact their toil Sight. smell, hearing. tirittr and touch grim less acute. steadily but mmmr ably, in most of ur, This didn't bother Im- much 1reafrtess runs In the family My nusv has been broken so often that I can't smell much, and this affects my last" buds I lhoughl touch and sigh! would last forever. or at least to the graxv Touch is still pretty good If I touch a hot burner on the stove. or thc cold now of a dog, I ran tell the difference But since they started usmg that tiny print in books and newspapers. I've had to rely on spew lo read, and even on the highway. they wvm lo have pygmwx painting the signs thes" days What disturbed mo was that my Mfr seemed to be failing rapidly Stu- has always been noted for having "y'" like a hawk. ears like a deer, and a now ' a bloodhound The nose is still there Slu- can sniff an The lesson BILL SMILEY DUDIIShed every Wednesday by Fairway Press, a dwusnon ot Kitchener-Waterloo Record Ltd., owner 225 Fairway Rd.S., Kitchener, Ont, Waterloo Cnvomcle omce Is healed an the Harem. Haney and wvme Law tytttue am (tau Mime. none: ttooo Pumas nt the (ear ' . the building Open Monday to Friday 9 00 a m to 5 00 p m address curresWnce to Waterloo oNice an, SI F. V Waterloo, Ont NN IL7, tetephom' use at“; illicit beer at forty yards. She knows exactly when I haven't had a bath for a week or washed my hair for a month But recently her sight and hearing seemed to be growing dimmer and foggier It was strange It seemed to be much worse in the TV room. She could still hear the top coming off a beer bottle in the kitchen when she wa> upstairs with two closed doors between She could still see a speck of dust on a surface I'd swear was pristine However, when We were watching TV, the deterioration began to show At first. I was always hollering at her to turn up the sound, or try to sharpen the picture She'd retort that I was getting deaf and blind Then she herself got fed up with the shadowy picture and the inaudible sound track, and I noted with some satisfaction the failing of her Laculties We just looked at each other a'skanee I think that's the word. At any rate, there wasn't much shance in us We felt pretty much the way one would feel if the doctor Publisher: Paul Winkler Manager: Bill Karges Editor: Rick Campbell Cs:, Hear ye, hear ye them." "We thought when we crossed the border we'd see something different, that we could tell we were in another country. The only difference is that at McDonald's the containers have French on " is written told om' that a favorite aunt had terminal cancer I mean. we had lived with this old girl for fourteen you.» We had almost come to blows over whether She would watch Dallas or I would watch a real. unreal Western We had settled family problems of great moment. during the commercials. Our grandboys had sucklvd at this fount of pap. and thrived. turning into incredible hulks. Batman and Robin. Darth Vader. To just throw her out into the dump would be like throwing your library out. burning your Encyclopedia. ripping up Plato and Hegel and Kant - that's a law firm that has given us a lot of trouble An end to all culture in the home. Well. we had to steel ourselves. but we did it Just as one mrows a beloved aunt to the wolves, we let the brutal TV men come and carry her off to an unknown grave. still alive. but barely; still whispering. Thgn Ham}: the Ema! wrench, How to replace her There was a confab that lasted all day. We certainly weren't uomgl to just go out and buy the first thing on the market. After all. we weren't born yester- day You can't handpick your family, But you' sure can be choosy over your TV set, thank goodness ( So what did we do" We went out and bought the first om- we saw. after judiciously flicking it on and off sevvrol times. You can't even kick the tires on a TV But " has remote control, Now. we're really going to light about who sees what. I'll just be settled into Hill Street Blues when my wife. deliberately and mali. ciously, will switch to one of those dreary. endless. stupid soaps she thrives on Oh. well, There's no such thing as an ll wind. At least we've got our sight am hearing back. Like murder mysteries? Watch for " Remote Control Button Murder _ Centerville. Uhio high school student Robin Steinberg vommenting on her impressions of Waterloo. --SHE PAGE 5