our readers speak out

LETTERS TO ED.

The CASCADE Welcomes Letters To Ed. All Letters must be typed and double spaced, and include your name, phone# and student#. All Letters will be published verbatim.

On Free Trade, Water Export, and the future of Canada. Free Trade advocates like to remind us that there is nothing in the F.T.A. of the N.A.F.T.A. which compels Canadians to sell their water, and it's technically correct. What isn't brought up is that there is nothing in the deals that would prevent governments or entrepreneurs from redirecting water to south of the border; this is the problem. Now that Americans (from the state of Missouri) own the West Kooteney Power and Light Company - with all its dams and water rights, it's just a matter of time before they sell Canadian water to their fellow citizens in America. Once this happens, section 409 of the F.T.A. kicks in and states: -Canada could not reduce the export volume unless we cut back on our own domestic consumption by an equivalent amount. - We must ensure the price paid by Canadians is equal to the American price. - Under no circumstances (even in domestic crisis) can Canada restrict the 'normal' supply of good. What a historical achievement for the Americans! It all hinges on this 'National treatment' non-sense which means Americans must be treated as if they're Canadians -with regard to all trade transactions: Outrageous! U.S. interests consider the North Thompson water diversion project to be the first 'test case' for the sale of Canadian water under Free Trade: the prop-Osal would see a million acre feet of water funneled to California annually. It is clear that Americans want our water, and selling them some is not necessarily a destructive development, as long as ownership and control is not compromised for our future generations. The F.T.A., however, guaranties the Americans a constant flow of Canadian water (once the precedence is established) and a price that can not be raised above the price offered to Canadians! It is our responsibility to ensure that, when Canada's population is a billion plus, our children have legal access to enough water to meet their ever increasing needs. In the new world order, the new world gold is water, and if we manage our 'gold' judiciously, we'll be selling vegetables to Californians; just think of the employment possibilities that the B.C. Hothouse Empire would offer. My dad always says: "if your neighbour is thirsty for water, you should give him a bucketful to tide him over. If he needs some more, sell him some more -but~ put his hand on the pump!" He also says "nothing is free." The Free Trade deal effectively puts the American handontheCanadianpump. Wendy Holme, former B.C. director of the Agricultural Institute of Canada, has described what must be done to remove the American hand from our pump, or as she puts it: to ensure future Canadian sovereignty (control) over water resources: 1) Canada must press for an explicit N.A.F.T.A. exemption for water in 'other than bottled form.' 2) Canada needs to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the_United States which specifically limits the terms of the F.T.A. to 'only bottled water.' 3) Canada needs to re-introduce and pass the Canadian Water Preservation Act. [Bill 156] Please write to our politicians, and demand that Wendy Holme's three steps to sovereignty be taken by our government before our children can't afford the American price of Canadian water. As well, in the name of Canadian National Security, the West Kooteney Power and Light Co~pany must be expropriated from the Americans, and future foreign ownersr..ip of our utilities must be prohibited by the law. For more info on the destructive forces of the F.T.A.,

Phone: (306) 244 5757 or Fax: (306) 2443790

J. Hills

To the Editor,

Last spring, Commander Kim called us all illiterate S.0.B.s and we all shuddered - it seems pretty ironic. We as the common electorate continually ask for truth in our politicians yet, when one speaks their mind or gives us the straight talk on issues like unemployment we reel, and even condemn the same. It was the same Prime Minister who announced early in the election campaign that unemployment was high but the government didn't have the power to solve the problem; it is common economic sense that the government cannot create jobs ( on a level to correct unemployment, yet critics quickly noted that such sincerity would be catastrophic in so far as gaining votes. Perhaps, we should take our growing cynicism and direct it towards some education, so that statement like Prime Minister Campbell's about a largely economically and politically illiterate electorate is not the harsh, but sincere truth.

Mark Hampel

To Ed.

A reply to Cheryl,

I applaud your attempts to unify the lesbian community at U.C.F.V. However, I find your choice of words offensive as both a woman and someone who has ties to members in your community.

The word" dyke" is a somewhat derogatory slang word used to classify lesbians. Those outside the lesbian community use it as an insult and it is often a marker of one's intolerance for lesbians. The lesbians I know object strongly to that word being used to describe them. You are perhaps shooting yourself in the foot in your attempt to provide a safe environment for lesbians to come out in. I know of no lesbian who would consider" coming out" into an environment where the word "dyke" is being bandied about both by homo- and heterosexuals. Silence indeed equals death, if not .of the body certainly of the spirit. By no means am I trying to refute your statistics but I do take exception to your use of the word "wimmin." To me this is an examp le of misdirected feminist energy. The feminist movements have larger issues to worry about/ work on whether or not the word "man" is in their gender. · As a feminist, I work for equality, of both self and opportunity. Iworkforwomen'sgroups and issues. Breast cancer, rape, aids, and abuse are far more important and by no means is this list of issues short. If I was to worry about whether or not the word "man" was in my gender I would have less time to worry about the real issues. Are you that insecure in who you are that you are bothered by the noun used to describe your sex? Get real! You sound like a powerful woman who is getting things done. Think of all the energy you could focus on important issues if you stopped focusing on things of truly no consequence. A danger in the feminist movement is the continued focus on the past. It cannot be changed. Instead our daughters of today and tomorrow need to be guided and there is need of a safe world for them to be guided through. This is my focus and my goal and I will do my damnedest to see that this safe world is realized. A world where you and our sisters can grow and learn, living equally with men.

A fellow student and a fellow woman.

Dear Ed.

I would like to place a "lost, but hopefully found" ad in the student newspaper. The item that I fear lost is the new student government here at U.C.F.V. I wonder if maybe they lost their way coming back from summer break. I do not know. But I've looked high and low on this campus and they are not to be found. Oh, I've caught a few fleeting glimpses of them, but they are usually going in the other direction. If the student society is reading this, there is still time to redeem yourselves, but the hours are ticking away. All we ask for is a little representation and maybe a voice for those of us who have none. Hey-we elected you so we do have faith in you. If you need a little help all you have to do is ask. There is nothing to fear, we won't bite. Unless of course you fail to answer this ad ..... .

A concerned student.