Page 4 EXPRESS October3, 2001 PUBLISHER/EDITOR:Nelson Becker ADVERTISING:KerstinChapman PRODUCTION: Julie Swenson/KentNelson ADMINISTRATION:Kirsten Chapman/KariMagnuson DISTRIBUTION:EugeneSchmunk ISSN 1196-7471 EXPRESS PHONE (250) 354-3910 EDITORIAL 354-1118 OFFICE HOURS Monday to Friday 9 am to 4:30 pm FAX 352-5075 The Express Newspaper is owned by Kootenay Express Communication Corp. E-MAIL express@expressnews.bc.ca Publications Mail Agreement #0654353. Paid at Nelson, B.C. ADDRESS 554 Ward St. Nelson, B.C. VlL 1S9 OPINION A sturdy building The Editor's WAPP'S WORLD BY JOSH WAPP Non-profit groups have to wean themselves from gov- Mailbag Grandparents □f the Future . .. ernment coffers. Government funded ministries can expect to have sig- nificantly less money to operate with this year. While Let's not I REMEMBER education and health are allegedly going to receive their funds without cuts, all other sectors can expect much less forget the HEN THE INTERNET support from the government. Saddam \: z; STARTEb,., IT WAS The tightening of the belt is also going to affect grants and other subsidies to non-profit groups. problem REAL SLOW. ( The decision is made in Victoria. It will be felt f. here. It is gratifying to note that the Director of the Canadian Action - A \ -. There is an existing ongoing government debt. Any r. Network to End Sanctions in Iraq new government always inherits the debt from the previ- ® recognizes Saddam Hussein as a ous government and interest payments must be made. dictator. There has also been some tax reduction for the tax payer However, he should have noted and this means fewer dollars for the government to run that he is a particularly cruel and programs. brutal dictator. Our small rural non-profit organizations face big prob- This was again demonstrated when he was one of the few to /0-0/ lem. Less financial support will mean that many groups will have to cut back on services. It is likely that many of celebrate the mass murders of almost 7,000 people by terrorists us will reach into our pockets to pick up some of the the last weapons inspector in Iraq, Hussein can spend billions of dol- in New York and Washington. slack created by fewer government dollars. It is true that the U.S. govern- would have said that "Iraq has lars on building huge palaces for We need long-term solutions. ment supplied anns to Iraq, but been qualitatively disarmed." himself, but has no money for As long as non-profit groups rely upon government that was du.ring their war with Iraq's military is back to full food and medicine for children. funds, the groups' :finances will always be at that whims Iran, which at that time was a strength, and the UN inspectors We know that Saddam Hussein of the governments in power. threat to the world through terror- were kicked out when they wants to eliminate Israel and five ism (remember, they took over the requested to inspect certain sites. million Jews. What is CANESI's Government money is hard money to get anyway. U.S. embassy and held people If the UN inspectors were position on this? Will they make a Grant applications take up a considerable amount of unable to inspect specific sites, clear statement saying that the time, are usually not very large and are demeaning hostage for over a year). The U.S. government did not how does Scott Ritter know what State of Israel has a right to exist because of the justifications that must be made. is, or is not, hidden there? Did he at peace behind secure borders? I supply poison gas or nuclear A new way to look at the funding of our communities' telephone the Psychic Hot Line? doubt it. weapons information. Saddam idealism must be looked at. Non-profit groups must look did that on his own initiative. Mr. Shannon, in his letter, did Roger Pratt at ways to become self-sufficient and free of the need for It is strange that Scott Ritter, not explain how it is that Saddam Nelson government funding. There are several possible ways and many groups do rely upon other non-governmental funding. Let's take a hard look at reasons Some groups will have to become businesses. The Nelson Leafs Bottle depot is one example of how it can behind attacks on United States be done. The profit they make on the bottle depot goes to It really is something to get one's head around And I wonder what the message is: Be very, very supporting the team. They just supply a service and they the idea that someone out there would even think afraid, or, Come fight! get paid for it. about doing such a thing, let alone be angry I fear this event will be used by the US to commit enough and clever enough and uncaring enough further acts of violence around the world and will Running a business is risky and cannot be done over to actually pull it off. someday be remembered not as a great tragedy but as night. Non-profit groups are experts at what they do. Along with the physical violence there is a psy- merely the first volley of a long, long war. Some will also have to become experts at entrepenaur- chic and social violence that is difficult to fathom. I fear for the young. For the people who are going ship. Government funding should be looked at as help to Someone is definitely attempting to seriously about their lives, doing the best they can and who will build a foundation. undermine the stability of the US and every other undoubtedly be the victims of what is to come. Upon that foundation can be built a sturdy self-stand- nation. I do not believe there is any way to justify what ing building. I find the absurdity, not only in the carnage, but occured. It is unforgivable. However, I do not believe in the fact they pulled it off on the ninth day of the that going out, hunting down and killing the people eleventh month (911) and hit the targets they hit, behind it is an answer. the banking and military symbols of America. Yes, it is important to know who did this, but it is Like a cruel joke they seem to have thought of more important to know why. I fear however that what everything. will ensue will not be a measured and careful investi- Letters to the Editor guidelines: Too bad such smarts and attention to detail was gation with a design to ensure it never happens again. We encourage our readers to write to us. not applied to feeding the hungry or housing the Instead, I expect it will be a get-even exercise designed Please address letters meant for publication to the Editor. We do not accept homeless. to inspire similar fear and instability. open letters. Letters must be short {200 words maximum) and to the point We reserve the right to edit letters, and the decision to publish or not to publish is I have so many thoughts, I cannot write them Looking at this, I cannot help but think things do completely at the discretion of the Editor and Publisher. here. I fear the US reaction will be one of not bode well for this world. And I can only hope there Commentaries can be longer (500 words maximum) and are more in"depth extreme prejudice and result only in more attacks are enough sane and sober people in the world to urge than letters. If you wish to write a commentary, please contact the Editor. of a similar nature. I fear the US government will the sort of caution and restraint and good sense that All letters and commentaries must be signed and include your name, not look at their actions and how they have pro- will be required to put a permanent end to these acts of address and phone number. We will not print "name withheld" letters. voked this type of reaction. I fear there will be desperate violence. Opinions in the Express are not necessarily those of the publisher or the Express advertisers. more killing and more fires and more terror on Will Webster innocent working people. Kaslo