Updated, July 14th, 1997
Mussington's Word
by Bill Mussington
ANOTHER BIG MISTAKE
All of a sudden the city of Oshawa finds itself involved in another exercise
in futility.
Ever since an appeal court ruled in favour of toplessness, the people's business
is having trouble making our scale one to ten, as far as the priorities of the city
of Oshawa is concerned. Unfortunately, this is the direction in which the attention
of the electorate is focussed and there's very little that will be done about it.
Toplessness that's it?
The peoples business having lost a lot of ground, will be hard pressed to regain
it's original place among the people who are pre-occupied with obvious parts of
he female anatomy.
We the people are entitled to a much higher level of responsibility from our elected
officials. After all this municipal administration does have a responsibility to
the electorate and that is to serve all of the peoples of this municipality , and
that does not include the imposition of "Personal Preference in areas that
are beyond their mandate".
The most important item to be dealt with at this point is "loss of direction"
due to "Lack of vision on the part of Oshawa City Council. Having asked to
expose my position on toplessness. I wold respond as follows: Toplessness has no
place on the Mussington agenda. Not so long ago the court ruled in favour of the
people who claimed their right to wear or not wear at lest one piece of clothing
covering their tops.. There are those who have trouble with bottomless but then
again people have trouble with everything while most of those things don't mean
a thing in the context of high unemployment and diminishing purchasing and value
of your dollar.
I doubt Oshawa's ability to over ride the decision of the appealing court on toplessness
regardless of the shape or name of the resolution that they put forth:
The city will have to come up with something that is more powerful than the Human
Rights Code to bet the decision of the appeal court and it's conclusion on this
non issue.
My question to the City councillors is -- What are we doing about the toplessness
being advanced at the expense of vulnerable people. How much of our tax dollars
are being spent on this items over which the city has no control over.
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Letters To The Editor
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To The Editor:
This letter is in reference to Mr Nicholson's column dated July 30th. I support
his stand on "It's Your Choice". I feel that we live in a democratic society
and as such we have surtain responsibilities. The laws of the land are there so
that we all develop and live by the same norms. When government starts telling the
population how to think and how to act then we have lost the whole aspect of democracy
and liberty. Mr. Nicholson's column stating that the city is considering passing
by laws prohibiting individuals from expressing a right is not proper. The issue
of morality is not a collective process but instead a very personal and private
matter. The product of our morals is displayed by our actions and our choice to
live by the laws of the land. So if I want to bare my breast, no one should be able
to stop me. If I want to have sex with someone in my front lawn, no one should stop
me. Now the question is not so much if I want. The question is would I. The difference
to these questions lies on the restrictions placed on my freedoms. My rebelliousness.
This I think is the rule of thumb that the city should be employeeing. Forget Policy,
bylaw or any other. Let the issue take its course and let the people choose. I believe
that people would not take so much interest if left to choice.
Jennifer Cook
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