Canadian Musicians Employment Status Archive LONDON FREE PRESS Saturday April 1, 2000
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In all things, let's make the reasoned choices We have read in recent weeks of the difficulties at the Salvation Army Village, of the struggles of Orchestra London to survive and of the controversial plan to develop property on Reservoir Hill. What kind of a society are we living in when it cannot provide appropriate salaries for those dedicated (and underpaid) workers who care for our most needy children? What kind of a society are we in when we lack the will and resources to support an orchestra whose gifted players can move us to tears or make us want to dance for joy? What kind of a society is it whose governments can find funds to erect new buildings, but cannot afford to employ enough nurses or teachers to do an effective job in them? What kind of a society is it that can even contemplate building on a scenic spot such as Reservoir Hill while permitting ugly suburban commercial development at the expense of a vibrant downtown? What could be a better test of a society's values than its treatment of its neediest children, its artists and its natural environment? This is a democracy -- our society is a reflection of our choices. Let's be sure they are the right ones.
HELEN POOLE
This site is best viewed at a resolution of 800 X 600 CMESA Website © Paul Sharpe 1999, 2000 |