discovered that if a pear, apple, ‘ground it is not fit for market - because it. may bruise. son in Africa you can’t give him’. -~-an apple because it-fell off the tree? Give them the apples. from = country.. first Sept. 16). If just one truckload » Of wheat was sent to each city in. Canada per‘week, would it not -go-a long way in helping the. _ poor people who are willing to and Sidney Mayor Norma Sealey will address a dinner _HUGH’S VIEWS _ HUGH NASH” The growing incidence of neighborhood crime together with the impending mass exodus from home of our grown children set me thinking about the desirability of acquiring a guard dog. Until recently I hadn’t given the purchase of such an animal any thought because the swarming, swirling pack of kids that poured in and out of our home at unpredictable hours was more than enough to chase potential burglars off to quieter homes. But now the idea of owning a vicious attack animal to protect me in my. old age is beginning to make sense. - 1 poured over texts borrowed from the local library, in par- ticular an excellent article in the July 6, 1987 Western Report, and became convinced that buying a pit bull terrier was the answer. To their owners these dogs can be as affectionate asa spaniel but toward outsiders they are as safe as a shark. However, my research turned up something else which I'd like to share with you. It seems that pit bulls and politicians share many characteristics. Consider the following and see if you don’t agree that it’s possible they might even be described as having the same mother. Across the country pit: bulls have. been responsible for thousands of injuries and more than a few deaths. They are vicious and aggressive, and attack unsuspecting, defenceless humans for no particular reason. They are trained to hang on until their quarry is dead and are viciously resilient even when shot.at. According to a California breeder, Richard Stratton, pit bulls are difficult to describe because they have no obvious set of traits. They are bred for strength and gameness which he describes as ‘enthusiasm for fighting, contact, endurance, resistance to shock and the ability to tolerate pain.”’ In a pit bull’s nature is the need to dominate another dog ruthlessly. An Alberta breeder says.he does not release a pup and it will fight. until it can fight-no longer. It comes in almost any combination of colors and its jaws have a crushing force of up to 4,500 pounds per square inch. Other guard dogs are content to scare away potential in- truders. A pit bull will just attack, no warning, He wants to kill. However, there is a downside to owning a pit bull. Owners of animals with these qualities are under attack by a frightened society and a variety of solutions to reduce or eliminate unwarranted dog attacks have been instituted. Some people want similar controls-on politicians. Many cities have laws restricting the ownership of pit bulls and the owners have to take out huge insurance policies and face the possibility of neasy4 fines or going to jail if their pets misbehave. In New York, according to the Aug. 29, 1987 issue of the Economist, pit bull owners must register them each year with the health department, get them neutered or spayed, take out $100,000 bite insurance, keep them muzzled and on a four- foot leash when out on walks. Other cities have issued guns to their dog-catchers with orders to shoot any misbehaving pit bull. Responsible breeders insist that it’s necessary to cull fitters until it is three months old and only after it has passed a series of tests indicating it is not a threat to humans. Those that fail the test are destroyed. Owners who want to make sure their pit bulls s stay out of trouble must control them properly. ‘*That means,’’ says the Alberta breeder, ‘ta locked kennel with a concrete floor-and a roof, because these dogs can dig like crazy and scale a chain- link fence with ease. Either that or the dogs should be kept on a cable run with a secure enclosure around it.’ The only difference between pit bulls and politicians ; therefore seems to be that the dogs are bred and. encouraged by a Jone individual while the humans are elected and en- couraged by groups of individuals. Owning a pit bull would be quite expensive, but I hear there’s a glut on the politician market and that they can be -had for a pittance. . Perhaps my solution is to stake one of them in my back yard. | must speak to the memsahib about this. Editor: I am amazed to ‘find prairie farmers have stores and barns full of wheat, oats and. barley. that could: not be sold: because of quotas. While in the Okanagan 1 . If | may also suggest; there is r, ap ‘landed in our country. Could peach. or: apricot’. falls’ to the. send..it to the poor African --countries. -where.. “drought? _ ~ Would you tell a starving per=. : the ground... ~Now-. it has: been. ‘sugeested that ‘we feed the poor of: our (Review letter, gets to. the people for whom it is _ed our land-with abundance — _are we going to horde it in our «the less fortunate people of the world, bake their own bread. ‘mistakes, but in forgiving those Shore food and be blessed -a ship in eastern Canada left. bosom. For . with . the- same measure. that ye mete. withal jit shall be measured _ again.’ Now if those words apply to African countries the - $325 million, I say good on him. Did - to. you. 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The Bible says: “Forgive, and ye shall be: forgiven; give:and it Shall be given unto. you; good “s measure, ‘Shaken... together,’ pressed down, and and* running the individual would they not also apply to a country. Although’ we. should:. give ~ without expecting reward, let’s “give because we: have an abun- dance and because: we: want to. help « our r brother. S * : : WwW. a Nicol, “ “FOR YOUR convene Drop- -off and Pick-up your. small : armed guard to be sure the.food _ intended: Surely.God has bless- .. ‘barns. or share it happily with” Sure Prime Minister. Brian | - Mulroney has made