are all lacking in pornography. Research has shown a stronger link between pornography (including ‘‘erotica’’ or ‘‘soft-core’’ publications!!) and sexual crimes, particularly violent sexual crimes, than between smoking and lung cancer! There is a stronger link between pornography and sexual crime than there is between PCB’s and cancer! Any solution to the problem of rape and sexual violence that does not consider the destructive nature of pornography and seek its removal from society is not addressing the major cause!! Rape and sexual violence are a terrible tragedy. I wish that Icould do something personally to be of comfort to those who have undergone the trauma. I would like to see it ended forever. ButI cannotsee the problem being solved without these issues being addressed -- the need for men to have a necessary, productive role in society, and the need for pornography to be removed from our society.

Bill Hickox

lalmost feel some type of urgency in submitting my thoughts on what I am bout to write. The preceding sentence may not make grammatical sense, but believe me, I am profoundly upset with what has been going on in my life lately, which relates directly to the state of my neighbour- hood.

lam now emotionally and physically involved in what may be ‘‘the prostitution ring’ ’? which I believe is operating out of Toronto.

I first became unknowingly involved when a young girl, my papergirl, told me about a blue van with two men in it that was following her home one day from school. She told me this particular van was making frequent trips by the school she goes to, which is Elm Street School, Summerside. Since that initial conversation one young girl has been threatened by the men in the van, and it hit the Journal-Pioneer. Since that publication, nothing else has made it to the Journal regarding the prostitution ring. A question that arises is why no one has followed up on this threat?

Because of what my papergirl told me and the fact that no one seemed to be taking any action on these men, I decided to getinvolved. Through talking with this girl Isomehow made her feel guilty enough to do something about what’s going on. It’s unfortunate that she couldn’t go to her mother or father first, but she knew they wouldn’t believe her or tell her not to get involved. That’s where another problem or question arises: Are we so safe on little P.E.I. that we are under the impression that no harm will come to us? Who would ever believe the prostitution ring would move in on us or a young girl would be raped at U.P.E.1.? I think it’s time ““P.E.L. people’’ opened up their eyes to the real world. To get back on track, the girl and I decided to speak with the Chief of Police. I spoke to him on our behalf because I didn’t want to have her identity known. Her parents probably would have had me beheaded. She, I’ll call her Sue, also had no trust in cops, and she believed they wouldn’t take her seri- ously, Anyway, she has already had arun-in with them once,

UPEI X-P RESS

October 8, 1992

and according to her and her friends, if you get in trouble with the police once, you never get a fair shake. After that, I did the talking with the Chief. I told him I couldn’t give him my source of information and he understood, but asked me to try to change her attitude towards cops. Another question arises: Isn’t it up to the police to change the negative attitudes kids (people) have about them? care gap -- cops versus society.

Anyway, I gave a description of the van and the two men that were in it to the chief and he thanked me. A week passed and one Saturday afternoon Sue and I took a walk down Water Street. She eyed the van which was now grey with Ontario plates, and identified one of the men that had harassed her. I called the cops and they sent a car down to investigate. Curiosity got the better of Sue and I, so we went behind Zellers and there we saw the van and the police. The police had the men out of the van and were taking pictures of it and its license plate. They were-about to let them go until we ran up and I told Sue to talk. She identified one of the men to the police. At that time we had to get going for our safety. I haven’t heard anything since on these men and my papergirl says she hasn’t seen anything strange going on around her school.

I did not notice the van parked in the Zeller’s parking lot the day after the cops stopped it. I guess things are at a stand- still, but something tells me all is not over with. I lock and bolt my door at night now and watch over my shoulder.

The van and the men is a story in itself, but from it arises a severe communication gap between parents and their chil- dren. If one child suffers by being snatched up by this van, I’m sure the communication will tighten, a little too late. If parents and their children are not communicating, how do we expect them to communicate with police. It’s definitely a sad scenario, but something has to be done if we are to survive in this world as a unit. People need people, but if you can’t communicate and trust, we will all grow up alone and scared.

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