March
      11,
      1997
     
    
   
   
    
     
      letters...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      CRs
      aeliic
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ---editorial
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      In
      Response
      to
      “Sacred
      Cows”
      column
      by
      Peter
      Gillis
     
     
      dated
      February
      18,
      1997.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Letter
      to
      the
      Editor,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      only
      disturbing
      trend
      identified
      by
      Peter
      Gillis,
      is
     
     
      the
      trend
      of
      too
      many
      men
      paying
      lip
      service
      to
      the
      battle
     
     
      against
      sexism
      leaving
      all
      the
      real
      fighting
      to
      women.
      The
     
     
      fact
      that
      the
      author
      admits
      to
      having
      no
      idea
      what
      consti-
     
     
      tutes
      harassment,
      no
      name
      for
      affirmative
      action,
      and
     
     
      apparently
      associates
      “respect”
      for
      women
      with
      opening
     
     
      doors,
      following
      women
      with
      his
      eyes,
      giving
      flowers
      and
     
     
      barbie
      dolls
      to
      “especially
      beautiful”
      women
      in
      his
      life
      is
     
     
      terrifying!
      His
      analysis
      is
      limp,
      research
      non-existent,
      and
     
     
      content
      connections
      loose
      -
      leaving
      the
      article
      without
     
     
      merit.
     
    

    
     
      A
      critique
      of
      all
      the
      issues
      stabbed
      at
      in
      this
      edition
      of
     
     
      “sacred
      cows”
      would
      take
      much
      more
      than
      the
      allotted
      500
     
     
      words,
      but
      I
      will
      try
      a
      blanket
      approach.
      The
      nature
      of
      law
     
     
      and
      legal
      tradition
      in
      western
      society
      is
      rich
      with
      intricacies
     
     
      of
      human
      relations.
      The
      law
      has
      proven
      to
      be
      both
      an
      agent
     
     
      in
      leveling
      inequalities
      while
      it
      simultaneously
      defends
     
     
      them.
      Peter
      Gillis
      has
      chosen
      to
      contemplate
      the
      moral
     
     
      character
      of
      men
      using
      as
      a
      backdrop
      law
      as
      a
      reflection
      of
     
     
      it.
      The
      law
      is
      a
      normative,
      as
      opposed
      to
      scientific,
      entity
     
     
      and
      as
      such
      often
      acts
      to
      mirror
      society
      rather
      than
      to
     
     
      project
      moral
      absolutes
      of
      truth
      and
      justice.
      A
      critical
     
     
      examination
      of
      the
      nature
      of
      law
      and
      legal
      traditions
      reveal
     
     
      deep
      rooted
      inequalities,
      injustice,
      and
      selective
      legislation
     
     
      which
      establish
      and
      protect
      those
      who
      have
      economic
      and
     
     
      political
      power
      in
      our
      society.
      It
      is
      not
      my
      contention
      that
     
     
      men
      “suck”
      any
      more
      or
      less
      than
      women.
      Rather,
      I
      wish
     
     
      to
      point
      out
      that
      the
      law
      protects
      the
      interests
      of
      those
      who
     
     
      by
      and
      large
      created
      it
      -
      it
      so
      happens
      that
      this
      was
      indeed
     
     
      a
      select
      group
      of
      men.
      Evidence
      of
      the
      devaluation
      of
     
     
      marginalized
      groups
      by
      the
      law
      is
      provided
      by
      recent
     
     
      personal
      injury
      cases
      in
      which
      women
      and
      men
      with
      similar
     
     
      future
      earning
      forecasts
      received
      remarkably
      different
     
     
      settlements.
      (Female:
      Newell
      v.
      Hawthornthwaite
      (1988),
     
     
      26
      B.C.L.R.
      (2d)
      105.
      15
      year
      old
      female,
      catastrophic
     
     
      injuries,
      honor
      roll
      student.
      Amount
      awarded
      360,000.)
     
     
      (Male:
      Lambright
      v.
      Schmidt
      (Unreported)
      B.C.S.C.,
      New
     
     
      West
      Minster
      Registry
      No.
      C861662,
      July
      12,
      1989.
      17
      -
     
     
      year
      old
      male,
      high-school
      drop
      out,
      lack
      of
      interest
      in
      trade.
     
     
      Amount
      awarded:
      575,000.)
      There
      is
      an
      old
      adage
      that
      says
     
     
      the
      “hand
      that
      rocks
      the
      cradle
      rules
      the
      world.”
      If
      this
     
     
      were
      true,
      the
      majority
      of
      impoverished
      people
      would
      not
      be
     
     
      women
      and
      children.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      the
      record
      Peter
      Gillis
      is
      a
      candidate
      for
      Student
     
     
      Union
      President.
      Prior
      to
      election
      day
      candidates
      may
     
     
      want
      to
      brief
      themselves
      on
      issues
      relevant
      in
      the
      1990's
      -
     
     
      say
      the
      chilly
      climate,
      date
      rape,
      and
      systemic
      barriers!
     
     
      What
      will
      your
      campaign
      slogans
      be?
      Perhaps
      Peter
      Gillis
     
     
      could
      say
      something
      like,
      “I
      see
      what
      is
      meant
      by
      gender
     
     
      equality
      being
      a
      step
      down,
      and
      I
      have
      no
      idea
      what
     
     
      constitutes
      harassment!”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      A
      not
      so
      subtle
      reminder
      to
      vote,
     
     
      Amber
      Liv
      Allin
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Tuition
      hikes
      a
      reality
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Everyoneis
      probably
      sick
     
     
      of
      reading
      about
      tuition
      hikes,
     
     
      but
      I
      am
      determined
      to
      make
     
     
      UPEI
      students
      check
      their
     
     
      wallets
      and
      admit
      that
      the
     
     
      sale’s
      ticket
      for
      education
      in
      a
     
     
      couple
      of
      years
      is
      going
      to
      be
     
     
      beyond
      the
      price
      range
      of
      the
     
     
      average
      shopper.
     
    

    
     
      Next
      year
      the
      students
     
     
      of
      UPEI
      are
      going
      receive
      a
     
     
      ten
      to
      twenty
      percent
      tuition
     
     
      increase.
      Wow!
      Talk
      about
     
     
      high
      inflation
      rates.
      Yet,
      the
     
     
      customers
      shopping
      at
      UPEI
     
     
      do
      not
      seem
      to
      mind
      spending
     
     
      these
      “few”
      extra
      bucks
      for
     
     
      their
      education,
      at
      least
      that’s
     
     
      the
      impression
      I
      get
      from
      the
     
     
      apathetic
      drone
      of
      the
      studious
     
     
      minds
      on
      campus.
     
    

    
     
      Please
      let
      me
      explain:
     
     
      very
      few
      letters
      to
      the
      news-
     
     
      paper
      are
      submitted
      from
      an-
     
     
      gry
      students;
      barely
      any
      stu-
     
     
      dents,
      other
      than
      a
      regular
     
     
      hand-full,
      go
      to
      the
      Student’s
     
     
      Union
      and
      tell
      them
      that
      they
     
     
      want
      to
      have
      a
      protest;
      and
      |
     
     
      haven’t
      yet
      witnessed
      students
     
     
      rallying
      together
      to
      form
      a
     
     
      united
      angry
      voice.
     
    

    
     
      Okay,
      I
      just
      want
      to
     
     
      know
      if
      I
      am
      reading
      the
      opin-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ion
      of
      the
      masses
      correctly.
     
     
      Does
      the
      majority
      of
      students
     
     
      believe
      that
      the
      solution
      to
      the
     
     
      government
      debt
      is
      to
      cut
      fund-
     
     
      ing
      to
      secondary
      education?
     
     
      And
      are
      most
      students
      willing
     
     
      to
      sacrifice
      a
      piece
      of
      their
     
     
      education
      to
      pay
      back
      the
      over-
     
     
      spending
      that
      our
      fore-fathers
     
     
      committed.
      I
      must
      admit,
      if
     
     
      this
      is
      the
      general
      concensus,
      I
     
     
      congratulate
      all
      future
      univer-
     
     
      sity
      students
      for
      being
      educa-
     
     
      tional
      martyrs.
     
    

    
     
      I,
      on
      the
      other
      hand,
      am
     
     
      not
      quite
      as
      gracious.
      But
     
     
      thankfully
      I
      am
      finished
      at
     
     
      UPEI
      this
      year,
      and
      I
      will
      self-
     
     
      ishly
      reveal
      my
      happiness
      for
     
     
      getting
      away
      with
      paying
      the
     
     
      tuition
      that
      I
      did.
      And
      I
      can’t
     
     
      help
      but
      feel
      sorry
      for
      future
     
     
      university
      students
      who,
      ifthey
     
     
      do
      decide
      to
      pursue
      a
      post-
     
     
      secondary
      education,
      will
      in-
     
     
      cur
      high
      debts.
     
    

    
     
      But
      hey,
      maybe
      tuition
     
     
      increases
      and
      university
      sevice
     
     
      decreases
      are
      the
      solution
      for
     
     
      the
      future.
      Maybe,
      if
      the
      Ca-
     
     
      nadian
      government
      discour-
     
     
      ages
      enough
      people
      from
      gain-
     
     
      ing
      a
      higher
      education,
      we'll
     
     
      have
      more
      people
      to
      work
      in
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      service
      industry.
      We
      defi-
     
     
      nitely
      need
      more
      competition
     
     
      for
      the
      jobs
      at
      Wendy’s
      and
     
     
      McDonalds.
      Maybe
      we
      want
     
     
      to
      become
      another
      state
      of
      our
     
     
      southern
      friend,
      the
      United
     
     
      States
      of
      America.
      I
      kind
      of
     
     
      like
      that
      class
      system
      where
     
     
      the
      rich
      get
      schooled
      and
      the
     
     
      poor
      get
      nothing.
      It’s
      impor-
     
     
      tant
      to
      know
      where
      you
      stand
     
     
      in
      a
      society:
      serving
      the
      rich,
     
     
      or
      being
      served...none
      of
      that
     
     
      confusing
      grey
      area.
     
    

    
     
      And
      to.
      think
      that
      I
     
     
      thought
      the
      goverfiment
      was
     
     
      being
      selfish
      by
      trying
      to
      save
     
     
      money
      through
      education
      cut-
     
     
      backs.
      Why,
      they
      must
      know
     
     
      how
      useless
      the
      right
      to
      a
      fair
     
     
      education
      is,
      seeing
      as
      how
     
     
      they
      were
      given
      one.
      How
     
     
      could
      I
      be
      so
      ignorant
      to
      their
     
     
      supreme
      knowledge?
      I
      guess,
     
     
      from
      this
      perspective,
      I
      am
      the
     
     
      selfish
      one!
      Boy,
      that
      slogan,
     
     
      “Thecustomer
      is
      always
      right”
     
     
      certainly
      does
      not
      apply
      to
      edu-
     
     
      cation,
      rather
      than
      wanting
      to
     
     
      cater
      to
      many
      average
      stu-
     
     
      dents,
      the
      brilliant
      government
     
     
      would
      prefer
      catering
      to
      an
     
     
      elite
      few.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      our