the
      opinions
      expressed
      in
      this
      column
      do
      not
      necessarily
     
     
      yeflect
      those
      of
      the
      staff
      of
      this
      publication
      or
      the
      Student
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [nion.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      we’re
      masochistic
      yokels
      who
      long
      to
      suffocate
      in
     
    

    
     
      asix-foot
      shroud
      of
      snowy
      death
      or
      anything
      like
      that,
      but
     
     
      i,
      just
      wouldn’t
      seem
      Christmassy
      without
      at
      least
      a
      light
     
     
      justing
      of
      the
      aforementioned
      fluffy
      stuff
      on
      the
      ground.
      Christ-
     
     
      mas
      is
      that
      sort
      of
      time,
      steeped
      in
      tradition.
      Each
      year
      we
      can
     
     
      jook
      forward
      to
      all
      the
      trappings
      of
      the
      season:
      old,
      familiar
     
     
      carols
      that
      somehow
      retain
      their
      charm
      even
      after
      Carol
      Baker
     
     
      and
      world-renowned
      handbell
      choirs
      have
      run
      them
      into
      the
     
     
      ground;
      more
      fruitcakes
      than
      there
      are
      in
      the
      House
      of
      Parlia-
     
     
      ment;
      capacity
      crowds
      in
      churches.
      Fora
      short
      time
      the
      world
     
     
      seems
      a
      much
      kinder
      and
      gentler
      place
      as
      a
      spirit
      of
      generosity
     
     
      prevails
      throughout
      the
      land
      and
      all
      it
      seems
      anyone
      could
      wish
     
     
      forisa
      white
      Christmas.
      On
      PEI
      this
      year,
      though,
      we’re
      hoping
     
     
      for
      agreen
      Christmas.
      Green
      as
      in
      cash,
      moolah,
      the
      coin
      of
      the
     
     
      realm
      (sure,
      we
      no
      longer
      have
      currency
      that’s
      actually
      green
     
     
      in
      color,
      but
      you
      catch
      my
      meaning).
      PEI
      merchants
      are
      all
      set
     
     
      to
      swap
      their
      jungle
      bells
      for
      jingling
      coins
      this
      year,
      because
     
     
      PEI
      has
      shoved
      the
      Christmas
      season
      further
      into
      the
      abyss
      of
     
     
      rampant
      commercialism
      by
      legalizing
      Sunday
      shopping
      during
     
     
      the
      holiday
      season.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MI
      ost
      of
      us
      are
      dreaming
      of
      a
      white
      Christmas,
      right?
      Not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      To
      be
      fair,
      it’s
      nota
      totally
      bad
      idea.
      Times
      are
      tough
      and
      shops
     
     
      can
      use
      any
      extra
      revenue
      they
      can
      lay
      their
      hands
      on,
      and
      people
     
     
      have
      a
      tendency
      to
      spend
      a
      lot
      of
      their
      cash
      during
      the
      holiday
     
     
      season.
      Why
      not
      milk
      it
      for
      all
      it’s
      worth,
      especially
      since
     
     
      everybody
      else
      seems
      to
      be
      doing
      it?
      The
      tendency
      of
      Islanders
     
     
      to
      go
      on
      Sunday
      shopping
      sprees
      to
      the
      mainland
      (especially
     
     
      that
      capitalistic
      promised
      land,
      Moncton)
      has
      been
      a
      source
      of
     
     
      constant
      angst
      to
      Island
      merchants.
      The
      temp
      tation
      to
      sink
      to
     
     
      that
      level
      is
      enormous
      during
      a
      heavy
      shopping
      season
      like
     
     
      Christmas,
      and
      more
      and
      more
      communities
      are
      doing
      it.
      Mani-
     
     
      toba
      has
      justlegalized
      Sunday
      shopping
      fora
      five-month
      period,
     
     
      citing
      the
      need
      to
      compete
      with
      its
      neighbour
      (sound
      familiar?).
     
     
      Sunday
      shopping
      is
      riding
      a
      wave
      of
      popularity,
      and
      PEI
      premier
     
     
      Joe
      Ghiz
      and
      his
      cohorts
      are
      content
      to
      sit
      back
      and
      yell,
      ‘‘Surf’s
     
     
      up!”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      of
      the
      disturbing
      things
      about
      this
      is
      that
      it
      seems
      to
      have
     
     
      been
      not
      an
      economic
      plan
      of
      any
      sort,
      but
      instead
      a
      spineless,
     
     
      knee-jerk
      reaction
      to
      pressure
      from
      merchants
      by
      a
      government
     
     
      that
      seemingly
      has
      no
      initiative,
      no
      leadership,
      and
      no
      resolve
     
    
   
   
    
     
      whatsoever.
      Only
      ashort
      time
      ago
      the
      government
      conducted
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      aconsultation
      of
      citizens
      on
      the
      subject
      of
      Sunday
      shopping,
      and
     
     
      the
      unanimous
      consensus
      reached
      there
      was
      that
      there
      be
      no
     
     
      expansion
      of
      Sunday
      shopping.
      The
      government
      at
      first
      legis-
     
     
      lated
      that,
      but
      after
      grumbling
      from
      the
      Confederation
      Court
     
     
      Mall
      merchants
      they
      did
      an
      about-face
      the
      very
      next
      day
      and
     
     
      amended
      the
      Retail
      Holidays
      Act
      to
      allow
      stores
      to
      open
      on
     
     
      Sundays
      during
      the
      Christmas
      season,
      and
      Joe
      Ghiz
      later
      stated
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      this
      was
      what
      he
      had
      always
      wanted.
      If
      that
      was
      the
      case,
     
     
      why
      did
      he
      waste
      time
      and
      moncy
      ona
      public
      consultation,
      the
     
     
      results
      of
      which
      he
      ignored?
      Then
      again,
      he’s
      on
      his
      way
      out
     
     
      anyway,
      so
      he
      can
      afford
      to
      be
      blissfully
      ignorant
      of
      the
      voters.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Like
      a
      lot
      of
      questionable
      ideas,
      Sunday
      shopping’s
      spread
     
     
      depends
      largely
      on
      the
      perception
      that
      everybody
      else
      is
      doing
     
     
      it.
      It?sa
      shame
      that
      PEI
      and
      other
      places
      couldn’t
      bite
      the
      bullet
     
     
      and
      question
      the
      concept
      before
      falling
      in
      line
      with
      everyone
     
     
      else.
      It’s
      a
      placebo,
      a
      quick
      fix,
      a
      bandage
      on
      a
      cancer
      patient.
     
     
      Once
      everybodyhas
      legalized
      Sunday
      shopping,
      what
      will
      the
     
     
      provinces
      do
      to
      pump
      up
      the
      economy?
      Add
      a
      new
      day
      to
      the
     
     
      week?
      The
      government
      would
      be
      wiser
      to
      look
      for
      ways
      to
     
     
      reduce
      expenses
      or
      taxation
      for
      retailers
      if
      they
      really
      want
      to
     
     
      lend
      them
      an
      economic
      helping
      hand
      in
      a
      way
      that
      would
      have
     
     
      some
      lasting
      impact,
      instead
      of
      tampering
      with
      our
      traditional
     
     
      day
      of
      rest,
      a
      time
      for
      family
      and
      the
      pursuit
      of
      religion.
      If
      the
     
     
      government
      is
      really
      interested
      in
      preserving
      the
      sanctity
      of
     
     
      that
      day
      as
      they
      once
      professed,
      it’s
      rather
      odd
      that
      they’d
     
     
      decide
      to
      shelve
      it
      during
      the
      most
      important
      holy
      season
      of
      our
     
     
      culture,
      and
      if
      it
      progresses
      to
      the
      point
      where
      everyone
      works
     
     
      on
      Sundays
      who’
      ll
      have
      time
      to
      shop
      apart
      from
      the
      wealthy
     
     
      anyway?
      It’s
      the
      big
      chains
      that
      will
      be
      able
      to
      afford
      operating
     
     
      an
      extra
      day
      moreso
      than
      a
      lot
      of
      the
      smaller
      employers
      who
     
     
      need
      it,
      and
      some
      businesses
      may
      find
      themselves
      unwilling
     
     
      participants
      in
      Sunday
      shopping
      just
      to
      compete
      (seems
      to
      bea
     
     
      running
      theme,
      doesn’t
      it?).
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sunday
      shopping
      is
      an
      unfortunate
      social
      disruption
      of
      question-
     
     
      able
      economic
      value
      concocted
      as
      a
      cure-all
      by
      a
      government
     
     
      that
      wouldn’t
      take
      a
      stand
      if
      you
      paid
      them
      (which
      we
      do,
      come
     
     
      to
      think
      of
      it).
      Maybe
      next
      year
      they’ll
      come
      up
      with
      some
     
     
      comprehensive
      economic
      initiative
      to
      support
      retailers
      without
     
     
      turning
      every
      day
      of
      the
      week
      into
      a
      shopping
      spree.
      Now
      that
     
     
      would
      bea
      real
      Christmas
      present.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sean
      McQuaid,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Elfish
      Editor
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ee
      Hey
      oe
     
     
      "DEUICATESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dir.
      Jean
      Pierre
      Jeunet
      and
      Marc
      Caro,
      France,
      1991.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Y
      CINEMA?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Y
      oO.
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sunday,
      December
      6
      at
      2:00
      pm
     
     
      Charlottetown
      Mall
      Cinemas
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Adults
      $6.75
      Members
      $4.25
      -
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ee
      $10/year
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      Off
      The
      Wall,
      146
      Richmond,
      2992