Terrorists are international thugs who win not with bombs, guns or weapons of mass destruction, but by instilling fear in ordinary people. With that in mind, Yellowknife parents should be applauded for their courage in letting their children travel during war time last week.

More than 50 students from Yellowknife Education District No. 1 were travelling in two separate groups in France and Belgium last week when long-awaited hostilities in Iraq broke out.

Terrorism is a real threat to Canadians. At least some of those students were scheduled to return to Canada through London's Heathrow Airport, where a live grenade was found in luggage last month.

At the same time, international travel is one of the key ways students -- and others -- come to understand other cultures and the larger world.

The benefits far outweigh the risks, as Richard Cracknell, whose son, James, was in France last week, noted. "I'm a little bit concerned, but not overwhelmingly frantic 'get them out of there' kind of concerned," he said. "If he hadn't gone he could be knocked down by a bus here. You can't let these people (terrorists) dominate your life."

It can't be easy to let your children travel in war time. But it is people such as the Cracknells -- James by travelling and his father, by allowing it -- who strike a blow for freedom that will resound long after the last gun falls silent in Iraq.

David McPherson, president of the Yellowknife Chamber of Commerce, thinks "drinking and smoking go hand-in-hand."

He says because "we have more smokers up here than the national average," the Workers' Compensation Board should think again before outlawing workplace smoking, especially in bars.

Bunkum. We have to wonder what McPherson has been smoking to be advocating such lunacy in 2003.

We note the 8,000-member New York State Restaurant Association has gone on record as favouring New York City's April 1 ban on smoking in restaurants and bars. In fact, the association favours a state-wide ban.

Dave Grundy, the WCB's spokesman, has it right when he says: "It's not about smoking or not, it's nothing to do with patrons, it's about providing a safe workplace for people in the territories."

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

It has been interesting to watch reports of those who are protesting the U.S.A.-led invasion of Iraq.

The fact of the matter is, more than 70 per cent of American citizens support President Bush's decision to "liberate" the people of Iraq from Saddam Hussein's regime.

Moreover, more than 60 per cent of the world supports the forceful removal of Saddam from power.

Yet, the protesters get the majority of the publicity.

Of all I've heard on the subject, the most thought provoking message came from a family in Ontario that has taken down the Canadian flag from the front of their home.

They are embarrassed over the fact Canada is not part of the "liberation" force.

The family raises some valid points.

What a wonderful day for a peace rally -- gather by the Inukshuk, do a few chants, sing songs of freedom and make a few speeches about our war mongering, power mad neighbour to the South.

Then it's off for a little shopping at the Northern, maybe stop for a coffee in a local establishment and go home with a self-content feeling that you did your part against the atrocity of war.

A real feel good about yourself type of day.

But let's echo the question; where were these protesters when thousands of Iraqi citizens were being gassed by their own government?

War, we take it, is more of an atrocity than genocide?

Imagine, waking up tomorrow to find the mayor of Rankin Inlet has decreed all residents with bloodlines traced back to Coral Harbour or Baker Lake are to be deemed second-class citizens.

Or, worse yet, decreed as a drain on the Rankin economy and deemed expendable.

Imagine waking up next week to find Premier Paul Okalik has adopted the philosophies of Friedrich Nietzsche in attempting to lay the foundation to a perfect society in Nunavut.

From this day forward, the family name you're born with will dictate what position in society you are allowed to hold.

There can be no place in the world for dictators or regimes who put into practice such philosophies.

And, sing and chant idyllic notions all you want, you cannot reason with a man like Saddam Hussein.

No, George Bush is no Gandhi, but the Iraqi regime is no British government either.

If it were, Gandhi would, in all probability, be a tragic figure in the annals of history, responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of his followers.

The songs of peace will only be heard in the hearts of the Iraqi population when Hussein is removed.

Editorial Comment
Terry Halifax
Inuvik Drum

The proposed rate hike by Inuvik Gas should raise a lot of questions about the method used for benchmarking a gas price here.

The regulation (or lack thereof) of the price of gas in Inuvik needs a serious look by the Public Utilities Board.

Granted, the company must base its price on something, but it should also be limited to a reasonable profit.

The company stands to make a clear profit from the 45 per cent mark-up, even though their costs have not gone up.

Currently, Inuvik Gas is paying $8.15 for the product that they want to re-sell to us for $17.50. If that's a fair profit, I think we're all in the wrong business.

Of course the joint venture which owns both the upstream and downstream companies can raise the upstream price this summer to make it look more legit, but it still reeks of a monopoly gouging their customers.

The PUB has to set the price of product here based on a fair profit margin as they do with the NWT Power Corporation and Northland Utilities.

I'd like to think the companies involved had some altruistic ideals when this project was first conceived, but I guess I'm way too naive.

The cost of living and doing business in Inuvik just went up again.

The increase in utilities will hike the price of everything on our store shelves and any service provided here, so Inuvik Gas and their shareholders can rake in a ridiculous profit from George Bush's war.

I spoke to someone last week who will be paying more for utilities now than he pays on his mortgage. He won't be staying and I'm sure he's not alone.

Not only will this price gouge drive people out of town, it will prevent people from coming here.

The teachers, doctors and nurses were trying to draw here, along with other professionals and their businesses just got another reason to stay away from Inuvik.

Two-time losers

I've sat through hours and hours of court cases and one might think I'd get desensitized to tearful testimony, but I never have.

I've heard hundreds of stories about what happens after a few drinks and what court witnessed from Monday's witnesses and victims was no different than most, except for the fact that both abusers were repeat offenders. While we'd like to think rehabilitation works, jail time never deterred these men the first time. Doctors and psychologists will prescribe chronic alcoholics Antabuse -- a drug that induces vomiting and violent stomach cramps if the user drinks alcohol.

I think with recidivist offenders such as the court saw here Monday, judges should have the power to order that medication under terms of probation.

Yeah, yeah, I hear the arguments for the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but what about the rights and freedoms of the victims of these drunken attacks?

Editorial Comment
Derek Neary
Deh Cho Drum

A familiar refrain in the Deh Cho is that there aren't enough job opportunities.

It's something commonly heard in Fort Providence. Not surprisingly, the adult education class offered there by Aurora College is always full and usually there's a lengthy waiting list.

In Fort Simpson the complaint of too few jobs is repeated now and again. Yet registration for adult education at Aurora College has been inconsistent over the past few years.

Fort Liard offers a different set of circumstances. It's the one community with more than enough jobs to go around. Consequently, there isn't a great deal of demand for Aurora College's adult basic education program.

So what's the problem? Isn't full employment, or as close as one community will likely ever get, the ultimate aim?

Well, sort of.

Let's first acknowledge that some people are completely satisfied being labourers. There isn't anything dishonourable about the job, and the wages are decent. The only problem is that the jobs are often seasonal. Although that's not a real problem for those who earn enough to collect employment insurance and are happy doing so.

For the others, particularly those in their late teens or early 20s, they settle into a labourer position because it's all they see in front of them. Their potential remains untapped. Some of them possess the aptitude to become highly paid tradespersons, as technicians or as part of management, not to mention teachers, nurses, biologists, finance officers or any other profession. In order to make that a reality they must forsake the readily available labour wages. They must commit to a year or two of upgrading their education and then apply themselves to a college, university or an apprenticeship for another few years. It's a substantial sacrifice but it's one that pays off in the long run.

The question is one of motivation. As a side note, Joanne Deneron mentioned that in Fort Liard, before the advent of oil and gas, Aurora College used to be all the rage. However, the criticism at that time was that too many students were spending too many years in the program, essentially biding their time until a job became available. That kept others from getting into the adult education program.

It's sort of a catch-22.

Go with the flow

Although Deh Cho First Nations leaders apparently do not feel the approach or the timing is right for hydro projects, let's hope they do not dismiss outright any potential such projects might have. If large-scale hydro projects carry too great a risk of flooding sacred areas, then small-scale, hydro-driven turbines may present a viable alternative. However, there remains a question of whether small-scale projects would be cost effective. Surely if there's a will, there's a way. Even without big cost savings, hydro would be a welcome relief from the carbon-emitting, diesel-powered plants that currently provide energy to Deh Cho communities.

In News/North's March 10 issue, the story 'Snapping up opportunities' incorrectly indicated the De Beers diamond mining company may establish a cutting and polishing plant in an NWT community, possibly Hay River. It would actually be a valuation plant, placing value on raw diamonds for tax purposes.