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Keep out, kids

Childproofing restaurants
isa rightful discrimination

By Eric Wilkins, Staff Writer

hen I manage to scrape
together enough money
to eat at an establishment free
of rodents, there are certain
things I expect. One, decent
fare. Two, an acceptable level
of cleanliness. And three, an
enjoyable atmosphere devoid of
jarring and unpleasant noises.
Though not stated explicitly,

of Celine Dion doesn’t quite
strike the right chord with me.
I tend to prefer a subtler type
of dinner entertainment.

That's not to say I don’t
think children are wonderful.
They’re the future and whatnot.
And, since I’m only on the cusp
of reaching the magical age of
20 myself, I’m not even sure I’m
privileged to speak so haughtily
on the subject. But Iam. And
kids don’t belong in restaurants.

Slight rephrase: kids don’t
belong in certam restaurants.
Fast food joints and family-style
restaurants are, of course, suit-
able venues for children, and I

date her child. The quote is gen-
erally along the lines of, “Why
can’t I enjoy a night out too?”
The answer? You can. Go get
a babysitter and stop trying to
destroy everyone else’s evening.
The sense of entitlement some of
these parents possess is nothing
short of incredible sometimes.
However, the restaurants
are also to be held responsible to
some degree when one’s meal is
disturbed. Unless a clear policy
on children exists, the parent
can still play the blissfully
ignorant card and wander on
in. Withholding common aids
such as highchairs or a change

Nothing ruins a dinner like a toddler bemoaning the loss of
their right to free speech when their mother shushes them.
Likewise, a babys wailing impression of Celine Dion doesnt
quite strike the right chord with me. | tend to prefer a subtler
type of dinner entertainment.

my third point is chiefly directed
towards children. “Children are
to be seen but not heard” was

a common saying amongst our
family gatherings, and I must
say that I’m now beginning

to see the wisdom of such a
comment. And perhaps they
shouldn’t even be seen. Nothing
ruins a dinner like a toddler
bemoaning the loss of their
right to free speech when their
mother shushes them. Likewise,
a baby’s wailing impression

expect to see them there when |
frequent such places. However,
if I miraculously find myself in
The Keg, the last thing I want
to see there is a kid. Thankfully,
I’m not alone in this desire.
Every now and then you hear

a story popping up in the news
or on some desperate gossip
site about how a mother is com-
plaining about the gross lack

of concern shown to her by a
restaurant refusing to accommo-

table in the washroom is playing
it a bit coy for my taste. Don’t
be cowardly about your rule
for children; be open and clear
about it. Setting up an obstacle
course and then playing dumb
is just asking for a fight.

Have kids. Love your
kids. But keep them out
of my restaurants.

 

When the personal becomes political

Presenting ones self
through political positions
By Idrian Burgos, Contributor

L° me start with this: J am

a political person. I have a
love of, borderline obsession,
with politics. I read newspapers,
whenever possible, for political
news as well as entertainment
news—but mostly political
news. Most of the websites I
visit are of a political nature. If
there is an opportunity, I watch
The National, or CTV National
News, or better yet Power &
Politics with Evan Solomon. One

reason I have difficulty talking
to other people is the problem
of finding someone with similar
political interests, because it’s

a subject that I might babble

on about for an hour. Politics is
indeed an interest of mine, but it
isn’t something that truly excites
me.

Such are things that interest
someone, but don’t excite them.
The kind of politics mentioned
above is of an ordinary kind.

It deals with apparently
mundane things such as foreign
policy, controversial laws, or
federal party leadership races.
However, when politics start to
deal with ideology and political
beliefs—the “bigger issues” and

“deeper principles” that inform
these mundane things—politics
is no longer the mere question of
building a condo unit on public
land or effective waste disposal.
Politics now goes beyond the
concrete to the realm of the
abstract. It becomes the quest for
what is beyond the small issues,
and what underlies them. When
politics reaches this level, an
individual's beliefs, principles,
and thoughts colour it. Politics
becomes the mirror of the
personal.

Some people find it
difficult to express themselves
and opinions openly and
plainly without appearances
or pretensions, due perhaps to

early experiences or social fears.
They may express their inner
selves indirectly by listening

to a particular type of music

or discussing why Bobby Lu

is an excellent goalkeeper for
the Canucks despite contrary
evidence. Projecting one’s

inner self on the political is
another way of indirectly
conveying one’s true self. An
insistent view that Mr. Harper
is the best PM this country

has ever had, despite contrary
evidence, may hide a long-
concealed inferiority complex,
for the person identifies with
the much-maligned figure. A
repressed desire for rebellion
may be expressed by supporting

Proto courtesy of Jupiterimages

Fascism. The logical connection
between the pure desire and

its politicized version may be
present or not present at all.
The important thing here is
that those views I cannot say

in public directly, I can say
indirectly through my political
talk.

The same can be said of
historical, philosophical, or
any other kind of discussion—
academic or not. The important
matter here is the usage of
these topics as ways to display
those things we have within us
that we won't display in plain
form. It is the personal reflected
through the political, historical,
entertainment, or whatever.

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