Si * a /( OTHER LETTERS ) “ MARCH 2, 1983 New West May Day traditionalists are moronic From Tom Phillips SHEEP GO FOR TRADITION Like so many others I am not in the least concerned about the pro’s and con’s of alleged sex discfimination as it applies to the ‘‘Crowning Act’’ of New Westminster May Day celebrations so much as I am about tradition or to be more precise, traditionalists. Invar- iably when listening to the he or she of this genre waxing ecstatically on the magic and - inviolability of tradition it soon becomes quite evident that these people are totally obliv- ious to and intollerant of any other tradition but the one they are intoxicated with. This annoying trait seems to be particularly pronounced among those self ordained “‘Authorities’’ on ‘‘English tradition’’. Perhaps it is main- ly their insufferably arrogant assumption that everyone within sight or earshot of their jaundiced hogwash is by a moronic duty, bound to be in accord with the distorted ver- sions of so call ‘‘English Trad- ition’’. Nowhere is this more manifest than in the contriving attempts to elevate the dead weight trivia of New West- minster May Day crowning to the heights of world shattering significance. To claim in fact May Day is a predominately English tradition is nothing short of hilarious. Why not a Scotish tradition, a Welsh tra- dition or a Irish tradition? It could very well be of course; but in actuality it is most prob- ably a Roman tradition hon- ouring Flora, Godess of Spring and introduced into Albian long before that small enclave of the Roman Empire degen- erated into the ‘‘Sceptred Isle’’ of progenitory despots and grovelling serfs called England. There is all kinds of evidence to show that since early times, people other. than the English celebrated May Day according to their own traditions; that goes also for those ‘‘English’’ who by virtue of long time tenancy in Canada should have the com- mon regard to be attempting to act and think like Canad- ians. The people of ancient Egypt and India not to men- tion the Celts of Europe held Spring (May) festivals. In medieval Italy to the present day boys serenaded their sweethearts. In Switzerland a May pine tree was placed un- der a girl’s window. German boys secretly planted May trees in front of the windows of their sweethearts. In Czech- oslavakia boys at night placed May poles before their sweet- heart’s window. In France, May Day had a religious im- portance and was considered sacred to the Virgin Mary. This was also the custom in early Christian Britian. However, it can truthfully be said that somewhere in the 16th Cen- tury the English did introduce a peculiary English twist into the May Day celebrations. They took away its original Pagan and early Christian pristine simplicity and Spring time joyfullness and substit- uted it with another exercise, fawning obsequiousness. To the Monarchy, an exercise by the way their descendants seem to have greatly elabor- ated on with this passing of time. Which brings us back to this matter of ‘‘Tradition’’ a la the New Westminster celebra- tions and its silly charade of crowning. The teacher com- mittee who favour the crown- ing of a king as well as a queen are on solid grounds from an historical point of view and if the game is ‘‘Let’s pretend to be English’’ then it must be remembered when the Eng-. lish introduced their symbol- istic act of obseisance into this otherwise innocent Spring ——AOTHER EDITORIAL) photo by Vic Cromarty GREAT SPIRITS HAVE ALWAYS ENCOUNTERED VIOLENT OPPOSITIO FROM MEDIOCRE MINDS Albert Einstein time mummery they did in fact crown both a king and queen. It wasn’t however out of any inordinate concern for sex equality. In later years the ‘‘Admir- ers’’ of Elizabeth the 1st of England, whose uncertain tan- trums and possessiveness were well known decided it was better just to crown a May Queen. This has been the case ever since. It is of such stuff that our sillier and more ig- noble English traditions are made. The trouble with the “‘teachers committee for re- form of May Day’’ isn’t that it. is not right, but because it is right for the wrong reasons; and worst of all because it has demonstrated the teachers utter shallowness in this mat- ter of ‘‘Reform’’. The have shown themselves to be just as small and phoney indeed. If they really want to be reform- ers or even revolutionaries let thjem exhibit a modicum of intellectual honesty and plain old fashioned guts in their un- dertaking. knows it’s high time for some radical and fun- damental change. Let them announce clearly and unequi- vocally that this annual ro _of crowning queens an kings is crass deception and not just simple folksy folderal. It might be ok for republics like Mexico and U.S.A. to indulge in this kind of quaint whimsy and playacting. After all these same nations have removed the underlying proposition and determined in no uncer- tain way not to be monarchies or appendages of monarchies. They can therefore conde- scend now to play host to the very living personification of all that is inimical to their own traditions without any attend- ant problems. With Canada it is a different matter. In this quasi, sheep like nation with its indemic inferiority complex and Peter Pan syndrome and an umbilical cord that_reaches still across the Atlantic, the Canada where you get grud- ging dissent from pseudo trad- ‘itionalist and monarchist, sycophants against the very idea ‘of having one’s own national flag, Anthem and Constitution; where oaths of allegiance must be made to what is tantamount to an ab- sentee super landlord, where public opinion is moulded by a medium which is in turn hob- bled and manipulated by shadowy and hardly definable forces. The very idea of play- ing around with mind inhibit- ing and allegorical symbolism such as crowning etc. is ex- tremely naive. It is not frip- pery and fun making. In today’s Canada it bespeaks of something less wholesome and patently insidious. GIVE PEACE A CHANCE by Sean Valentini Within most every organ- ization there are individuals who are concerned with the progressive development of that organization, as well as individuals who are concerned primarily with themselves and their own cause. The Student Society and The Other Press are no exceptions. Certain individuals involved with The Other Press have made irritiating the Student Society a game. These mem- bers are, clearly, guilty of ir- responsible journalism. They lack the vision and imagin- ation to structure critical editorials about issues of rele- vance to students. This utiliza- tion of the paper as a self serving vehicle is unaccep- ‘table, particularly at a time when students are being sub- jected to restraints, course cutbacks, etc.,etc.- certainly there is not a lack of issues to be covered. : These people are a minority, but their overbearing person- alities tend to undermine the democratic system within the paper. The Other Press has mem- bers who maintain a degree of maturity and responsibility to- wards the work they perform for the student newspaper, though. These members do not support the actions of the im- mature What these sensible few lack in flamboyance, they compen- sate with rationality, approa- chability and dedication. Tim Shein and his Student Society henchmen have, in their attempt to ‘‘squash the bastards’’, shown the same degree of irresponsibility as those Other Pressers in ques- tion. The attack Shein and his troups leveled upon the Other Press, although to some de- gree provoked, has shown that Shein has no more vision than those Other Press members in question. The vindictiveness displayed by the Student Soc- iety at their A.G.M. accomp- <> Sew ee tk eee lished two things; it managed to divert student attention from the real issues at the meeting, such as the constit- ution and a three year student levy surplus, and it also creat- ed unity within the Other Press, cementing their feel- ings of animosity towards the Student Society. ‘ The S.S. representatives are correct in their asking for the Other Press’s A.G.M. date. But is is my belief that Shein would like nothing more than to destroy The Other Press, thus eliminating a Student Society watch dog. If Shein had the best interest of the students in mind, he would approach the respon- sible members of The Other Press and attempt to promote a feeling of respect between the two groups. By so doing, the two groups might operate in the student’s best interest more, efficiently. They live right next door to each other, why not try and cc exist), Beene ese ase cae ens