The Icelandic Canadian - 01.09.1968, Page 25

THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
23
the goal of decent civilization and
civility among men.
I would wish thirdly for a rapid de-
emphasis of the growing cult of serv-
ing one’s own interest regardless of
the cost to neighbour, friend or society
in general. For self-interest can become
— as it so often does — mere greed. The
public interest cannot be shuffled off
to a role of minor importance from its
imperative position of pre-eminence.
In this regard, it seems to me clear
beyond question that localized or na-
tional labor-management disputes in
vital areas of public service are beyond
the compass of the usual labor-manage-
ment negotiation techniques and that
such differences must, if necessary by
law, be resolved without the resort in
any way to the luxury of the strike
weapon. The public interest surely
must be and remain dominant and
never secondary to the private whims
of either labor or mangaement in vital
areas of public need.
I would wish as well for a re-educa-
tion in the fundamentals of demo-
cratic government at all levels — a re-
education for the people and for elect-
ed representatives as well in their pur-
pose and role, their rights and respons-
ibilities, in the great but delicate ad-
venture of government .in this age.
We would do well to remember that
the democratic form of government is
a recent but brilliant evolution in the
art of determining man’s relationship
to man. Because of its youth, it has still
some fragility and cannot with
abandon be .subjected to brute abuses
such as assassination, public disorder
or violent, • continuous and thought-
less derogation.
Living as we do in an age of verbal
emancipation where any and all opin-
ion from whatever quarter, is fair
game for broadcast, no matter how
virulent, wicked, ill-founded or merely
malicious or mischievous, our com-
munications must exercise great care
to ensure that we do not unconscious-
ly lead ourselves into the inescapable
tyranny of an uneducated, superficial
and thoughtless public opinion.
We therefore might wish that to-
day’s tools of mass communications —
the most sophisticated and all perva-
sive ever devised by man — might well
be rededicated and devoted to the
positive role of undergirding the
fundamental prerequisites of a decent
society — social, economic, government-
al, cultural and educational.
Rather than aimlessly filling our
minds with negativism and the sport
of pulling apart our institutions from
the Church down while, regularly with
sometimes devastating consequences,
blathering a plethora of trivia and
mediocre—even ludicrous—comment on
trivia or thoughtless carpings from un-
instructed minds which casually pass
for factual information on everything
from God to deodorants.
Finally, I would wish that we might
as the new Canadian society, more
resolutely strive for the pursuit of
excellence in all that we do. The pur-
suit of public office, far from being
exempt from this ideal, should be in
the forefront of the van. The selection,
advancement and reward of your pub-
lic servants should take second place
to no scientific, cultural or mere enter-
tainment endeavour, if we are to sur-
vive and prosper as a nation worthy
of the heritage which Providence has
bestowed on us.
This is not an exhaustive catalogue
of our needs in Canada today. They
represent only some ideals we might
better strive for to earn for this coun-
try the destiny which can be ours.
Mr. Chairman, with humility but
with fervor among the gracious com-
pany of Icelandic-Canadians who have
done so much to make this country
great, I propose a toast to Canada.