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IL POSTINO V O L . 5 N O . 7 JUNE 2004 / GIUGNO 2004 $2.00 Italian Week In Motion La Settimana Italiana in May 29th - June 20th Moto 29 Maggio - Giugno 20 CUSTOMER NUMBER: 04564405 PUBLICATION AGREEMENT NUMBER: 40045533 IL POSTINO • OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA IL POSTINO Page 2 IL POSTINO June 2004 VOLUME 5 , NUMBER 6 865 Gladstone Avenue, Suite 101 • Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7T4 IF ITALIANS DON’T HAVE MORE (613) 567-4532 • [email protected] www.ilpostinocanada.com Publisher BABIES, THEY WILL DISAPPEAR! Preston Street Community Foundation Dallas News Italian Canadian Community Centre of the National Capital Region Inc. By Terry Eastland Thursday, April 29, 2004 Executive Editor Angelo Filoso SIENA, Italy â•“ In 1348, the Black Death took the lives of obvious that aging populations that clearly like living in the “present 70,000 of this city’s 100,000 inhabitants. Siena, whose exquisite moment,” as one European history scholar told me, will acquiesce. Managing Editor art still amazes, never again had a population that large. Today, They may have no other choice, especially if Europe is going to it numbers just 56,000. develop a military capability to defend itself (once the United States Neil McKinnon The Black Death was traced to infected rats aboard a withdraws troops). Europe has been able to enjoy “paradise,” in merchant ship from the Crimea that stopped in Sicily. The Robert Kagan’s keen analysis â•“ a paradise made possible by the Associate Editor diseases carried by those rats ravaged not only Italy but all of fact that its security has relied upon American power. Now, though, Marcus Filoso Europe. The loss of life ranged from 12 percent in a city or region the time for assuming responsibility for a government’s most to the 70 percent reported in Siena. “No one wept for the important task has arrived. Advertising Director dead,” wrote a denizen of the devastated city, European governments hold out hope that their Neil McKinnon “because everyone expected death populations won’t wither but stabilize and himself.” even increase. Officials (tutored by Graphic Designer Today, a visitor to Italy is struck economists) tend to regard a too by the fact that demographic low birthrate as a problem of Vlado Franovic destruction is occurring once supply that can be corrected as again, though this time more all such problems are â•“ by Layout & Design slowly. There is no Black offering behavioral incentives, Marcus Filoso Death, no communicable meaning money. disease that the destruction Italy recently began Web site Manager can be blamed on. But the offering 1,000 euros (roughly Marc Gobeil fact is that Italy is depopulating $1,200) to every woman who has itself, and it is doing so by a second child. That experiment Printing human choice. Procreation, you will be closely watched. Winchester Print & Stationary could say, is suffering. Simply put, Meanwhile, working Italian Italians are having very few babies â•“ women continue to complain Contributors for this issue actually, too few for Italy to survive. about their husbands, who they (in alphabetical order) Italy now has the lowest birthrate (1.23 say do too little work around the children per woman) in Europe and the second house. If the men helped out Carletto Caccia, Ermanno La Ricca, Rodolfo Di Iulio, Terry lowest in the world. If Italy’s “rate of reproduction more, they say, they would have a Eastland, Mario Fociacca, Nazzareno Carusi, Frank Nicastro, continues,” London’s Sunday Telegraph recently second child. Luciano Pradal, Renato Rizzuti, noted, “Italians will slowly but surely die out.” Maybe. But maybe, too, the low A similar demographic destruction is visiting birthrates of Italy and Europe generally other European countries, for most of them also have are symptomatic of a much deeper problem. birthrates well below what is necessary to maintain current That Europe is secular (and American religious, an Submissions population levels (thought to be 2.1 children per woman). unnerving fact in Europe) is undisputed. But the problem of a secular Consider that the population of Spain will decline from 40 million society, as the British historian Christopher Dawson long ago pointed We welcome submissions, letters, articles, story ideas and to 31.3 million by 2050 if the birthrate in that country persists out, is that it “has no end beyond its own satisfaction.” Such a photos. All materials for editorial consideration must be unchanged. society may have a harder time turning from its own pleasures to double spaced, include a word count, and your full name, It isn’t hard to see the immediate problems facing a Europe take on the responsibility of raising children. address and phone number. The editorial staff reserves the lacking sufficiently high birthrates. Most obviously, the lavish, “A baby,” Carl Sandburg once said, “is God’s opinion that the right to edit all submissions for length, clarity and style. cradle-to-grave welfare states found throughout the continent world should go on.” In secular Europe, God’s opinion may not be will want for new workers and the taxes they would pay â•“ regarded as very important. A continent whose graying populations unless immigration soars. But immigration brings its own are wealthier and healthier than ever apparently prefers to do things Next Deadline problems, not least (in a post-Sept. 11 world) terrorism and the other than perpetuate the human future. cells that support it. Terry Eastland is publisher of The Weekly Standard and a June 22, 2004 Of course, welfare benefits could be cut. In Italy, for example, regular contributor to Viewpoints. His e-mail address is the retirement age would have to be raised from a mere 55. But [email protected]. Il Postino is publication supported by its advertisers and sale trimming the welfare state requires political will, and it isn’t of the issues. It is published monthly. The opinions and ideas expressed in the articles are not necessarily those held by Il Postino. A Reminder to All advertisers. It is your responsibility to notify us if there are any mistakes in your ad. Please let us know ASAP. Otherwise, we will assume that all information is correct. 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Any reproduction of the contents is SUBSCRIPTION / ABBONAMENTO I prefer to pay by: / Scelgo di pagare con: strictly prohibited without written permission from • Yes, I want to subscribe to twelve issues of Il Postino •cash / contanti •cheque / assegno Sì, vorrei abbonarmi a Il Postino per 12 numeri Il Postino. •money order / vaglia postale • $20.00 Subscription Canada / Abbonamento Canada CUSTOMER NUMBER: 04564405 • $38.00 Subscription Overseas / Abbonamento Estero PUBLICATION AGREEMENT NUMBER: 40045533 Name and Surname: / Nome e cognome:_______________________________________ Street: / Via: ____________________ Postal Code: / Cp.:________City: / Città:____________ Province: / Provincia: ____ Tel.:___________________________ Fax:____________________________ Date:___________________________ to / intestato a: Preston Street Community Foundation Inc., Suite 101 Gladstone Avenue 865, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7T4 IL POSTINO • OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA June 2004 IL POSTINO Page 3 “Pace e Bene” as a Universal Concept By Renato Rizzuti My mind goes back to childhood at St. Anthony’s Church units. The family home should definitely be a place of “peace” playing with her play kitchen, I asked her what she was where incense filled the air and and “love.” There is no way any person in their right mind making. Rachela’s reply was “I’m making coffee and I’m the words “pace” and “bene” reverberated in the would want to argue with that . The husband and wife couple putting cucumbers in the coffee.” A nasty and violent, “No acoustics of the great church. Spoken by the priest, these needs to be a harmonious couple. you cannot put cucumbers in the coffee, you bad girl!” would words have been forever etched in my mind. They mean First of all, no two people should get married in the first have been the worst thing I could have said to her. Instead, “peace” and “love.” They are the components of not only an place if their “life philosophies” are not compatible. This can I told her that it sounded good and I was looking forward to Italian Catholic concept but are also part of a universal concept be easily discovered during the dating stage by asking each having a cup. Any top level child psychologist would agree that needs to be exercised throughout our entire planet during other direct and revealing questions. When my wife and I with my reaction and point out that I was nurturing Rachela’s our somewhat troubled times. went out on our first date, I really “interviewed” her instead creativity and divergent thinking instead of censoring it. It all starts with the individual. Inner peace and self love of engaging in idle chit chat. At one point she said, “I feel When it comes to teenagers choosing an occupation, we are important in creating a well adjusted and happy like you are making me take a test.” My reply have to keep an open mind and let them aim towards what individual. Italians have been portrayed was, “Yes, I am and you are passing!” will make them happy in life rather than which in the media as warm and loving Loving each other requires occupation would make us happy. We have people and have also been portrayed constant work and to love our children “unconditionally.” We as angry and violent individuals. It is nurturing. Each partner cannot say, “I will only love you if you much simpler to go through life as a should make the other become a doctor and you stay a doctor warm and loving person; it makes life partner feel special and for the rest of your life.” That would easier for you and the people around loved.