Peace and Order - Canadian Style
Two news stories caught my eye today.
In the first, two desperadoes try to outrun the cops to the border but fail in a hail of bullets. Sounds like the Wild West doesn’t it? Perhaps Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? No it was gunfight at the Peace Arch border crossing yesterday and Canadians can be thankful the Americans were equipped to do their job. The state patrol and the US customs officers combined to capture the two on US soil.
It is easy to understand why any American desperado, wanted for murder in California, would risk almost anything to get across the border into Canada. Once out of range of the US police officers, they wouldn't be troubled by Canadian border guards since our feckless government has chosen not to arm them. Canadians could only have ducked for cover and hoped that the RCMP would eventually track the killers down. And once they did, we would have put them in jail, perhaps have denied them bail, fed them well, paid for the best criminal lawyers to fight their extradition to the US for years; all at great cost to the Canadian taxpayer. Eventually they would have been turned over to the Americans, but only after extorting a promise from the US prosecutor’s office not to seek the death penalty.
I hate guns, but since criminals are going to use them, our peace officers including border guards need to be able to defend themselves. I disagree with capital punishment, but the citizens of many US states have voted to use it, and Canada should respect their choice and not act as a haven for criminals seeking protection from the consequence of laws they freely chose to break.
In the second news story, two rich Toronto teenagers are street racing in their respective parents’ cars, a Mercedes and a BMW. On the seat of one of the cars is a video game in which the players race cars through city streets crashing into each other and into other vehicles. It is apparently one of the best selling video games on the market.
Real life intervenes and the cars crash into a cab, killing the cab driver Mr. Khan. Mr. Khan was 3 days away from becoming a Canadian citizen and was looking forward to being able to sponsor his family to join him from Pakistan.
This is but another painful reminder of flaws in the glass of Canadian society and our affluent Western culture.
Too many parents don’t care enough to know what their children are doing in their rooms equipped with TV’s and computers. Too many parents don’t care enough to stop and think about the wisdom of tossing the keys to their powerful cars to their teenage children.
Neither of these young men was seriously injured in the crash. For now they are in jail, but soon they will be free on bail posted by their wealthy parents. What will the courts do with them? Will there be a sentence that might serve as a meaningful deterrent to other young men and their parents? Don't hold your breath.
All is not well in the “true North strong and free".
In the first, two desperadoes try to outrun the cops to the border but fail in a hail of bullets. Sounds like the Wild West doesn’t it? Perhaps Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? No it was gunfight at the Peace Arch border crossing yesterday and Canadians can be thankful the Americans were equipped to do their job. The state patrol and the US customs officers combined to capture the two on US soil.
It is easy to understand why any American desperado, wanted for murder in California, would risk almost anything to get across the border into Canada. Once out of range of the US police officers, they wouldn't be troubled by Canadian border guards since our feckless government has chosen not to arm them. Canadians could only have ducked for cover and hoped that the RCMP would eventually track the killers down. And once they did, we would have put them in jail, perhaps have denied them bail, fed them well, paid for the best criminal lawyers to fight their extradition to the US for years; all at great cost to the Canadian taxpayer. Eventually they would have been turned over to the Americans, but only after extorting a promise from the US prosecutor’s office not to seek the death penalty.
I hate guns, but since criminals are going to use them, our peace officers including border guards need to be able to defend themselves. I disagree with capital punishment, but the citizens of many US states have voted to use it, and Canada should respect their choice and not act as a haven for criminals seeking protection from the consequence of laws they freely chose to break.
In the second news story, two rich Toronto teenagers are street racing in their respective parents’ cars, a Mercedes and a BMW. On the seat of one of the cars is a video game in which the players race cars through city streets crashing into each other and into other vehicles. It is apparently one of the best selling video games on the market.
Real life intervenes and the cars crash into a cab, killing the cab driver Mr. Khan. Mr. Khan was 3 days away from becoming a Canadian citizen and was looking forward to being able to sponsor his family to join him from Pakistan.
This is but another painful reminder of flaws in the glass of Canadian society and our affluent Western culture.
Too many parents don’t care enough to know what their children are doing in their rooms equipped with TV’s and computers. Too many parents don’t care enough to stop and think about the wisdom of tossing the keys to their powerful cars to their teenage children.
Neither of these young men was seriously injured in the crash. For now they are in jail, but soon they will be free on bail posted by their wealthy parents. What will the courts do with them? Will there be a sentence that might serve as a meaningful deterrent to other young men and their parents? Don't hold your breath.
All is not well in the “true North strong and free".
posted by Ben Buan | 11:58 p.m.
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