DON'T Hang 'em High

Okay, I get it. Mr. Arar was wronged. He was falsely accused and wrongfully sent to Syria for 'questioning' (read tortured). An investigation was conducted, and this was found to be factual. However, should we be seeking to serve RCMP Commissioner Giuliano Zaccardelli's head on a platter? Although I haven't seen anybody specifically asking for that -- yet-- the media certainly seems to be hounding him as if he should resign.

I recall the opposite happening, not too long ago, with the Kadrs. The Kadr patriarch was held for questioning, then released, only to be found fighting against those fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Some of the same questions were raised when this came to light....How soon we forget.

Those that protect us have a difficult job. They must do whatever they can to prevent these attacks from happening, ever mindful of our civil liberties. Those that would do us harm take advantage of the liberties we enjoy to slip under the radar, in order to accomplish their nefarious deeds. A difficult balancing act...Mistakes will be made...In the Kadr case, the authorities were overly cautious. In the Arar case, they were not cautious enough. I would not want to be put into the position Mr. Arar was in, but does that mean we should start firing people??? Let's not get hot-headed here.

Mr. Arar and his family deserve to have their names cleared. They deserve their apology. They deserve compensation, just as anyone else who had been falsely accused and/or imprisoned does.

The RCMP? Don't just go looking for a rope and a high tree branch. Give the RCMP Commissioner and his staff the opportunity to determine what went wrong and how they can fix it so these types of things don't happen in the future. Political leadership will also be required from Mr. Zaccardelli's boss, Stockwell Day, Public Safety Minister, and his boss, Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The "war on terror" will require a 'living' game plan, i.e. something that changes and adapts to the threats and tactics used to strike fear into the population. A game plan that needs a good coach and a good General Manager. People who learn from their mistakes. If they can't learn, that's when replacements should be sought out.

Now is not the time to crucify those that work to protect us, just because it's politically expedient.

Wings Over The World

Is Canada's Gun Law Killing Us?

Prime Minister Harper is at it again.

After the tragic event at Dawson College where a lone shooter killed and injured 20 people, then turned the gun on himself, Mr. Harper states that the gun laws are ineffective. Of course, the victims' families and others are calling for stricter gun laws, but it was found that Kimveer Gill held a semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun and a handgun legally. It was revealed that he was a member of a gun club, he received two gun permits under the reportedly stricter 1995 Firearms Act, which included TWO background checks, and there were checks and balances supposedly set in place to identify and report people that could potentially become unstable. Yet, with all these precautions, someone was still able to commit this heinous act.

Before I get to my point, I want to make clear that I'm okay with people owning guns through legitimate means. I question some of the weapons that are available to gun collectors, but I don't begrudge their ability to own weapons. However, this privilege, not right, privilege comes with great responsibility. They must be properly stored and secured, and I believe all weapons should be registered. Which brings me to my point.

Again, Mr. Harper says the current gun laws are ineffective. What he failed to mention over the past couple of days is his long held policy intent to remove so-called "long guns," or rifles, from the registry. No doubt, a request from his Western Canada support base. How are you going to spin this one Mr. Harper? Obviously, this policy initiative isn't going to be pushed through by the Conservatives during their current mandate. They're going to have to wait and see if they get a majority government after the next election in order to be able to push this one through.

My message to Mr. Harper and his Conservative caucus:
If the current gun laws are ineffective, fix them.
If the current gun registry is broken, fix it.
If the types of weapons available to legitimate gun collectors are a danger to the public, reduce the list.

Now, nor anytime in the future, is it appropriate to relax the registering of weapons. If you think there is an appropriate time to do so, Mr. Prime Minister, just ask the families of the shootings at Dawson College, Ecole Polytechnique, Concordia University, Verdun, Winnipeg, and all the people killed in Toronto during the last year and a half, including Jane Creba.

Wings Over The World