Saturday 20 August 2011

Justice, Punishment, none of the above?

Didn't you see Mz Clark? Our Raggedy-Anne BC premier telling all who would listen that she would swiftly bring the perps of the Vancouver riot to justice and punish them for their deeds?
I thought that was what I heard. But that was the day after I think, she was working photo-op time while everyone was watching. Things have changed since then.
What happened next was the result of hundreds of uploads to YouTube and to the police; rioters breaking windows, smashing cars, setting fire to them and looting stores. The phone camera videos implicated hundreds. Welcome to 2011.

And complicated the issue. Like that boy who cried while admitting his crime, he was sorry, the Devil made him do it. His Doctor father and Doctor's wife mother crying along with him. He came forward as we watched him on video blatantly setting a car on fire (Alleged?) and admitted his misdeed. If that's not too soft a word for what he was doing.

In Vancouver, it is crown counsel who decides the charges and proceeds with the case against the perp. Not always the police. Chief Jim Chu seems almost relieved that he doesn't have to do it.
Ah, but this is where the complication is.

It seems to me that the lag in these proceedings might be caused because the crown lawyers are reluctant to prosecute doctors' children. And damn, why did he have to be the first!
The bad guys are supposed to be Downtown East Side kids all full of anger for being poor, not having opportunities for education, good jobs or secure futures.
This complicates everything and goes against all those talking heads who keep telling us how bad things are among the less fortunate.
The most fortunate weren't supposed to be the rioters. My gawd they have no reason to be pissed off with their position. The bad guys are not supposed to be doctors' kids who have pool tables and pools at home. They have everything going for them.
But here we are. A dilemma with horns. Professionals facing professionals!
That kid had to come first, or they might have been able to lose him in the crowd. And now the British are throwing a wrench into the works by sentencing harshly. Four YEARS for INCITING via social networks! 
Before this the judges might have been able to do their usual 'be a good boy now and run along' sentence.
This is trouble, even political trouble. How much cash do doctors plow into Liberal re-election coffers? And those private clinics that ignore the health system and cater to the rich? The Campbell/Clark Liberals let them start up all over the place. And now we're supposed to go after Liberal doctors kids? No way, Dr. Jose.
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Isn't there a way out of this? Is Christy Clark asking that? What can be done, just wait and we'll see how we can get this to be gone.

Just wait. The public forgets easily. We'll work something out.

Just wait.


We are.
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Keep it civil, folks, I know you're angry but try not to swear too much.