Accountability

The first of four RCMP funerals was held Tuesday , in what will no doubt be a very emotional and trying week for members of the National Police Force and for many Canadians across the nation.

Constable Peter Schiemann was laid to rest at a service at a Lutheran church in Stony Plain, Alberta. The first of the four slain Mounties to be mourned by family, friends and fellow citizens near and far. His body brought out of the little church past an honour guard of red serge and taken through the streets of Stony Plain to his final resting place.

With a national service for Constables Johnston, Gordon and Myrol planned for Thursday in Edmonton and private services set for Friday and Saturday the shock of the horrible nature of these four deaths will soon give way to many questions, none of which are easily answered.

Many are asking whether the four were provided with the proper intelligence on the situation, the proper armament and enough back up to take on someone, who was not only quite troubled but obviously very dangerous. I'm not an expert in matters of policing, so I'll leave the Monday morning quarterbacking aspect of what went wrong, to those that may have more to bring to the discussion than I. Hopefully, a full and complete investigation of all aspects of this tragedy will provide reassurance to those that protect our safety day in and day out, without complaint nor fear for their own safety.

Instead today, we will ask questions of the two branches of the legal system most able to effect change, but seemingly dis-interested in doing so. When will the Judicial branch and the legislative branch begin to take their responsibilities to heart and provide Canadians with a semblance of Justice and safety.

James Roszko, the man who slaughtered those four Mounties on that farm had been no stranger to the police and no stranger to the Judicial system over the years. How someone so obviously incapable of rehabilitation could be allowed to continue on in society to apparently instill fear to his neighbours defies reason. Time and time again he had appeared in front of the judiciary only to be released or handed a sentence that soon had him back out on the streets to continue to terrorize his small community. If ever someone needed to be incarcerated in ever lengthy sentences it might be this particular person, eventually even the Justice system must realize that the good of the whole must be set ahead of the individual.

The politicians have been quick to offer up increased maximum sentences for violent offenders and those that repeat their mistakes, a generous admission that things have been lax but wholly useless considering past history. For the most part our Judiciary are not using the maximum sentences available to them at the moment. It's wonderful theatre to suggest a fourteen year sentence for a certain crime, but if the current penalty of say seven years isn't being pronounced on guilty parties what's the use of the grand announcements. It's mere wall papering, covering up a nasty blight with some shiny new paper which will soon fade.

The Judicial branch has been quick to say they only address the law as it is provided by the politicians, the politicians express concern over the lax standards and penalties set forth by the Judiciary. Somebody talk to somebody and get on the same page, what we have now is near farce. Standards should be set and penalties should reflect those standards, if the judiciary refuse to follow those guidelines then get out the rolodex and appoint a new judge that might be inclined to listen.

Crimes of violence and those crimes with weaponry should be non negotiable minimum sentences with no wriggle room, no good behavior, no loose windows of opportunity. 25 years will be 25 years, not ten or less.

Repeat offenders obviously show no contrition for their crimes, and should have their penalties increased with each successive offence. It only seem sensible that the rule of law should be steeped in the rule of common sense.

I'm not particularly a Right Wing, hang em high kind of person. But the lack of accountability in our society needs to be addressed and addressed promptly. A complete investigation into such things as the gun registry (is it really of any use?), soft sentencing (how many folks factor in a little jail time as just the price of doing business) and early release provisions (murderers, rapists, pedophiles and such really should not be allowed out until a full sentence has been served and only with strict, strict conditions) might be a sensible place to start.

Whether its accountability from a criminal for his misdeeds, accountability from a Judge for his deliberations or accountability from a politician for his legislation, the time has come to step up and explain what we are doing.

It's far too late for the four fallen Mounties we mourn this week, but surely we can ask tough questions of those that put them into harms way. This is a country that has been built on a strong belief in what is right and what is wrong, a country that respects the law as the last line of defense in a civil society.

It's time for those that draft those laws and those that sit in judgment to respect the desires of a vast majority of Canadians. We don't ask for much, just protection from crime, safety for our families and friends and answers to our questions. In short a little accountability please!