Murder In Medicine Hat

I've spent much of my life content with the fact that many people have never really heard of my hometown, Medicine Hat. Oh sure, every now and then you'll hear a little something about that hockey team of theirs (Go Tigers, Go!!) but other than that most people in the city are happy enjoying life in our quiet corner of Alberta.

Much of that was shattered over the weekend with the tragic murder of a family by, of all people, their daughter. Events like this are definitely rare in most places, and especially in a city like Medicine Hat. A sad story to be sure and it does hit home when you come from a small community. I went to school with the elder of the accused. It just feels wierd.

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. Two concerns though: one, the Youth Criminal Justice Act is again proving to be ridiculous, and two, I hope these two get what they deserve.

I've never liked the YCJA. Yes, I understand that youth are not the same as adults but at the same time I really don't think it's in anyone's interests to hold the hands of the accused and guide them with as little impact as possible through the judicial system. While I appreciate that the act has become tougher than previous incarnations, it still needs more teeth.

We can't simply rely on the philosophy that youth criminals are victims. It is indeed true in some certain circumstances, but there are some rotten kids out there who do incredibly stupid things. Sometimes they best learn their lesson with effective punishment. I admit that these are complicated matters with all sorts of underlying concerns and influences but how do we help them by sheltering them from some of those elements which are sometimes essential in behavior correction and rehabilitation?

What these two did is unspeakable. More information is needed before final decisions can be made. When we are enlightened, though, we cannot shrink away from public responsiblities to fix the problem. There needs to be jail time, and enough to leave a mark. I don't want to see bail hearings in a few short years... it can send the wrong kind of message. This will be an interesting one to watch.

Flag Frenzy

I do find it interesting what we as a society can manage to get so riled up over. Much of print and blog has been dedicated as of late to the whole issue surrounding whether or not the Canadian Flag should be lowered on the Peace Tower with each and every soldier's death. I think what's even more shameful is that we've even engaged in this debate as extensively as we have... to the point of overshadowing the actual deaths themselves. It doesn't matter what side of the fence you're on: you have to admit that the focus is probably not where it should be.

My own take on this whole flag flap, after reading numerous commentary on the subject, is that the Peace Tower should not lower the flag with each soldier's death. Let's not forget that flags are being lowered at their home bases, DND headquarters, as well as other locations. I think that the government decision to adhere to a more traditional policy has been overly sensationalized by the media to the point of insanity.

Personally, I enjoy and appreciate the annual ceremonies on Remembrance Day. They are wonderful opportunities to think and reflect on the scarifices made for past, present, and future generations. It really is a shame that more and more people look on the occasion as just another holiday.

People have disagreed with the position but I do believe that existing in a perpetual state of mourning runs a huge risk of cheapening the act of remembrance even further. Excessive repetition of flag-lowering, however well intended, makes the experience less significant in my mind.

Critics need to understand that for most supporters of the Tory decision, there is no disrespect intended for these brave men. There's no need to get all uppity over the location of the flag at one particular location. I don't see this as an attempt to hide the fact that people are dying. I see this move as a way to treat all soldiers who pay the ultimate with the respect that they all equally deserve. I would much rather see the Maple Leaf flying tall and proud more of the time than not... but that's just me.

Both sides have good solid points for their positions. Maybe it's time to dwell a little bit more on what sparked this whole controversy: the actual deaths of these four brave men. Let the media foam at the mouth over this and the other related issues. Real, meaningful mourning can happen, and is happening, deep in the hearts of many Canadians despite the placement of the flag or the ability to print a few choice pictures.

To those who say that we cannot honour our fallen comrades without a flag at half-mast, ask yourself if your intense scrutiny over such a trivial matter has really helped in that cause.

To Our Fallen Soldiers

I've been busy with exams over the past few days and hope to get back to more regular updates soon.

In any case, I wanted to offer my condolences to the families and friends of those soldiers who recently gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving in Afghanistan. Surely the thoughts and prayers of many Canadians are with you now. These are difficult times but it is not a time to say that we should just leave. The work that so many brave men and women are doing overseas is nothing short of remarkable and they should be honored for that.

I do not doubt that more will fall in this conflict. I only hope that our resolve will hold, if not strengthen, in seeing this thing through to the end to make Afghanistan a better place for the people who live there.

Timber...

Angry in the Great White North is posting some very interesting poll numbers. I know, polls are just polls and they reflect only a brief snapshot in the political landscape. Angry does note, though, how these new numbers from Environics seem to show a complete collapse of the Liberal Party across the country for a variety of reasons, no credible leader being one of the largest factor.

Hat tip to Angry for the poll. You probably wouldn't see this featured too much in the mainstream media I would imagine.

Belinda Gets Owned

I just watched an interview with Bob Fife. You can view it here.

I'll let the video speak for itself. To sum up though, Fife calls it how he sees it. He says that Belinda isn't running because:

-She can't speak French
-She believes that the Libs are going to get slaughtered by Harper and the Tories come next election.
-Her organization wasn't up to par
-She has no ideas

The highlight for me was hearing Mr. Fife say that he hadn't seen her put forward any new ideas since entering political life. Pretty harsh, maybe, but I agree. She can go on pretending that she's this modern-political crusader fighting for the good of the Liberal Party, and ultimately, for Canada. I don't think she's having much success though in convincing others that she's right for the job.

Like I said, she's thinking long-term "What's good for Belinda?" right now. She knows that her best shot is going to be a few years from now. For now, we'll just have to content ourselves with the other stellar candidates coming forward in the 'red-hot' Liberal race. Yawn......

Belinda, Belinda... Wherefor Art Thou?

Numerous reports are now suggesting that potential powerouse candidate Belinda Stronach will NOT be running for the op job of the LPoC. My intial reaction: Bwa ha ha ha ha ha... and so on and so forth. She naturally has her own reasons for making this decision, which was no doubt difficult to make. After all she had many who were willing to help in her campaign, and star-power to boot.

That being said, I didn't see any short-term success heading her way. I think there are too many people who still don't trust her. I find her to be a little too eager in her leadership aspirations. Goals are important yes, but I think hat through her political career she has demonstrated more often than not that she is doing this for Belinda. Naturally some will disagree with me. I feel though that her floor-crossing was motivated by greed and a lust for power. She saw that her goals would have to be put on hold within the Conservative Party. When she got the chance, she jumped ship... and right into a cabinet position.

I don't like her and in some ways I'm glad she's not getting her shot at the top. However, my own guess is that she'll stick around to keep learning the ropes. I think she'll be there come next Liberal leadership conference. She won't give up and I respect that quality in her. But that respect stops pretty much there. If she wants my trust, at least as much as I'm willing to give a Liberal, she'll have to show that she's thinking less about Belinda and more about the country that she wants to serve.

The Throne Speech

I watched captivated in front of my TV while the GG read the anticipated speech from the Throne. It was, as many predicted, free of the frills that we have come to expect over the years. There are a few impressions though that I will briefly comment on.

I have a hard time understanding some of the critics. The few MPs I did see interviewed all said something along the lines of "it had good ideas but it was weak on substance." Superstar Scott Brison capped it all off with his "thin gruel" jab. Now, maybe I'm a little mistaken on this but my understanding was that the Throne Speech is supposed to be a braod statement. This is not a comprehensive document designed to spell out exactly how the government will achieve its objectives. Rather, it sets the tone for the next session of Parliament. You nay-saying MPs get to hammer out the finer details later because that's what you're elected to do. Priceless political posturing.

I also like how this was not some lengthy ordeal promising something for everyone. I vaguely remember the last Liberal Throne Speech but it was dreadfully boring. I do remember, though, a few choice images of Paul Martin looking very much like he was trying hard to stay awake. This time around they stuck to the basics and it worked. Heck, even Jack Layton seemed pretty supportive. He admitted that Mr. Harper has done some things that Paul Martin never did. He is listening and he knows he is in a minority situation.

The Conservatives stayed on track and I, a regular Joe Canada, liked that. We don't need to be boggled down with a million and one different policy proposals. This message was clear and focused. It says to me that they are indeed serious about achieving their key priorities. Naturally, there will be more issues to address: the country is just too complex to limit everything down to five specific areas. For now though, they project the image of a government intent on keeping its promises. It won't be perfect but all partisanship aside, I have not seen such determination in any government for as long as I have been following politics.

Say what you will about Harper and the Tories. I think we will see some interesting things in the next few weeks. On top of that, I think more people will be pleasantly surprised than they might have intended.

The Big 5

I'm actually pretty excited to see Parliament in session again. It will be nice to see what this government can get done. And I do think that will be able to accomplish a lot of what they set out to do.

I don't have anything major to offer tonight. I would like to offer my brief take on the government's key priorities since everyone else seems to be making a big deal out of them.

The GST cut. As a student, I still fall into the category where I am not required to pay taxes. Any proposed cuts have no effect whatsoever upon my financial and well-being. I can see why personal cuts would be more beneficial in the long run but I can also see the reasoning behind this move. This really is a universal tax cut. Everyone pays it on practically everything. Savings might be small but they are there. My guess is that one will stay on the order paper.

Health-care Guarentee. Health-care is such a complicated issue I can't really hope to effectively sum up the issue in a few sentences. I really like the idea that if people need care, they should be able to get it. If that means that after a specified amount of time they are still unable to secure proper treatment within their region that they need to be mvoed elsewhere, so be it. I see not problem with this. I recently had eye surgery. Certainly not life threatening, but it took nearly seven years to finally get the problem fixed. That's a long wait and I think there's a real problem that needs to be fixed. I also think we need to be willing to look at other means of delivering the services we have come to epxect. If that means a measure of private care, so be it. Lots of debate on this for years to come. There is no quick fix.

Child-care. I am hugely supportive of the Conservative policy. My wife and I want to raise our own children with my wife staying in the home. How does an institutionalized program help us out? And why should my taxes pay for people to work? I'm sorry, but this is the only plan I've seen that is universal. All Canadian families will get the money. Also, it seems to be forgotten that money will be used to create more spaces, as well as incentives for businesses to set up day-care programs. I disagree with the belief that there is only one answer: government day-care. The Conservative plan will generate heated debate but I think it will pass in the end.

Crime. It's about time someone decided to get tough on crime. I'm of the firm opinion that we are a little too lenient on criminals. They are not all victims in need of love and support. Some people are dumb and deserve to be punished period. I think the government is right to want to focus more on tightening the rules as opposed to being so warm and fuzzy. We have jails for a reason. There's no need to fill them needlessly but certain people have earned the esteemed right to be locked away for a long time.

Accountability. No question with this one. Any party would be foolish to vote against many the measures contained in the proposed Accountability Act.

All in all, a pretty solid package. There will likely be few surprises in the Throne Speech but I am excited to see this new era in Canadian Politics.