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.
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.
posted by Jason at 8:36 p.m.
1 Comments:
I can't even begin to imagine what the must feel like. One can only hope that they actually do feel the weight of their actions.
Post a Comment
<< Home