I’m sure Yorkton This Week reporter Thom Barker is a nice guy, but if there is a person in Yorkton (other than Calvin Daniels) who isn’t more polar opposite than I am; I would be shocked. Thom wrote an editorial about the sentence Melvin Koroluk received for abducting a little girl from the Yorkton Exhibition in 2011. While I am on the side of the fence that says, ‘lock him up and throw away the key’, Thom is on the side of favoring our Criminal Code and the Charter. Thom says judges are obligated to determine whether there are less restrictive sanctions than imprisonment that could accomplish the objectives of sentencing. Okay, let’s go with that statement and then answer me this: where was that statement during Kim Walker’s trial?
If you want to cut through the crock of dandelions, here is how it works: the book was thrown at Walker because the justice system is petrified as to what would happen if people started to take the law into their own hands. Can you imagine a world where everyone decided to take an eye for an eye? I suspect 10 years in jail is enough to prevent most of us from considering murder to even up the score. I wonder if 2 years in jail would be a big enough deterrent to stop future child abductions? I am going to suggest it isn’t. If you don’t want these predators on the street, throw the book at them. It’s that simple. I don’t care what your upbringing was, I don’t care if you have a past criminal record, I don’t care if you were the nicest man on earth to the little girl after you have stolen her from the fair grounds. Kidnapping is kidnapping and for that you should go away for a very long time so that future children won’t have to suffer the life long trauma that the little girl in this case will have to endure. Let’s pretend that before Koroluk was ever caught, that this child’s father found him and decided to take Koroluk for a little drive out into the middle of nowhere to have a conversation with him. Then when that conversation was done, Koroluk was left to fend for himself and there was never ever any mention that he may be out there trying to get back into town. I can tell you, I’d risk two years in jail to get even. I’d also risk some lengthy counseling as a punishment too so that I could better understand the gravity of my actions. What nonsense.
If you want to cut through the crock of dandelions, here is how it works: the book was thrown at Walker because the justice system is petrified as to what would happen if people started to take the law into their own hands. Can you imagine a world where everyone decided to take an eye for an eye? I suspect 10 years in jail is enough to prevent most of us from considering murder to even up the score. I wonder if 2 years in jail would be a big enough deterrent to stop future child abductions? I am going to suggest it isn’t. If you don’t want these predators on the street, throw the book at them. It’s that simple. I don’t care what your upbringing was, I don’t care if you have a past criminal record, I don’t care if you were the nicest man on earth to the little girl after you have stolen her from the fair grounds. Kidnapping is kidnapping and for that you should go away for a very long time so that future children won’t have to suffer the life long trauma that the little girl in this case will have to endure. Let’s pretend that before Koroluk was ever caught, that this child’s father found him and decided to take Koroluk for a little drive out into the middle of nowhere to have a conversation with him. Then when that conversation was done, Koroluk was left to fend for himself and there was never ever any mention that he may be out there trying to get back into town. I can tell you, I’d risk two years in jail to get even. I’d also risk some lengthy counseling as a punishment too so that I could better understand the gravity of my actions. What nonsense.
Don Cherry is on the hot seat again after he proclaimed during Saturday night’s Hockey Night In Canada broadcast that the male locker room is no place for female reporters. In this day and age of equal rights, Cherry has drawn major criticism for his opinions; however I have to side with Cherry ONLY if male reporters are not allowed in female locker rooms. And, I don’t know if this is still the case or not. I just remember when I was covering university sports; I was not allowed within sight of the Brandon Lady Bobcat (basketball) dressing room. Usually I bring this up with people and I get some grins regarding the thought of a male pervert hanging around a dozen or more scantily clad women. Well, women have similar thoughts that men do. You don’t think some of these women feel as though they’ve hit the jackpot walking into a room where you not only see naked men, but gorgeous naked men? Of course, you have people of both genders that would be professional enough to conduct their jobs without being animals and you have people of both genders that would be too immature to handle it. My thought on this subject has always been that dressing rooms and locker rooms are an athletes ONLY domain and reporters (gender doesn’t matter) are, simply, not welcome to be there. There should be a designated interview area outside and club personnel can arrange for interview subjects to make themselves available in that particular area. (Note that isn't in my newspaper column: from listening to various reporters over the last few days, it sounds like most professional dressing rooms now are set up in a fashion where a locker room has a separate area for athletes to, comfortably, get changed and collect their thoughts without having a throng of media hovering over them like mosquitoes).
Another Yorkton case that rolls my eyes is the release of custody of Thomas Stephenson. He is charged in connection with cocaine trafficking. He’s been on remand since March 13 because he was already on a conditional release due to other charges. He also has a history of breaching court orders and has prior failure to appears (in court). The crown feels (imagine the nerve of them) that because of his legal history, he poses a threat to re-offend and/or not show up for his court date. The judge admitted the strength of the crown’s case is excellent. Yet, Stephenson gets out because he has good community support. Bleeding hearts.
I had a chance to take my kids to Free My Muse’s 16th Youth Play Production Adaptation called Rapunzel. It was, as always, very well done. There are some incredibly talented youth in our community and some of them are flying under the radar. There are more events coming up, so if you see their famous posters kicking around on the windows of local businesses, make yourself a note to try and attend one of the shows. You won’t be disappointed. And, it’s something different than simply going out for supper or drinks all the time.
Nice person mentions this week to Lloyd Seymour, Evan Johnson, Stephanie Sliva, Tricia Korczak, Susan Cochrane, and Greg Litvanyi.
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