I had a lot to say, but like many others at the standing-room-only crime forum, I sat, listened and watched.
I applauded and whistled as the audacious lady who was on her fourth husband and 10 kids brought the house down. I listened to the lass tell her story of how she had gone from being a drug user to a proud mother of two kids. I listened to the cop who was in full dress uniform put her two cents worth in.
But most of all I was impressed with the “brave” individual called Clarence (Louie), his special character is rather impressive. He admitted that Oliver’s problem doesn’t stop at the indigenous boundary. He admitted that the white mans’ problems are shared by the crowd on the other side of the corral fence on the reservation. His frustration with the justice system, his condemnation of the poor judgments by the judges, his suggestion of naming of names of prolific offenders regardless of their age resonated with the crowd.
Oliver is a great little town; the people here care. What’s letting them down is our “injustice” system, and I didn’t have the spheres to get up and say my piece have a few suggestions, but unfortunately my ideas would not fit within the confines of being a polite, politically correct Canadian chap.
Don Smithyman, Oliver
