CLUELESS SPORTS EDITOR SHOULD STICK TO SPORTS

Dear Garth McLennan,

Just to prove that somebody actually does read the Other Press I
formed the irresistible urge to respond to your opinion, "Judge's
Ruling on Pot Bust a Disgrace" [February 18 issue] while having a
bite to eat at the Douglas College cafeteria and reading the
Opinions. I was on a break from the courthouse, you know, the one
next to your school. Justice Bruce is there sometimes too. Maybe
sometime between practices and games you could drop by.

I realize you write for a student paper, but do you actually intend
to sound like some self-inflated fuzzy cheeked loudmouth who doesn't
know any better? That still doesn't excuse you for prattling away at
such offensive idiotic nonsense. Clearly you merely read the
newspaper article in the Sun or Province which had reported on the
Cao decision (FYI, Justice Bruce would never have "read in her
statement" anything. Judges don't give "statements") If you had
carefully read Justice Bruce's reasons for judgment perhaps you would
have had something useful to say, based on an intelligent grasp of
the fundamental issues... or not.

But then for you to insinuate that the judge was bribed, that goes
way beyond any journalistic license to provoke, now you have crudely
insulted someone who has been involved in hundreds of these matters,
and whom through years of extremely hard work has earned her
position. You think maybe she just might know a thing or two about
the law? About the police, criminals, "scum of the earth" as you put
it? And what about you? Think of it this way, each day of trial is
like a final exam, each case like a semester score. So show some
respect, at least like you would a really good volleyball player or something.

By the way, I know you must be ignorant of the restriction against
judges (who cannot give "statements") in so far as they are not able
to respond publicly to moronic attacks such as yours, so I have taken
it upon myself to defend this judge. If she were able, probably she
would yet decline to do so, since you could be regarded as a mere
dabbler. But me, I'm not as gifted. So. Until you earn your voice in
these areas, shut the puck up. Or just talk basketball, or running shoes.

Michael J. Ritzker,

Barrister