TORIES VIEW LAWBREAKERS WITH KNEE-JERK CONTEMPT

"The Conservative government will make jails a place for punishment,
not recreation," proclaims a flyer that loomed up in my mailbox,
compliments of Betty Hinton, MP.

I suspect her views might change if someone she cherished broke the
law and ended up behind bars.

"Society owes no debt to convicted criminals," she continues. Where
does Hinton think criminals come from, if not from society? It is a
national disgrace that this bullying, self-righteous gang of
politicians would take cheap shots at those already at the bottom of
our so-called social order. Corrections Canada's mandate is to
reconcile the twin towers of punishment and rehabilitation, a hard
enough task without this kind of knee-jerk political contempt. I hope
my fellow Canadians see through the Conservatives' appeal to our
lowest nature and elect, instead, a government with more dignity and
compassion. How we treat those who have offended against society is
the measure of our country's humanity, the measure of a true democracy.

SUSAN MUSGRAVE

Masset