HOLY SMOKE DECISION DESTROYS FAITH IN SYSTEM

To the editor:

I learned two hard lessons in court when attending the sentencing date
for the "Holy Smoke Four" on October 14.

The first was over hearing, for the first time, the term "D.B.s" used
to describe people in the courtroom that day.

The second was that we incarcerate "gentle loving and compassionate"
members of our community, as described by Judge Perry (Sperry)
himself, for breaking laws that are clearly not supported by millions
of Canadians.

My naive trust in the court system to have the ability to distinguish
between violent and non-violent offenders has been shattered. It has
been replaced by disgust at those, whom the public entrusts with our
protection, to regard some of our citizens as "dirt bags".

We need to update the laws and clean up this rotten attitude
immediately. It undermines public trust in the system and flies in the
face of Canadian values like peace and equality.

Christine Grossutti

Balfour, B.C.