A TRAVESTY OF JUSTICE

Dear Editor,

In following your excellent coverage of the Emery extradition saga, I
find myself somewhat bewildered by events.

Whatever the realities of the extradition laws, and the effects of
the increasing globalization of law in itself, are we not losing
sight of the human issues underlying this latest pending travesty of justice?

Canada's esteem in the world was never higher than during Trudeau's
open defiance of the American pressure to extradite the 100,000 Draft
evaders who were given sanctuary here during the Vietnam War.

If we can stand firm and refuse to extradite American citizens, who
had probably committed "crimes" in the USA, how can we not entertain
the idea of extraditing Canadian citizens for "crimes" which could
and should be tried here in BC?

As we face another summer of watching $500 dollar an hour police
"green team" helicopter flights, while the Transition House and the
Women's Centre struggle on, this latest DEA-serving fiasco is yet
another bitter pill for the Canadian taxpayer to swallow.

I suspect that this is a test case of far, far greater import than
most of us could possibly imagine.

Steve Shaw

Nelson