DRUG ISSUE SIDETRACKS PUBLIC DEBATE OF MOUNTIE TRAGEDY

The nation's eyes were focused on rural Alberta last week after the tragic
death of four members of the RCMP. News that four Mounties were gunned down
on the James Roszko farm outside of Mayerthorpe stirred up a mixture of
shock, sorrow and anger in Canadians from coast to coast. Not since the
Rebellion of 1885 have so many officers lost their lives in connection to a
single incident.

In the days following the shooting, public debate has raged on many fronts.
Some are using the incident to score political points against controversial
Canadian policies.

Critics of the gun registry are using the shooting as an illustration of
the shortcomings of Canada's national firearms data base, which failed to
keep a powerful rapid fire rifle out of the hands of a killer, despite the
fact millions of dollars have been spent on the system.

Even more intensive has been the scrutiny of Canadian drug laws. Police and
government officials like Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan have not been
shy to connect the shooting -- and the fact that a cache of illegal drugs
was found on the farm site -- with the need to crackdown on marijuana
growing operations. At the same time, proponents for the legalization of
pot are arguing the relaxation of Canadian marijuana laws would help
eliminate violence and organized crime often associated with the black market.

These issues are certainly worth public discussion. However, linking these
directly to the Mayerthorpe shooting not only does a disservice to the four
Mounties who lost their lives, but ignores some basic details about the
case. The fact is, the presence of marijuana was not the catalyst that drew
police out to the Roszko farm in the first place. They were out there to
recover property and merely stumbled across the pot operation. It would be
a mistake to believe the RCMP lost their lives in the midst of a drug raid
or clash with organized crime. Altering drug laws or the gun registry,
would not have been the magic solutions that would have prevented this tragedy.

The truth of the matter is four Mounties were slain because a lone man --
with a history of violence and run-ins with the law -- appears to have
finally snapped, using a hail of bullets to lash out with pent up anger.

That reality certainly raises questions that need to be answered, such as
why a person well-known for his threatening behaviour continued to be at
large in the community. Or, why four policemen were apparently taken
completely by surprise on an isolated farm.

But let's keep the event in perspective, examining the specific
circumstances surrounding the incident, rather than letting the tragedy be
sidetracked by a drug or gun registry debate that has little to do directly
with the loss of four lives.