Again

Just browsing around this morning and I checked a site I had not read in a while. On it I found some comments about Derik's case that I had not read before. I was especially intrigued by the new posts by Derik's fiancee, Jasminda. I know she could write, but was suprised by her eloquence in this one! Way to go Jasminda! Here is the blog if you would like to read what she says:

http://closer-look.blogspot.com/2007/01/derik-lords-long-wait-jan.html

It is extremely hard in Canada to get a wrongful convicton overturned. We may never be able to do that.

My biggest issue with the system of incarceration we have here is the lack of parole availability. Our Parole Board states over and over that he will not see the outside of a prison without confessing to the crime. That volates the Criminal Code of Canada, is against the National Parole Board's own policies, flies in the face of the agreements Canada has signed with other countries under the United Nations umbrella, and is just not fair.

Derik, because he has family and friends who support him, has been able to stay away from the bad things that happen in our prisons on a regular basis. For example, he has not started using drugs, which are so readily available inside our prisons. Other prisoners have told me drugs are not only more avalable, they are cheaper than on the street. Drugs are the biggest problem inside our prisons. Management tries many things to solve the issue, but the roadblocks set up by the Guard's Union keep the measures from being more effective. Sure searching visitors catches some of the drugs being brought in, but not searching the gym bags and other containers brought in by guards gives a large avenue of importation that is not being closed off.

The only way to stop that door is to remove guards from the front entrances and replace them with a different security force such as the Commissionaires. That way, union members are not searching other union members. It would close a very large portal for getting contraband into the prisons.

The lack of family support becomes more apparent when we attend social events in the prisons. I have been approached by many prisoners who have not seen any family members or friends since being incarcerated. There are many reasons for this, but from what I have seen, visiting is not encouraged by the system. Although they give mouth to a great policy and openness for visiting, in actual practice, it does not happen easily. My husband has not seen his son for nearly 3 years now because they do not like his words. He writes letters to upper anagement noting obvious, glaring errors in the functioning of the visitng process. Because he embarrasses them, he is not allowed to visit. Derik has even been told to shut his father up and he might get parole! What a farce!

I can't help everyone, but I have supported some men who finally were able to gain parole. All except one have stayed out because they had someone to talk to outside of the prison environment. Someone who could give advice, support ( not with money) and just be friendly. These men are doing fine now. workng, supporting themselves and in some cases, their families, participating in outreach activties in the prisons, and more. Many more helpful people are needed in order to reduce Canada's growing prison population. Our Federal Government and its policies make it a very hard place to be.

http://www.canadianinjustice.com

Please write our Prime Minister
Stephen HARPER
Office of the Prime Minister of Canada,
Parliament Buildings,
Ottawa,
Ontario,
Canada

Coach Elouise
604-794-3218
Skype coach_elouise
Email: lordelouise@gmail.com
rascal60@shaw.ca
http://coachelouise.com

John Ralston Saul

I went to listen to the annual multicultural lecture at the Chan Theatre at University of British Columbia last night. It was very interesting for me being a Canadian. My ancesters were among the very first to settle this great country. I always wondered why Canada's relations with its Aboriginal peoples was so much better than our neighbours.

Our neighbours and many other countries settled the same way treated Aboriginals like they were the interlopers. Aboriginals were pushed out of the way for immigrants to take the land and resources. Maybe not right away, but as soon as the European settlers became numerous enough to survive without help, they did so.

Canada's early settlers would not have survived their first winter without the help of the Aboriginal peoples in the area. That they did survive is a testiment to them, and a testiment to the Aboriginal peoples who taught them what was safe to eat, how to make a shelter from the cold, and so much more. Canada began right off the hop with a dialogue, a conversation with the native peoples.

John Saul talked abut all this, and especially how Canada has 3 legs that it stands on. The French, The English and Loyalists, and the Aboriginals. His main theme is that as long as all three legs remain strong, so will the country.

I agree with him for the most part, but I have noticed a decline in the conversation. I don't believe that the newest generations of immigrants to Canada are being properly included in the conversation. I am seeing a lot more influence to Canada's great culture by relatively large groups of other immigrants. There is no conversation between these new groups and the three founding legs. We are losing our special bond between all Canadians by leaving these groups out of the conversation.

Canada cannot take steps that will lead us to the types of rulings and laws that are enforced in other nations. We have to continue the conversations with all our groups included in order not to lose the orality of our nation. We must keep the conversations open and active. We must keep the conversations flowing.

Canada will not survive as we know and love it if we start only looking at written laws and rules. Our Aboriginals did not write laws, they negotiated them amongst the group. When my ancesters came to join this marvelous land, they tried to ring the written laws with them. They would write reports back to England and France, but not all was told in the written reports. The oral conversations were not reported. The far away masters thought they knew everything, but they did not. The ongoing conversations between the peoples involved led to a peaceful co-existence, There was no need for a large government to tell everyone what their jobs were. There was a great co-operation and working together for surviva of the peoples involved.

That is what we need to get back to. I don't mean fur trade, or anything like that, I mean we need to keep the conversations going and involving everyone to keep this country as stable as it has been all these hundreds of years.

To keep my conversations going, I use Skype and Message Magic.
Skype is free, Message Magic enhances it like you would not believe.

http://tinyurl.com/d9zhdu

Coach Elouise
604-794-3218
Skype elouise.lord
Email: lordelouise@gmail.com
rascal60@shaw.ca