A firestorm of political correctness - Winnipeg Free Press

A firestorm of political correctness - Winnipeg Free Press

The points outlined in this piece by the Winnipeg Free Press are not easy to read, but to comprehend the complete injustice that has taken place in Saskatoon is difficult but necessary for us to do.

So much of this case is reminiscent of the lynch mob mentality borne in the Southern States in the late 1800's, something I'm sure we would decry in this day and age, or would we??

I think what angers me most is that instead of the death of a troubled young man being properly investigated and the facts weighed appropriately, that a life was summarily dismissed because of the lack of value that others saw in it. That is wrong, and should have been addressed, and it was, well...sort of. Dissatisfied with the outcome of the investigation, a group, came together to challenge the police on what was a deplorable 'standard operating procedure'. I don't on any level disagree with this being challenged. Wrong is wrong and deserves challenge.

But what transpired from there is something that we should all be ashamed of. Two men were thrown under the proverbial bus. Their character, their livelihood, their entire lives have been tainted by lies, conjecture and a sad, sad system that cannot do the right thing, but instead makes political moves to appease. The practice that they were accused of was something that was commonly known and used in MANY Canadian departments. Instead of dealing with the issue, two men were metaphorically dragged through the town square and strung up for all to see. And even more sadly we did nothing as a community to stop it.

Two men paid a sad price for the department and city that they served as police officers. I've only had the opportunity to meet both Larry Hartwig and Brad Senger in passing, but I know several people who know and speak highly of their character, integrity and humility. They deserved more than what their community gave them. Having both moved on in their lives, they're respected and admired for their courage and the dignity with which they have quietly moved forward with their lives. I admire this courage and strength of character greatly. And I'm deeply apologetic for being one of the many voices who could have spoken up but did not.