The Anth Zone

I want to offer my condolences to the families, students and teachers affected by the school shooting at Jokela High School in Tuusula, Finland (southern Finland). The gunman is believed to be an eighteen year old student and delivered a disturbing message on the video sharing network website YouTube. The Finnish Media reported the video message by the gunman entitled the Jokela High School Massacre; it has been removed from YouTube.

The gunman took eight lives with a .22-calibre gun; nine have been reported to have minor injuries. His unwilling victims were seven students, two female, five male and the eighth victim was the high school’s principal.

If you want to read more about this disturbing event, Gunman dies after killing 8 others in Finnish school.

I’m disappointed with the justice system here in Canada after Xiao Zhang pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing death and failure to stop at scene of an accident on June 27, 2006. Mr. Zhang is responsible for taking the life of New Zealand tourist Dr. David Higgins while walking the sidewalks of the downtown core of Vancouver. Zhang tried to flee the process by running off to Toronto but was unsuccessful.

God, I love it when they catch stupid criminals with their pants down at their ankles. He only eleven months for the dreadful crimes he committed. He should have received five to ten years of prison time since he admitted to the committed crimes instead of facing twenty five to life. The Conservatives haven’t carried through with their campaign commitments to establish a mandatory minimum prison sentence for violent criminals. Though, we could appreciate that Zhang has forfeited his license and vehicle and cannot drive for another two years but I’m pretty sure, if he hit a guy downtown, he’ll do it again. Where is the justice?

The highest court in the country has ruled unanimously against the security certificate system because it violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The government used this program to detain foreign born nationals without due process or be faced with deportation to a nation that sponsors torture.

The Supreme Court has given the government one year to amend the law; Stockwell Day has said the government is ‘optimistic’ to make the necessary changes pertaining to the court’s rulings on the security certificates. The federal government’s responsibility is not to have national security infringe on the civil liberties declared in our constitution.

Your moment of zen.

Oh, Bev Oda!