Kevin Vickers and Omar Khadr

 Kevin Vickers is the House of Commons Sergeant-At-Arms who shot and killed the parliamentary shooter Zehaf-Bibeau on Parliament Hill on Oct 22. 

 

Omar Khadr is the Canadian born foreign fighter who killed USMC Medic Christopher Speer in Afghanistan 13 years ago.

What do they have to do with each other? 

Yesterday Kevin Vickers spoke at Mount Allison University. He had this to say about Zehaf-Bibeau:

[I thought of my father who had taught me that] “regardless how repulsive the crime, you always respect the dignity of the person." 

 And with this thought, Vickers prayed for Zehaf-Bibeau.

I see a lot of people who like to polarize the Omar Khadr case. The view goes something like, “by being sympathetic towards Khadr you are ignoring the victim, Christopher Speer, and his family.”

No. This is simply mistaken. All one is doing it respecting the dignity of Khadr. This is not exclusive to being empathic towards the victim.

Thank you, Mr. Vickers, for your compassion and your eloquence. And, for defending Parliament on that day in which you “bumped up against history.”

Elizabeth May was drunk… At least, that’s what I think.

Green Party leader Elizabeth May went a little kooky on the weekend and made a really awkward, unfunny speech at the Press Gallery Dinner.

Details here:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/elizabeth-may-goes-off-the-rails-in-awkward-press-gallery-dinner-speech-1.3068674?cmp=rss

This morning she is apologizing:

"I wouldn't want anyone to think I was less than respectful for the people with whom I work," May said.

"I apologize that I made an attempt to be funny and edgy....and it didn't work."

May said she was just getting over the flu, had put in a 21-hour work day on Friday, and then had to rise early in B.C. on Saturday morning to make it to the press gallery event in Gatineau, Que.

"My funny speech wasn't funny. That's not the first time a politician has done that."

Um… I call BS. I have seen these symptoms before in others (and in myself). This looks a lot like “drunk and uninhibited.” The question in my mind is whether it’s better to apologize with spin (as she has now done) or to be honest and simply say, “I had too much to drink and said some things that I should not have said. I am sorry. It will not happen again.” I think the latter is a better approach because I don’t think too many of us are buying the spin. 

And, as I teach my kids, an apology isn’t much of an apology if it comes with a “but” as in, “I am sorry that I said some silly things but I was just trying to be funny.”

That’s an excuse. Not an apology.

There is another possibility. Elizabeth May has no natural sense of humour. This is also a possibility although I am inclined to my first thought.

You may be against terror, Mr. Blaney, but do you stand for justice?

 Omar Khadr was released on bail yesterday. Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney said this:

"Omar Khadr pleaded guilty to heinous crimes, including the murder of American army medic Sgt. Christopher Speer."

And, yes. He has. But, Mr. Blaney, do you understand that an accused cannot be permitted to plead guilty to a non-existent crime? That is the justice system. There is no doubt that Khadr killed U.S. Medic Christopher Speer. What is in doubt is was a war crime, which is what the U.S. charged him with and what he pleaded guilty to. The facts, at least as I know them, strain the definition of war crime. 

This is not to excuse the reprehensible nature of Khadr’s action on that day 13 years ago. It is, however, to embrace the rule of law and our justice system. It’s about the appropriate treatment of a child soldier, indoctrinated with hate by his father.

Enough with empty, jingoistic statements like “We stand against terror” or “We are on the side of the victims.” Of course you are. We all are. But, it is not impossible to stand on the side of justice and fairness. I happen to have a deep faith in our justice system. It is not without flaws but it is a remarkable vehicle to both protect the citizenry from each other but also protect individuals from the bias and bigotry of the state.

Get onside Mr. Blaney. Start by reading this analysis:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/omar-khadr-s-odds-of-winning-u-s-appeal-look-good-legal-expert-says-1.3065931