Personally, I can’t accept that violence fear and disorder should be natural by-products of cultural differences, or a given for any community or family that finds itself living on the margins. Single parent families may be coping with multi-generational poverty. New Canadians may be dealing with settlement issues. First Nations and aboriginal people may be coping with historical disadvantages and injustices. But no one wants to live in fear. No one wants their children to be victimized, or to become perpetrators of crime and violence against others. No one wants to look across at their spouse and see them unable to live a healthy life because of mental illness, or to watch their neighbour struggle through a continuing pattern of addiction and incarceration. These are not acceptable conditions anywhere, much less in a modern and prosperous Canada.
“What we are seeing out of Saskatchewan is a pretty fundamental re-think of the problem and the solution ...