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The essence of Canadian

Re: Oct. 6 letter to the editor entitled Critique of judge was unfair.

Re: Oct. 6 letter to the editor entitled Critique of judge was unfair.

This letter was sent from the Central Alberta Bar Association and was an attempt to discredit a column by Bill Greenwood in which he expressed his opinion on the 90-day jail sentence handed down to Brian Knight, who was the victim in the crime, not the perpetrator.

Certainly, the judge’s ruling was a bit shocking to many news-watchers. Yet, except for Greenwood’s column, barely a whimper of protest was heard from Canadians. Perhaps, this judge’s harsh ruling and the “silent protest” was illustrative of the profound difference between Americans and Canadians, particularly as it relates to our differing views of justice and personal liberty.

Certainly, in America, prosecuting a victim would never happen. In fact, Brian Knight would be declared a hero! In Canada, Mr Knight is a miscreant! How can this be?

Well, according to the late Pierre Berton in his book, Why We Act Like Canadians, this contrast in justice is common and expected. Mr Berton spent 30 years researching the Canadian psyche, and published many books on Canada’s national character.

To make a long story short, Americans love personal liberty first, Canadians love their institutions first and will sacrifice some personal liberty for them. Americans all carry guns to protect their person and property. Canadians, out of respect for peace, order, and strong government, look to their institutions for protection.

“Loyalty is a more important word to Canadians than liberty.” [Pierre Berton, 1982]

Jim Swan

Red Deer