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THE RURAL VOICF/NAAvF
A Matter of Principal
by J. Carl Hemingway
In closing my last column I stated that I'd have some
comments on our treatment of offenders in car accidents and
other crimes.
I am but I'm reversing the order.
Sometime ago there were a series of fires in the Wroxeter
Gorrie area l believe. though the location doesn't matter. It was
arson and malicious mischief.
Three men were found guilty.
Two men got prison terms of 2 years less .a day in prison for
arson and wilful damage. The third man got one day in prison
and one year suspended sentence on probation but also has to
pay $800 damages for malicious mischief.
I'm sure these sentences were carefully thought out by the
judge and are quite in accordance with the law. But- What about
the innocent victims of these crimes?
Why should these people who had buildings burned have to
suffer financial loss. I suppose they would have fire insurance for
which they paid but which never pays for the monetary loss and
certainly doesn't pay for any hardship that goes along with the
Toss.
•I am quite prepared to pay for fire insurance against lightning
or the other many causes that accidently start fires but 1 do
resent having to pay for fire insurance to protect myself from the
wilful destructive acts of others.
I think the sentence to the third man which required him to pay
the innocent victim was much better. If the other two weren't
responsible enough to go free and pay back the money then give
them a prison sentence and a job at minimum wage at least or
preferably on a "piece work" basis and set them free when their
debt has been paid.,
I have been putting forth this idea in my column periodically
for the past 20 years and it is gratefying to find that our
government is at last at least thinking along this line. Let's hope
that eventually there is action in this direction.
Now let us see how our car drivers are treated.
When the car driver causes an accident he has to pay for it and
he pays a lot. In order to protect himself even the drivers who
have many years of no accident claims pay something like $200
per year to protect their "victims". If they do have an accident
that causes even a moderate claim it increases the insurance
premium so that many are paying in excess of $500 per year in
order that the innocent victim gets due compensation. Even a
speeding ticket with no accident ups the insurance premium.
When the uninsured driver has a serious accident and can't
pay the damages the unsatisfied judgement does pay limited
amounts to the victim who can still sue the guilty party for
further damages if he has any assets. df he hasn't the means to
repay in theory at least he can't get a driver's license until he has
paid his debt.
If we expect car drivers to pay damages why not those other
members of our society that cause others to suffer injury?
In closing I find many discrepanies in our society. In the
September issue of the United Church Observer there is a story
beginning on page 22 -Dave McCord says No., continuing for 21/2
pages. It deals with prison reform and our treatment of
criminals. With a budget of $94,000 raised by churches ($23,000
from the United Church) plus $1000. per month for telephone
bills plus $106,000 cost of a packet of material, Dave McCord
travels through the country persuading us to urge for prison
reform.
It is interesting to me to find, in the whole story, n concern is
expressed for the welfare of the innocent victin . of these
criminals.
I certainly don't propose that these misguided people should
be abused but I do think, that there should be some place for
those, who are innocent, who suffer just as much and in many
cases suffer much more severely than the criminal.
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