Police charge 16 students

Police charge 16 students

Teenage girl alleges she was repeatedly

harassed and sexually assaulted at her high school.

If you live in Toronto, or even Canada for that matter, you've seen headlines like the above splashed across newspapers and other media forms in the last fews days.

In all there were 14 boys and 2 girls arrested. The first 2 boys were arrested last week.

A 15-year-old boy was charged with with sexual assault, forcible confinement and criminal harrassment. A 17-year-old boy was charged with assault, sexual assault, forcible confinement and failure to comply with probation. The 12 newly arrested male students were charged with criminal harassment. The 2 female students were charged with threatening bodily harm. The incidents of sexual assault and harassment and threatening are alleged to have been going on for well over a year. The girl was terrified to report the incidents to the authorities. She was overheard telling her princpal as she cried, "...but they know where I live." The high number of arrested and fact that a majority of the incidents happened within the walls of the school has shocked most and caused a good number of to deny the accusations.

The newspapers and television news stations have been quoting students (not the accused individuals but other students in that particular school) that flat out refute the claims that the teenaged girl has made. My big question for them is, what makes you an expert or a reliable source for this position?? Do you know the girl personally? Do you monitor every move that she and all of the accused make? I highly doubt that. Anything you hear little girl, is only heresay and rumors. Rumors that may have well been started by those same individuals that have been accused of victimizing her for well over a year. Why would they tell you the truth? Why would they tell you something that would make them look bad, or even criminal? GET A CLUE!! You'd be better off to remember a saying I have, " You only know what each individual wants you to know. So what they tell you, may not be all there is to know." (Note: police are now confirming that atleast one of the assault incidents was caught on the schools CCTV system) Other students in the school haven't voiced opinions on whether or not it happened, they're just pissed off because the basketball team has beem desecrated by the arrests and the school has been made to look bad. You see approximately half of the team was involved in the alleged incidents. When I heard that part it made me immediately think of the states and how controlling football teams can be at the high school level. Numerous incidents have garnered media attention and they've always has similar themes....footballers or their coaches getting away with criminal things, all in the name of keeping the team in good standing. And now, if those pissed students had their way, this same thing would be happening here. Abusers would be allowed to commit violent and unwanted sexual attacks, at will, and be protected because they are the "atheletes" and the team that makes the whole school look good. Guess what, protecting violent predators DOES NOT MAKE ANYONE LOOK GOOD!! Especially NOT YOU!!

The second and just as disturbing thing about the above case, not including the incidents themselves, is the parents reactions. It's not reactions of outrage that their children would take part in the violent, systematic abuse of another human being, but the fact the their precious angels were arrested for it at schoool. Of course the first thing out of one mother's mouth, "It's racism". You see the victim is white and all but one of the accused is black. That should not be indicative of racism. You see, the area that the school is located in is predominately black therefore from a population perspective it would be logical that white people are the minority in the school and would be the minority in any "group" incident. Then when these juvenile's had to wait overnight for a bail hearing (which is a normal waiting time in the Canadian judicial system), that same mother was again shouting racism. Because the white student who was accused, was already out on bail. Hellllooooooo ladyyyyy are you in there?? He (and another teen) was arrested last week and bailed last week. Of course he's already out. While waiting over night for a bail hearing is not always the case, it can happen. Afterall a judge has to be available to hear the bail application. No judge. No bail. That's the way it goes.

Perhaps instead of crying racism and teaching your children to play the victim, you should teach them to take responsibility for their actions. Raise them to be strong and respectful of themselves and others. They are getting near to the end of the phase where you have any ability to mold them in to good, law abiding adults that contribute positively to society. Take the last few chances you have. Make them own up to their wrongs and answer for them. Do not blindly defend them. Support them. Love them. Give them what they need. But do not excuse, deny or dismiss their nasty and criminal behaviour.

To that poor little girl. If you should come across this blog. I support you. I admire you. Stay strong. Don't let them own your life.

Remebrance Day - Lest We Forget

**Lest We Forget**

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead.
Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields. -

John McCrae


Reply to Flanders Fields

Oh! sleep in peace where poppies grow;
The torch your falling hands let go
Was caught by us, again held high,
A beacon light in Flanders sky
That dims the stars to those below.
You are our dead, you held the foe,
And ere the poppies cease to blow,
We'll prove our faith in you who lie
In Flanders Fields.

Oh! rest in peace, we quickly go
To you who bravely died, and know
In other fields was heard the cry,
For freedom's cause, of you who lie,
So still asleep where poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.

As in rumbling sound, to and fro,
The lightning flashes, sky aglow,
The mighty hosts appear, and high
Above the din of battle cry,
Scarce heard amidst the guns below,
Are fearless hearts who fight the foe,
And guard the place where poppies grow.

Oh! sleep in peace, all you who lie
In Flanders Fields.
And still the poppies gently blow,
Between the crosses, row on row.
The larks, still bravely soaring high,
Are singing now their lullaby
To you who sleep where poppies grow
In Flanders Fields.

- John Mitchell



With Love and Hope for a Peaceful World
I thank all of those that fought (and still fight) for us.

Did you ever hear a saying that rang so true,

that it kind of took you aback? I have heard a few, but this one, I just heard right now and it struck me.

It is not our responsibility to make the children worthy of the world.
It is our responsibility to make the world worthy of the children.

Native Canadians living in third world conditions...

I am ashamed. Ashamed of my country. Ashamed of my politicians. As a Native Woman I am appalled at the living conditions, the Canadian government has left the First Nations people to deal with.

The emergency evacuation of 1,900 Aboriginals from the Ontario reserve, Kashechewan, has highlighted the issue of inadequate water treatment on First Nations reserves in Canada. It also is shedding light on the appalling living conditions in other reserves across the country. Two days after the evacuation of the entire reserve, near James Bay, due to the high level of E. Coli bacteria in water. Among the many conditions attributed to the over chlorinated water and the inability to use the water, safely, are: Hepititas A, Impetigo, Scabies, Rashes, Blisters, Diarrhea (both acute and chronic) and as a result also dehydration in some small children.

The statistics are ridicules for a country such as Canada. There are 858 First Nations here. Of those 95 are currently under a Health Canada "boil water" advisory, 51 have been under the advisory for over a year. Seven have been under the advisory for over five years.

Specifically 37 of the 123 Ontario reserves are under similar advisories. The Six Nations reserve has been under a "boil water" advisory since the late 90s. It is unimaginable that Canadians are living in these conditions, while tens of millions of CANADIAN dollars are being donated to other countries around the world for the exact same reason, SAFE DRINKING WATER.

The majority of First Nations reserves in Canada are under a "boil water" advisory because of high levels of bacteria in their water supply, most of which are located in Ontario. Health Canada spokesperson Chris Williams said there are an additional 44 reserves outside of Ontario that are also under the advisory. "We can't make the list of communities available until we have the permission from those communities," said Williams. The Government is hiding behind the reasoning that the reserves are independant and that they can not go in, or release information, without first being invited to do so by any specific reserve.

And how, you ask, has this gone on so long? And how did it finally come to light? Kashechewan reserve decided to go public, to the media. It was only after much attention from the media, that the government responded. It was this media campaign that not only embarassed provincial and federal government, but pressed authorities to take action and pledge funding for evacuations and military clean up of the reserve. A reserve with it's origin dating back to the 1950s, created by Anglican Cree. They had seperated from a larger Cree group, after differences arose regarding religion. Religion (Catholic and Anglican) introduced by the White missionaries.

In 1957 the government began building a settlement for the Kashechewan First Nation. According to the band elders, the government ignored advice that the houses should be further upstream to avoid the flood planes and to prevent water damage. They say government officials argued that if the settlement were further upstream, supplies would not be able to reach it. So the government ignored the long term effects for immediate practicality. It's been downhill from there. Every spring the reserve has flooding and this in turn has caused much structural damage and created a great enviroment for mold to grow.

The band made requests on several occassions to be relocated. The government refused to spend the moneys that such an undertaking would require. The remote location of the reserve made it easy for the government to ignore it. Ahh well they have learned haven't they? The first nations people will be ignored no longer.

To the Canadian Provincial and Federal Governments I say, "The world is watching. Do right by these people!!"