It’s stuff like this that breeds intolerance

How often do we hear people talking about the “two systems of justice” in this country – one for the rich and one for the poor? It’s not only the rich/poor divide though – it’s also the native vs. non-native divide. Consider, if you will, the illegal slaughter of about half of a protected caribou herd in the Joir River area of central Labrador when, in March 2009, dozens of Innu hunters from Quebec travelled to the area and hunted caribou. Hunting in that area is forbidden because it is also home to the endangered Red Wine caribou herd, which mingle with other caribou species. Turns out that only ONE of those hunters is being charged. The Innu said they did it as a political act to assert their rights. Hmmm … I wonder what would have happened if a group of white hunters from Goose Bay had gone in and done the same thing? Regardless of the reason, the RCMP and the Forest Rangers would have swooped down and arrested the whole lot of them, taken their asses to jail and they would be facing either jail time or serious fines. But, it appears as long as you can wave the treaty rights flag, that sort of justice doesn’t apply. Not surprisingly, Newfoundland’s Natural Resources Minister Kathy Dunderdale is not commenting on the hunt, citing an ongoing investigation. I guess the Minister doesn’t have the depth to see the moral/ethical issue here. For me, the political bullshit on both sides is intolerable. Here, you have a group of Innu hunters who loudly profess their solidarity with Mother Nature and at the same time, kill 50 endangered caribou to assert their treaty rights. It’s stuff like this that breeds intolerance whether these idiots understand it or not.