A life sentence should be just that
SCOTT THOMPSON
The Hamilton Spectator
April 20, 2010
Let’s not complicate this…
A robber shoots a cop. For 90 minutes during a stand off, the robber watches the police officer bleed to death while pleading for his life.
The constable, son, husband, father of 3 young children dies on a cold floor.
Thirty years later the “robber” who did this will get four 15-day passes, known as “unescorted temporary absences” while the constable’s widow and three now grown children endure a battle every year to keep this robber, turned cop killer behind bars.
Does this sound right to you???
Do you know anyone who does think this is right???
Does the person you voted for, think this is right???
I remember the story of Constable Michael Sweet very clearly as I had a young cousin and brother-in-law on the Metro Toronto Police Service at the time. They would take me to various stations on tours and introduce me to their “brotherhood.”
It was a more innocent place.
These were times when an officer rarely saw gun fire.
Most would never have a reason to take their fire arm out of its holster on duty, let alone fire.
Not the case now, or for Constable Sweet when he and his partner stumbled onto George’s Bourbon Street Restaurant while Craig Munroe and his brother Jamie were bungling a robbery.
Gunfire erupted with a semi-automatic rifle and sawn-off shot gun piercing the frigid March night in 1980. Sweet lay on the ground slowly bleeding to death while the two held police at bay and reportedly taunted the fallen officer.
His 29-year-old wife had to break the news to their 3 daughters aged 1, 4 and 6, that Daddy is not coming home.
The family has lobbied for years to keep Craig Munroe in prison for his original life sentence for first degree murder. Why should they have to?
The brother, Jamie Munroe was freed in 1992 after serving for second degree murder.
Here is yet another example where endless resources were spent on the criminal and very little energy or thought given to the victims, their family and friends.
How many times do we have to hear of this lack of justice before something is finally done?
When does life, mean life?!
If not for a fallen police officer, then whom?
“When are we going to stop putting the criminal before the victim?”
We hear it every day.
The family says it wants to know what has changed since last year when Munroe was denied parole. That information is the parole board’s secret. The bad guy wins again.
After all he does have rights. He’s a “Canadian” cop killer.
Does time demish the severity of this crime?
Are we so frustrated with this issue that we have given up?
We hear of tragedy every day on the streets of our large centres. More and more making its way to towns and cities where, “this sort of thing never happens”
Are we as numb to the victims as we are the headlines?
Are you tired of hearing about endless rehabilitation for serious offenders that apparently cures all?
What about payment to society for the crime committed? What about serving a full sentence? Is that asking too much?
Can a tiger like this really change his stripes? If he does, I guess he wins. If he doesn’t, we all lose.
There used to be some who would say these “robbers” should be put down like a bad dog.
Although, not many any more.
In some ways it would be more humane for everybody, except of course for the offender.
But that wouldn’t be Canadian.
Let’s not complicate this.
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The Scott Thompson Show airs weekdays 4-6pm on News/Talk 900 CHML. Visit his website at www.ScottThompsonTalk.com
