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Wednesday, June 25, 1997 It's a tough call in any community Even in Canada's North, where we sometimes see some strange situations, it's not easy to use the full force of the country's laws and statutes to violate an individual's right to liberty. Nevertheless, from time to time, it must be done. Sometimes it's a reasonable response to an action taken by a person that has violated another's rights. But recently we have come across stories about tuberculosis patients being held at Stanton Regional Hospital against their will. In two of those cases, the patients have left the hospital only to be hunted down by police and returned to the facility. We all abhor the thought of resort to such actions. It goes against everything we have come to embrace in a free and democratic country. However, in the case of highly infectious, and potentially deadly, disease-spreading patients, we must swallow our and their individual rights and act for the benefit of society -- collective rights. There is nothing arbitrary about protecting the population at large from deadly threat. NWT medical officer Dr. Andre Corriveau is absolutely right when he says he has an obligation and responsibility to ensure that "other people don't get the disease, which is potentially fatal, especially for children." As a territorial public servant and medical doctor, no doubt, the welfare of the public at large weighs heavily on his mind every time he makes the decision to incarcerate someone. Thankfully many people choose to be quarantined when they have diseases such as TB. By doing this, all of our consciences can be left to worrying about other debates within the political and social realm. Because no matter how you justify it, incarcerating anything, human or otherwise, that has not been convicted of a serious crime against society always leaves a bad taste in the mouth of freedom.
In the cards It's not just psychic fortune-tellers who foresee tough times ahead for Yellowknife's economy. People who deal in real fortunes are worried, too. While more good news about real and potential diamond mines continues to roll in, there is no guarantee that our fair city will end up ahead of the game after Nunavut takes its piece of the GNWT bureaucracy. And while housing sales may be on the rise, there are still far too many homes on the market. Of course, there's also no reason why the city can't meet the challenging days ahead with courage and determination. Yellowknifers have both qualities in abundance, and that's what the lean and mean '90s require.
Wasn't that a party?! If there's one thing Yellowknife can do, perhaps better than any other community around these parts, it's celebrate the longest day of the year by blocking off main street and throwing a monstrous bash. Just like the raven from which Raven Mad Daze takes its name, the celebration was loud, large and left white, gooey stuff (shaving cream, in this case) all over the street. And from the looks of police reports issued following the celebration, people behaved themselves and, as the saying goes, a good time was had by all. |