The Newberry affair was bungled. There's no other way to describe what happened after March 22, 2005, when Territorial Court Judge Brian Bruser released a stunning decision that accused Const. Scot Newberry of attacking Devon Herback during an illegal arrest in October 2004.

For more than a year, police and Justice Canada stumbled from investigation to legal review. In the end they were told that due to the length of time that had passed and the way the case had been handled, there was little chance of successful prosecution.

The first finger of blame must be pointed at the Crown prosecutors office here in Yellowknife. It sat on Bruser's judgment for 10 days and never alerted RCMP commanders.

Police say a new Crown liaison position should solve that communication gap, but it's mind-boggling that any reasonable person couldn't see the implications of Bruser's words and not raise the alarm. Herback, too, failed to stand up for himself. Had he filed a complaint after hearing the judgment, it's likely justice officials would have treated this situation in a totally different light.

Next comes the RCMP. The investigation into the case should have gone to another police force, as suggested in the latest legal review.

It's cases like this that cause public mistrust of the RCMP's ability to investigate itself.

To the RCMP's credit, Insp. Roch Fortin admits that the case should have been handled differently and that lessons have been learned.

Justice Canada must shoulder most of the blame. It hid behind bad judgment, incompetence and lack of integrity, finally resorting to an anonymous legal opinion from the Alberta government that said the case had been mishandled.

No regular citizen would be treated to such a process. Look at what happened to James Sayine. He punched an RCMP officer outside a downtown Yellowknife bar last December. Last week, he was fined $1,250. While it was a weak sentence for such a serious crime, at least justice came swiftly.

There will be no justice for Herback or Newberry. Herback has filed a complaint, but with Newberry already reprimanded by his superiors, little can now result.

At least Herback was exonerated by a judge. Newberry never did get his day in court.

Editorial Comment
Darrell Greer
Kivalliq News

There has been much said, and written, concerning the controversy in Baker Lake surrounding the Bantam tournament earlier this month.

Let us say right from the start, we fully support the Baker Lake Youth Athletics Association (BLYAA) and the excellent work it has done during the past few years.

We also recognize the type of "spirit" the board members are trying to instill within their athletes as being, for the most part, positive.

The BLYAA is trying to provide a full spectrum of benefits to the athletes which transcends the mere playing of sports.

Board members and coaches are working hard to establish pride among their young athletes, as well as a sense of belonging, fair play, self-worth, community and team spirit.

And, for all that, we applaud them.

In fact, the BLYAA has become somewhat of an organizational role model for the rest of the Kivalliq to structure its own programs after.

All that being said, a ton of responsibility comes with any organization trying to instill proper values among youth.

Youth pick up quickly on messages being sent to them by the adults in their lives, especially those they tend to look up to, such as teachers and coaches.

One message youth should hear as they mature is that it's OK to admit when you're wrong.

And, in this particular case, the board members of the BLYAA were wrong.

These four youth weren't being malicious or vindictive with their cheering.

They are, by the admission of the personalities involved themselves, good kids.

There are few things in everyday life that spark the type of emotion we witness at sporting events.

And, there are far more glaring examples of "negative-cheering incidents" than what these kids did.

Bodychecks, scoring goals and taking penalties are all part of hockey. Hockey fans across Canada cheer when the team they're rooting for scores, bodychecks a player on the opposing team or induces them into taking a penalty.

What happened at the Baker Lake arena earlier this month was no different.

Had the hockey game been part of a larger event in which points from different sports were carried over into team standings, the board members may have had a point.

But it wasn't.

These were kids who, although BLYAA members, had friends and family members on the team they chose to support.

They enjoyed themselves at the event, cheering loudly for their team without causing problems for anyone else around them.

And they cheered properly. There were no personal or racial insults, no profanity and no mocking.

The sting the Baker Lake Bantams were feeling late in that gold medal game was coming from the scoreboard, not the stands.

Maybe the lesson to be learned from the experience is that it's just as difficult to teach kids how to lose properly as it is how to win.

Maybe more so!

Editorial Comment
Dez Loreen
Inuvik Drum

I have gained even more respect for the people who settled in this region all those years ago.

I spent the better part of my Monday afternoon walking down a ski-doo trail out past Bar C.

When I say walking, I mean that in the most basic sense, because really I was stumbling (no, I hadn't been drinking).

For all of you who have tried to walk on a fading ski-doo trail, you might know what I'm getting at. Granted I am on the heavier side of the scale, and I was not wearing snowshoes.

For those who do not know, Bar C is an old camp that is located half-way to Tuktoyaktuk.

I was out on the land that day in search of reindeer.

I was not hunting. I just wanted to snap some photos of the herd.

So there I was, almost a kilometre away from the ice road, falling in snow every two steps or so and trying not to get too much of it into my hiking boots.

I think it was at that point that I almost snapped.

I got to thinking about how much more difficult my journey would have been if there was no snowmobile trail at all, as narrow as it was.

Almost an hour later, I was back in the warmth of the truck and on my way home.

Unfortunately, because of ski-doo failure, I did not get to see any reindeer.

The trip was not a total loss though, because I am sure the physical activity endured on that walk was enough to warrant the deep fried chicken and poutine I devoured at my apartment.

The Canadian Armed Forces were back in Inuvik last week on a training exercise.

I thought it was pretty cool to be right up next to one of those Hercules airplanes because I had never seen one before.

Again, for those who have not had the privilege of being close to one of those behemoths of the sky, I suggest you take the next opportunity.

I also got to talk to a few of the military brass that came along on the trip and found out a little about the lifestyle. The whole experience was almost enough to make me enlist!

Well, maybe I wouldn't go that far, but I was still pretty impressed with the crew.

The people involved in the patrol exercise were all co-ordinated and seemed to work well as a team.

I guess it reminded me of all those war movies I have seen.

I guess the point I am trying to convey here is that we can all learn something from these brave men and women.

They work tirelessly every day so we can all enjoy the freedoms of everyday life.

Enjoy your weekend, and don't be shy to give me a call if you have anything you want to see in this paper.

Editorial Comment
Roxanna Thompson
Deh Cho Drum

Often in classrooms or presentations, teachers and facilitators state that there is no such thing as a stupid question.

The only bad question is one that remains unanswered.

Students are constantly told that if they have a question, it's very likely that half a dozen other people have the same question, but just haven't asked.

On April 12, residents in Fort Simpson had a chance to have their questions about the proposed Mackenzie Valley Pipeline project answered. For anyone with niggling pieces of information they were unsure about concerning the pipeline, Wednesday evening provided the chance to find answers.

In all honesty, everyone, if they think hard enough, has to have at least one question about the pipeline. It covers a wide variety of topics, so it would raise eyebrows if someone said they knew everything there is to know.

But only about 30 people came out to the open forum and fewer still asked questions. What does this say?

As discussed above, it's unlikely the low turnout points to a complete knowledge about the pipeline on the part of Simpson residents.

It's equally unlikely that the low turnout means people don't care about the pipeline and how it could change the Deh Cho as it's currently known. The pipeline has become a topic that can spark a conversation between anyone, even strangers. Everyone has some sort of view on the pipeline.

What the turnout might mean is that people are resigned to the fact that whatever is going to happen will go ahead and happen, whether or not they raise their voice or have their questions answered.

This is surely a dangerous thing. The true voices and opinions of the people will not be heeded if no one takes advantage of the chances they are given to make themselves heard.

While the open forum in Fort Simpson may have seen a lacklustre response, another chance is coming.

The Joint Review Panel hearings are just weeks away from hitting the Deh Cho. They will reach Fort Simpson on May 8 before spreading out to Wrigley, Trout Lake, Jean Marie River and Fort Liard that month, and come back to Kakisa and Fort Providence in June.

If there was ever a time to find your voice, it's now. During the community hearings, regular people will have a chance to make a presentation about their feelings and insight on the project.

Each presentation can only be 15 minutes, which is not a lot of time, but if similar messages are repeated again and again in 15 minute blocks, the message, whatever it may be, will stick.

If you are not the sort of person to stand up in public and speak, the next best thing is to ensure that someone else will be presenting an opinion that is close to your own.

Because if anyone has any reason why the pipeline should or shouldn't go forward, the time to speak is close at hand, or forever hold your peace.

An error appeared in Friday's Yellowknifer (April 21,"Pottery for a new home"). The Yellowknife Arts and Crafts Guild's pottery sale happens April 28-29. Yellowknifer apologizes for any confusion or embarrassment caused by the error.