Re: Caledonia
Common sense based on principle has finally surfaced with Justice David Marshall's ruling that the natives must leave Douglas Creek Estates before negotiations continue. After five months of occupation, those negotiations have failed to provide the public with any results. The police presence has not prevented confrontations and threats.
It is apparent the OPP and Six Nations police are not able to prevent chaos. The leaders on all sides of the dispute must be aware the tensions are escalating to a new level. Yet where are the actions by government leaders to do anything substantial in the short-term to reduce the crisis? It's clear that as long as the occupation of Douglas Creek Estates continue, incidents of violence and confrontation will go on.
This can be justified by the natives' continued activities on the site that disturb the lives of the residents who live adjacent to it. These residents do not feel safe - they have created their own neighbourhood alert on back-to-back nights to protect themselves. Where was the OPP? The 100-foot "no-go zone" behind homes is ignored. How long will residents have to endure sleepless nights? Resolution through negotiations will take a long time, according to federal Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Jim Prentice. Premier Dalton McGuinty continues to call for the residents to "be patient."
Spokespeople for the occupiers have stated all "colonialists" should go back to Europe, all 30 million of us. They say their "Great Law" is what Canadian laws are modelled after.
They then say they do not recognize Canadian laws. It defies the very words they speak. They announce they will not heed the judge's order and that they will have to be dragged off the land. How can anyone negotiate with this logic?
There is a huge gap in ideology. Why should the town tolerate being collateral damage for this nationwide issue? Is it now the epicenter of a civil "cold war" conflict raging across the nation that will be fought with sticks, golf balls, idle threats, apathy and empty promises for years to come?
The reactive tactics of the police and the renewed threats of barricades by the occupiers has resulted in a lesson to the residents that they must be vigilant. There are no guarantees their homes will be protected and there will be no resources from the government to protect their persons. Leadership, justice, public safety and trust are AWOL.
There must be compromise. The occupiers must leave the land to stop the lawlessness, or there will always be an impasse. It is the only suitable short-term solution to the crisis in Caledonia. Only then can long-term negotiations continue in good faith.