'Remember Us' March - Comment by Bill Jackson

On a week when Cleveland's mayor called flies at an Indians; baseball game Canadian soldiers and on a week Dunnville residents got together to rally behind our troops overseas, nothing more aptly exemplified the saying, "It's not who you are, it's what you do.'

Also in the news this week is a story about community groups in Cayuga who have banded together to revitalize the village's waterfront with a new walkway, park benches, landscaping and lighting. At the Caledonia Fair recently, one exhibitor spoke of the Grand River Conservation Authority and the progress made in the past decade, cleaning up the river. Plans for the future.

And with all that's been talked about recently pertaining to jurisdiction over the Grand River, it's nice to see that people are doing positive things in the meantime, not to gain ownership but simply to make things better for everyone. Again it's not who you are, but what you do.

This past Monday a group of residents gathered to march against two-tiered justice in the town of Caledonia which saw a good turnout of some 200 people. But while many reduce the marches to flag hanging and stirring the pot with police and natives, there's a much bigger picture here they should realize.

In the past few years, families have been terrorized. A man was almost murdered recently for no good reason. Police officers have been assaulted and media people have been beaten. The list goes on.

Death is a strong word so is rape. Most can relate to the fear that's prevalent throughout town, but perhaps the best word to describe Caledonia, is volatile, despite what the 'business people' say about bad press.

Because it hasn't been as noisy lately as it was in 2006, people tend to think that things have gotten better behind police barricades that treat Caledonia similar to the elephant graveyard in the Lion King. In reality, the severity of crime is getting worse and arguably more sporadic under their watch, or should we say, blind eye.

The Gaultieri family might not have been at the Caledonia rally this week if it wasn't for a father and brother being bashed into an unconscious state with wooden batons. Neither would a 15-year-old girl if she wasn't constantly harassed.

But no matter what happens, it seems that such marches themselves never seem to garner enough participation to create change, which is really what everyone always says is most needed.

Thanksgiving Monday wasn't the best day to get people out, granted. But it's not the actions of those who weren't at the rally Monday that were sorely missed, but rather the inactions of people in the community who could help, but don't.

It's the developers who help block a road because natives have temporarily left them alone. The homeowners who won't participate in a flag raising that would cause disturbances on their street that's been riddled with native conflict for weeks and only now calm. It's the tow truck driver who threatened to remove non-natives off Argyle Street because of business relations with natives. It's the people who would rather brush things under the rug for profits.

It's money, but most of all it's the politicians and police people who try and discourage such an important message all the time.

Until they're killed, or see a family member assaulted, it's "not In My Back Yard."

We all know by now that McGuinty and the OPP have power, but don't do anything to help victims here in Caledonia. But until enough people stand up and take notice to force those in power to cause change, another victim of two-tier justice is sure to surface, probably sooner than later.

Kudos to the marching flies here and abroad who are trying to make a difference overseas and keep Caledonia's story in newspapers outside Haldimand. Because to everyone here and else where, it seems like Canadian Soldiers are helping the Indians win.