Further to the recent letter sent in by Dave Cursons of Cawston in reference to Omar Khadr.
How often we hear on the television news or whatever by doctors, therapists, even lawyers, who make the comment that a young persons brain is not fully developed at the young age of 15?
Their brains are not capable of thinking far enough ahead to consider the outcome of an action they may or may not make. So I ask, is this defence only being allowed for some persons? Certainly it is not for all. What about Omar Khadr? He was only 15 years of age when he allegely committed a crime. Did he by some miracle have the maturity of brain to realize the consequences of his crime? Or, was he actually following an adults instructions to do the crime he has been convicted of? So, when is our government going to step up to the plate and have Omar Khadr released. He has done his time. Or are the designated officials going to do to Omar what was done to Nelson Mandela when he was just a young man? Lock him away for another ten years or so.
Now I’m sure I’m not the only citizen in this country that thinks this way. I just think our government needs to do the right thing and get Omar home to his family.
Doesn’t anyone out there think just maybe, had Omar been advised as to his consequences ... would he have followed those instructions to cause another human to die.
Was he given that option?
J. Johnson
Penticton