The only brief moment in my life I have ever considered becoming a lawyer was in 11th grade law class. I didn't want to prosecute anybody, and I wasn't really all that interested in defending a bunch of criminals either. All I wanted was to see Steven Truscott exonerated. And now, it actually might happen.
I've been a little obsessed with his case since I first read about it. Three books, and many documentaries and articles later, he's become my national hero. For a 14-year-old to be sentenced to be hanged "until you are dead" and stripped of an adolescence due to a community's blind need for instant justice is abhorrent. The fact that he has grown up to be a hard-working family man who harbors no bitterness is miraculous.
Let the man have his name cleared. Drop the pride, Canada, and admit that you failed a young boy 47 years ago. And then give him the Order of Canada for never turning his back on the country that wounded him, and for choosing to live a full life decades after you sentenced him to die.
(And ridiculous change of subject: Go Edmonton!)
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3 comments:
I too learned of Truscott from that same law class!!!
(Though I took it about 10 years before you did.)
Was your teacher that same bald guy?
Mr. Schleihauf? Yeah. Best class ever. We reenacted a court scene, and I got to be the murderer. He bragged to other classes that I was a fabulous killer. I was very, very proud.
That was the teacher I had!!!
He's got to be really old!
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