Only On The Walters Post

Premier Doug Ford said it best the other day, that something is broken. Relating to what? Well, a homeowner in Lindsay, Ontario, was charged with aggravated assault after a man broke into his home. The fellow that did the breaking-in was already wanted by police, yet the man who defended himself is the one now facing charges. That doesn’t sit right with me.

Now, I’ve always believed in being reasonable. If someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night, you don’t go looking for trouble, and you sure don’t go further than you have to. But… at the same time, you don’t get the luxury of sitting down and calmly weighing your options. In those moments, you’re thinking about your family and your own safety. Now here’s the thing, If you can get everyone out safe without a fight, then that’s the road to take. But… if you’re faced with harm, maybe even death, well then… you do what has to be done. Simple as that.

And the law here in Canada agrees to a point, as sections 34 and 35 of the Criminal Code say you can defend yourself, others, and your property, but the force you use must be “reasonable in the circumstances.” On paper that makes sense, but here’s the problem… what’s “reasonable” is usually decided later in a courtroom, by people who weren’t the ones waking up to a stranger standing in their living room.

Now, I don’t blame the police for laying charges in cases like this. As truth told, a lot of the time their hands are tied too. They’re required to follow the process laid out by the law, even if they might understand where the homeowner was coming from. The trouble is, the system leaves them stuck in the middle, catching flak from both sides. That’s not fair on them, either.

So maybe what really needs to change isn’t how the police do their job, but the laws themselves. I personally believe that we need laws that protect the innocent first, and hold the guilty accountable without loopholes that let them walk right back out the door. Too often, we see criminals caught red-handed, only to be back on the street before the ink on the paperwork is dry. That’s not right, and it leaves good folks feeling like the system cares more about procedure than people’s safety.

I’m not saying homeowners should have free rein to do whatever they like in those situations. But I am saying that if a man or woman defends their home when they truly believe their life or their family’s lives are at risk, the law ought to stand behind them, not against them.

Any way, at the end of the day, Canadians should feel safe in their own homes. And when someone forces their way in, the person defending their family shouldn’t be the one treated like the criminal. That’s not justice, and it’s something we need to fix.

Until the next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive. GW