Pubdate: Thu, 01 May 2008
Source: Ottawa Citizen (CN ON)
Copyright: 2008 The Ottawa Citizen
Contact: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/326
Author: Marty Gobin

PROTECTING US

Re: Schools are becoming battlegrounds, April 29.

Letter-writer Luke Robertson disagrees with the Supreme Court's 
ruling on arbitrary searches. He says, "All too often, considerations 
for the rights of law-abiding citizens are recklessly shelved in 
favour of appeasing criminals."

He doesn't seem to understand the justification for this ruling. It 
is the law-abiding citizens' rights which the court is upholding. By 
refusing to allow the police to admit evidence obtained from 
arbitrary searches and seizures, the court has protected the 
law-abiding citizens from being subject to such unjustified police 
activity. Hundreds of students are subject to having their lockers 
sniffed and possibly searched when the police bring in a dog without 
cause, yet only a handful may be in possession of drugs. Why should 
any Court allow the police to benefit from such activities by 
admitting their evidence?

Marty Gobin,

Whitby
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