It was just starting to rain in Moss Park this evening. Just like it did the night Paul Croutch was sleeping on a bench, wrapped in green garbage bags. When three soldiers came out of the armoury on the right and headed straight for him.
Two of them kicked and beat the helpless old man, damaged his brain, ruptured his spleen, broke six of his ribs. Until he lay there bloodied, shaking, shivering.... and dying. While a third one assaulted a woman who tried to help him.
One of the killers thrust his military tags in her face and screamed "This gives us the right to kill all the homeless bums, crackheads, whores."
Another one told her she was a dyke so she didn't count.
Today the three soldiers were sentenced.
Some may call that justice, or feel sorry for them. But I don't. I'm disgusted. I think they got away with murder.
It was a travesty of justice. A case of crime and mild punishment.
If they'd been found guilty of second-degree murder, they would have gone to jail for a minimum of 10 years with no possibility of parole. By contrast, manslaughter has no minimum sentence, and parole is often possible after serving one-third of the sentence.
It's hard to imagine these two young men getting such a lucky break if their victim hadn't been homeless.
Rather than a random act of drunken violence, the killing of Paul Croutch sounds almost like a hate crime against the homeless.
Which is why these cowardly fascist thugs should have been hit with the full force of the law.
But I'm not surprised they got off lightly.The contempt and/or indifference so many Canadians have for the plight of the homeless is a national disgrace.
They hate them even though they are the most miserable and vulnerable of Canadians. They call them bums and blame them for being poor. Even though many of them are mentally ill.
Just like Paul Croutch.
Until Canadians realize that homelessness can happen to everyone. And put pressure on governments to get serious about the problem i.e. build cheap housing and treatment centres.
The horror will just go on and on..
4:25 pm....King Street.... Toronto....this afternoon.
Are we really blind to this suffering? Are we really THAT callous?
Is this REALLY Canada?
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