This newspaper rightly focuses on local issues – there is really nothing else it could effectively do and nothing readers would likely want it to. We can take advantage of the large company we’re part of for a good deal of the material we publish, but when it comes down to it a local community paper has it’s own area to concentrate on, especially in this space on page A6.
The front page photo this week provides a local link to an event from the other side of the country. The shooting deaths of three RCMP members in Moncton, NB shocked and saddened the nation, prompting demonstrations of sympathy and solidarity in numerous communties across Canada, including Castlegar. The emotional outpouring was proof of how highly-regarded our police are in times of tragedy such as the Moncton episode.
The grief was just as acute following the killing of four RCMP members in the town of Mayerthorpe, AB several years back.
What these incidents should also spark is a heightened appreciation of the commitment made by the men and women who sign up to serve and protect the rest of us.
There are, unfortunately, no guarantees of safety in any walk of life, but those who choose law enforcement clearly have a high risk they face everytime they start a shift. Each suspicious person they deal with, each crime-related call they respond to could be an invitation to serious injury, or worse.
Police and other public servants by the thousands paid tribute to the three RCMP members back east. The rest of us, each in our own way, can do the same the next time, (and preferably before) we have a reason to call upon the police for help.