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PAGE i â€" WaTERLOO crROonic(£, WednEstoaY, JuNE 2, 1994 When I was a kid growing up in Preston, I â€" like may of my friends and contemporaries â€" spent a lot of time watching Ameriâ€" can television. A show we always enjoyed was Perry Mason. You know the one. It‘s where the good guys always win, the accused goes free after being wrongly accused and the real villain is brought to justice after a dramatic admission on the witness stand. These days, you have to wonder if anybody gets justice anymore. And the 0.J. Simpson case is just one of many in a long list of Why? Because if it is true â€" really true â€" that 0.J. committed the terrible crimes he‘s accused of, there is still a good chance he might either be set free or receive a small punishment. But his case is just a start. Don‘t forget the Menendez decision, parents with shotguns were able to persuade enough jurors that they acted out of fear for their lives. They ended up with a hung jury. How can that be? How is it that two people who are admitted killers can escape their ultimate fate by pleading that they have become victims of society? Does it mean that scon nobody will be responsible for what they do? And if the Menendez case isn‘t enough to persuade you, try the Rodney King verdict in April of 1992 on for size. Despite overâ€" whelming evidence, the police officers who beat King were found to be not guilty. Strange. Very strange. Now it‘s O.J. Simpson‘s turn. And the justice system will be tested more than ever before. That is because it is very plausible â€" .in fact, more than plausible â€" that O.J. will escape punishment even if he admits that he did the dirty deed, The case against 0.J. has all the raw ingredients that a prosecuâ€" tor can only hope for: a lengthy, violent history of abuse; a weapon a second victim was stabbed from behind 22 times. Yet American legal observers now say that 0.J. could come out of this looking pretty good: they think he will admit to the killings and then plead mental insanity â€" a defence that says he lost his Waterloo Town Square 75 King St. South, Suite 201 Waterloo, Ontario e NZJ 1P2 That sort of finding could reduce his charge from first degree murder to voluntary manslaughter, an offence that carries a short jail sentence instead of death by injection. Parole would come power of reason in the heat of passion. Judging from the conspicuous support shown by potential jurors, that might just happen. It leads some to question the whole idea of the defence of either temporary insanity or what they call "diminished responsibility" in California. should this kind of defence even be allowed to exist? Or should it be done away with? Then there is the whole idea of two systems of justice: one for the sports superstar and another for Mr. Joe Average Citizen. The notion that a sports hero can do no wrong is ingrained in American society â€" and, to a great extent, in Canadian society as well â€" and it boggles the mind to see just how fame and notoriety are enough to escape real blame. Just to see the sickening spectacle of thousands of people lining the roads in Los Angeles and cheering on 0.J. as he went down the road in that betterâ€"thanâ€"TV drama recently should set the record straight. And you think those same people, given a shot to sit on a jury, wouldn‘t acquit their hero? . Jm Justice. American or Canadian, it matters not. Both systems are very similar to start with. And impossible to predict at times. Both are human and run by humans. Both can, at times, be imperfect. Far from perfect. And this is just another testing point. News Line 886â€"3021 Fax. No. 886â€"9383 Justice for all? Pete Cudhea (Sports Editor) Maureen McNab We Canadians aren‘t much for navelâ€"gazing but with Canada Day only hours away, it figures that some of us, perhaps millions of us, will ponder where we‘re headed. First, we‘re as blessed as any country, probably more blessed. And that‘s not just patrioctic talk. The United Nations recently assessed the key things that make a country livable and listed Canada as the No. 1 place in which to dwell. Just remember that when the neverâ€"satisfied are howling endlessly about racism or demanding more and more rights for the frantic few who‘ve now made the opposite sex a multiple choice. This Canada Day there are some extra blessings: The recession is fading and while the halcyon days won‘t scon return, things are getting noticeably betâ€" ter. After too many years of Brian‘s blunders and blather, most Canadians are content with our federal government. At least momentarily. Finally, Canadians at last seem intent on reclaimâ€" comers (including some ignorant bozos who think Canada didn‘t have a culture until they plunked their feet on our soil). On Canada Day, I‘ll be visiting an area about as grassâ€"roots as you can get. The Londonâ€"area commuâ€" nities of Delaware, Mount Brydges (correct) and Komoka take turns playing host to Canada Day celeâ€" brations. This year it‘s in Mount Brydges and the celebration will begin as always, with a pancake breakfast for all We‘re blessed in many ways comers. It‘s a great day. The speeches are short, the program is packed and this year, I can watch my 11â€" yearâ€"old grandson play on his community‘s allâ€"star He‘s a sometimes pitcher but there‘s no word from the Blue Jays about calling him up. Given their pitchâ€" ing, it‘s just a matter of time. Say, have you seen the latest? A get well card for people who bet on the Blue Jays. The Early Line: Councillor Susan Forwell is the third candidate seeking the Waterico mayoralty and you can probably quote Brian Turnbull as saying "the more the merrier." In a threeâ€"candidate race, you have to figure that pen. And we should await the meetâ€"theâ€"candidates Waterico Chronicle is published every Wednesday by / °* President: PaulWinkliee _ +GST. mmummmmmmmkmmbum-qbw' the views of the newspaper. t y <<> SNM\ipa:a &fin.â€".u.â€". The Fairway Subscription rates Méfumayhis, â€" fepepteek Kitchener, Ont. i uaruflcn President: Paul Winkler +GST. you‘ll get your choice of baloney. . . Shooting Gallery: Here‘s something you might want to ponder in the wake of the killing of Toronto Constable Todd Baylis: Camdni-udfl.odwadmhuyw but only 9,000 orders were carried out. More than 3,000 criminals ordered deported were still at large. Sleep tight. Roamin‘ Numerals: Gosh, inflation has fallen below zero for the first time in almost 40 years but they may be comparing apples and kumquats. For example, if the iceâ€"cream bars get any smaller, all you‘ll get is a chocolateâ€"covered IOU. One is Enough: Gosh, sometimes I felt I was a ship but now a required by law to give up dual citizenship or cease to becfia-:yAndht“:”h?;lH‘MfirMeom- mittee. Predictably, the Bloc Quebecais thinks it‘s targeted at Quebecers who might want to keep their Canadian Canada should move swiftly to can dual citizenship. Who needs folks who want to keep one fogt in another Taking a Licking The office is planning to chnptwoanumhmuuampwme nunmn.l!p:o.’hqu-,i’lmw'” cheaper to yourself. ME'EM&H’U&H:OJ.W villnlkwhownvbdd.fl:hm.}dur- der One. That has nothing to do with justice; it has everything to do with California. You can bet they‘ll be like wellâ€"zun meat markets: The committee is urging that Canadians be fff 5 toled ; i e iry ishag ar . ,};‘ i ME WU.Cp it the way I