Old veteran savage Paul St. Pierre Bae PAULITICS & PERSPECTIVES IF YOU or I or any other of the common peopie had behaved toward Gordon Rollinson as Canada Customs did, we might well be in jail, However, when the iniquities are committed by bureaucrats, a whole different set of laws apply. A judge said terrible things about the behavior of Canada Customs in the Rollinson case. He said they were vindictive, in viola- tion of constitutional law and ille- gal. But of course no charges were ever laid. One customs officer involved in the case has retired, without any reprimand from his superiors and is now in private business. The cus- toms officer who should have repri- manded him has been rewarded for his dereliction of duty by a side- ways promotion out of the Vancouver area. Canada Customs follows the bureaucratic tradition: “Nobody was driving, officer, we weze all in the back seat.” The Rollinson Case is a shock- ing story about the tyranny imposed upon Canadians by our new rulers, the bureaucrats, and a fearsome example of how our elected govern- ments evade their responsibility. If you never read about this in the Vancouver Sun, don’t be sur- prised. The atrocities were visited upon people of no political correct- ness, Gordon Rollinson and his wife belong to no ininority group, visible of invisible, financial or cultural. fancied or real. He hid spent his working life in the Canadian Army, rediring as at sergeant from the militwy police, a most ordinary man, onan ordinary fixed Income, whose one prived possession was a boat big enough to sleep on. Over the course of eight years, eight years stolen front his retire- ment years, Canada Customs pur- sued this man for unspecified crimes. They never found one shred of evidence, but, as sone travellers can testify, customs peaple who don't get angry if they find you smuggling may be contorted with rage if you come up innocent when they suspected you of smuggling. Their pride is hurt. There is no coniplaint system for citizens who are mistreated. Those who try to complain are apt to be given false directions. No wander laws are flouted and citizens abused. The Rollinsons lost their boat, two cars and the pet dog, which drowned. The history of this elderly couple reads dike a chapter from Nazi Germany's oppression of the Jews. Why did Mr. Rollinson let it continue for eight years, or even for eight days? We may speculate it was his background. He lied about his age to get into the army during the Second World War, and he stayed in the army is a career soldier. He was by nature and training a man who accepted the abuse of those whom Fate inistakenly sets in authority over us, Eventually, he found enough money to fight in the courts. He never did find enough to use Canada’s Freedom Information Act, whose bureaucrats still stonewall him. The courts took three years to handle his case. What else is new in the modern tyranny? But the judg- ment was awesome. Here is what the judge found. Read it and feel someone walking on your grave. He found that customs was “oppressive and malicious.” He found they used “threats, mockery and misrepresentation.” Whytecliff diving is upgraded PLANS ARE under way for the building of a disabled access ramp for divers at ‘Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver. At its June 20 meeting, West Vancouver District Council received a park manager's report which described the ramp as about five feet wide (1.5 m) and extend- ing from the foot of the service road, on the southeast side of the park, to a low tide area. “It will be quite long,” Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Pike said of the SCUBA Challenge pro- posal. Marine engineers, Hay and Co. Consultants, have endorsed the alignment of the ramp, while both the Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard have given approval. The project is being funded entirely by donations with some of the contributions being made by SCUBA Challenge. the Marine Life Sanctuaries Suciety and che Vancouver Aquarium. Most of the work will be done at the time of the lowest tides, June 25-26, with an opening to follow on Oceans Day, July 23. Both disabled and able-bodied divers will be able to use the new ramp to access the water. HIRE A STUDENT IT’S GOOD FOR BUSINESS 666-9192 MIRE A STUDENT Canada 00 incoming framing _ order min, $30 | OFF @ His word for their actions: “rot ten.” He hid two wards to deserthe customs” aehons, “Cruel” “Ulegal.” He awaided Rollinson $108,000 for his mistreatment hy the country he had served. UNecd one say that the $100,000 wort be paid by these responsible but by us, the taxpayers?) Only a few such cries of outrages against the new tyranny rise from the Canadian courts in cases that don’ tinvolve the Charter or Rights. The results? One said result was that the oppression of these ordinary, decent people didn't rate space in the inighty Vancouver Sun, where shrill SEPARATE ADMISSION FEATURES SCHINDLER'S LIST 7:30 pm Friday, June 24 1994 - North Shore News - 9 by Custo: serevehing about ijpustices of far more obscure or unproven cases Cl every edition. Another was the humitiation of David Anderson, Minister of National Revenue, A Canadian cabinet asitister hits very iltle power over his bureau: crats. Phere ts same evidence that poor lithe Otto Jelinek, the Conservative who preceded {Liberal Anderson ewas not allowed to see some of his mail, Voters think that ministers run departinents, but ministers just laugh, sadly. at what voters think, Realistic or aot, British Colunsbians espected more fron the Maverick Anderson, Normally, bureaucrats protect a “¥ ~ CINEMA 2. SEPARATE ADMISSION FEATURES LITTLE BUDDHA 7.06 pm THE CROW iS minister against che revelation that he is powerless. But this wan denied Mr, Anderson. The bureaucrats jerked hint aroand like a poodle on a teatsh. Twenty-four hours Later after he told Surrey Reform MP Val Meredith that the case was closed, because the $400,000 was being paid, the bureaucrats launched a courtappeal to reduce the size ol the award and teft poor David twisting inthe wind. Then, with arrogance almost unprecedented, they subjected the old soldier to more of the harass- ment for which they were penalized $100,000. itis later for our democracy than some people think, CINEMA 3” SEPARATE ADMISSION FEATURES BEVERLY HILLS COP ill 7:10 pm & 9:15 pin 66 Planning a trip? Leave the details to us. 99 —Diane Bellingham, Club Counsellor At BCAA Park Royal, we can heip you with all your travel plans. We'll make hotel, motel or campground reservations, Hertz rental car reservations, get you'special AAA rates, and provide information on special events. We can even prepare a personalized routing map for you, called a Triptik (with 2 weeks notice). It outlines gas stations, AAA/CAA approved accommodations. and points of interest. So when you're planning your next trip, visit us at BCAA Park Royal, We'll be happy to help you get on your way! BCAA @® Park Royal Shopping Centre, 908 South Mall ° & 268-5650