This Is a Bit Stomach-Churning

The headline in the Ottawa Citizen reads, "Accused in Lindhout kidnapping intends to seek legal aid."

The item continued to suggest that Somalian Ali Omar Ader is taking the Canadian taxpayer for a ride by falling back on legal aid for his defence against the charges relating to the Lindhout kidnapping.

Wait a second.  This is still Canada isn't it?  We still hold to the conviction that everyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent and those we place on trial are entitled to a proper defence, or at least I thought we did.

There's a real, FOX News/Roger Ailes character to this story.  A manufactured grievance that perhaps plays on this accused's nationality and, for some, his colour.

If this guy, Ader, is truly guilty of kidnapping Lindhout, let's get him properly tried, convicted and sentenced.  You can't do any of that without a fair trial and you can't have a fair trial without the accused being afforded a proper defence.

That this manufactured controversy should even appear in the pages of the Ottawa Citizen is a telling reflection on where Canadian journalism is heading.