Wonderful news since my last post! After hearing about the elderly couple Ken and Dusty McKay, who after 62 years of marriage had been placed in separate care homes by Interior Health, I am elated to now report they are reunited. I’m sure this comes as a result of both media attention and public outrage as there was some pressure to bare on the health authority.

Everyone with an ounce of compassion could appreciate not only the need to eliminate the stress this caused for this couple (and their family) but more importantly that their precious bond be protected. There are many marriages that do not survive 20 years never mind 60+, we must not only celebrate such commitments but also make sure that only death parts life companions not bureaucracy.

Elderly Couple Reunited

For Ken McKay and his wife Dusty that appears to be difficult to obtain. Instead, they found themselves separated when six months ago Dusty’s medical care needs exceeded his. The emotional toll this has taken on both of them was hard; tears welled up as I watched on Global BC news Elderly Okanagan Couple Appeal for Same Home. To hear what they were having to deal with was truly heartbreaking. Here is a man and woman who have survived through all the ups and downs that life brings, afforded so much time on this earth to spend together in love and marriage only to be ripped apart by a system whose roots are in health and care.

How is it healthy to remove from a person’s life their companion and confidante? How good can any care be when it places such pain, frustration, heartache and loneliness in two people’s lives? Where is the dignity when as we age other people make decisions for us that they would never wish upon themselves? At what point does our choice to live and die in the arms of the one we love become a logistical problem that must be handled by outside entities?

All too often seniors find themselves being dictated to and cast aside. We are a culture that houses our seniors more often in wait to die centers rather than creating strong at home care and independent living an affordable reality. It should not be so hard for this man and woman to receive the support necessary under one roof. We should embrace that option as a true sign of compassionate care till the end! To see this man break down in the way he did, apologize for his emotion and still try to fight to be united with his wife, is so admirable.

Sixty years of unity should not end as it has for others in the past because our health care authorities didn’t have the vision to provide a workable solution. Shame on the Interior Health and may everyone reading this realize we may one day find ourselves in a similar situation…who will speak for us? When we can’t take care of the people who need us most, it is not they that are weak, it is us.

“I want to get high and party.” > “I feel less shy.” > “It makes me feel good.” > “I want to escape” > “When I do drugs it is much easier for me to say and do things I normally wouldn’t do.”  > “People like me better when I’m on drugs.” > “My friends do it.”

So many reasons to take drugs, seemingly harmless in the eyes of the user, until you wind up six feet under from an overdose or tainted drugs. Ecstasy holds no joy or rapture in those final moments.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ecstasy it is related to amphetamines, stimulants with some good ol’ fashion hallucinogenics thrown in for an extra kick. The chemical itself, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or to make it easier to say, MDMA has some far reaching appeal. Those who have taken it, talk about the euphoria, the confidence they get and boost of energy. On chat rooms you can find people who say they felt more love, less inhibitions, hyper sensitive to feelings and more sexual. That might not sound so bad until you get a dose of the truth; there is a far more sinister side to this drug.

Ecstasy causes increased blood pressure and heart rate, nausea, anxiety attacks, vomiting and a whole host of other not so nice side effects that can sometimes last for days or weeks. Given that many users like to partake during raves, dances, concerts or in other mass gatherings, all that extra exertion can make things worse. On top of that, you don’t have scientist concocting this stuff. Instead, you have some low life, most likely affiliated to a gang who doesn’t give a crap about the safety of his product. Gathered in some basement or warehouse is all the chemicals these people need to kill.

What makes these deaths stand out, as if the loss alone shouldn’t be enough, is the emergence of PMMA a highly potent extra amphetamine that is cheaper to produce but has a long history of being lethal. Where was it first developed? According to an online resource Enotes.com PMA  ,it was first produced by a Canadian laboratory in 1973. (Wow, that is not something to be proud of) Of course, this drugs apparent rise in use lately may be attributed to the fact that British Columbia made the chemicals that make ecstasy illegal. Always one up on us, the mad non-scientist gang members find another way to bring product to market.

An RCMP report on illicit drugs states that ” in 2008, successful law enforcement investigations resulted in nationwide seizures of MDMA totaling an estimated 1.5 million tablets and 273 kilograms. These figures underscore the entrenched MDMA trade in Canada, as well as the sustainability of this drug’s popularity and its central role in the illicit synthetic drug trade at the global level. ” Its popularity is evident and apparently hasn’t waned much as we find ourselves in 2012 still discussing the affects on our society. Piggy back popularity with the “it’s not going to happen to me” attitude and what we have is dead kids.

Inevitably, when these things occur, the debate opens up about other drugs. The gateway drug argument and a whole host of other youth in crisis discussions begin to surface again. Checking out the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse I came across the following information. In a Cross Canada Report on Student Alcohol and Drug Use, there were some stats that may be surprising. Based on data collected during 2007-2008 for students in grades 7, 9, 10 and 12 (i.e. , youth approximately 12-18 years old)... alcohol use in the past year is about twice as prevalent as cannabis use for all grades combined (46% to 62%) versus (17% to 32%) respectively.

So, that leads me to wonder just what is the real gateway drug? and At what point does taking ecstasy become the next step up to getting high? All I know for sure is there are people’s children dying, families ripped apart by something so small but powerful. Manufactured by maniacs who are grateful for the innocence of their consumers. A tiny pill that gets rave reviews by users until they see their friend lying dead on the floor.

So, how do we get the message out that this stuff is going to kill you? Can we change what has been inherent since the beginning of civilization, people want to get high? Where do we go from here?

With 78 convictions notched on his belt he continues to whip us all. Labeled 'a high risk to re-offend' Caza lived up to his designation by re-offending soon after release from prison in December. Despite arrest and charges of sexual assault, assault and uttering threats against a female, Mr. Caza was released on bail the following day; not even a full two weeks into January. Unaffected, he was later found in possession of drugs which, of course, is a breach of conditions.

How can there be anyone left in this Province of British Columbia that can say, the system is working! Really?  Certainly not in this case. Given the length of Caza's record it is safe to say it has been broken for some time. This a joke that anyone could repeatedly break the law and still be released into our communities. What does it take for our Government to see the need for an overhaul of this laughable system.

By now, everyone is focused on the conviction numbers associated with this man's despicable life but there are victims whose singular experience with him changed how they live. A string of stories that chronicle the impact this lowest form of human has had on our society. He doesn't even have a preference for his criminal activity, he breaks all the laws, drug possession, theft, assault, sexual assault and a host of other acts dating back to 1977.

People across this country are looking for help from the powers that be. Whether it is through Federal crime bills like c-10 or Provincial clout that will take cases like this one and blow it wide open. We want action! There are more questions than answers that need to be addressed from the parole board through to judges and crown counsel. Who is protecting us from people like this? The police can't just hand out a warning to the media without clear information that warrants such a measure. Though, they tried, it is impossible to keep guys like Caza from claiming his next victim.

The only place, angry but law abiding citizens should be in order to defend our rights, is occupying our court rooms. Taking up the challenge to keep a spotlight on cases such as this. Mr. Caza may hold some uniqueness in his convictions but he is certainly not the only criminal to be perpetually enjoying the revolving door of our courts and prisons. If the general public had a chance to see the files of many who pass in and out of our system they would most likely be stunned by how many charges were dropped not because the person didn't commit the crimes but because our justice system is either too slow to convict or too quick to simplify the counts against.

We are weak and though we will momentarily rise up to address Caza he will prove only one of many who laugh as they leave our courts or prisons. We are all just one moment away from living amidst the likes of Tracy Lloyd Caza.

* There are hundreds of thousands of women and children every year who are trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Near to me and probably close to you there is a place, whether it be a brothel, a strip club, a massage parlor or a porn establishment, that is connected to the business of human trafficking.

* Wherever the military, peacekeepers and large sporting events are, so too are the traffickers. They set up shop or expand on the existing sexual services to accommodate the influx of men ready to pay for play. In many countries in which these men are stationed it is not uncommon to find that a short trek down the road will lead straight to booming music, booze  and the solicitation from an abused, prostituted girl, who pastes a fake smile on her face.

* When poverty, war or natural disasters ravage an area this becomes the time for traffickers, johns and pedophiles to mobilize; capitalizing on the desperation and misfortune of another human being. I learned that on some sick level the johns feel they are doing these women a favour because without their money these women and children would be hungry or unable to support their family. Their apparent charity can only happen when their zipper is down and their fantasies fulfilled.

* ‘Sex tourism’ ( which should be renamed to better reflect the abuse) is booming. Countries who provide a playground for this so called tourism are receiving millions/billions in revenue. There are pay offs to government officials and police that help keep both money and human beings flowing from coast to coast, country to country. Multiple cases of high ranking members of society (in positions of trust) have been found to be involved in the purchase of women and children.

* Both in Canada and the United States studies have shown that the purchasers of sex are most likely to be fathers, in a relationship, had some post secondary education and employed. The demand for younger girls is growing  because “domination and manipulation of young children is easier” and another factor is the hyper-sexualization of young girls. Imagery has exploded in advertising, on television and Internet that contributes to men seeking to purchase sex or sexually abuse underage boys or girls. (as noted in Benjamin Perrin’s Invisible Chains)

* There are multiple sites and forums in which johns from all over the world support each other to find the best “bang” for their buck.  Johns discuss how much to pay for a woman or child, tips on how to get the cost down, they brag about their exploits and offer advice on what to avoid so as to stay under the radar of law enforcement. (as if there was any enforcement) The johns (aka fathers, husbands and brothers) verbalize their disdain for women in their home country with considerable cruelty. Dating or marriage to “AW’s” (American Women) is no match for the “GFE” (Girl Friend Experience) they receive from foreign women. The fact that the GF’s or children are paid, are in danger and have an underlying disgust for them, fails to be understood by johns.

* Pimps and Traffickers have been known to simply pick girls off the street or target orphanages. Some orphanages have invested in security to protect these predators from kidnapping their children while others struggle to have such protective measures in place. Once of age and no longer able to stay in the orphanages the jackals wait at the gates for their next meal ticket.

* Talk is cheap. Countries may appear to have laws on the books or have signed on to protocol but the capture and convictions of offenders is minuscule. Many victims of trafficking struggle to see justice and for some the consequence for seeking justice may end their life. The critical details such as protection of these survivors, along with long term counseling, education and training, are still being worked out.

* Legalization of prostitution hasn’t worked. Trafficking and organized crime maintained and increased its footprint in countries that adopted legalized prostitution. As such, many countries are revisiting the effectiveness of such a decision. Women (and children) were not protected under legalization. Health checks protect the johns but since the johns are not checked the women are left exposed to various diseases. Once contracted they are not able to work in legalized brothels. Also, it isn’t the local women who make up the majority of the workers in prostitution, strip clubs and parlours instead it requires outside women (and children) to be trafficked in to meet the demand. Sweden’s Sex Purchase Law criminalizes the johns and offers comprehensive services to victims. (The John’s also receive programs) There has been a considerable reduction in the recruitment of women and traffickers don’t see Sweden as a viable market.

* Pornography plays a huge role whether directly or indirectly. If a women or child’s capture is not for the purposes of participating directly in porn it is still likely to be present.  Using porn to demonstrate sex acts is common place and even Hollywood has offered up some help. Described in one of Victor Malarek’s books was the use of Striptease with Demi Moore and Showgirls as a way to instruct the girls on how to dance.  Instruction comes in the form of porn in addition to brutal coersion and rape.

* Simple Economics: In our acceptance of our pornified and hyper-sexualized culture we are becoming unknowing co-conspirators in this cruel trade. Trafficking girls are found in strip clubs, massage parlours and pornography; traffickers will continue to supply the product if you provide the demand.

* Hiding behind constitutions and outdated laws traffickers roam free. Our Government representatives will need all of us to hold their feet to the fire on this issue. Make it a priority to contact their offices and sign petitions. Look for anti-trafficking petitions online and make your name count for something. There are groups like Anti-Slavery in the United Kingdom – Change.org  and Polaris Project in United States - HumanTrafficking.org  with worldwide information and  Hope for the Sold in Canada, among others. 

This has been a long post and I applaud you for getting this far. There is so much to learn about this topic but it is not about the knowing that counts, it is about the doing. What are you doing to stop human trafficking? Anything? Or, is it just one of those areas of human suffering you would rather pretend doesn’t exist so you don’t have to take time to donate, serve or sign. Traffickers are counting on you to continue to think that way. Business is booming! Please let them know we want to protect our women and children.