But such laws do not infringe on anyone s freedom. Such laws protect children s freedom to grow up. Absolute freedom is a myth. True freedom is a balance between liberty and limits. Lack of willingness to curb the excesses of some is as frightening a threat to freedom as too great a willingness to curb the liberties of all.
Canadian society is out of balance.
Canadian children are paying the price. Those who call this an exaggeration are those who would send a child down a mine shaft to look for the canary that didn t return. Those who say it is simply a matter of holding individual children to account for their actions are sidestepping the matter of who should be held to account for our society s inaction in protecting our youngest citizens. There is no quick fix for this imbalance. The problem of children hurting children did not arise overnight and will not go away in a day.