Dear editor,
In December 2010, I was involved in an altercation with the employees at Gulliver’s Pub in Courtenay. I was intoxicated at the time. Consequently I was apprehended buy the Comox Valley RCMP and may have been charged with assaulting an employee of the pub.
I have never had any previous involvement in the justice system. I have been offered an opportunity to deal with this matter without a formal charge, and I am writing this letter to let the young folks of the Comox Valley know how easy it can be to put a lifetime of work at risk for one drunken night.
I am currently finishing up my fourth year at university with hopes of pursuing a career in the health care field. The events that occurred that December night could have had serious ramifications for my future goals and endeavours. I truly believe that if I had not consumed so much alcohol, I would not have acted as I did. My judgment was seriously impaired and my actions reflected that.
I grew up in the Valley and I worked hard to get ready for university. I have tried to give back to my community and I feel I am a good person. It is amazing how someone’s character becomes transformed after the consumption of alcohol, and personally it brought out a side of me that I am not proud of. You are not only jeopardizing yourself and possibly your life plans, but also those around you who feel the negative effects of your behaviour.
The people of the Comox Valley helped shape who I am and made it possible for me to have the opportunity to obtain an education and do something positive with my life. It is such a great community to grow up in and I can only hope it stays this way for future generations. However, if I could offer one suggestion for keeping this community as it is for these future generations, it would be to promote personal awareness of one’s self for all those who choose to drink.
Name Withheld
Editor's note: This letter was a condition of a settlement reached with the aid of the Comox Valley Community Justice Centre.