Dear editor,
In your Dec. 17 issue a letter to the editor was published headlined "RCMP name tarnished again."
While I agree with the headline, I completely disagree with the content of Ian Parsons' letter.
Mr. Parsons blames a man who is having a very public medical episode for all his current woes.
Blaming the victim is never a good strategy, nor it is even the correct strategy.
While I agree it is most unfortunate that this plays out in public, instead of placing the blame on the victim — in this case placing the blame on a clearly distraught and ill person — I would ask why Ron Francis' command and fellow officers were unable to provide the type of help he so clearly needs before it would appear to him that going so public was his only course of action.
Helping those who are mentally ill or emotionally damaged should be Priority One, not clamouring for them to be "relieved of his duties."
Let's shine a little light on the procedures and processes designed to help these men and women that were obviously absent in this case.
Glenn Countryman,
Comox
Editor's note: Ian Parsons' original letter referred to Cpl. Ron Francis, a New Brunswick Mountie who turned in his red serge uniform after smoking medicinal marijuana while on duty.