For every story that makes the front page or the start of the newscast, there were many that didn't. Think about that every time you see the walking-talking disaster that is Rob Ford dominating the news cycle. It's true that Canada's largest city and the economic hub of Canada deserves to know about the activities and state of mind of its chief magistrate. And there has thus far been a massive gulf of accountability Ford owes Torontonians. These are newsworthy events with a genuine public interest.
Unfortunately, lost in the latest foofaraw about the mayor and his crack pipe were some important stories.
As we were having a laugh or tsktsking the latest episode, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, CBC and the Canadian Press reported the RCMP is now looking into as many as 1,200 cases of missing or murdered aboriginal women - possibly twice the amount last assumed.
The federal government has routinely rejected calls to hold an inquiry into how those numbers could ever climb so high.
When pressed by the Opposition in the House of Commons, the Tories spun the crisis into a pitch to support their budget, which contains a $25-million strategy for aboriginal missing and murdered women - but offered no interest in a public inquiry, which might bring some closure and shed light on past wrongs to ensure they don't happen again. And even if one were to cynically presume that any form of public inquiry would come up with volumes of findings and recommendations that would attract dust on some government shelf, at least some families might be able to feel someone was trying to do something to prevent future tragedies.
But the reason we will never see such an inquiry is the same reason we see the continuing plight of many aboriginal women - they simply don't have political clout. If a proportionate number of upper-middle-class blond girls were murdered or went missing, there wouldn't be an inquiry. There would be martial law.
- Guest editorial from the North Shore News
