Two men have been arrested for vandalizing David Emerson’s office in Vancouver-Kingsway. It is a time honoured tradtion to dump manure and spray graffiti when one is disgrundled with opportuntistic politicans that switch parties for a cabinet post right after an election. The choice to protest by vandalizing is also a crime.

This past week:

Allen Abney, who was born in the United States but became a Canadian citizen in 1977, was arrested at a border crossing on Thursday while trying to enter Idaho from southeastern British Columbia.

8 thousand Viet Nam draftees came to Canada in the 1960’s. In 1977  President Jimmy Carter granted them amnesty, but they had to fill out paperwork. Abney didn’t, and I assume the other three arrested from the Viet Nam area this past month didn’t either. There are currently 100 active duty US military  who have fled to  Canada seeking amnesty from the Iraq war. One man gaining attention is Iraq destenter Jeremy Hinzman. 
E-Group at Blogs Canada has more on the Abney case.

Reports from officials at the US Marine jail Pendleton, say his case should be handled in about 7 days and it is likely he will be given a dishonourable discharge. One of the options the Marines have is to give him up to five years in jail. No word on the other’s that were also arrested this month.

The Marines deny anything to do with Abney’s border arrest, saying that was a civil decision. Okay. So he is in a military prison in California, not a civil one. The San Diego Law Project has stepped in to assist Abney and his family.