Inuvik, Northwest Territories
The town has had a 10 PM curfew for those under 16 years of age for some time, but its punishment of a $100 fine has never been enforced. Now, it seems those on the town’s council want to take their rights violations to a new height by sounding an audible alarm, a tactic unlikely to encourage the average youth to go scrambling home.
So, besides infringing on the rights of the youths and placing the burden of fines at the feet of parents, Inuvik now wants to set the stage for a modern police state in this otherwise unassuming town? Bravo. I understand that there are some issues with youth criminal activity in the area, but attempting to further enforce an already unenforcable rule isn’t likely to prove to be the solution.
Regardless, the government has no right to tell citizens when they should return to their homes; the very idea, combined with the innocence of the setting, seems an all too easy way for officials to test the concept of audible cues for citizens.
If the youth need help and the community needs some form of protection, provide it. If familial problems in the area are at the root of criminal behavior in youths, address them. In the meantime, save the sirens for the plot of a dystopian novel.
Inuvik is more into hanging kids than helping them it would seem. That Town is getting bad to live in, reason I moved.
It’s a real shame, especially given the resources that the government could put into the social programs necessary to give families and kids a leg up in the community. A few paltry dollars for Native youth, or billions for fighter jets? A million in taxpayer dollars to save the lives of taxpayers, or a billion to host the world’s elite at the G20?
It pains me.
Simply a case of “No thinkum”.