More to it
To the editor:
What happened to "innocent until proven guilty"? The coverage by your newspaper of the tragic murder of John Hartman contributes nothing to the basic premise of our legal system. To the contrary, your reporting seems focused on "racial" tenÂsion; as though the guilt of these young men is a foregone conclusion and that race was the motiÂvating factor.
Marvin Roberts claims to be innocent of the charges against him. I pray that this is so. It is extremely difficult for any of us who have known Marvin as an intelligent, easy-going, good-natured, and helpful individual, to associate him with an act of unÂprovoked violence. It is completely out of character. As a nonÂNative person who has lived for 20 years in this Athabascan comÂmunity, I am in a better position than most to speak of the issue of prejudice. I associate daily with members of the Roberts family and know them as friends and co-workers. This is not a family of prejudice nor is it a family of anger and violence. These are people to whom concern and caring for all other people is a strong family ethic. I do not know the other boys being acÂcused in this case, but it strikes me that there must be much more to this event than we are now hearing.
John Hartman died of an act of brutality. Such violence sickens everyone I know in this village. But none of us know what happened that night and we won't know until evidence is presented at trial.
I suggest that you scrutinize your reporting and editorial policy; the bias long displayed by this paper sows the seeds of the prejudice and racism you profess to decry.
Sincerely yours,