Uncivilized everywhere

Re: “Sickened,” Letter, Aug. 21.

It’s hard to believe Joan Nelson would think we live in a civilized world until she read the Amanda Lindhout story.

Anyone venturing into a country like Somalia as a journalist is courting disaster. I’m sure Lindhout was aware of the dangers, as it was not the first time it has happened to a journalist.

A few months ago, three women in Cleveland were found after 10 years of suffering unthinkable treatment at the hands of Ariel Castro. All they were doing when they were abducted was walking down the street. And what about Jaycee Dugard, who was discovered being held prisoner in a backyard in California for 18 years?

These are just a couple of cases in our own civilized part of the world. As for countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Iraq and Somalia, to name a few, women are still suffering from violence, isolation and repression.

Our laws do not necessarily protect against violence. The laws are always being broken. There is still too much violence against women, children and animals, and violence against men is not uncommon, either.

In many cases, the laws are more about being punished for the crime, rather than stopping a person from committing the crime.

Nelson said she always thought she lived in a civilized world. It’s a lovely thought, but unfortunately, the world we live in is far from it.

Jill Earl, Calgary