Editorial

CHRIST ON TRIAL AT COLLEGE PARK COURT

It seems that Jesus Christ was on trial at College Park Court on February 2.

How else to explain that in the testimony of an officer of the law, he was uncertain as to whether Christ was Jesus?

Grandparents Linda Gibbons, Rev. Ken Campbell and Anneliese Steden were in court, where they were officially arraigned, charged with "obstructing a peace officer" on Sept, 9, 1998.

The first witness heard at the Feb. 2 trial was Sheriff David Usher, who presented and read the much referred to "Interim Injunction," which brought the three grandparents before the court in the first place. Sheriff Usher concluded that the defendants, all of whom he personally recognized, had been silently picketing on the sidewalk in front of the Gerrard Street East Scott Abortion Clinic last September.

The interim injunction to which Sheriff Usher alluded was drafted by the NDP provincial government of 1994 when feminist Marion Boyd was Ontario's first Attorney General without a law degree.

At College Park Court, Mrs. Gibbon's lawyer Blaise McLean argued that his client was charged with an unfair and inappropriate charge, Obstruct a Peace officer (section 129), which at the crown's discretion stays at the lower court level, rather than (section 127) of the Criminal Code Disobey Court Order, for which a person is entitled to elect a trial by judge and jury.

Officer George Kaldis testified that he had arrested Mrs. Gibbons on Sept 9 for "causing a distrubance." The arrest charge was changed to Obstruct a Peace Officer at 51 Division.

Both in and out of court, there is little doubt that Mrs. Gibbons is not your average criminal. Officer Kaldis admitted that her behaviour during the demonstration before her arrest had been consistently cordial. He responded yes, when asked: "If he had closed his eyes he would not have realized Linda was there."

Four years of incarceration for bearing silent witness in front of Toronto's abortion clinics has not burdened the defendant with the expected chip-on-the-shoulder attitude.

Ontario's forgotten political prisoner has earned the respect of prison inmates by never resorting to preachy dialogue, but silenting praying instead.

After all has been said and done, Linda Gibbons lends credence to her personal belief that she's really "in jail for Jesus".

At the first day of the trial, the sheriff and both testifying arresting officers said the defendants were carrying "abortion placards" at the time of their arrest.

The judge allowed Blaise to question how these signs could be termed abortion placards.

Blaise pointed out that the sign carried by Rev. Campbell has been of a religious nature. The officer would not acknowledge that this was plain to him, although he admitted Jesus was a religious figure. He read the scriptural reference as Mtt.12. The judge pointed out this reference was to Matthew.

The other side of Rev. Campbell's sign started with Christ and referred to being in solidarity with "Linda for Liberty".

The officer alluded to the uncertainty as to whether Christ was Jesus, and therefore another religious statement. Blaise asked the officer if he knew anyone else named Christ; he responded no.

Surely this strikes to the heart of where christianity really is in today's society.

Jesus Christ and christianity are forced to stand trial by the advancing agenda of the secular humanist movement of the day, not just at College Park Court, but in our schools, our churches, our institutions and in our mainline media.

Jesus is Christ, Officer Kaldis. Given the cowardice that is the result of a politically correct era, it's surprising to find that he walks with dignity in a lady called Linda Gibbons, and in each and every christian still unafraid to invoke his Image.

Meanwhile, the College Park trial has been remanded until March 1.