"The city is haunted by ghosts from broken homes"
-This could be anywhere in the world, by Alexisonfire

Yesterday while watching the NFL playoffs, this page was advised by a Global TV news update that "the most anticipated trial in BC history starts tomorrow". My immediate reaction was surprise, given that I didn't think the Basi/Virk trial was starting until April. However, once it was obvious that the anchor was referring to the Robert Pickton trial, my feelings changed, and I'll share some of them with you.

I don't think anything will happen in this trial to save the lives of Downtown Eastside prostitutes. In fact, the attention the Pickton trial will receive will more than likely make women living on the margins even more vulnerable. For every gory detail that comes out about the murders, the screaming for tougher sentencing will get louder, which plays directly to the Harper government's social conservative base. Never mind emergency assistance or funding for social housing, two areas which if properly funded could prevent women from trying prostitution, it's all about longer sentences, bigger prisons, and collecting enough timber for the gallows should the Tories ever win a majority government.

The ongoing lack of economic security under an aggressive capitalist regime inevitably leads to a lack of personal security. For the next few months, this fact is on display at the courthouse in New Westminster.

A note to 206 - area readers: there is the strong likelihood of a publication ban in this trial, which means that I may not be writing about anything in Western Washington until I'm back there in a few weeks. There's a problem with having the cable company as your ISP, and during previous bans Seattle area TV stations went dark during the news and the Times and P-I sites were firewalled. Stay tuned - we'll probably hear more about a publication ban from the mediots during the trial than we will about inadequate welfare rates or effective addiction treatment strategies.