Big decisions

Whew, all hands should be breathing sighs of relief after a Newfoundland Supreme Court jury convicted Sean Buckingham last Monday on a dozen nasty charges consisting of sexual assault and drug trafficking.

When anyone commits the likes of what Buckingham is guilty of, all folks are disgusted but when it's a doctor, it puts another discomforting spin on the whole mess.

It has the same foul air and unsettling chimes of when the province was rocked by the sexual scandals of priests.

The general public are seasoned into a bubble of confidence when it comes to certain people we look to as upstanding and esteemed figures in communities. The very nature of their work, in fact, demands that veneration when you size it up.

Doctors, you trust with your life, priests, your soul-it's a massive drop from the high plinth of confidence and trust and the impact has to be profound when the public is let down in such a shocking way.

But here's to the system that brought justice to the insanities we heard of in the Buckingham trial. The women involved, though not the pillars of society, were indeed heard and the verdict says their personal accounts were significant.

Now here's the bizarre part. This medical doctor has been tried and convicted of very disturbing criminal behaviour but the folks holding the keys to his medical career need to 'investigate' the convict for 'professional' misconduct.

The Newfoundland and Labrador College of Physicians and Surgeons have the power to revoke or suspend his medical licence, but they need to 'investigate' first. They acknowledged his conviction but as an 'allegation against Buckingham'.

Wow, is there any such thing as automatic anymore? Seriously, who would even trust a doctor of his record with an ingrown toenail after all this?

Maybe the powers that be, who hold the disgraced doctor's fate in their hands, are waiting until after his sentence hearing this week. Perhaps that will help them with the big decision.

A gift from the town

Speaking of big decisions, Labrador City got hit with a big donation request last week. The impact of a $50,000 donation to the Daffodil place seems a little steep when you get the first wind of it. But when you consider the whole concept of what this facility means for those inflicted with cancer, the dollar amount seems a lot lighter.

In Labrador, it's no secret the strain and stress of travelling to St John's, to acquire medical treatments, meets with plenty financial difficulties and a hotel room is really not a feasible solution-certainly not for long-term and frequent medical visits.

Labradorians, especially, need that extra comfort and security when dealing with the dreaded disease, it takes them very far from home.

Council didn't give a quick answer to Rose Daley's (director of the Daffodil Place Campaign) request, but that doesn't mean it won't happen. It requires some thought and consideration but most likely the answer will be an affirmation. The councillors are acting on behalf of the township and no one likes hasty decisions with a $50,000-price tag. But when it comes to cancer, Labrador West has show itself to be top dogs in its support. The Relay for Life is probably the strongest testament to that.

No one likes to think about cancer on a personal level but unfortunately many people are forced to everyday. Cancer touches everyone's life in some way and it's great initiatives such as Daffodil Place that lessens the stress of some of the horrible days that too many people go through. It's a great gift for any town to be able to give to a needed facility such as Daffodil Place, and the residents of any town should be most grateful their tax dollars are going to a great cause.