Bravo to Trevor Lautens for standing up for the little guy. In his July 4th article, The price of freedom and free speech mounts" Mr. Lautens brings to light a great injustice not only "for the little guy", but for those who donate hard-earned dollars to the SPCA. Apparently the SPCA is suing a local organization, Animal Advocates, and its guiding light Judy Stone, for allegations about SPCA practices. What is ironic, yet sad, is that both organizations have the stated common goal of helping the animals. What is different is that Animal Advocates spends every cent ON the animals. There are no huge salaries. According to Mr. Laurens, Ms Stone has maxed out her mortage for legal costs. What has our society come to when the SPCA feels so threatened that when others, who speak for the same animals the SPCA claims to protect, dare to criticise certain practices of the SPCA, this "charitable" organization digs into it's deep pockets to silence those voices?

The SPCA surely takes in tens of millions of dollars in public donations each year from thousands of well-intentioned donors who surely would be hard pressed to open their wallets if they realized how much is being spent in an attempt to silence someone who does so much good. What arrogance!! Yes, as Mr. Lautens points out, the price of our free speech mounts as lawsuits such as this are kept hush-hush. I would suggest that sadly in this case, as in many other, the colour of "Justice" is green.

D. Elworthy
West Vancouver