JUSTICE IS A GARMENT

Justice is a garment prepared for residents of this planet. It is woven from billions of threads, knit together into a strong and integrated fabric. Love is the thread and it has produced a fabric of integrity.

Injustice occurs when countless numbers of these threads are pulled from the garment. The wearer of the garment is then uncovered and vulnerable.

The idea spark for that concept derived from THE JUSTICE CONFERENCE a couple of years ago. It used this image and theme. The Conference promotes dialogue around justice related concerns such as human trafficking, slavery, poverty, HIV/AIDS and human rights.

Another justice issue that is of concern to affected families in developed countries is government authorized child protection that has lost its way. It sometimes performs as predator rather than saviour, commencing with an adversarial approach, seizing children without due diligence investigation, disregarding parental rights, ignoring legislated timelines, delaying returns and court dates and parental visitations. That is happening frequently throughout British Columbia because of the Ministry of Children and Family Development.

The work of justice is to mend the rips and tears of injustice that have occurred in the fabric of a society and its governance. The repair consists of the replacement of frayed threads, so the work must begin with love.

Ayn Van Dyk’s release from government care into the waiting arms of her father Derek Hoare and her mother Amie Van Dyk is at the very least the requisite solution to a human rights issue. It may be much more upon closer scrutiny of the policy, interpretation and practices that make it possible for a protection agency in response to a notification of a child missing for three hours, to take that child from her family. When due consideration is given, not to a father’s negligence but to the child’s autism that accounted for her nomadic excursion to a neighbour’s yard, the shredding and slashing of justice is readily apparent. Immediately following Ayn’s brief trip, protection social workers appeared with a voluntary release form for Derek to sign. That was met by his anxious and incensed refusal. A couple of days later, unannounced, this government agency removed Ayn from her public school classroom. Ayn’s justice garment was in tatters as was Derek’s and Amie’s and their two sons, and the extended family’s garments. Love covered Ayn at home in the prettiest material designed specially for her. Only love’s thread can mend the lacerations so she is properly adorned again. Over 3000 people are members of Ayn's Facebook page, called 'Help Bring Little Autistic Girl Back to Daddy," and many are actively involved in lobbying for her release. Here we weave our voice and our gifts into the project of Ayn’s protection so she can wear her garment of justice with its irreplaceable threads. At over two years, it is past time for this innocent child and blameless parents to get dressed once more in the garment of justice by permitting this child to come home.