The role of the mainstream media, of judges and of the political leaders is not to succomb to the will of the easily-excited majority on some controversial issues but to adopt a detached, analytical and cold view of what our body of laws says and show leadership in their pursuit.  

The whole sorry Omar Khadr affair should not have happened in the first place.  However, it did, and former PM Chrétien and Harper failed to ensure the rights of a Canadian citizen who was brainwashed by his family and became a child soldier abroad.

Our governments should therefore strive to adopt laws and regulations aimed at avoiding a repeat of similar situations in the future.  A good place to start would be in adopting new obligations on those dozens of Canadians who have voluntarily left Canada to fight for Daesh in Syria and Irak. I personally do not see how they could fit again in Canadian society.

I am not a fan of Justin Trudeau, but must acknowledge his political courage on this issue.