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Letters: Strip-Searches, Sentencing, Breast Milk Sharing

It's mail day. We find out what you've had to say about strip-searches, mandatory minimum sentences and singing politicians. Plus, we try to set the record straight about what the World Health Organization really thinks about the safety of sharing breast milk.



PART THREE

Letters: Strip Searches, Breast-Feeding, Sentencing

Thursday is mail day. And our Friday host Linden McIntyre joined Anna Maria in studio to help with the mail.

Strip Searches: For nine years, strip searches have been prohibited as a routine police practice in Canada ... ever since the Supreme Court ruled that "strip searches are inherently humiliating and degrading."

But Monday on The Current, we heard evidence that strip searches are still a common practice. One of the people we heard from was Rosie Schwartz. She's 78 now. And in 2001, she was taken into custody after an altercation with police at a demonstration.

After hearing this segment, listeners felt the need to write in with their thoughts. Included in those letters was one we received from Brian Samuels. He was counsel for Cameron Ward, the successful plaintiff in a Supreme Court of Canada case involving police strip searches. Brian Samuels was in Vancouver.

Mandatory Sentences: The Alberta Court of Appeal last week issued a warning to Canada's Supreme Court -- to tighten up sentencing rules and reign in how much leeway judge's have in sentencing.

Yesterday on The Current, we had the opportunity to hear from three retired judges on the usefulness of mandatory minimum sentences and maintaining confidence in the legal system. And we heard lots more in the mail.

Sharing Breast Milk: Two weeks ago we discussed the safety of sharing breast milk. We were inundated with letters particularly around this exchange about what is the World Health Organization's official stand on the issue.

So to clarify the World Health Organization's position on the issue, we were joined by Doctor Chessa Lutter. She is the Regional Advisor on Food and Nutrition for the Pan American Health Organization, which is part of the WHO. She was in Washington.

Singing Politicians: Last Friday, we put the the idea of singing politicians to a panel of insiders and the musical Prime Minister came across a little off key in our mail. We shared a final thought on this from our mailbag.

Kudos or complaints ... we want to hear it all. Here is how to get in touch.

Last Word - Assisted Reproduction

We ended the program today with something our Quebec producer Susan McKenzie is working on for tomorrow's program. It comes from a story she heard from a lawyer who works in Toronto. Susan got the last word this morning.

Other Segments from today's show: