I was shocked and appalled upon reading Lubomyr Luciuk's July 02, 2002, commentary "A war crime is a war crime." A war criminal is a war criminal and doesn't belong in Canada. It sickens me that our country welcomes seedy, self-confessed criminals to enjoy the fruits of Canadians' labour while deporting people like Wasyl Odynsky, who has been proven innocent (at great expense) of any crime.

Thanks to Mr. Luciuk for bringing this matter in the open. In our post-Sept. 11 world, we need to give our collective head a shake. It is insane to deport a senior citizen who has contributed to Canadian society for over 50 years, when the government is letting in all manner of criminals and supporting many of them with our tax dollars. It's time to put a stop to such insanity. Federal officials should prosecute the real criminals and stop persecuting scapegoats.

Paulette MacQuarrie
Coquitlam, B.C.