Cleansing Ceremonies

If it were that simple. As a gesture to bring closure, to thrust away the brutal reality by destroying artifacts once in the possession of a now-despised individual who at one time was thought to represent the sterling qualities of a man of high repute and a credit to the Canadian Armed Forces, it was a representative gesture.

Nothing will expunge the reality of former colonel Russell Williams' horrendous acts, however.

He is now situated at Kingston Penitentiary, not all that far geographically from CFB Trenton, but a world apart.

As a twice-convicted murderer, rapist, thief, pederast and tormentor of helpless victims, he will without doubt spend the rest of his life incarcerated. Far from his status of having been particularly selected for his leadership qualities as a future elite in the Canadian Armed Forces.

A wounded Armed Forces took steps to retrieve the equipment used by Mr. Williams to take it out of possible circulation, to gather it for disposal. His uniforms and tunics, anything and everything, including personal equipment allocated to him as a custodian of honour in the Forces, anything that reflected his years of steady advancement as a trusted and honoured senior air force officer. Incinerated.

The medals that were bestowed upon him gathered and set aside. For future disposal. If only the memory of what he had committed, the agony and suffering he caused, the families he left in deep mourning could be cleared away as painlessly.