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7 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,A ugust 22,2019 theifp.ca This 1956 photo shows the inauguration of natural gas in Georgetown. Celebrating the occasion were (from left) Mary Beihn, Delma Heslop, Walter Gray, John D. Kelly, Ruth Allen, foreman Len Ward, Edna and Mayor John T. Armstrong and Reeve Stan Allen. EHS photo THE WAY WE WERE Sometimes I read a news item and I'm struck with complete, utter disbelief at some people's actions. The most recent exam- ple centres on the murder of three people in British Columbia, and their al- leged killers' escape across western Canada, until their bodies were found in the wilds of Manitoba last week. The Manitoba RCMP discovered their bodies af- ter spotting an abandoned boat in the river - a boat that the suspects might have used as a means of es- cape. It's an understatement to say Canadians every- where breathed a collective sigh of relief when the news story broke that the boat had been located, and even more so that the bodies of the two suspects were found nearby. But the part that blows me away? Soon after, someone posted an ad on Kijiji try- ing to sell a boat, claiming it was the one found nearby - except for one thing - it wasn't the boat. It was "similar" to the one that was found - which, for the record, is still in the possession of the Manitoba RCMP. Someone was trying to make a quick buck - actual- ly, $5,000 - selling a boat said to have been used in the getaway from three killings, in spite of the fact it wasn't even the boat. And if it were the actual boat, that's disgusting, too, creating a "celebrity" sta- tus for an object suspected to have been used, after the fact, in homicides. After the story hit the media, and it was made clear by the RCMP that it was not the actual boat, the ad was quickly taken down. But the actions still re- main: who is that crass that they would try to sell a boat associated with a homi- cide? And who would even want to own the boat? There are some pretty unethical people out there. And they sicken me. This misrepresentation of a "celebrity" object is nothing new. It's been hap- pening for years and has become more prolific with the popularity of the inter- net. Items have popped up over the years that were featured in movies, like the Mustang from the Steve McQueen movie Bullitt that remained hidden for nearly 50 years. The shell of the second Bullitt Mustang was found a few years back, and it was proven to be le- gitimate. But with that story, op- portunists were quick to step in and tried to sell the Dodge Charger from the movie that they claimed to be 100 per cent authentic. One problem - it wasn't the actual vehicle - just anoth- er scam. Then there was "Wil- son," the volleyball from the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away. Countless fakes have been sold since the 2000 movie, but the original was actually purchased at auc- tion by the CEO of FedEx. Once in a while I see a story on TV how some stu- dent paid cash for a smart- phone to someone in a cof- fee shop, led to believe that it's a brand-new, super- duper model. I know I sure wouldn't cough up $1,000 cash for anything in a cof- fee shop! For those who do fall victim to a swindler, and end up losing a wad of mon- ey on some scam, well, I truly can't feel sorry for them. And the fact that some would pursue purchasing some macabre item from a homicide for their "collec- tion" speaks volumes about their own ethical values. Those on the other end of the equation who are try- ing to sell off something that was actually associat- ed with a tragic or horrific event - well, they are sim- ply crass and show abso- lutely no respect for the emotions and feelings of the families of the victims. And the fact that the item is not even authentic and is simply a ploy to rip off some unsuspecting tar- get - well, they're nothing less than the scum of the earth. Ted Brown is a free- lance journalist for the IFP. He can be contacted at tedbit@hotmail.com. SOME ARE SIMPLY THE SCUM OF THE EARTH OPINION NO RESPECT FOR VICTIM, WRITES TED BROWN TED BROWN Column PROMOTE IT TODAY FOR FREE THEIFP.CA/EVENTS SUMMER'S ALMOST DONE, LAST CHANCE FOR FUN?