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On April 25, I was watching ATV news and the there was a report on of an elderly man from Baie Ste. Anne, who ultimately died due to in part by NB Power disconnecting his electricity even though they have a "no disconnect" policy during the winter months. This man was insulin dependent and along with hypothermia with no heat led to his death in the hospital five days later. According to ATV news, NB Power also disconnected some 600 other customers during the winter months — all within their "no disconnect" policy. I phoned NB Power to get their side of the situation and was informed that they are not allowed to comment one way or the other about their decision to disconnect.

Now, NB Power, you have put yourself up the river without a paddle but in your case you don't even have a boat. I truly hope you land in the white rapids and no-one is there to throw you any kind of a lifeline. What you have done is an atrocity against humanity with not one iota of compassion for your fellow human being.

Here we have our young men and women anxious to go to Afghanistan to fight for our freedoms — some freedom, with conglomerates like you who have such utter disregard for the sanctity of human life. With you, it's that almighty dollar and passing the buck to get the responsibility all on the shoulder of social services when you're the ones with the "no disconnect" policy. Therefore the ultimate responsibility is yours.

NB Power has unknowingly laid the blueprint for a class action lawsuit against them. Your stupidity will be your complete downfall and ultimate demise. Your lawyers will have a hell of an uphill battle defending you guys. It would be a lot easier for them to climb Mt. Everest, in my opinion. NB Power think they are the untouchables but they finally have the straw that broke the camel's back. If we as New Brunswickers have any inclination as to put up with NB Power's ultimate dictatorial ego trip, well, we should be held accountable for that man's death also.

Freedom of the press gives us a powerful avenue to get our opinions across. The Charter of Rights pertains to all Canadians and all the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights is for all peoples. Prisoners who are incarcerated in NB's prisons have no fears of freezing to death and they have committed lawless acts and yet law-abiding citizens live in absolute fear of freezing because our government allows it to happen. They buck has to stop with Shawn Graham and his Liberals with their lack of foresight to put safety measures into place.

The lawyers who take the case of the rights of all NB's residents against NB Power and the government will in the end probably make a precedent in Canadian law and history. In the year 2008 the fact NB's government allowed such a needless death to occur proves their complete disregard for a person's life and worth. You know, in all the centuries since our early ancestors, the cave man, we really haven't progressed that far, maybe electronically, but certainly not humanly. At least the cave me had their fires so they didn't freeze to death.

ATV told the man's name and also showed his picture. I apologize for not remembering it but I'm sincerely writing this letter in hope that nothing like this will ever happen again.

Shirley MacDonald

Campbellton