I feel it necessary to respond to Mr. & Mrs. Tatham's letter (Reflect a bit before trashing Mexican system, The Connection, Fri., Mar. 21, 2008) as it concerns the Mexican legal system.

Let me begin by saying that I shared their anguish at the time of their son's incarceration in Dubai and also joined the many others who offered letters of support and sympathy via the Internet.  

Unfortunately, I am unable to see a connection between their son's case and that of Ms Martin, now languishing in a Mexican prison.

First and foremost, let us be clear on the fact that at the time of Mr. Tatham's son's arrest, hard evidence was found on his possession - in a country that has absolutely zero tolerance towards drugs, whereas Ms. Martin had nothing in her possession at the time of her arrest.  This is a very important distinction to make.

While I recognize each country's sovereignty and independent legal system, I do find fault with our government's inaction regarding at least a consular visit immediately following her arrest and offers of assistance with a clarification of the laws of Mexico as they related to her situation, and how to best find and retain a skilled lawyer.  

In Ms. Martin's case, that simple act alone could have gone a long way to resolving her problem, rather than to wait until she was forced to go through all the agony and suffering that she has - to the point of self-starvation in order to garner the attention of our government.  Remember, she is not asking for her release, but assistance to have her case heard in a fair court of law.

While it is true that she appears to have engaged and dismissed several lawyers and filed several appeals which the Mexican authorities claim have held up her hearing, these actions simply reflect those of a frightened individual - much like yours and mine would be under similar circumstances. 

All the more so, as time passed while hearing empty rhetoric from Helena Guergis and others at Foreign Affairs through the media and seeing photo ops by Members of Parliament.

Mr. Tatham is a well-known and respected businessman who, by his own admission, has personal friends in government, and that goes a long way. Unfortunately, Ms. Martin is a frightened woman with no connections, no means and no resources.

Please Mr. Tatham, don't tell me our government and Ms. Guergis has and is doing all it can in this case, because evidence points in the other direction.  Perhaps, while under this current government, Canadians should re-think trips to foreign countries, should they be arrested for any reason, and how much assistance they can expect from Canadian officials.