PUNISHMENT SHOULD FIT THE CRIME

So convicted drug trafficker Matt Amos is going to appeal his six-year
sentence. Good for him. We hope the Appeals Court reviews the evidence
carefully - and increases the sentence: doubles or triples it, if it
can.

Amos was described during his trial as possibly being the first drug
dealer to introduce crystal meth to this province.

Although at a convenient moment prior to his sentencing, he did utter
the appropriate words (albeit even as he attempted to minimize what he
did) - "I didn't see the bottom-end of the effect on people. But I did
traffic 'mostly' in marijuana" - it's obvious he has no concept of
just what he has done.

At the sentencing hearing, RCMP Sgt. Steve Gordeau testified that
until methamphetamine was intercepted in courier packages addressed to
Amos from British Columbia in late 2004 and early 2005, there had been
no seizures of crystal meth in the province.

"This is the first individual we investigated and made a seizure of
crystal meth," Gordeau said.

Gordeau testified the drugs Amos was trafficking included three of the
worst drugs police see in the province.

At trial, and again at the sentence hearing, the court heard Amos was
a high-level dealer who had access to a steady supply of
methamphetamine, cocaine and ecstsy, not to mention the hundreds of
"weeks of work" of marijuana.

"Based on my experience, Paul Black and Matt Amos were at the highest
level to have some of the hardest drugs on the market," said Gordeau.

Anyone who has seen what crystal meth and cocaine can do to a person
physically over time knows the full horror of these evil and highly
addictive substances, and anyone who stays abreast of the news knows
of the deaths among teenagers who fall victim to the wiles of the
"fun" drug ecstasy.

It's typical of the self-absorbed narcissistic character trait it
takes to be able to deal in drugs in the first place that Amos and his
charming little band of fellow thugs rounded up in Operation Jackpot
really have no inkling of the extent of the suffering they are
responsible for.

To help re-educate them as to the full extent of their wrong-doing, we
feel the sentences imposed for drug trafficking should be the harshest
possible.

As it is, Amos' six-year sentence will see him out of prison in a year
with good behaviour, in effect making a mockery of the whole notion of
punishment fitting the crime.

And Amos knows this. His indignant warnings about appealing as he was
led away serve only to further illustrate the true extent of his smug,
warped view of the world.

The only way to deter the Amos's of this world and other such
blackguards is to make sure the punishment for plying their ill
begotten trades packs sufficient wallop to truly deter them.