News (Media Awareness Project) - CN BC: LTE: Safety and Rights of Society Must Come First |
| Title: | CN BC: LTE: Safety and Rights of Society Must Come First |
| Published On: | 2007-11-21 |
| Source: | Maple Ridge News (CN BC) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-11 18:03:17 |
SAFETY AND RIGHTS OF SOCIETY MUST COME FIRST
Editor, The News:
Re: Prohibition created gangs (Letters, Nov. 14).
The idea that the gang situation will go away if, "drugs were a
medical issue," as suggested by Dan Banov, is simplistic at best.
Is he suggesting that children of 10 should be permitted to have
access to cocaine and crystal meth?
Gangs will not go away, they will simply move onto some other field to
exploit.
As far as using a big stick not working, this too is far from reality.
Police can catch gang members. The problem is the legal system
releases them, or at worse, prohibits police from removing them from
society to begin with. How many times do we hear or read "known to
police" when issues of violence are made public?
In a lot of these situations the police know the person is committing
crimes, they just can't prove it to the satisfaction of the judiciary.
Even when they do, often the offender is let go on various grounds.
Those who agree with the position that bigger sticks don't work should
visit Singapore or Abu Dabai. These areas put action into the idea of
dealing with drugs and crimes. Especially in the latter, there is no
drug problem, because if you deal in drugs or are caught in possession
of them you are put into prison, end of story. Suspected prostitutes
and johns are separated and then required to give their partners full
names and addresses. If they fail to do so, or give different answers,
the prostitute goes to prison, and the john's identity, is recorded.
On the second offense, the john is deported on the spot.
The so called stick being used by police today in Canada is a tooth
pick. They hold it in one hand while the other is handcuffed behind
them. Meanwhile, criminals have access to and use all the weapons
available, legal or otherwise, they are permitted to ignore the rules
of society, because society permits them. Until the safety and rights
of society and law-abiding citizens takes precedent over the rights of
criminals, there will be no reduction in gang activity.
GRAHAM MOWATT
Maple Ridge
Editor, The News:
Re: Prohibition created gangs (Letters, Nov. 14).
The idea that the gang situation will go away if, "drugs were a
medical issue," as suggested by Dan Banov, is simplistic at best.
Is he suggesting that children of 10 should be permitted to have
access to cocaine and crystal meth?
Gangs will not go away, they will simply move onto some other field to
exploit.
As far as using a big stick not working, this too is far from reality.
Police can catch gang members. The problem is the legal system
releases them, or at worse, prohibits police from removing them from
society to begin with. How many times do we hear or read "known to
police" when issues of violence are made public?
In a lot of these situations the police know the person is committing
crimes, they just can't prove it to the satisfaction of the judiciary.
Even when they do, often the offender is let go on various grounds.
Those who agree with the position that bigger sticks don't work should
visit Singapore or Abu Dabai. These areas put action into the idea of
dealing with drugs and crimes. Especially in the latter, there is no
drug problem, because if you deal in drugs or are caught in possession
of them you are put into prison, end of story. Suspected prostitutes
and johns are separated and then required to give their partners full
names and addresses. If they fail to do so, or give different answers,
the prostitute goes to prison, and the john's identity, is recorded.
On the second offense, the john is deported on the spot.
The so called stick being used by police today in Canada is a tooth
pick. They hold it in one hand while the other is handcuffed behind
them. Meanwhile, criminals have access to and use all the weapons
available, legal or otherwise, they are permitted to ignore the rules
of society, because society permits them. Until the safety and rights
of society and law-abiding citizens takes precedent over the rights of
criminals, there will be no reduction in gang activity.
GRAHAM MOWATT
Maple Ridge
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