DEMONIZING BIKERS HURTS ALL CANADIANS

Last week, Ottawa was besieged by media reports with dire warnings that
western Quebec and the capital region were being targeted by international
motorcycle clubs. Hysteria and terror were encouraged by stories about
drugs, gang wars and murder. If the public was not already concerned about
biker issues, it most certainly should be now.

The only consolation offered to citizens is that we may be protected by the
formation of a police task force. An interesting question is why the
hysteria prior to the announcement of the task force?

Is it in the best interest of the public, mostly very unfamiliar with the
biker subculture, to encourage fear and anxiety? Are the goals financial?
Promotions for public confirmation and subsequent funding? Are
heavy-handed, extremely expensive police tactics - questionable under our
Charter of Rights - and the formation of yet-another task force, the best
ways to serve the public?

I have no tolerance for violence in any form and it's true that some bikers
are involved with crime and are dangerous. However, I have many
acquaintances and friends who are bikers and the majority are hardworking
and dedicated parents. They are ethical, taxpaying, contributing members
of Canadian society. Many may have tattoos, big biceps or even bigger
bellies, but they are certainly not threatening to me, or anyone. Should
all individuals who look like bikers, or ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles,
be persecuted by draconian legislation and heavy-handed police tactics? It
would be like victimizing all Italians because they might be in the Mafia,
or Colombians because they might be in a cartel. The current media and
police hysteria surrounding bikers is deceitful. It victimizes all
Canadians, not only bikers.

In the 1970s and 1980s, an international war on drugs was adopted and
encouraged by the Western world. Instead of limiting the drug trade, it
fuelled the epidemic of cocaine and heroin abuse, and the tragedy and
violence associated with this plague.

Generations of Canadians have been, and continue to be, destroyed by crack
cocaine and heroin abuse. Health professionals and government now struggle
through harm reduction programs to try to minimize the human toll.

The "war on drugs" has directly resulted in a modern genocide and is
clearly a total failure. If we could only turn back the clock and only
have to worry about the marijuana, which our National Police Chiefs'
Association recently recommended be decriminalized. In the 1960s, the drug
world was dominated by hippies. Now we have narco-terrorists, cartels, and
international motorcycle gangs. The power of these groups clearly
indicates failure by our police and legislators.

The recent war on bikers has reaped no better results than our historical
and cultural approach to the problem of drugs. The formation of task
forces, increasing law enforcement budgets, or defying our cherished
Charter of Rights in the guise of pursuing justice, will not stop the drug
use, drug abuse and criminal activity by bikers - or any other group.

We recently have been told that more than 100 people have been killed in
the latest bike-gang wars. They tragically join the thousands of other
Canadians who have overdosed, committed suicide, or spent much of their
lives in prison cells, as direct victims of a failed war on drugs.

In the 1930s, there was another domestic war been waged [sic] in Chicago
with scores of victims.

Prohibition created a situation ripe for organized criminal activity and
violence. It wasn't Elliot Ness and the police who stopped Chicago's gang
wars. The killing decreased once prohibition was ended.

More recently, there was the costly issue of large amounts of illegally
imported cigarettes along the St. Lawrence River. In a controversial, but
extremely effective, move the federal government slashed cigarette prices.
Once there was little profit to be made, the criminal element receded.

It is ludicrous to solely blame organized crime for drug-related tragedy.
Similar, I don't blame the police. They're just doing their jobs. I
direct my anger at politicians who prioritize votes over lives; leaders who
cling to failed historic, culturally reactionary law-making, just because a
right-wing agenda currently has public appeal.

Let's look at decriminalization of soft drugs in order to take the drug
profits from the criminal elements. When drugs are the issue, what is
factual is that harm-reduction practices, treatment programs and
community-based projects are successful.

The western approach to drug-related crime is a failure. Are we doomed to
continued failure?