DRUGS: GANGS BENEFIT FROM 'TOUGH ON CRIME' STANCE

Dear Editor,

Oh, how I laughed this morning. I always do when I receive
Conservative propaganda in the mail. The latest waste of paper from
Langley MP Mark Warawa is the most egregious one yet. It includes
several attempts at wedge issues and smoke-screens, and plenty of
other cookie-cutter, cut-and-paste talking points.

I don't blame Mr. Warawa for not coming up with anything original, as
I don't believe he has ever come up with an original thought. I don't
think it is an honourable thing to act as nothing more than Stephen
Harper's echo, however I won't fault someone who has limited capacity
for not achieving greatness.

I will, however, fault someone for disseminating questionable
information to the Canadian people. Warawa states that the
Conservative government is getting "tough on crime" by increasing
sentences for gangs and those who grow "large numbers" of marijuana
plants.

In reality all that Bill C-15 will do is throw small-scale growers,
many of them medical marijuana users, in jail for growing as little as
five plants. This will both increase the price of marijuana, ensuring
bigger profits for gangs, and take small-scale growers out of the
market, ensuring more customers for organized crime.

Mark Warawa and the Conservative government are not looking out for
the Canadian people, and are not getting "tough on crime". They are
looking out for organized crime, and getting tough on average
Canadians. High-level drug dealers want tougher sentences. After all,
it is only low-level growers and non-violent users who are arrested.

High-level dealers rarely get caught, and will get caught less often
once mandatory minimums are in place. Politicians who support
prohibition are supporting organized crime. Stop lying to us, Mr. Warawa.

Travis Erbacher, Langley