LIONS DEN GOOD FOR OUR YOUTH

When a young man dies in a gang-style shooting, it is tempting to
place at least some of the blame on his parents. We've heard of
cases, after all, where the parents were fully aware of what their
sons were up to--even proud of their young "warriors" for the power,
money and prestige they brought to the family.

But how does one explain what happened in Bobby Singh's case? His
brother, Kuldeep, died in an apparent gang shooting, while Bobby went
on to become a professional football player and role model. Clearly,
a young person's upbringing is only part of the complex set of
influences that helps to form a person's destiny.

Parents need to provide the structure and support that puts their
kids on the right path. And immigrants need to be especially
vigilant, because their kids are the most vulnerable to the lures of
gangs. But drugs and gang culture are so powerful, so corrupting, so
"cool" that even kids from good families can find themselves sucked
in to a lifestyle that offers easy money, power, excitement and--more
often than not--a dead-end street.

B.C.'s Solicitor-General Kash Heed understands the problem and is
making some small but important steps for which he deserves credit.
His ministry is investing $162,000 in a program involving the BC
Lions that is aimed at giving teens a healthy alternative. The
program includes a flag football league for kids at risk.

The B.C. government has been taking a lot of flak for cutting
community grants while spending too much money on the Winter Games.
This is one investment we can get behind.

Given the costs of prosecuting and imprisoning a single offender,
this is the kind of investment that will pay for itself even if it
prevents just one young person from taking a wrong turn in life. It
may even prove a good investment for the BC Lions. Who knows--there
might be another Bobby Singh out there.