TRAFFICKING SENTENCE TOO WISHY-WASHY

Re: Guilty pleas bring trial to a halt -- May 1.

The Star's report of the arrest of two men at the downtown Rainbow
Centre for the possession of a wide variety of drugs and a large
amount of cash is interesting.

What is more interesting and somewhat disturbing is the comment of
the judge at the second day of hearing in court.

The judge ruminated that the two men could be two "purely
entrepreneurial businessmen."

What was she thinking? Are we now to regard characters like the two
on trial for trafficking in heavy drugs that irreparably harm addicts
and users and eventually all of society, as "entrepreneurial businessmen?"

I find this extraordinary.

I also find the conditional six months of house arrest plus the
return of $17,500 in cash to one of the defendants, far too mild a
sentence for this type of disgusting and parasitic behaviour by the
two accused.

I am reminded of other countries where drug trafficking brings a
death penalty and while the latter is perhaps too severe, in Canada
society is subjected to wishy-washy penalties for those who profit
from selling drugs.

Judith Van Boxel,

Sudbury